After dealing with a diaper bag that I hated for over two years, I decided I needed to find the perfect one before my second child came, and this bag is it. I'm not kidding when I say I looked at practically every bag on the market today. I looked in person, read reviews, and watched video reviews. I had a long list of requirements, and here is where this bag fits my requirements.
It's black, so it won't get dirty.
It's plain enough that my husband will carry it.
It has a light-colored interior, so things don't get lost.
I wanted two outside cup-holder pockets (one for each kid), with pockets big enough to fit the bulkiest sippy cups.
I couldn't decide between a messenger bag and a backpack. This is both. I've read some reviews that the backpack part wasn't comfortable for people. But honestly, I am just happy to have both options of messenger and backpack.
I did NOT want a magnetic closure. Things were constantly falling out of my last bag.
Had to be durable, especially if I was going to splurge.
Had to be big enough to pack essentials for two kids, without being so big that it wouldn't fit in the bottom of my stroller.
Here are some bonuses about this bag that I just love.
I love the changing area that's kind of built into the bag. And I'm glad that the changing pad also detaches.
I love that the flap that covers the bag is Velcro because I can reach in for quick access to the changing area for things like a pacifier, without having to struggle with a zipper.
I like how sturdy the Velcro flap is. I've had my pocket picked before, and I feel like if someone wanted to get in my bag for my wallet while I was wearing this as a backpack, I would hear the the Velcro opening.
This bag is gorgeous. The hardware is beautiful. The embroidery is stunning. It's the nicest bag I've ever owned and I can see using it as a carry-on for airplane travel even with older kids.
The only potential flaws that I can see coming up are that the inside isn't waterproof so the cloth may get dirty. And I'm curious to see how the embroidery holds up. At least this bag is black on black, so I feel like pulls won't show as much on some of the more colorful designs.
** update ** The inside and changing pad, while not plastic, are water resistant and wipe clean. I am really hard on my belongings, and the chenille is holding up well. There is some tiny, very very slight pilling that probably only I notice, and only because I'm looking for it. Still love this bag.
I received this bag in the 'Night Blooming' print before my baby arrived, and after using it for about a year, I cannot wait to replace this diaper bag with something else. I seriously do not understand the hype about this bag at all, besides the Petunia Pickle Bottom brand name?
Here are the good things about the bag:
Beautiful print, I get random compliments on how beautiful this bag is all the time
Has removable straps for both shoulder carrying and backpack
Has a nice padded changing pad included
Here are the things I don't like about this bag:
There are only two non-elastic, narrow but deep outside pockets. Anyone with toddlers will know this is not a good thing! Now that my baby is almost a year old, I need quick and easy places to store toys and other things that I want to pull out in a hurry, and these outside pockets are terrible. First, the openings aren't elastic, so the Tommy Tippee sippy cups that I use barely fit in there and have to be jammed in after stretching out the opening as far as I can. Then, the pockets are narrower at the opening, and are deep. So whatever I put in there, sinks really far down and I have to get my hand in there (I have small hands and it's still not a very big opening) to try to fish out things.
The flap. I have the velcro version, and bought the new 'Hush' magnetic converter, but found that the magnetic closure is way too weak, especially when you have a full bag. Also, this flap is basically useless. It is double-layered, and if you fill your bag, and then pick it up, the flap gets all distorted depending on which strap you use and if it's not perfectly balanced. So the entire bag ends up looking weird and bulgy, especially since the flap has two layers and each layer can stretch in a different direction, so the side of the flap that is velcroed stays in place, but the top layer gets pulled in whatever direction the straps and gravity take it. All the flap does is add extra bulk to this bag.
The changing pad, while nice, is velcroed really strongly to the front of the bag. Strangely enough, the velcro here is way stronger it seems than the velcro that attaches the flap to the bag. So it's hard work ripping off that velcro when you have only one hand free, and then you have to unzip it loose as well if you dno't want to use it attached to the bag (e.g. on an airplane). The pad is nice and padded, but this also adds a lot of bulk to the front of the bag. Oftentimes this bag is so bulky after just putting in a few things that it resembles a ball more than a "box", as the name would suggest.
