How to choose the best changing bag
About a year ago, I bought my first changing bag – and being as picky about this as I normally am about bags (which have to have certain combinations of zips and pockets inside and out, not to mention design and straps) it took a while to find the perfect one.
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Except, when I started using it, this perfect change bag didn’t stand up to the wear and tear of being dragged round every day with the paraphernalia that babies need.
First, the zip broke. And while I managed to bodge a fix, this was swiftly followed by the lining ripping. While my lovely mum managed to sew it back up for me, I discovered that once Minnie got a bit bigger, it was struggling to cope with the occasional toy, larger clothes and nappies, plus all the rest (purse, keys, bottle, powder, wipes etc).
So it was time for a new daily solution… once I had worked out how to choose the best changing bag from the many many many in the shops. All I needed was one with the right number of pockets, insulated bottle holders, not too expensive, with a design I liked, big enough to fit Minnie’s junk, not so big I couldn’t find what I needed, wipe clean… Easy, right?
So I’ve been testing a string of designs to find the perfect change bag: three which I was sent for review from Pacapod, Babymule and Caboodle, as well as another I bought from Sophia & Matt) a brand I found online and only later realised I’d seen at Greenwich market where I’d coveted the handbags).
How to choose the perfect changing bag
Like any baby-related purchase, it’s down to a mix of practicality and personal preference… But when you’re trying to find the perfect changing bag, here’s what to bear in mind to start off.
The cost
Work out your budget… because as I discovered, changing bags can be alarmingly pricy.
I’ve never spent £200 on a bag in my life. I don’t think I’ve ever even been tempted (shoes now, that’s a different story). And if I won’t splash out on a suitcase or an everyday handbag, I’m unlikely to suddenly start for a changing bag – after all, it’s going to have nappies stuffed in it, and I’ve got a string of other things to spend my spare cash on.
And unless they’re actually going to change the nappy for me (oh, please), I just can’t justify splashing even £100 on one, even if I will be carrying it around every day for months/years.
The design
Everyone’s taste is different, of course – but for each person who wants a sleek minimalist design, there’s someone who’s after patterns, bright colours or quirky details to cheer them up after a sleepless night.
I started off by discounting all the cutesy pinkly floral ones, all the ones with ‘Yummy Mummy’ all over them (no, just no), and all the bargain basement scratchy black nylon ones – I may be watching the pennies, but I’d like something I’m happy to carry in public – and the choice shrinks even further.
Depending on your family and childcare set-up, you might well be trying to find something to suit two people as well (unless you’re prepared to buy two bags).
And once you’ve decided that, there are a string of other questions – do you want a shoulder bag (and can you easily attach it to your buggy and save your shoulders if so)? Do you want a rucksack changing bag? There are messenger bag styles for quick access too, unless you prefer a zip than a velcro flap.
The features
The difference between the best changing bags and using a huge tote bag (also an option) is those extras which come with it.
Do you want to have insulated bottle holders or pockets, for example? Most come with a pull-out changing mat, but I also wanted plenty of pockets, including a wet pocket for those nappies, more for food, space for my own essentials like purse and phone, a clip for keys (or dummies).
Ideally not a black lining, so you’re frantically rummaging in a dark space just when you very very urgently need something.
There needed to be enough room to tote around all the baby/toddler kit required – as she got older that included spare clothes and toys as well as wipes, nappies, bags and so on… but not so big it’s going to wreck my shoulder.
Oh, and I wanted it to be wipe clean. Well, because. I prefer to say I’m particular rather than just fussy!
One friend did suggest an insulated pocket was particularly handy as it could double as a wine cooler as well – which seemed an excellent idea, although sadly I never did get round to checking if that worked!
Reviewed – Pacapod Oban changing bag
Whenever I looked into changing bag reviews, Pacapod would come up. It’s won awards for its design and clever pods, and the range includes changing bags which genuinely don’t look like they’d have nappies in, plus versions which are properly unisex without being frill-free polyester.
But each time I looked, I couldn’t quite work out whether the pods were going to make life easier – helpfully wrangling changing items into one pull-out bag, feeding into another – or whether I simply had an extra layer of zips to get through to get at what I needed.
And as some of the bags are very much at the pricy end of the market, I was wary of spending too much and finding out it was the latter.
Fortunately Pacapod got in touch to ask if I’d like to review one of the collection, which neatly solved my dilemma.
There’s a string of different styles, with some classic leather finishes, patterns and understated black. But as soon as I saw the shiny red finish of the Oban bag, my magpie side knew I’d found the one for me. [EDIT: Sadly now out of stock but other designs are available]
Even if my husband sighingly decided it was even girlier than my Sophia & Matt bag – read on for that review – not something he’s ever said about an equally shiny red Ferrari).
