Skip Hop City Chic Diaper Bag

February 28, 2008

I consider myself a diaper bag connoisseur of sorts, and more often then not I reach for my Skip Hop City Chic Diaper Bag in black and white. It is very practical and like the name says it’s fabulously chic! It’s a light weight bag to start, that has amazing style and function. It’s a larger bag with a wide opening and is easy to get things in and out. It definitely holds all of baby’s essentials plus some extras. Some diaper bags out there are so big with busy patterns that you and the baby get lost behind the bag. This bag has just enough pizzazz that people will notice it, but it’s not going to compete with you or the baby.

The outside is an amazing material that is a matte laminated canvas. It looks like fabric but when you get up-close it is actually a very durable material that allows you to wipe it clean if it gets dirty. I’ve been caught in the rain with this bag and it’s held up great. The bottom of the bag also has feet to protect it. The outside of the bag is trimmed in leather and this adds a nice elegance to the bag. I appreciate the two large bottle pockets on each side of the bag that are left open at the top. This allows you to put large baby bottles, sippy cups, and tall items in them such as a water bottle. The bag comes with a matching change pad that fits nicely in the outside pocket. This pocket will also hold diapers and a thin wipes case. I wish the change pad was a little bigger so my baby’s feet didn’t hang off of it, but truthfully I have this problem with most change pads.

The bag has a contrast lining on the inside. The inside lining on the black and white style is a turquoise blue which is nice when the bag is left open or when you reach in to find something. There are four pockets inside, two on either side of the bag. Each pocket is large and you can easily fit your cell phone and camera to catch cute pictures on the go. In case you’re wondering how much this bag will hold, this is what I had in it today without it being overstuffed: two large baby bottles, an adult water bottle, change pad, wipes case, three diapers, blanket, burp cloth, keys, large wallet, cell phone, camera, stroller hooks, gum, pens, extra onesie, two hats, formula case, manila envelope, and sunglasses. I actually still had room for more stuff! The dimensions on this bag are 16″ wide x 10.5″ high x 6″ deep. My favorite thing about this bag as with all the Skip Hop bags are the handy adjustable stroller attachments. These allow you to hang the bag on your stroller handle. The attachment has a cool feature that allows the clip to rotate, making it more user friendly. You also don’t have to detach the included leather shoulder straps in order to do this. It’s a little hard to get the bag on the stroller at first. However, once you get the hang of it you can do it quickly. The bag can be zipped closed for safety when hung on the stroller or left open. I have also tested wearing the bag on my shoulder when I have my baby in a front carrier. The shoulder straps are wide enough that it is comfortable and stays put on the shoulder.

An added feature of this bag is the detachable matching clutch that you can use as a wristlet or small shoulder bag. It is actually like getting two bags in one. The clutch attaches by snapping on two silver rings on the outside of the bag. The inside of the clutch also has the matching lining and slots to hold credit cards. It can be used for money, receipts, a cell phone, or would fit a thin wipes case or a couple diapers. I rarely use the clutch because the bag holds so much. A nice design feature is that when the clutch is off the bag it doesn’t look like it’s missing something.

The bag comes in four different colors for whatever mood you are in that day. The colors are: Columbus Circle which is black and white; Flatiron Floral which is black, white, blue, and yellow; Westside Wave which is red and black; and Park Ave Tulip which is brown, pink and white. However, I have to say that my favorite is the simple, less is more, black and white. At $150 it’s not the cheapest diaper bag on the block but it’s also not the most expensive. It’s definitely worth the purchase!

To buy the Skip Hop City Chic Diaper Bag: http://www.babygizmo.com/p/skip_hop_city_chic_diaper_bag/sh410003.html

Laurie