The best diaper bag is not the bag with the most pockets, but the bag that fits how you get around. If you often head out with a stroller or baby carrier, a diaper bag backpack that stays open and attaches to the stroller works best. If you only take the essentials, a compact bag is often nicer.
In short
- Start with your day: long walks, work and childcare, travel or mostly short trips.
- A backpack gives you two free hands. A handbag style looks chicer, but holds less.
- Overview matters more than the number of pockets. A bag that collapses makes you dig.
- Look at material, stroller attachment, size, weight and warranty.
- Test your bag at home with your own things. Then you quickly know whether it works.
What's in my diaper bag? Four mums show their MIMMTI 2.0 (in Dutch).
What should you look for when buying a diaper bag?
You will use a diaper bag for two to three years, often every day. These eight points make the difference between a bag you grab without thinking and a bag that disappears into the closet after a few weeks.
1. How you carry it: backpack, shoulder or hand
With a baby on your arm you want your hands free. A backpack spreads the weight over two shoulders and stays put when you bend down to pick a pacifier off the floor. A shoulder bag slides off your shoulder at exactly that moment. If you carry your baby in a carrier, your front is already taken. Then choose a bag for your back.
2. Pockets with a fixed job
More pockets is not automatically better. What counts are pockets with a clear function: a separate pocket for wipes that you grab straight away, an insulated pocket for the bottle and a spot for your phone and keys. That way you are not searching between the diapers for your own things.
3. Does the bag stay open?
Many parents forget this point, until they need it. A soft bag collapses as soon as you put it down. Then you are digging with one hand while your baby cries. A bag with a frame stays open, so you can see everything from above at a glance. Read more about why a diaper bag that stays open gives you so much peace.
4. Material that can take a knock
Spit-up, a knocked-over cup, a shower on the bike. Choose a water-repellent outside and a lining that is easy to clean. Polyester and nylon are light and practical. Vegan leather looks more luxurious and wipes clean with a damp cloth. Do note: water-repellent keeps out splashes and a short shower, but it is not the same as waterproof.
5. Can it attach to the stroller?
If the bag hangs from the handlebar, you carry nothing yourself. Two clips, one per handle, keep the bag upright. Do take care: remove a full bag when you lift your child out of the stroller. A lightweight stroller can tip backwards otherwise.
6. Size and capacity
In the first months you carry a lot: diapers, spare clothes, feeding supplies, a mat. Around 20 litres is a good size then. Once your child walks, you need less and want something smaller. If you are unsure, read which size diaper bag you really need.
7. Weight of the empty bag
Whatever the empty bag weighs, you carry it all day. Lift it empty and then fully packed. If it already feels heavy empty, it won't get better on the road.
8. Warranty and a design that lasts
A bag you use daily has to be able to handle that. So look at the warranty. And choose a bag without baby prints, so you can still use it after the diaper phase as a travel bag or work bag.
Which diaper bag suits your situation?
There is no bag that is best for everyone. This table helps you choose based on what your days look like.
| Your situation | What you need | Good match |
|---|---|---|
| First baby, you like to take everything | Spacious backpack, fixed pockets, changing mat | MIMMTI 1.0 or 2.0 |
| Light and practical, a choice of many colours | Polyester, water-repellent, open frame | MIMMTI 1.0 |
| The bag also goes to the office or a dinner | Luxurious look, wipes clean | MIMMTI 2.0 in vegan leather |
| Short outings with just the essentials, style first | A bag that looks like a handbag, with an insulated pocket | MIMMTI Amara |
| Your toddler already walks and you carry less | Compact, light backpack | MIMMTI Mini |
| You and your partner share one bag | Unisex backpack in a plain colour | MIMMTI 1.0 or 2.0 in black |
Which MIMMTI bag is for whom?
- MIMMTI 1.0: the original diaper bag backpack with Stay-Open™ frame. Polyester and nylon, water-repellent and 21 litres. With 6+ pockets, a separate wipes pocket, an insulated bottle pocket and an anti-theft pocket on the back. For anyone who wants a light, practical bag in a plain colour.
- MIMMTI 2.0: the same smart layout and the Stay-Open™ frame, but in premium vegan leather. Sturdier and more luxurious in look. For anyone who wants to keep using the bag as a work bag or weekend bag too.
- MIMMTI Amara: a diaper bag that looks like a handbag, in vegan leather with a built-in insulated pocket. You carry it by hand, over the shoulder, crossbody or on the stroller. To be honest: it has no Stay-Open™ frame and no changing mat, and it is meant for the essentials.
- MIMMTI Mini: a compact backpack of about 350 grams, with an insulated lunch bag and stroller clips. No frame, but exactly enough for a toddler. Later it becomes your child's school bag.
The 1.0 and 2.0 always come with a free bottle warmer, stroller clips and a changing mat. Every MIMMTI bag has a 2-year warranty on manufacturing and material defects. On the Stay-Open™ frame of the 1.0 and 2.0 you get a 5-year warranty. Wear and tear, incorrect washing and incorrect use are not covered.
When is a different bag better?
A good buying guide is honest, so here too. If you have two children in diapers and want everything in one bag, a 21 or 24.5 litre backpack can get tight. If everything has to stay bone dry on long bike rides in the rain, look for a truly waterproof bag: MIMMTI bags are water-repellent, not waterproof. And if you want a bag you can put in the washing machine: our advice is to clean a MIMMTI bag by hand.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best diaper bag for a first child?
A spacious diaper bag backpack with fixed pockets, an insulated bottle pocket and a changing mat. In the first months you carry more than you think, so space and overview weigh the most.
Is a diaper bag backpack better than a shoulder bag?
For most parents, yes, because the weight is spread over two shoulders and you have both hands free. A shoulder bag can work fine for short trips with few things.
How long does a good diaper bag last?
You use a good diaper bag throughout the baby and toddler years, and with a timeless design afterwards as a travel bag. With MIMMTI you get a 2-year warranty on every bag and 5 years on the Stay-Open™ frame of the 1.0 and 2.0.
Can I send a diaper bag back if I don't like it?
With MIMMTI you have 14 days to change your mind. Pack the bag at home with your own things, and you will quickly feel whether the size and the way you carry it feel right.
Want to see all models side by side? Take a look at all MIMMTI diaper bags and choose the bag that fits your days. More than 100,000 parents went before you.
