Diaper Bag Choices

For months, I've been bugging my husband to "allow" me to buy a new diaper bag. The stingy husband refuses to buy a new one since the one that we have for four years is still okay apart from the rusty handle rings.

I am talking about the Carter's diaper bag we bought last 2011 that literally traveled with us everywhere. It's been to a lot of beaches, malls, out of towns, etc. This soldier is a "war veteran" already!

Carter's Everyday Tote Diaper Bag

The Carter's Everyday Tote diaper bag is very spacious. It has two front pockets, two side pockets and 1 back pocket where you can put the changing pad. The interior has pockets and lots of storage space, also included is a small transparent bag where you can put baby's small things.

The Carter's diaper bag is cheap compared to other branded bags and is easy to clean too. The only problem we had with this is it's heavy, but since it's very durable, it felt like the value of the bag is more than what we've paid for. :-)

Now, since baby Euri's arrival is just a few days away, and we unfortunately can not find the ever reliable four year old diaper bag, my husband FINALLY agreed to buy a new one to replace it. I've searched the internet tirelessly for a new diaper bag that looks fashionable, lightweight, spacious and of course, reasonably priced.

2015 Mom's Choice: Skip Hop's Versa Diaper Bag

The brands that often comes up from forums, reviews and web search here in the Philippines (in no particular order) are the following:

1. Baby Couture
2. Babymel
3. Bebe Chic
4. Carter's
5. Chic 'O' Bello
6. Ju-Ju-Be
7. Lässig
8. Okiedog
9. Petunia Pickle Bottom
10. Skip Hop

A few mentions: Kate Spade, Enfant, Bellotte, Eddie Bauer and Fisher Price.

Baby Couture is a cheap brand and is locally made I think. The reviews are mostly good: spacious, trendy design and affordable. The only negative review I've read about Baby Couture: the bag is heavy and the straps tend to tear easily (depending on the model, I believe). Price: Php1,000 to Php1,500 depending on style. These bags are available in Landmark and online.

Babymel Satchel

Babymel is a London based brand. The reviews are excellent. It is a brand included in top 10 Diaper Bags. Reviews include: trendy design, durable and spacious. I've seen a few of these bags in Mothercare Robinson's Magnolia branch. Price: Php2,500 to Php6,000 depending on style.

Bebe Chic is also a local brand, very similar to Baby Couture: spacious, trendy and affordable. What I like about Bebe Chic is that most of its diaper bag already includes a stroller strap. Price: Php1,000 to Php1,500 depending on style.

Carter's is an imported brand from USA. It is an affordable brand that offers a lot of [diaper bag] designs. I prefer this brand, since it's "tried and tested" but sad to say, when we checked the malls and the internet for designs, there's only a few available in the Philippines -- and it's the "cartoony" version. Nope, I am not a fan of diaper bags with "baby" labels or monkey and giraffe embroideries. Price: Php1,500 to Php3,000 depending on style.

Chic 'O' Bello Bowling Bag

Chic 'O' Bello diaper bag designs looks like Bebe Chic and Baby Couture. Each bag is equipped with extensive set of accessories that are removable, making it easy to convert from a diaper bag to an ordinary bag. Price: Php2,500 to Php6,000 depending on style.

Ju-Ju-Be is a "5 star rated" imported brand (not sure if it's US or Canada). They have unique designs and collaborations with Tokidoki and our favorite cat - Hello Kitty! Ju-Ju-Be diaper bags are spacious, has a lot of features, trendy and durable. For moms who like prints, Ju-Ju-Be is a good choice. These bags are available in Mothercare stores.

Lässig is a German brand. The reviews are similar to Ju-Ju-Be. I checked Lässig Philippines Facebook page to check available designs, and they only have few. Again, Lässig diaper bags might be appealing to moms who like prints and colors.

I like Okiedog. It is available online (Lazada.com.ph) and even in Trinoma. Their diaper bag styles and designs are not too plain and not exaggeratedly colorful. The bags are lightweight, spacious and seems durable enough to carry heavy stuff. Price range is around Php2,500 to Php6,000 depending on style.

Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack

Petunia Pickle Bottom. I haven't seen one in person, but this brand comes up several times in forums and reviews. Most of the reviews are about how stylish the bag is, the cute embroideries, the workmanship, etc. but it scored poorly on space, features and weight -- and oh, it's quite expensive too. Price: Php5,000 to Php9,000 depending on style. So far, these bags aren't available in stores in the Philippines yet, but you can get them online. NursingMom in Facebook offers a few of Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bag styles.

Skip Hop. Reviews on this brand are mostly excellent. It is also a consistent brand in top 10 diaper bags. There are a lot of designs and styles. They have plain colored bags per style, which looks simple and appeals a lot to me. The bags are lightweight and spacious, comes with changing pads and stroller straps. Skip Hop bags are a bit pricey and are available in Mothercare stores. Price: Php2,500 to Php6,000 depending on style.

Skip Hop Versa Diaper Bag in black

So which diaper brand did we end up buying? After visiting Mothercare in Robinson's Magnolia, Baby Company in SM Mall of Asia, Landmark and Mothercare in Trinoma, we ended up buying the black Skip Hop Versa diaper bag.

The Skip Hop Versa is stylish (doesn't look like a diaper bag at all), lightweight, has two insulated front pockets for baby bottles, etc and has nine other pockets to keep me organized. There's also a zipper at center that can extend the bag and give 20% more storage capacity. I hope it won't disappoint.


DISCLAIMER: Nope, I was not paid to blog about these brands. The list is based on MY online research, forums, Facebook group discussions, etc.