The clips. I have the valet stroller clips, and while those are nice, the clips that are provided on the bag have a hole only big enough to fit one clasp. So if you have the shoulder strap attached to the holes, you will have to unhook those and clip them on in the narrow slot that is meant to loop the strap through.
I sit here, frustrated enough with this bag to actually sit down and write this review, while I await anxiously for my new Storksak diaper bag to arrive. This bag is going on eBay as soon as the new bag comes in.
Buy Petunia Pickle Bottom Women's Boxy Backpack Diaper Bag, Black Currant Now
From the perspective of a man who doesn't want to be carrying around a girl's purse everywhere, I actually like this diaper bag. I prefer the strap over the shoulder even though my wife prefers the backpack setup, but even as a backpack it works fine over the shoulder (just not as long). The texture gives the bag some interest without looking too "girly" (although the texture can also fray a little bit after a lot of use). The color scheme of black and green is also a nice gender-neutral color that doesn't embarrass me too much when I walk in a crowd (what man wants to carry around a bright pink bag over his shoulder, especially if the baby is a boy!)
Apparently the brand is a big deal with women so I also often hear ladies commenting about how they love the bag. To me, it's basically just a good quality, gender-neutral bag. A little expensive but I'd rather this than other bags that my wife pointed out to me.
CONS:
The only real con I have found with this bag is the velcro. If you have the bag loaded (diapers, wipes, bottles, cereal, change of clothes, nursing cover, etc.) and you pick it up by the backpack strap, the velcro almost always comes loose or comes un-velcroed (spelling?) entirely. I think I would prefer a magnetic button or some other sort of enclosure for the front flap to stay closed.
UPDATE (1/18/2012):
We RETURNED this bag this week in favor of the newer model Fall 2012 Petunia Pickle Bottom Embossed Boxy Backpack Central Park North Stop. The velcro "con" I mentioned above was finally too much for us to handle. We would sometimes forget to zip up the bag and just close the flap over the top. Then when we would be carrying it as a backpack (1 of the 2 carrying modes), the velcro would fail and the contents of the bag would spill out. We only had a change of clothes, some diapers, wipes, Desitin, a bottle, and that's about it so it's not like we were overfilling the bag. The velcro just really is that loose. The company obviously found out the velcro was a bad idea on anything but small children's shoes and the newer model now has magnets as well as 2 levels of snaps (for normal fit and larger fit in case you are loading in a lot of stuff). The newer model also seems like it has a slightly larger capacity.
I wrote reviews on many of the items that go inside this bag (bottles, containers, nail clippers, etc.) so check out my other reviews. And let me know how I'm doing!
Read Best Reviews of Petunia Pickle Bottom Women's Boxy Backpack Diaper Bag, Black Currant Here
I love this diaper bag. I have been looking for a great diaper bag for many months and I finally stumbled upon this one. The bag is very well made. The fabric is very attractive and it is very soft. It has plenty of compartments for all of the baby necessities. It also had holders on the sides for cups and bottles. I also love how the front opens up into a changing station. It can be worn as a backpack which is very convenient and comfortable, however, I bought the straps that allow you to attach it directly to your stroller handle. This is the absolute best feature! It doesn't take up any space in my stroller storage and I don't have to carry it around. This bag is a little pricey but definitely worth it.
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Bought this as a gift for a new baby. The mother was very pleased with it. The bag is very attractive with a slight felt like pattern on it. It makes it "carryable" by Dad as well with the black color.
The inside of the bag is a nice light green color. The front folds out into a diaper changing pad that is removeable to be easily washed. The bag itself is quite large with multiple pockets to stow a variety of baby goods.
We bought the additional clips with it so it can be hung from a stroller. Or, you have the choice between a shoulder strap or backpack style straps for carrying.
I have a 17 inch laptop and had been looking for a while for a backpack that could comfortably store it. This one does the job very well with some room to spare! The material seems very durable and looks like it'll handle a couple years of heavy use. Nothing terribly special about the inside, lots of pockets and places to store things. The laptop compartment is nice, though. It has a soft, felt side to keep from scratching your computer, with a velcro strap over the top to secure it in place. Overall, I'd place this as one of the best backpacks I think I've ever seen in this price range.
