Everyone has different opinions about pregnancy, baby, breastfeeding, and postpartum gear and accessories. You can spend hours online looking at reviews -- often conflicting -- for just one item! In an effort to help you cut back on some of your time researching gear, we created a "Top 5 Picks" series in which we do some of the legwork for you. We create our Top 5 Picks based on the "winners" of five of the most popular retailers and consumer review sites: Amazon, Target, Babylist, Consumer Reports, and BabyGearLab. Learn more about these sites at the bottom of this post.
Top 5 Picks: Diaper Bags
Amazon
Winner chosen based on highest average number of stars, highest number of reviews, and highest percentage of reviews that gave 5 stars.
Winner
TETHYS Diaper Bag Backpack
Description: "INSULATED POCKETS. STYLISH & ERGONOMIC. SPECIAL PARENT POCKET. CONVENIENT DESIGN. WARRANTY."
Most Recent Review: "AMAZING! I love this bag. I bought it to use now that I had my first baby and it’s amazing. It has enough pockets to fit everything we need, the size is great and the fabric is very great too. I first chose this one because it’s a great price and looked great for me and my husband to carry it around, and we both love it."
See other high rated diaper bag choices on Amazon.
Target
Winner chosen based on highest average number of stars, highest number of reviews, and highest ratings in each of the following categories: value, quality, easy to clean.
Winner
Skip Hop Flatiron Diaper Bag Backpack
Description: "A go-to for streamlined organization, our Flatiron Diaper Backpack is crafted from soft vegan leather with a modern shape. Lots of pockets—in all the right places—include two insulated side bottle pockets and three exterior zip pockets. With a large main compartment that opens wide for easy access, it's a cinch to pack, grab and go!"
Most Recent Review: "I LOVE LOVE THIS BAG!!! it is big enough i am able to pack all of my newborn's stuff and stuff for my toddler. it easily attached to my stroller! The material is SO soft. Lots of zippered compartments and the zippers open/close easily. this bag is great because my husband will carry it too :-)"
See other high rated diaper bag choices on Target.
Babylist
The winner on Babylist is chosen by polling thousands of real Babylist families about their favorite products and combining those top products with the site's own research and insight.
Winner
Eddie Bauer Backpack Diaper Bag (Babylist's "Practical Pick")
Description: "Modern and gender-neutral, this backpack is liked by moms and dads for its thoughtful features. It includes an insulated bottle pocket as well as a side pocket that dispenses wipes. You don’t even need to open the main compartment during diaper changes because essentials can fit in the outside pockets."
Highlight Review: “It’s lightweight and has lots of room. I love all of the storage options.” -Ashley J.
See other winning diaper bag choices on Babylist.
Consumer Reports
Consumer Reports no longer updates specific recommendations for diaper bag brands, but they do offer a diaper bag buying guide. Brands mentioned in their guide include Skip Hop, Storksak, McKenzie Kids, Mothers Minder Sling Bag, and JJ Cole.
BabyGearLab
BabyGearLab researched over 115 contenders and narrowed them down to 15 diaper bags to compare side-by-side for weight, capacity, organization features, cleaning methods, and more.
Winner
Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F.
Description: "The Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F. is a great, smaller tote or backpack with amazing organization features. Not only is there a pocket for everything, but the pockets are well-designed. Some bags have pockets that are unusual sizes or not arranged in helpful ways; not so with this bag. While it is more petite than some of the others we tested, it's thoughtful arrangement makes it easy to organize your supplies and your baby's belongings. This bag is also machine-washable. We've seen how things can get messy carrying food and drink, and creams and dirty diapers, so it's great that you can toss it in the machine and go."
Review Summary: "The Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F. is a favorite among all the bags we tested. We love its striped pattern, gold metal hardware, and the light colored satin fabric interior. Its easy convertible carrying options (from handbag/briefcase to backpack or shoulder bag) is an added bonus and we find it fits all of the necessities for both mom and baby gear. While it is one of the more expensive bags we tested, we love it and think moms who want a fun and stylish bag will love it too."
See other top diaper bag choices at BabyGearLab.
About the Review Sites
Amazon - The world's largest online retailer that sells goods in nearly every category imaginable. Products can be ranked by reviews. Reviews are marked as "verified purchase" to show that the person leaving the review actually purchased the product.
Target - Online and retail store located throughout the United States. Reviews are marked as "verified purchaser."
Babylist - Baby registry site that allows parents to build a list with any product from any store. They also provide unbiased, data-driven guidance to make decisions about purchases.
Consumer Reports - Independent, nonprofit member organization that works side by side with consumers for truth, transparency, and fairness in the marketplace. They use rigorous research, investigative journalism, and consumer advocacy, as well as work with several groups to inform purchase decisions, improve the products and services that businesses deliver, and drive regulatory and fair competitive practices.
BabyGearLab - Provides in-depth reviews guided by pediatrician Dr. Juliet Spurrier. The team buys the products they review and then puts them through detailed side-by-side tests to assess performance, ease of use, and reliability.
Published: April 13, 2020
Tags
Baby gearDiaper BagParenting GearTop 5 Picks