The lines of the design are lovely with no suggestion of a big cavernous hold-all, and without any exterior bottle pockets, it is the kind of thing I could imagine using as a handbag one day later on.
There are several pockets too – one on the front, which I popped a few small toys and teethers in, a small zip one for keys/lipgloss etc, and another deeper one for purse, umbrella, book etc.
This only has a popper to shut it rather than a zip (which I’d prefer, living in London) but otherwise helped me divide up my belongings in pleasingly logical fashion.
Then most of the bag, accessed by a zip opening at the back, has the two pods plus a changing mat – the feeding one is fully insulated, promising to keep bottles warm for up to three hours, plus there’s a detachable insulated bottle cover.
It also promises to hold up to four bottles, although I can’t imagine squeezing more than a couple in unless they’re newborn size, especially once I put in the powder dispenser.
The changing pod had enough room for wipes and nappies plus a change of clothes, so I could simply pull that out to take to the toilet rather than lugging the entire bag (I do have a nappy/wipe/bag pouch I use at present, but I never like to take the risk of just picking that up and later discovering I’ll also need the extra clothes).
Both pods can also be carried separately, which does mean there’s a whole empty section for other paraphernalia. Which is potentially a good thing as I struggled to squeeze everything in. I don’t doubt I drag a lot of stuff around with me, but I don’t think much of it is actually non-essential – or at least it might well turn out to be essential and I’ll really regret it if I don’t have it.
The Oban also weighs less than 1kg, which is useful for travel, as you can cram in as much as possible without it weighing a ton, and the pods are ideal for planes as you can grab what you need without having to wrangle the whole bag (and without loose odds and ends rattling around).
On the downside, I doubt I could fit as much in for hand luggage as I did in my Sophia & Matt bag.
But do the pods help or hinder? Well, it depends. Not exactly the answer you probably want. In a hurry, you can’t simply grab a bottle from a side pocket in seconds, instead you have to unzip the back then unzip the pod. On the other hand, now I’m carrying food around, it’s more secure for little pots than trying to rescue those from pockets.
The same for nappies and wipes. Obviously it doesn’t take THAT much longer, although at times every second counts, and there is advantage of having everything secured together in handy portable sections.
I think, in the end, it comes down to personal taste. You’ll know whether you’d prefer a precisely organised bag, and a few more zips to access it, or whether you want to be able to grab and go (assuming you find what you need straight away).
Reviewed – Sophia & Matt changing bag
It takes a lot to persuade me to part with £85 for a changing bag. For starters, I need to be certain that it’s not going to go the way of broken zips and ripped lining of my first bag, or that I’m going to realise it’s not practical after all. 
But London design duo Sophia & Matt had obviously put a lot of through into their changing bag. Unlike more than a few other retailers, they’d worked out ‘It’s not simply a case of just making a big bag with an adjustable strap.’ [EDIT: Sadly there are currently no changing bags available in the range]
I know some people are very happy using an ordinary tote bag, but I need pockets otherwise I drive myself mad rummaging at the bottom – and this in ordinary everyday circumstances, not when there’s a screaming baby or leaking nappy added into the equation. And I think their attention to detail has really paid off.
There are eight pockets – two for bottles, one large zip one at the front (good for easily grabbing keys or urgently needed items like dummies and finger puppets), a small zip pocket inside, three open pouch-style ones inside and a separate section for the matching changing mat.
There’s also straps which should suit most buggies: an adjustable one, which means you can sling it over your shoulder if you want, plus Velcro ones to strap onto buggy handles.
These came in useful for my Bugaboo to stop it sliding down the handle onto Minnie (although even on the shortest setting, it’s currently hovering above her feet which isn’t ideal).
It’s also big. Not so big that it’s unwieldy, plus the pockets mean you’re not forever losing things in its depths, but big enough that I could fit all the everyday essentials in.
I even used it as hand luggage on our trip to Lanzarote and crammed in a netbook and Kindle, plus my travel wallet with passport etc, along with bottles and extra toys.
Not least, I love the design. It’s got a wipe-clean lining and an equally practical retro coated exterior, which got a string of compliments as soon as I started carrying it around.
The downsides? Not many – the price, obviously (I’m not saying it’s not worth the money, I just wish it had been cheaper…).
And the only other slight annoyance came with the exterior bottle pockets – these are partly lined with the coated print, which is fine if you’re squeezing a cool bottle in, but which sticks frustratingly if you’re trying to jam in a bottle with hotter water.
On days out when I was slinging in bottles of just boiled water (in the knowledge they’d be the right temperature come feeding time), it was not the easiest task to wedge them in.
The same happened occasionally with the changing mat, which didn’t always want to slide back into its pocket.
But they’re minor niggles. I carried this around for a couple of years before it finally wore out.
