The ultimate guide to picking and packing your diaper bag
Diaper bag essentials, the best diaper bags, real diaper bag reviews, and more.
As a parent, your diaper bag is your trusty sidekick with a big and important job to do—carry all your stuff for you. Everyone has different wants and needs in their bag, but as a team of experienced parents, we’ve made a diaper bag guide that outlines diaper bag features parents love, some of the most popular diaper bags, and a packing list with all of your diaper bag essentials.
Diaper bag features parents love
Insulated pockets: Be sure they’re large enough to fit the bottles you’re using, and—when baby is older—sippy or straw cups with hands and snacks. Many parents prefer the bottle pockets to be on their diaper bag’s exterior so they can easily grab a bottle or snack without rummaging through everything. This also keeps any food and drink spills away from the rest of your diaper bag’s contents.
A “parent pocket”: A zippered area where you can put your phone, wallet, keys, lip balm, sunglasses. Some parents even prefer a larger, or sometimes padded, pocket where they can fit their laptop or tablet.
A separate place for dirty clothes: Some diaper bags will have an inner pocket with a waterproof or water-resistant liner, or and others will include a separate wet/dry bag to stash soiled clothing, bibs, burp cloths, or dirty and wet diapers. If your diaper bag doesn’t have a place to put wet and dirty items, you’ll definitely want to pack your own.
Luggage sleeve: If you’re going to be traveling with your little one, it’s helpful to have a luggage sleeve on your bag to slip it over the handle of your roller bag and wheel it through the airport, leaving your hands and back free to carry baby or another bag.
Stroller straps: Allow you to hook your bag onto the stroller, or even a shopping cart, so you can get a break from carrying things—because as a new parent your back and shoulders definitely feels like you’re always carrying something.
Some stroller straps use velcro, snaps, or other types of clip attachments and some require you to wrap the strap around the stroller handle, loop it through itself and tighten. Both options are usually secure, but for some parents, velcro or a clip can be quicker.
Easy to clean material: Diaper bags will get messy, that’s just the nature of babies. Look for a material that’s easy to wipe clean, or some are even machine washable—water resistance is also something to consider given that you’ll be toting milk and water bottles, and no doubt, a fair share of wet diapers. Many bags feature specialized cotons to repel liquids, dirt, and stains.
Easy diaper and wipe access: Having an easy-access flap, outer pocket, or pouch for wipes is often noted by parents as a much-appreciated diaper bag feature…because, well, they always need wipes. Diaper changes, spit ups, runny noses, sticky hands, messy faces after snacks all require quick access to wipes. Some diaper bags will also come with removable diaper caddies so you can pull all your changing essentials out of your bag at once.
Included changing pad: Some diaper bags include a coordinating changing pad, and others even have it built into the bag.
While having a built-in changing bad sounds great in theory, there are some potential cons to consider:
- Baby may outgrow the small attached changing pad
- It takes up space that could be used for other things
- You have to set your whole diaper bag on the changing table with the baby (once your baby reaching the wiggly stage they could potentially pull the diaper bag over)
- A built-in changing pad may not cover the whole changing station/table if you’re in public.
Big Diaper bag vs small diaper bag: two schools of thought
Whether you need a small or big diaper bag depends on a few different factors, things like:
- How many kids are you packing for?
- Do you need to pack bottles and pumped breastmilk or formula?
- Does your baby tend to have blowouts or frequent spit ups?
- How long are your average outings?
- Do you have a car where you can keep extra items or does everything need to come with you in your diaper bag?
Different styles of diaper bags
Backpack diaper bags: A classic style that is loved for it’s versatility beyond just carrying diapers, and lets you carry everything you need hands free (because parents always have their hands full)
Crossbody diaper bags: Especially great for travel through the airport if you’re already carrying a pack-n-play or carseat bag on your back. Though it may be harder to hold your velcro baby and carry your diaper bag at the same time
Belt bag (aka fanny pack) diaper bags: Great for short outings and older babies who don’t need as many essentials.
Repurposed purse diaper bags: One con is, If your purse doesn’t have a zipper you may find things spill out as you bend down, which you end up doing a lot as a parent, especially once your baby becomes more mobile.
