Top 5 Best Baby Changing Bags | 2018 Reviews
“A baby changing bag? I can pick one up for twenty bucks anywhere - what could be so special about a baby changing bag?”
Ah, you must have just taken your baby home from the hospital, or you may still be expecting. It won’t take you long to realize how indispensible a well-constructed changing bag will be to your new life, though. The first time you have to dump the entire contents of your bag out onto a counter because you can’t find what you need, or discover that you can’t fit a soiled diaper into a protected section of the bag – while juggling a crying baby – you’ll be wishing for one of the top 5 best baby changing bags that made this list.
You’ll also be getting back to normal, even though it will be with a baby in tow. As you drop the baby weight and get back into swing of real life, you’ll probably be paying more attention to style than you were during your final month of pregnancy. And an ugly twenty-dollar bag may not be the look you’re after when you can get back into your regular outfits and want to impress friends and family with how great you look so soon after giving birth.
Our choices for the best changing bags combine function and style. Most important, of course, is the amount of “stuff” you can store and how well the storage is organized. There are other considerations when choosing a changing bag, though, including how easy the bag is to carry and how durable it is. Seemingly minor issues like the type of changing pad in the bag and the padding on the shoulder straps can quickly become major problems, and we take a look at those features as well.
But before anything else, you may want to check first our comprehensive baby changing bags buying guide here.
Let’s get started.
Quick Comparison Table
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Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel |
Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back Backpack Diaper Bag |
Coach Signature Multifunction Tote Diaper Bag |
Skip Hop Forma Pack & Go Diaper Tote Bag |
BEABA Stockholm Diaper Bag |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
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$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
$$$ |
|
Shoulder bag / backpack |
Backpack |
Tote / shoulder bag |
Tote bag |
Tote / shoulder bag |
|
Organic cotton |
Treated nylon |
Treated canvas |
Polyester |
Canvas and polyester |
 |
|
|
|
|
Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel
Every great baby changing bag that we’ve looked at has a different quality or function to argue in its favor. The Sashay combines most of them into a tempting package. It’s not the largest, it’s not the most fashionable, it doesn’t have the most pockets and it’s not the cheapest. But it’s a good-sized, roomy, attractive, well-organized and reasonably-priced changing bag that’s extremely well-built. We liked it the most.
This Pickle Bottom bag (if you’re confused by the names, we were at first, too – Petunia is the brand, Pickle Bottom is the product line, Sashay is the model) is 15 inches wide at the bottom and 13 inches tall, so it can hold a lot of stuff unless you’re the type of mom (you know who you are!) who packs most of the house into her diaper bag before going out; you’ll have no problem fitting diapers, wipes, cream, bottles, blanket, change of clothes, toys and your own personal essentials inside. Unlike some competitors which seem to be zillions of pockets with a piece of fabric holding them together, the Sashay has just five interior pockets (two for bottles) and a few exterior ones (two for bottles, others for magazines and a cellphone) plus a very handy clip for your keys. You may be rummaging around inside the bag to find items at times, but we found that the internal organization keeps rummaging to a minimum.
One of the things that really attracted us to this changing bag was its construction. It’s made from organic cotton and extremely well-built, with high-quality stitching, hardware, zippers and straps. It’s also very durable and stain-resistant (a great quality for a cotton bag). There are a number of adorable patterns, making this a changing bag which could easily be used as a stylish purse on date nights. If you prefer something more elegant, more washable and more expensive, the bag is also available in gorgeous glazed print and embossed fabrics.
One feature we loved was that you can carry the Pickle Bottom bag two ways, either on the shoulder using the padded handles, or as a backpack with removable straps that tuck right into one of the exterior pockets when not in use. Another was the changing pad, always a key consideration in baby bags – the Sashay’s is large but folds up small, it’s easily wiped clean and it’s attached by strong Velcro so you can remove it for cleaning.
This baby changing bag is rather heavy for a model of its size, but we found the advantages – including its moderate price of about $130 – made this one our favorite, even reanking above other great Pickle Bottom models like the City Carryall and Boxy Backpack.
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Details of the Petunia Pickle Bottom Sashay Satchel |
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|---|---|
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Style |
Shoulder bag/backpack |
|
Size |
13 x 15 x 5 |
|
Weight |
2.1 pounds |
|
Material |
Organic cotton |
|
Pockets |
Six interior, six exterior plus key clip |
|
Washable |
Spot clean, changing pad removable for cleaning |
|
Warranty |
100% for manufacturing defects |
Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back Backpack Diaper Bag
Yes, you apparently have to have a catchy brand name to make it into our top two. The Pickle Bottom is a terrific hybrid choice, but the Be Right Back is our selection as the best baby changing bag designed to be worn on the back. The primary difference is that this model was created as a backpack, so it’s ergonomically curved and padded to minimize back strain and increase shoulder comfort. The straps feature mesh-lined foam to avoid excess sweat while still being easy on the body.
The Ju-Ju-Be is a bit larger than the Sashay and it has a lot more compartments (12), but fewer of those storage sections (4) are inside the bag. Most are zippered areas on the outside of the backpack and many of those are small ones for items like cellphones and wallets. That makes the inside prone to being messy and cluttered, and will probably lead you to store most of the stuff you use regularly in the three large external compartments. There’s also a bungee-style key clip.
