First things first, whether you are already a parent or a parent to be, Congratulations! If you are doing some research about diaper bags, they must be of some significance to you and it’s really nice of you to ensure that you acquire only the best one/s for your loved one/s. Diaper bags come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Anyone can get it wrong if one just goes into a baby shop and picks whatever they set their eyes on first. Because you care enough to ensure that you get a diaper bag that’ll be not only beautiful but also useful, I’ve highlighted a few things below that should help you ensure you get high quality diaper bags.
You
The first thing you should consider when buying a diaper is the person who will be using it; you. As a parent, you should first consider your lifestyle, and how it’s likely to be influenced by the baby. Let’s go back to high school, or even college. There are people who like backpacks, there are those who like something that hangs on their shoulders, and there are those who just want something they can carry in their hands. The same is true with babies. There are parents who’ll carry their young ones on their back, some will just carry them with their hands (mostly guys/ dudes/ men), and there are those who love carrying their babies from their front. You get the idea. Hence, when buying a diaper bag, try to anticipate your style of carrying stuff, where the baby will probably be when you’re carrying it, and then determine the best kind of diaper bag that’ll blend nicely with your style.
Budget
It’s obvious, isn’t it? Be that as it may, it’s still important and worth mentioning. Try to look at it from this perspective; depending on your family and your society, a diaper bag may be a temporal purchase. Actually, it is a temporal purchase. The main reason I’ve mentioned your family or society is that there’s the possibility you may pass it on to a relative, friend, neighbor, or even a stranger. Therefore, it would be wise to spend wisely. Buy something that’ll last for as long as you need it, and also that won’t strain your pockets unnecessarily. It would be foolish to spend thousands of dollars on a diaper bag that’ll ultimately end up collecting dust in your basement. It would also be foolish to waste hundreds of dollars on a diaper bag that you know you’ll damage before its usefulness has expired.
Material
Here you will consider various things. Let’s start with the material itself. The material of the diaper bag is what will determine its quality and longevity. It will also affect how comfortable the bag will be, as well as how heavy it will be when you add stuff to it. The perfect diaper bags should, first of all, fulfill their main purpose; to hold diapers, both clean and “dirty”. Those who worship fashion will have to forgive me here, but it’s better you go with a diaper bag that isn’t so stylish but works well for your situation. If you deal with a lot of diapers, can it handle it? If you carry a lot of baby accessories that ease your work when you’re with your young one, can it accommodate them? The best materials are durable, easy to wash, comfortable while carrying, waterproof (where necessary), and abrasion resistant. Polyester is one of the best materials a diaper bag can be made of. That should give you a start.
Maintenance
I gave a hint at maintenance in the previous point, and you should also consider how easy it will be to maintain the bag before purchasing it. Cleaning bags, particularly diaper bags can be hectic and time-consuming. As a parent of a newborn child, time is one of the things you’ll have very little of. Therefore, it won’t be wise to invest in things that take away your time unnecessarily. You want to spend as much of your limited time with your child, and most of all, recovering from the sleepless nights you’ll be having. A diaper bag that requires little cleaning and maintenance is ideal. If you can find something that’s machine washable, it’ll be convenient. Bags made of microfiber fabric win as far as maintenance and ease of washing are concerned.
Comfort and Style
It’s a newborn baby, so chances are that if you’re out and about, you’ll be carrying the young one around, and you’ll want to have your “utility belt” with you. A good diaper bag is one that’ll be easy to carry for hours. Weight will be an issue here. You want something that’s light enough for you to carry around, even when it’s fully loaded with “stuff”. Go for something that will enable you to carry as many things as you need for your baby. A bag with additional pockets for various items will prove invaluable.
Also, consider the kind of fastener you prefer in a bag. Most diaper bags have zip, Velcro, or magnetic fasteners. Each has its advantages and disadvantages. Zips, for instance, have a habit of failing at the worst moment; instead of failing when there’s nothing important in the bag, they fail when you’ve got your diaper bag filled with your baby’s “loaded” diapers. Magnets sometimes just detach, or can’t handle a certain amount of force. Velcro also have a tendency of detaching either due to wear and tear or after a certain amount of force. So a good balance between the three or a preference for one of them may be something you want to consider.
Style isn’t very important – really – but some people can’t help feeding their vanity. If you are one of them, you may want to go for something that’s fashionable, and that goes well with either your baby’s stroller, clothes, or whatever style you chose to go with for the day. Speaking of comfort, there are diaper bags that can be attached, or hanged nicely on your baby’s stroller.
Most parents who take care of the young ones are the mothers. However, today, fathers are really stepping in and helping a lot. In fact, we do have stay at home dads nowadays. In such cases, the style of the diaper bag may matter. You know men; they want stuff that complements their masculinity. Most diaper bags may be designed with moms in mind, but in cases where the mom is a dad, you may want something that says that. Going for diaper bags that are either unisex or designed with dads in mind will prove comforting to most men.
Wow, there’s much to write about comfort. What about the capacity of the bag? Can it carry all the stuff you need? How easy does the bag make it for you to arrange stuff in it, or how easy doe it encourage you to arrange stuff in it? There are bags with compartments for different baby accessories that you may want to carry with you. Another food for thought.
That’s it for now. I’ve covered the essential things that should enable you to invest in a diaper bag that will make the child-rearing days easy for you or the person the diaper bag is intended for.
