modernmarvel's Full Review: Skip Hop Duo Double Diaper Bag Camo
I found this diaper bag at my local baby boutique and was immediately drawn to the concept. This is a diaper bag that can be thrown over the handles of a stroller. Since I had a few conventional diaper bags, I decided to give this innovative design a try.
WHAT YOU GET
The diaper bag itself is a tough, washable nylon. Mine is an ice blue but the bag comes in many other colors. You can find all the colors at the manufacturer's web site if you can't find them in your local baby boutique. The best thing, in my view, about the design is that it is gender-neutral. Either mom or dad can carry it and it looks more like a narrow messenger bag than a diaper bag or purse.
The bag itself has a large main compartment that is closed by velcro. There are two interior pockets that close with zippers. These are long thin compartments that won't hold anything with bulk. On the outside of the bag is a long, flat compartment held closed with velcro. There are two other compartments on the front of the bag that also close with velcro. On the side of the bag is a cell phone compartment and on the other side is a mesh pocket designed for a bottle but I have a hard time getting my Avent bottle in and out so I use it for car keys.
The downside to all the velcro is that the bag, if tipped upside down, could lose a lot of its contents. Also, the velcro can be loud to unfasten which can be awkward sometimes. Velcro can also get cruddy as grass, hair and other random stuff gets in the fibers.
There is a waterproof, padded, diaper changing pad included with the bag. I found it to be too small to be of much use even for my newborn and never carry it with me. I have a large, waterproofed piece of fabric that works much better and is easier to carry around.
The bag is marketed as useful for carrying over stroller handles. The strap on the bag adjusts and it should fit on most or all stroller handles. This is definitely the best feature of the bag.
MY EXPERIENCE
I use this bag with my lightweight Maclauren Techno stroller. It is a good compliment to this stroller since the basket on the stroller is so small, you can't stuff a diaper bag in it. Therefore, unless you plan to carry the diaper bag on your shoulder at all times, you will have to find one that fits on the back handles.
This bag is more compact than many other diaper bags. It carries the bare minimum of diapers, wipes, a burp cloth, pacifier, change of clothes for baby, changing pad and a couple of bottles and formula mix. I also squeeze my wallet, cell phone and occasional baby toy in there. The bag is not big enough for a long trip or lots of supplies so I have to keep restocking it.
As a result, I bought a bigger bag from : Land’s End which has lots of great, affordable diaper bags. In a pinch, I grab that bag since it is large enough to carry lots of supplies and I know there will always be stuff in there. A bag that size is also better for day trips and weekend trips since you can leave it well-stocked.
That is the tradeoff in diaper bags. The ones that are big enough to carry all necessary baby supplies look like small suitcases. The hipper, smaller diaper bags need to be restocked constantly.
When I use my Skip Hop diaper bag, it is usually when I am running an errand and am using my MacLauren stroller. The diaper bag does fit well over the back two handles and that makes both the diaper bag and stroller more functional. It also makes it easier to reach items in the bag rather than fishing through a bag stuffed into the basket of a stroller. I love it for this purpose and find the bag very functional.
The thing I like least about this bag is that it is very uncomfortable to carry. The center of the bag hits me squarely on the hip and the strap of the bag continually falls off my shoulder. When I am carrying baby and the bag, say to the bathroom for a change, I find it harder to manage than a lot of other diaper bags. The strap is adjustable but I usually don't have time to make adjustments when I am out doing errands and have baby with me. I did try getting an adjustment that would work for both me and the stroller and can't seem to find a strap length that makes this bag comfortable for me.
The other thing to consider is that this bag, when fully loaded, can be quite heavy. If you put it over the back of a lot of lightweight strollers, it could quite easily tip the stroller backward. This can quite dangerous for kids getting in and out of the stroller. It can also be dangerous for young toddlers that like to push their strollers rather than ride in them.
FINAL RECOMMENDATION
I think this is a great bag for a specific purpose. It fits well over the back of strollers. This works well with strollers that don't have large baskets. However, the downside is that some strollers might tip if the bag is too heavy. Otherwise, the bag is just average. It isn't really big enough to be well-stocked so I don't find it useful all the time. The design is nice, but most diaper bags have lots of pockets. Overall, I would say this is an average bag with a nice design.
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