Welcome to Tips & Tricks #6:

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DIAPER BAG

You’ve got to be kidding me…you’re blogging about a diaper bag? No joke here, and I’ll tell you why it’s important.

For at least 2 years of your life, you’ll no longer be carrying around a cute purse to match each outfit. You’ll be carrying around a diaper bag wherever you go. So you might as well pick out the best one and forget about how much it’ll cost you!

I’m on my second diaper bag. Thankfully, the first one was a gift from a friend at my baby shower! It was a cute orange and cream Skip Hop diaper bag that matched my beautiful orange-themed nursery. (Click on photo for the item on Amazon.com)

Lovely as it was, it unfortunately got dirty really quickly. I had to go on the hunt for a new diaper bag, and having learned from my first one, I think I picked out a great bag (the JJCole one pictured at the top). You don’t think about these things as you’re picking them out the first time, so here’s a list of things to look for when you decide what kind of diaper bag to buy!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A DIAPER BAG:

1. The bag needs to be able to sit up on its own. It can’t flop over when you need to set it down one-handed and pull out a diaper! Test this out at the store as you’re looking. You don’t even need to take out the paper stuffed inside because you’ll probably have it stuffed full when using it. Just make sure to remove any cardboard supports that may be holding it up on display.
2. The bag needs to zip closed (no flap/messenger bag style). Flaps are annoying to open and keep open when you’re wearing it. They are also slower in opening/closing. They don’t do a good job keeping small things from falling out of the bag.
3. The bag needs to have small exterior pockets, at least one large pocket that can stay open, and small compartments inside the main central area. I like to put the wipes and diapers easily accessible in the large back pocket that is separate from the main pocket. The smaller exterior pockets are perfect to place small things that could get lost in the big central area. The compartments inside the main area are good for organizing so that it’s not a black hole in the main area.
4. The bag needs to be dark in color. Though I was able to wash my first diaper bag after it got dirty, it was inconvenient to wash it and wait for it to dry! A darker bag means that the dirt from placing it on the floor and everywhere else it goes stays hidden.
5. The bag needs to have tote handles AND a cross body strap. Sometimes, you need to sling the entire bag across your body to carry things with both hands and not worry about the bag slipping off your shoulder. Also, the cross body strap is great for placing the bag on the stroller handles without having to snap them on some special stroller links. You need to have the tote bag handles for easy pick-up. With my original Skip Hop bag, I was limited to the long cross body strap only and carrying it on my arm or inside my elbow was impossible.
6. The bag needs to be relatively lightweight in materials. If you’re going to packing everything you need for baby in this, it’s gonna get heavy. This is why a leather diaper bag isn’t a good idea.

A couple preferences, but not musts:

• Love the way your bag looks! It should fit your style and be relatively compatible with your daily wear. You won’t be seen outside the house without it, so be proud of the bag!
• The material should be washable. It would be so sad if you got something on it and you had no way of cleaning it!
• Don’t break the bank trying to find the perfect bag. The truth is that there is no perfect bag! Though I love my JJCole bag, it is a little heavy, I don’t think I can wash it, and I don’t LOVE the way it looks (unlike how much I loved the way the orange Skip Hop bag looks).

Good luck with your diaper bag hunting!

Previous Tips & Tricks:

• Tips & Tricks #5: HOW TO VACATION BY CAR
• Tips & Tricks #4: THE TWELVES DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
• Tips & Tricks #3: MINIMALIST CLOSET
• Tips & Tricks #2: HOW TO FEED YOUR HUSBAND
• Tips & Tricks #1: CONSIDER HOME DECOR