Are you looking for a new diaper bag? There's a great one for every budget!
If there's one thing I recommend as a mom of three, it's to have a diaper bag that's a backpack. Sometimes a tote comes in handy, but I almost always go backpack for the hands-free aspect and not having to wobble a tote behind you. But if you're going out and don't need to carry it the entire time, a tote can hold a whole lot of stuff too.
Out in the diaper bag world, there's all kinds of them in different prices, sizes, styles, and colors! Check out my master list of all of my diaper/pump bags here.
I will categorize by price, please keep in mind that most of the time with diaper bags you get what you pay for. Sometimes, expensive bags aren't as nice as they should be, and sometimes, a cheap bag falls apart. But that is not the same across the board. Read reviews!
A note on buying "dupes": I do not condone buying dupes/ripoffs of small businesses. I understand everyone has a different budget and may want a certain style but only have so much money to spend, however when I see someone has ripped off or copied an original idea from a small business, I do not like that. You could consider avoiding that if at all possible, if it matters to you. However, ripping off giant huge brands (I'm talking Walmart Amazon, etc), maybe not as bad. To each their own. I still find it icky to take someone's original, well made idea (regardless of business size!), and rip it off and make it less money so more people will buy it. But if you can't afford an expensive bag and find a similar option for the price you can afford, I don't think it's too horrible unless it's a product directly copied from a small business. I personally am at quite the crossroads with this, where I can understand wanting a nicer looking/designed bag but only being able to financially get the "dupe" option, or just not wanting to spend so much on a bag. But from a business owner perspective, it would hurt my feelings to see people buying a cheaper version of what is essentially a stolen product. So I will leave these bags here and their prices, note which is a dupe, and leave it up to your discretion.
At the end of the post, you will find a list of things to look for in a diaper bag, and a list of things to avoid in a diaper bag!
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You can click a price range to skip to that section!
A little spendy, not many in this range ($100-$120) Average price of a name brand fancy pants bag ($120-$200)
Does the job and isn't fancy ($50 and under)
RUVALINO Diaper Bag Backpack - $42 or so depending on the day This bag is falsely marked as having a full price of $90, it has NEVER been above $50. This is not a fancy bag that'll last years, rather a basic backpack you can beat up with a clean conscience because it didn't cost much money. It's got a ton of pockets and space, and truly isn't horrible. I am not a huge fan, but I'm biased because I prefer a more premium bag. Lots of colors available but prices vary by color. Includes changing pad and pacifier holder. It does have over 40,000 reviews and almost 5 stars, so lots of people do like it!
Babbleroo Waterproof Diaper Bag Backpack - $35-40 depending on the day This bag is very similar to the one above, is very close in price and has about half the number of reviews but still a very impressive 23,000. Both of these jump around in price and flash sales/lightning deals but are typically around $45 or less. Lots of colors available, prices may vary. Includes changing pad and pacifier holder.
Mommore Diaper Bag Small Diaper Backpack - $45 This is a dupe of the Happ brand diaper bag, but at a far far lower price point. I personally wouldn't get this for fear of things being stuck between the little gaps in the braided material but it looks cute and has nice looking pockets. I have been told the Mommore brand isn't half bad and relatively affordable. I have seen good reviews on this. There are a few colors available. Includes changing pad, and built in stroller clips on the straps.
Miss Fong Diaper Bag Backpack - $50 or so depending on the day This bag is a dupe of the Fawn Design brand, but far cheaper. I cannot speak to the quality as I have not tested it, but I have seen reviews that say it's decent for the price. Includes changing pad and stroller straps, a few colors available. I will say that I have the real Fawn design backpacks and I do not like them enough to use regularly, both for the shape and the strap material. Mine also have a smell to them I can't seem to get rid of.