Popular diaper bags parents love
Skip Hop Forma Diaper Backpack: Available in one size (16” x 8” x 14”), it’s a relatively affordable favorite. Comes with a separate changing pad and packing cube, and has insulated bottle pockets on the side (though they aren’t fully enclosed or zippered).
Rave reviews:
“The best daycare bag. It stands up so it doesn’t tip over.”
“Mom and dad both use it. It fits everything, has several compartments, and clips on to our stroller.”
“I love the packaging cube options.”
“Not too oversized! It fits everything I need.”
Critical reviews:
“Wish this had the horizontal luggage sleeve on the back to slide over carry on luggage”
“Wish it had an easily accessible pocket for wipes”
“After less than a month of use, the strap started coming apart at the seam—and my bag was not abnormally heavy.”
“The main compartment only has 2 pockets, and if you put anything in them I found it made it too difficult to put things in the rest of the compartment. I tried putting wipes and diapers in there and found that it was too bulky. I tried bottle supplies, too bulky and then the wipes and diapers were just floating around in the compartment. Honestly, I think the bag works better if you’re a breastfeeding mom, as formula feeding requires a lot of supplies that take up space in our bag.”
Beis The Ultimate Diaper Backpack: Nylon exterior, available in one size, (15.75" H x 8.66" W x 12.6" L with a 24 L capacity). Comes with a built-in changing pad, an easy-access pocket for wipes, and an insulated pocket for bottles or snacks. It also includes a padded laptop pocket that fits 13” or 15” laptops.
Rave reviews:
“I got this diaper bag for my 3rd baby, wanting a bigger bag so I won’t need to bring several bags everywhere—this exceeded my expectations.”
“There are a lot of people trying to go for a smaller diaper bag, but that’s just not practical when you have a toddler and a baby. I cannot say enough good things about this bag. I can fit so much in it and I love all the pockets.”
“I couldn’t stop crying and screaming about the insane number of pockets—beyond a new mom’s dream. The pure joy of me finding each new pocket and nook for all of my baby’s (and my) things.”
Critical reviews:
“Wish the changing pad was separate (must bring entire bag to bathroom to use changing pad the way it’s currently designed—can be hard to balance bag on bathroom changing tables especially if packed full).”
“This bag was great at first, but the straps started to tear after 2 months.”
“Used this diaper bag for less than 2 months and both the shoulder strap and middle strap are broken.”
Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Bag Backpack: Made from neoprene, and available in 3 sizes (S, M, and L)—with the small more ideal for parents of older kids who can travel lighter. The large (12.25” L x 7” W x 13.8” H with a 17 L capacity) fits most laptops (up to 16”), bottles, diapers, a portable breast pump and other essentials.
Rave reviews:
“It’s great because my husband likes to carry it around too!”
“Beautiful and the perfect size for my 2 year old to travel with or have long days out. I have enough space for my older kid’s things as well.”
“The straps are extremely comfortable, and even when the bag is packed, it never feels to heavy.”
“Carries well 3 diapers, a change of clothes, wipes, a bottle, formula, water bottle, and accessories. I am also able to carry my personal items like wallet and phone.”
Critical reviews:
“The material gets dirty very easily and stains are impossible to remove.”
“There is no insulated portion in this bag.”
“Carrying this in the summer made my back sweat and felt like I was carrying a furnace.”
“My wipes don’t really fit in the front pocket, and Size 2 diapers barely fit in the double interior pockets. There are way too many tethers with clips on the interior and they’re constantly in the way.”
Lululemon New Parent Backpack: Available in one size (12.2" x 7.9" x 15.7" with a 17 L capacity); an included crossbody pouch is great for travel
Rave reviews:
“Looks sleek but is so roomy and accommodating.”
“The many pockets make it easy to pack and stock with the essentials. It also looks stylish enough where it’s not obviously a diaper bag.”
“The crossbody bag with the changing pad is a game changer.”
Critical reviews:
“We spilled milk on it and found that it’s extremely difficult to clean. My husband scrubbed the backpack and it’s still smelly.”
“The material is thin and tears easily. By simply putting the bag in the stroller, it tore. I would buy something made with sturdier material in the future.”