Reviewed – Caboodle changing bag
While you can spend a small fortune on a changing bag if you want to (and given it’s something you’ll use every day, potentially for years, investing isn’t a silly idea), thankfully there are some cheaper alternatives.
So when Caboodle asked if I’d like to try something from their range, I shifted Minnie’s essentials into yet another nappy change bag and put it through its paces.
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The company makes several different styles, so if you’re a rucksack fan there’s an option, along with Classic, another larger version and the one I chose – the Everyday bag. [EDIT: No longer available from the Caboodle site, you can still find their designs on Amazon]
The geometric pattern is definitely less girly than a lot on the market, which is perfect if you’re fed up with yummy mummy cupcakes and flowers, and while it’s not full-on macho, I suspect many guys would be happier carrying one of these on occasion.
At first glance, it looks relatively small but opens up Tardis-like so you can actually fit a surprisingly large amount in, although if you do want to carry the kitchen sink (or the whole kit and caboodle, such as inspired the company’s name), you might be disappointed.
A lot of the details have obviously been thought through. I loved the changing mat – most seem to be horrible thin nylon which is only just better than nothing, but this is squashily padded while still folding up nice and small.
There’s a proper grubby stuff bag too. Given quite how grubby Minnie can make things, the common zip pocket option is never going to be enough, but this clear bag actually detaches and seals properly.
And while there are no bottle pockets on the outside, which would have been useful (particularly in the early days), there is a separate insulated bottle bag which fits inside.
Plus there are pockets galore, which is wonderful. A zip one on the outside, plus two with poppers on the other side so you can shove in odds and ends. Inside, there’s another zip one with a phone holder plus another three open elasticated pockets as well, so keeping everything organised is easy.
A few small niggles – the flat bottom section of the bag is loose, which I suppose could be useful if you need to take it out and wipe it, but just kept coming out accidentally when I didn’t want it to.
And while the shoulder strap is adjustable, there’s nothing to attach it to buggy handles. Fine if you have a version you can loop it around, but it just kept slipping down my Bugaboo unless I used attachments from another bag.
But at £35, it seemed absolute steal. So many details are much better designed than bags twice or three times the price, and as the name suggests, it genuinely is a great everyday bag.
UPDATE: Nearly a decade on, our Caboodle changing bag is still being used – this time as our default swimming bag as the lining is perfect for shoving damp towels in and there’s enough space for multiple pairs of goggles and all our kit (and caboodle). Although it wasn’t used every day as a changing bag, that’s a pretty impressive performance!
Reviewed – Babymule changing bag
Bags are so personal. For one person who loves to sling theirs over their shoulder, there’s someone else who’d rather carry theirs, someone who loves a capacious carry-all, someone else who’d be happiest with a clutch if they could squeeze everything in. And I don’t think that changes just because you have a baby.
Yes, you have to carry more around with you (so a clutch would be a bit optimistic) and bottle pockets and changing mats are a definite bonus.
But a bag which can be adapted to suit your needs on any particular day is a good plan. And Babymule’s range will transform from a rucksack to a messenger-style bag, as well as having clips to attach to the handles of a buggy and a grab handle.
So when they asked me to review one of the Babymule changing bags from the range, I thought it sounded a great idea. [EDIT: the company is no longer in business, although you can still find bags for sale on sites like ebay]
In the event, I suspect most people will just stick to their favourite – I’d far rather have something on a strap than a rucksack, and while that might make it more unisex, the pattern is still a bit girlier than most men are likely to want, even the grey and red version I chose.
And it does mean that I spent a while going through all the pockets trying to work out what was what – several of them ended up simply containing different straps, depending how you wanted to wear it, although they do tuck cleverly away. It also means that it’s not the lightest bag, even when empty.
There are plenty of sections – an opening at the front with an insulated cover for a bottle, a tiny zip pocket which will just about fit keys, and then two main interior pockets.
One has a mesh section at the back along with another small zip pocket, and there’s cute touches like a nappy pouch (also insulated to use as a mini cool bag) complete with its own changing mat, and a small wipe-clean bag that folds up into its own holder, for anything dirty. In total, there’s apparently a 22 litre capacity, when it’s used as a rucksack.
The fabric is water-resistant and you can even put it through the washing machine if you need to.
It’s not the cheapest bag out there though. Although it seems great quality, the nylon finish just means it’s never going to feel as luxurious as other bags in a similar price range.
And that seemed to be the problem with it. The design is really clever, there’s thoughtful add-ons, there’s useful pockets, there’s really everything you need from a changing bag – there’s nothing I can even put my finger on to say I hate about the Babymule changing bag. But I didn’t love it either.
Image courtesy of Depositphotos/Pacapod/Sophia & Matt/Caboodle/Babymule
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