The 9 Best Diaper Bags

Parents who want one bag for errands, flights and the office should start with the Skip Hop Forma Next. Babylist's editors named it their top diaper bag, and Skip Hop reworked it after complaints about the old Forma's straps and zippers. A side pocket stretches around a big tumbler with a handle, and two packing cubes, one insulated, keep bottles apart from diapers. A sleeve slips over a suitcase handle. Some buyers feel it costs too much.

The BabbleRoo Diaper Bag Backpack brings a lot of order for a modest price: 19 pockets, five of them insulated for bottles, plus a wipes pocket you can open without unzipping the main section. Its tough fabric and zippers tend to hold up well over months of use, and the quilted gray look doesn't shout baby gear. A laptop slides into the back, and a fold-out changing mat comes with it. It can feel cramped once toddler gear goes in.

More than a million have sold, the seller says, so the RUVALINO Diaper Bag Backpack may already be on a friend's shoulder. The top unzips wide like a doctor's bag, and inside are 17 pockets, sleeves that keep bottles cool and a padded slot for a laptop. A changing pad and a small pacifier case are included. Look-alike copies sell under other names, so check the brand, and the waterproof claim comes only from the seller.

For a bag that heads to work once the baby years end, the Itzy Ritzy Utility looks like a sleek commuter pack and fits a big laptop. It has 17 pockets, a front that unzips all the way so you can see everything, a strap that slips over a rolling suitcase and a changing pad that goes in the washing machine. It's heavy before you pack it, and zippers are hit or miss: most last, some fail fast.

A light frame inside the Skip Hop Mainframe holds the top open once you unzip it, so you can spot a diaper without digging. You can wear it on your back or carry it by the paired top handles, and side pockets keep bottles cool. The look is closer to a tidy work tote than a baby bag, and the price is low. Closing it takes both hands, and there are only a few pockets inside.

The Thule Aion Changing Backpack is a plain, grown-up pack from a luggage maker, cut from waxed canvas certified under the bluesign program for cleaner textile making. It comes with a padded changing mat, a pouch for soiled clothes and a small sling bag that unclips for quick changes. Retailers list a two-year limited warranty. It's new, so there's little owner history yet, and the inside has only a few dividers.

If backpacks aren't your style, the Parker Baby Willow Tote passes for an ordinary leather-look work bag. The baby gear lives in a lift-out insert with four sections, insulated bottle pockets and a laptop sleeve, so the tote can carry on as a purse later. A crossbody strap, stroller hooks and a matching pad come with it. The faux leather can only be wiped, not washed, and the bag hasn't been sold long enough to prove itself.

A bold black-and-white Southwestern print makes the Wrangler Aztec Backpack easy to spot on a crowded hook. Under the print, the top opens wide onto a bright orange lining that helps small things stand out, and three insulated pockets up front hold bottles. There's room for a laptop, too, and the print draws plenty of compliments. Durability is uneven: many zippers run smoothly, while others pull loose and the fabric can tear near the seams.

Dads, and anyone tired of cute prints, will carry the Mancro Diaper Bag Backpack without a second thought. It's a plain black pack with a roomy main section, a side slot for wipes you can reach one-handed and two insulated pockets for bottles. Stroller clips come with it, and the low price makes it an easy spare for a second car. The seller lists no changing pad, and its stated weight looks too low to trust.