The parents we know have all sorts of different bags for when they take their kids out. When looking online, there are so many options. We’re exploring what to look for when choosing a changing bag.
What Is a Changing Bag
Changing bags keep all your baby changing necessities and accessories together when you leave the house.
Features To Look For When Choosing a Changing Bag
How Much Space Do You Need
Babies need a lot of stuff. A lot. But you need to decide whether you’d prefer to have everything and be prepared for anything or have a less bulky bag day-to-day. We’ll cover a few things that you might want to pack regularly later in this post.
How Do You Want To Carry It?
You might like the idea of a backpack, messenger bag, shoulder bag or something convertible. As with any bag, if you’re going to be carrying heavy stuff for long periods, think about that load. A backpack is often best for heavier sets of baby stuff but just think about your back.
Does it Have Special Compartments?
You’ll want to keep some things separate. For example, you don’t want a change of clothes stored next to the nappy cream.
Breathable Material or Wipe Clean?
You’ll want a bag that’s at least water-resistant. A fully waterproof material might be more of a priority depending on your lifestyle and where you live. But you should consider the balance between a material that can simply wipe off a spill and one that won’t make your back sweaty in the Summer.
Insulation
Some bags have a thermo-insulation compartment to keep things warm or cool.
Changing Mat
Most (but not all) changing bags come with a changing mat included. If the one you choose, doesn’t, just make sure you pick one up separately.
Pushchair Clips
Just so you feel less like a mule, you might want to put the bag on your pushchair (or LIBTART). Some bags come with clips for easy attachment to the buggy. Don’t worry too much about this, though. Because you can buy carabiner clips from anywhere for a couple of pounds.
Do Both Parents Like The Style
If both of you could be heading out with the bag regularly, you should both be comfortable showing it off. But this might be less of a concern if one of you is very unlikely to take the baby and bag out for the day consistently.
What Might You Carry In Your Changing Bag?
What you carry in the bag depends on that balance between being prepared and lightening your load. Here’s a list of a few things that could be helpful when you’re out with your baby:
- Changing mat
- Nappies
- Nappy bags
- Baby wipes
- Nappy cream
- Muslins
- Spare baby outfit
- Comforter or small toy
- Spare clothes for you
- Dummies
- Bottles
- Formula
- Food
- Drink
- Maternity pads
- Breast pads
Remember, this is a list of things you might need. These are not all essentials for everyone.
What We’ve Decided
Although we want to be prepared, a bulky bag sounds like a bad idea for us. We can keep some extra items in the car. After a bit of searching, we found two options we both would be happy with.
Both are grey and water-resistant, but a little more breathable than a leather (or faux leather) option. They have plenty of compartments, insulated pockets and come with a changing mat.
This bag from Babymel seems to be slightly better made, is a little smaller and we both prefer the style. It also has a flap for easy access to baby wipes (although, I don’t how helpful that actually is).
This Lekebaby option is considerably cheaper, has a little more storage space and has a longer warranty period.
We haven’t made a final decision, but I expect us to get the Babymel one. We went to see it in the store and both really liked it.
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