Let’s face it: the prospect of buying a practical bag in which to carry your baby equipment is about as tantalising as trimming nasal hair. But while the changing-bag section of your local baby shop has historically been a fashion-free zone, the flurry of recent independent brands and exciting new design concepts have transformed this once-dull essential baby purchase into something for you.
Whether you’re looking for a cheap, pragmatic messenger bag or a luxurious leather holdall, our simple guide to changing bags along with our top seven picks for 2017 will turn shopping hell into retail therapy.
How to buy the best changing bag for you
Changing bags differ in price, quality and style, but what they all have in common is that they are all durable, easy to clean, space-saving marvels. Most are designed to be roomy and have clever storage solutions inside, such as zipped pockets, detachable inner bags, bottle warmers or thermo-insulated compartments. Useful extras include bag clips (to attach to a buggy) and clear PVC bags to store creams and lotions – or to lock away dirty nappies when you’re nowhere near a bin.
If you’re looking for something simply to carry your changing mat, wipes and nappies, a clutch may be the way to go – and some larger changing bags come with a clutch already inside. You might also be looking for a weekend bag you can take on trips. Look for one that’s cabin-sized with accessible pockets so you don’t have to root around in it with one hand holding a crying baby while you try to fish out the essentials.
Got all that? Now you’re ready for our pick of the top seven changing bags you can buy.
The best changing bags to buy
1. Babymule Charcoal changing bag: Best for outdoorsy families
Price when reviewed:£85
A comfortable, versatile backpack that can be used as a messenger bag (albeit a bulky one), this unisex offering from Babymule ticks all the boxes for intrepid mums and dads. It’s water-resistant, well padded and, with a 22-litre capacity, roomy enough for a change of clothes, flask of tea and a block of Kendall’s mint cake for that long hike. Shoulder and waist straps make it easy on backs, and the charcoal version is plain enough for all genders. It has six zipped pockets, some of which are within reach when worn as a backpack. There’s an insulated bottle holder, changing mat, matching purse and wet bag included, so when your toddler splashes his way through that shallow stream, you have somewhere to put his soggy trousers. Now all you need is a hoverboard for when he doesn’t want to walk any more.
Key features – Removable changing mat; Weight: 821g; Bag dimensions: 20 x 40 x 50cm; Washing instructions: Machine washable
2. Babymel Satchel in black: Best unisex changing bag
Price when reviewed:£45
If you’re looking for a plain, ungendered changing bag that can go with any outfit, look no further. The only detail on Babymel’s classy-looking black canvas satchel is a brown leatherette trim and fastening on the lid, making it an excellent choice for mums and dads who’d rather not scream ‘baby!’ every time they leave the house. Five pockets provide ample options for organisation, with a padded changing mat that can go in the washing machine. A zipped insulated pocket keeps a bottle upright and at the right temperature for up to four hours.
Key features – Removable changing mat, Weight: 730g, Bag dimensions: 33 x 44 x 16cm, Washing instructions: Mat is machine washable, bag wipes clean
3. Tiba + Marl Etta changing clutch: Best for pint-sized glamour
Price when reviewed:£35
Love fashion? Love being girly? Hate the idea of giving up on both? Then rejoice, my friend, because while this neat little clutch may look like an ordinary handbag, it has hidden depths. Beyond the quilted exterior lies a fold-out changing mat with removable fleece lining, inner mesh pocket and inner slip pocket. A wrist strap ensures you can carry your baby without needing an extra hand, while an exterior zipped pocket gives room for lipstick, money, keys and phone. So whether you’re heading to a summer barbecue, running an errand in the car or just want to outdo that smug yummy mummy at nursery drop-off, the Etta ticks all the boxes. Sleek and stylish, it comes in dark block colours and blingy patterns, including leopard print and gold snake.
Buy Tiba + Marl Etta from Selfridges
Key features – Removable fleece changing mat; Weight: 0.4kg; Bag dimensions: 19.5 x 33 x 2cm; Washing instructions: Bag wipes clean, changing mat machine washable
4. Mia Tui Emma changing bag: One-part changing bag, one-part cute girly tote
Price when reviewed:£60
This faux leather tote is new to the market and has been sweeping up the awards lately. It comes in a range of muted colours, including baby pink, pastel blue and off-white. Inside, insulated bottle holders keep liquids upright, cool or hot and the changing mat slips easily in and out a pocket – accessible with one hand. The leather handles are wide and comfy, but there are also buggy clips to fasten it to a stroller. A clear internal bag with wrist strap provides a home for lotions and potions, and there’s a key clip, phone pocket and pen holder inside for easy access. Best of all, it includes a matching clutch with wrist and cross-body strap, so dads or non-girly partners don’t have to shoulder the whole thing to the bathroom every time. A Schiaparelli-pink lining, along with a shiny star motif on the zip pocket, marks this out as a fun, girly product in a world where mums have to be otherwise boring and practical.
Key features – Removable changing mat, Weight: 950g (bag), 330g (clutch); Bag dimensions: 40 x 15 x 32cm; Washing instructions: Wipe clean
5. Storksak Catherine: Best changing bag for celebrity style
Price when reviewed:£250
If money’s no object, take your lead from A-lister parents such as Matt Damon, Brad Pitt and Dannii Minogue and get yourself a plush Storksak changing bag. Positioned at the higher end of the market, its bags are realised in luxurious leather materials and finished with handcrafted detailing. Brad Pitt and Matt Damon have both been seen with a ‘Jamie’ (£175) while Dannii Minogue’s been snapped with a ‘Sophia’ (£255). If you’re looking at this end of the market, it makes sense to buy something subtle and stylish enough to be used beyond maternity leave – in which case, we’d recommend the ‘Catherine’. Crafted in smooth dark-brown leather, it comes with a co-ordinating pouch, padded luxury changing mat, oodles of pockets and an insulated drawstring bottle holder. Unless you opened it up and examined the contents, you’d never know it was a changing bag at all.
Buy the Storksak Catherine from House of Fraser
Key features – Removable changing mat; Weight: 1kg; Bag dimensions: 34 x 47 x 14cm, Washing instructions: Bag and mat wipe clean
6. Pacapod Mirano: Best for twins and/or trips away
Price when reviewed:£110
All Pacapod’s changing bags are characterised by one ingenious concept: inside are two smaller ‘pod’ bags, designed to keep your baby’s changing stuff (nappies, wipes, creams, changing mat, spare romper) separate from his food items (bottle, bibs, snacks, teething chews, etc). The benefit is that you can pack the pods and use them independently of the bag – simply clip them onto your buggy, wear on your shoulder, or grab his changing stuff as you dash out the door.
The brand describes its Mirano as the ‘Mary Poppins of nappy bags’, because of its size (32 litres) and organising solutions. Remove the pods and you have a large tote that can fit your laptop along with all your other items. Both pods flat-pack, so once you’ve used up all your food and drink at the airport, flatten the feeding pod down and slip it into a pocket before going through security. Parents with twins who care less about looks than they do about being having two hands free could also consider the Picos backpack (£95) for travel.
Key features – Removable changing mat; Weight: 1.4kg; Bag dimensions: 45 x 36 x 20cm; Washing instructions: Wipe clean