One thing the two changing bags do have in common is quality. The Be Right Back is made from strong yet soft nylon, with obvious care taken in the stitching and selection of hardware. Many nylon backpacks are clearly not built to hold up over the long term, but this isn’t one of them. It’s durable as well as comfortable, and the Teflon coating on the nylon makes it extremely easy to clean; in fact, it’s machine-washable, unusual for a changing bag. The interior lining has an antimicrobial treatment to prevent mold and mildew growth, another nice touch although perhaps not necessary since the entire unit can be tossed in the washing machine. The changing pad on the Ju-Ju-Be is made from memory foam so it’s very soft, and it folds out and folds back in easily from one of the outside pockets.
We can’t say that this bag is overly attractive – after all, it’s designed to function and look like a backpack. There are five designs available, and all of them would appear more at home on the back of a college student than a stylish mom. Those who choose function over style, though, will love the Be Right Back at a reasonable price of about $140.
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Details of the Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back Backpack Diaper Bag |
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|---|---|
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Style |
Backpack |
|
Size |
12 x 16 x 5 |
|
Weight |
2.1 pounds |
|
Material |
Treated nylon |
|
Pockets |
Four interior, eight exterior plus key clip |
|
Washable |
Machine-washable |
|
Warranty |
90 days, limited |
Coach Signature Multifunction Tote And Baby Diaper Bag
You can already guess that a Coach bag isn’t going to carry a moderate price tag. On the other hand, it’s certainly going to be as stylish a baby changing bag as you’ll ever find.
We wouldn’t consider this as functional as some of its less-expensive competitors, but we were surprised to find that it was much more useful than we expected. There are a total of six inside pockets on this model; two are large zippered pockets, along with two medium-sized open sections and two smaller elastic pockets. There are also several on the outside.
There’s really no need to go into detail praising the workmanship of Coach bags, so we won’t rhapsodize about the quality of the Signature. You already know it’s going to be top-notch.The bag can either be carried as a traditional 10-inch drop purse (with dual leather handles) or worn with removable, adjustable shoulder and cross-body straps. The Coach C-style, khaki-colored coated canvas material is easy to clean, and the cute pink changing pad (which matches the pink handles) is removable, washable and more than adequate. (Other color schemes are also available.) For some people, though, the most important “accessories” will be the Coach logo on the front and authenticity patch inside. It may have been designed as a baby changing bag, but buying one is a great way to get an “authentic” Coach purse that you can use for years, for just $300.
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Details of the Coach Signature Multifunction Tote And Baby Diaper Bag |
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|---|---|
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Style |
Tote/shoulder bag |
|
Size |
12 x 17 x 7 |
|
Weight |
3.2 pounds |
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Material |
Treated canvas |
|
Pockets |
Six interior, two exterior |
|
Washable |
Spot clean, changing pad removable for cleaning |
|
Warranty |
Lifetime, limited |
Skip Hop Forma Pack & Go Diaper Tote Bag
You don’t have to spend $300 to get a good baby changing bag, of course. The Forma is an inexpensive ($70) choice which doesn’t get tons of style points, but scores big on convenience and organization.
It’s convenient because it’s large and light, the lightest of all entries on our list of top 5 best baby changing bags. As for organization, there are seven (mostly small) inside pockets on this Skip Hop model (some located inside others) and four more on the outside; there are also two small “packing cubes” with this model so you can quickly locate specific items like diapers or wipes. One of the cubes is insulated so it’s perfect for bottles or food. The entire structure of the Forma, particularly the cubes, was well-thought out.
You can tell from the name of this model that it’s a tote, and the fabric handles are comfortable over long trips. The bag itself is made from quilted polyester, available in three solid colors (berry, black and peacock) – not particularly stunning, but far from ugly and definitely soft. You can’t machine wash the bag but spot cleaning it is easy; the changing pad is small, but cushioned and comfortable for baby.
The construction of the Forma isn’t as perfect as the first three changing bags on our list and there are some things missing that we would have liked to see, such as feet on the bottom of the bag, a key clip, and a few larger pockets on the inside. However, this should last you through one or more babies without an issue, and is a bargain at well under $100.
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Details of the Skip Hop Forma Pack & Go Diaper Tote Bag |
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|---|---|
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Style |
Tote bag |
|
Size |
15 x 17 x 5 |
|
Weight |
1.45 pounds |
|
Material |
Polyester |
|
Pockets |
Seven interior, four exterior |
|
Washable |
Spot clean |
|
Warranty |
One year |
BEABA Stockholm Diaper Bag
This changing bag initially caught our eye because it has a feature we hadn’t seen in any other top-level competitor: the two sides open a full 180-degrees, so you can truly see everything that’s inside without the rummaging we’ve mentioned earlier. There’s a downside to that flexibility, however; the bag won’t stand up on its own when it’s closed unless it’s pretty full.
There are five inside and four outside pockets, not all perfectly placed but far from the worst we’ve seen; there’s also an insulated cooler bag, dirty laundry bag, pacifier case and a decent changing mat. Organizationally speaking, it’s just OK but the 180-degree opening capability covers up for the areas where the BEABA falls short.
The canvas and polyester used to construct this well-made bag make it waterproof and easy to wipe down, but also make it rather heavy. The included cross-shoulder strap which converts the tote into an easily wearable model makes the bag comfortable to wear, though (if you don’t mind the weight). It’s a stylish model, with coral pastel handles providing a nice contrast to the grey canvas, and people would forgiven for not realizing it’s really “just” a baby changing bag. The BEABA sells for about $100.
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Details of the BEABA Stockholm Diaper Bag |
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|---|---|
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Style |
Tote/shoulder bag |
|
Size |
20 x 13 x 8 |
|
Weight |
2.8 pounds |
|
Material |
Canvas and polyester |
|
Pockets |
Five interior, four exterior |
|
Washable |
Machine washable |
|
Warranty |
One year, limited |
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