Mid price, well built bang-for-your buck ($50-$100)
Mominside Diaper Bag Backpack (large) - $70 or so depending on the day A friend of mine has this one and says it's excellent, I just purchased it for myself and I actually am pleasantly shocked. From my first impression, it's very well made and worth the price. The feel of the material is great, and seems like it's better than some of my more expensive bags from other brands.. which shocks me, truly. Available in three colors, has 18 total pockets. Also comes with changing pad. I have been told this is a dupe of a Lily Jade bag but I'm not 100% sure. I think it's modeled after their "Anna" bag, but this bag has some clearly different features so it's not a 100% identical copy. The Lily Jade brand is insanely expensive, prices not even I will pay (and I'm a bag collector!) Their Anna bag original price is $410! Those are real genuine leather.
Skip Hop Forma - $75 This is one of my favorite diaper bags. Extremely lightweight, large capacity, quilted and has built in stroller clips right on the straps. It includes a changing pad and two packing cubes, one of which is an insulated mini cooler pouch. This was the first diaper bag I had for two kids, it worked so well! I had the black one back then, and it got stained really bad with sunscreen and I ended up throwing it away because I couldn't get it off. I recently got the green color they released in 2023 and it's gorgeous.
A little spendy, not many in this range ($100-$120)
There are truly few diaper bags within the 100-120 range, they're usually under or over but never right at this number for some reason!
Surprisingly I can't find a bag in this price range that I would recommend other than the Lizzy Breast Pump Tote Bag by Sarah Wells Bags. This is a tote style bag, NOT a backpack. This retails for $109 but can be discounted with the code TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD15 to come out just under $100. All of Sarah Wells' products are extremely well made, and she does offer a lifetime warranty on manufacturers defects. Something not many brands will do!
Average price of a name brand fancy pants bag ($120-$200)
This is a really average price ballpark for a lot of the well known diaper bag brands out there, they typically float around the 160 or 180 range. I will put just a few of my recommendations here, note that there are more out there but I only truly recommend a few. At the end of the day, you may not want to spend this much on a bag- but a lot of them are very well made and will last a while longer than a $40 bag you may end up replacing.
Sarah Wells Fiona Backpack - This is a neoprene, completely washable backpack intended mainly for carrying breast pumps. Let me tell you, any breast pump bag is just as good to function as a diaper bag. I love the Fiona for a few reasons- the interior padded pocket (which is also insulated!), the exterior double "Heidi pocket" which is a pocket hidden behind a pocket, the expanding side pocket, and padded straps. This bag retails currently for $170 but can be discounted with the code mentioned above. As of January 2024, there are 5 color options available. I love the look of the "Earth", I just got one and it is my absolute favorite color of any bag they've realeased.
Cleverly Bags Ellie Backpack - This is a backpack designed specifically with cloth diapering parents in mind. It has some unique features that I've never seen before, such as a built in removable wet bag for dirty diapers or clothes, elastic straps for a changing roll, and other great features like a large front "mom pocket" with key leash, and interior sidewall pockets that line the body of the bag. It's truly unique and a bag I have quite a few colors of- it's one of my most used diaper bags. They're relatively light compared to some other vegan leather bags.These retail for $179 for a print and $189 for a solid, and can be discounted with the code TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD to take off about $17.
UPDATE: these bags are being clearanced out at around $62, with my code you can save an extra couple bucks! That is an insane price for these bags.
The Radley Backpack by Mimiandpal - This is another one that is intended for breast pumps, but makes an excellent diaper bag nonetheless. I have the first version, as I write this post in January 2024 there is supposedly a second version being released in the coming months, I will come back to update this post when it's come out but in the meantime I will put the version that I have! This bag retails for $199 and is one of the nicest and highest quality that I own, it has extremely premium vegan leather and gold hardware. There are I believe 19 pockets throughout, two key leashes, and a removable middle divider to either have the bag as a top/bottom separation or one entire large space. The code TEACHINGMOTHERHOOD knocks the total down to around $175, this is one high end "luxury" bag that I really do love to recommend because of the great quality and features.