“The inside will maybe hold the essentials but no extra items—the side pockets don’t hold a Ceres Chill. Sucks I need an extra bag for my Momcozy Air 1 breast pump.”
Calpack Diaper Bag: Set up well to carry mom or dad’s things, with large water bottle pockets on the outside and a separate zippered (14”) laptop compartment
Rave reviews:
“It’s big, so if you’re looking for a big backpack for your day to day, this would be good.”
“I feared things would get lost in the abyss, but the organizational pockets on this are amazing. It’s very large and will easily fit all I need.”
“I don’t usually bring my laptop around with me, so I use that pocket for the diaper mat and an extra thin blanket. The water-resistant material is my favorite, and will often wipe the bag out with antibacterial wipes.”
Critical reviews:
“After 6 months of use here’s my take: The bag is big but storage is limited due to the puffy nature of the bag. The top flap has the weakest magnet and won’t stay closed.”
“When you stuff your diaper bag you can’t use the side pockets, there’s no give”
“Straps are too thin for weight of packed bag and slide, needs more structure, but also more stretch for when you put bottles in insulated pockets. The top is always flapping open because the magnet is weak and often doesn’t reach if the bag is full.”
Caraa Baby Bag: Comes in cotton or nylon options, and available in 2 sizes, large and medium (the large has a 20.5 L capacity)—with light colored interior makes it easy to find things. Notable features are 3 separate insulated bottle pockets on the outside, for both hot and cold; and a removable diaper caddy with pockets for diapers and wipes.
Rave reviews:
“I got the Caraa medium bag and used the hell out of it—it’s still very much my go-to when have a daytrip with my 3-year-old, even now long past the diapers and bottle stage. It has great compartmentalization and insulated pockets.”
“As a second time mom, this bag is everything I need to adequately pack for both my newborn and toddler.”
“I needed space and organization, and this delivers. The pockets are perfect for my baby essentials and the insulated compartments keep bottles at the right temp. The removable diaper caddy is a smart touch so I can grab it and go.”
Critical reviews:
“It was too big for me. I am 5’2” and I felt it overpowered me.”
“The nylon is spot clean only.”
“The nylon feels slick, but it’s thin. If I had the choice again of the nylon vs the cotton I would pick the cotton—being able to wash is a huge plus with messy babies. I’m sure if I threw my nylon one in the washing machine it would be destroyed.”
What to pack in your diaper bag (aka the diaper bag essentials)
Basic diaper bag essentials for every stage:
- Wipes (Coterie travel packs are really convenient)
- Diapers (bring 2 more than you think you’ll need)
- Plastic bags to put dirty diapers (many parents use dog poop bags)
- Changing mat
- Diaper cream
- Extra outfit for baby
- Emergency contacts (pediatrician, poison control, etc.)
Newborn diaper bag items:
- Swaddle blanket (doubles as a place to set baby down)
- Any nursing gear you need (nursing cover, nipple shields, etc.)
- Burp cloths
- Pacificers
- Extra formula or breastmilk
- Hat (for sun or cold)
- Portable sound machine
- Snot sucker
- Saline drops/spray
- Gas drops
- Thermometer
Older baby + toddler diaper bag essentials:
- Snacks
- Sippy or straw cup for milk
- Water bottle
- Bib
- Sanitizing wipes to wipe down surfaces
- First aid kit (bandaids, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, tweezers + nail clippers, infant acetaminophen)
- Teethers
- Toys
- Sunscreen
- Extra socks
Parent essentials to pack in the diaper bag:
- Hand sanitizer
- Wallet, phone, keys
- Lip balm
- Water bottle
- Tablet or lap top
- Extra shirt for you
Travel diaper bag tips:
- Use clear packing cubes and label them by category (feeding, changing, playing)
- Have a small removable changing bag or caddy in the larger diaper bag that you can quickly remove for changes (especially when flying, a small changing kit is great for a cramped airplane bathroom)
- A skincare travel kit like Coterie’s The Minis is great because it comes with a zippered neoprene pouch that holds your travel-size diaper balm, hair + body wash, and face + body lotion.
- Bring a smaller fanny pack packed with the things you need to grab without rummaging through a bag—ID, boarding passes, passport, pacifier, a small snack for toddlers, 1 diaper, and a travel pack of wipes.