Three Factors to Consider When Choosing a Diaper Bag
When baby's on the way, choosing a great diaper bag might seem less interesting than picking out cute decorations for the nursery, but your diaper bag will be a daily companion. It's worth doing a little research before making this important purchase.
Three of the most important factors to consider are storage space, style and overall quality.
Your storage capacity needs will help narrow your choices. If you plan to take a lot of long trips or need to lug around bulky extras, backpack- or tote-style bags offer more carrying capacity, but at a cost of being awkward to carry for extended periods.
If you're more interested utilizing a bag that is easy to wear and moves with you when when you're maneuvering with your baby, a messenger-style bag is a more sensible choice. Messenger bags generally don't have as much room in the main compartment but they are convenient to carry around. For brief trips, this lower capacity isn't an issue. It's very easy to lighten your gear by eliminating non-essentials and finding travel-sized containers for diapering supplies wipes and hand sanitizer.
A bag's overall design should mix well with your lifestyle. Bags with fold-over flaps may help the contents stay dry in rainy weather, nonetheless the flap can be quite a hassle if you need to access the center compartment frequently.
Also give some consideration to the fasteners on the pockets and main compartment. Zippers, snaps and velcro are most popular. Velcro and snaps are a poor choice if you ever need to open the bag discretely in a quiet setting, such as a library, group meeting or church. Some top-of-the-line bags use strong magnets to conduct pockets and flaps closed. Magnets are quiet but hold the bag closed firmly.
If Dad will be carrying the bag frequently, consider steering clear of diaper bags with floral prints and bags created to look like a large handbag. Choosing a neutral color will also mean you'll be less likely to splurge on any new bag if your baby girl gets a little brother someday.
Diaper bags take a beating, which means that bag's quality is important if you want to have it onto hold up over time. On lower quality bags, straps are almost an afterthought and so are manufactured from flimsy material with weak clips. These poor quality straps won't retain adjustments to their length, and the bag will constantly slip down around your knees. Good diaper bags feature heavy-duty seams and powerful fasteners, slides and buckles, and hefty straps.
Three of the most important factors to consider are storage space, style and overall quality.
Your storage capacity needs will help narrow your choices. If you plan to take a lot of long trips or need to lug around bulky extras, backpack- or tote-style bags offer more carrying capacity, but at a cost of being awkward to carry for extended periods.
If you're more interested utilizing a bag that is easy to wear and moves with you when when you're maneuvering with your baby, a messenger-style bag is a more sensible choice. Messenger bags generally don't have as much room in the main compartment but they are convenient to carry around. For brief trips, this lower capacity isn't an issue. It's very easy to lighten your gear by eliminating non-essentials and finding travel-sized containers for diapering supplies wipes and hand sanitizer.
A bag's overall design should mix well with your lifestyle. Bags with fold-over flaps may help the contents stay dry in rainy weather, nonetheless the flap can be quite a hassle if you need to access the center compartment frequently.
Also give some consideration to the fasteners on the pockets and main compartment. Zippers, snaps and velcro are most popular. Velcro and snaps are a poor choice if you ever need to open the bag discretely in a quiet setting, such as a library, group meeting or church. Some top-of-the-line bags use strong magnets to conduct pockets and flaps closed. Magnets are quiet but hold the bag closed firmly.
If Dad will be carrying the bag frequently, consider steering clear of diaper bags with floral prints and bags created to look like a large handbag. Choosing a neutral color will also mean you'll be less likely to splurge on any new bag if your baby girl gets a little brother someday.
Diaper bags take a beating, which means that bag's quality is important if you want to have it onto hold up over time. On lower quality bags, straps are almost an afterthought and so are manufactured from flimsy material with weak clips. These poor quality straps won't retain adjustments to their length, and the bag will constantly slip down around your knees. Good diaper bags feature heavy-duty seams and powerful fasteners, slides and buckles, and hefty straps.