UPDATE: She's here! The Radley 2.0 is AMAZING, mimi has hit every mark with the upgrades you can see in my video here, and here's a few pics below!
Holy moly did I just spend that on a backpack ($200+)
Now I'll add these here knowing darn well I won't drop over $200 on a single bag myself, but they exist and some people really love them. I did get this first one on a super great sale so I did technically pay under 200 for it.
The Ayla Bag by Ayla and Co - This is a relatively decent sized backpack, curved in a funky unique way and full of pockets on the interior. It also comes with reusable bags I believe for snacks, and you can get a mini vacuum from them (that's so random, right?) to go with it. I personally found the straps a bit thin to carry a heavy bag with, but I did like carrying with the top handle. The backpack straps also convert to a crossbody strap very easily. I do not know of any active discount codes for this website, they do run a couple sales a year though. I will say honestly I would not buy this again, I think I've used it only once. Full price is $209.
I'm only adding this next one because I have a friend who swears up and down these are the best diaper bags on the market, but I have not personally ever bought from this brand so I have no clue.
Stevie Backpack by Mina Baie - I know nothing about these but again one of my friends swears they're the best. I believe they have discount codes for signing up for their email and text lists. $249 full price. I'm in the Mina Baie Facebook group and there are an unbelievable amount of moms that carry these bags, so they must be as great as they say!
What things should I look for in a diaper bag? What should I avoid?
Things to pay attention to include but are not limited to:
Price point for material. You may find a backpack that's extremely inexpensive but made of a material that will easily rip or stain. You may also find a bag in a similar material that is extremely overpriced, that can easily be damaged. I have bought and seen bags around $180 made out of a puffer material (think winter coats) that looks like they're one sharp poke away from being ruined.
Colors that can stain or materials that pick up hair. Exterior colors are kind of important, if you go to places that are very dusty and have a black canvas backpack, or you have a lot of pet hair around, your bag will surely show that. Something like a wipeable material (vegan leather for example) will look better in that situation and not hold onto as much hair. Canvas straps are also notorious for inhaling animal hair.
Thin Straps. You may not want to carry a heavy backpack that has really thin straps- opt for something padded or wider that will feel better when the bag is heavy. It surprises me how many expensive backpacks out there some with 1-2 inch wide straps with no padding!
Size. A mini or midi backpack works great if you have minimal needs or older kids, but a mini backpack for a newborn or multiple kids may not be the most practical. Some mini bags are very spacious, but others are quite cramped. Check dimensions before buying! And ALWAYS read reviews.
Sales/markdowns. Some bags are so expensive and never go on sale, and some bags are marked as cheap with a false markdown from a huge price. For example, the RUVALINO backpack has never been priced above $50 but they advertise it as huge savings from an original price of around $90. And the MOMINSIDE backpack is similarly 'marked down' from around $100. These bags are never this price, they're worth exactly what they cost already. If you're looking at other higher end brands off of Amazon (well known like Itzy Ritzy, Mina Baie, Mimiandpal etc) you can watch for sales or google for discount codes, sometimes brands give affiliate discount codes to content creators and these can be found online usually. I personally have a list of discount codes on this page of my website, you can always check coupon websites for more as well.
Fake reviews. Be wary of faked reviews, even though it's not allowed on Amazon it still happens. There are brands that offer their products for free or reimbursement in exchange for a 5 star review. In my opinion, this is a terrible business practice.
Well that about does it for "a diaper bag in every price range"! I hope these options help you figure out which direction you may need to go in, truly at the end of the day a bag is a bag and you don't need the most expensive one if you don't want it. Better built will usually last longer, so in the time you may need to buy 3 cheap ones that'll fall apart you could have had one expensive one that stood its ground!
A bag will only last as long as you take care of it though, you can buy a super great bag and then beat the crap out of it and have to replace. I recommend taking good care of your bags to help them last a bit longer.
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