When my daughter was conceived two years ago, we started looking into the baby gear that we would need once she arrived. The diaper bag was always an easy choice, after our first foray into giant baby superstores. Most bags were gaudy, with brightly colored characters printed all over them. Many were designed to look like children's school bags in terms of print, while many others were designed to look not unlike a woman's purse.Having never carried a purse by choice, I wanted to stay away from anything that could be conceived of as a giant purse. I did not particularly want a diaper bag in the first place, to be honest, because I largely carry everything I need in my pockets. I resented the implication that I would now be toting around enough goods and products to fill an entire bag. However, we're an on the go family who had no plans of changing that after Baby was born. So when we spotted the Eddie Bauer diaper bag, we were sold.
At first glance, it's no bigger than any of the other bags. However, it fits so much more than any of our friends seem to be able to fit in their diaper bags, without taking up any more floor space. The colors reminded me of a laptop bag; in fact, many people assume that this is what it is. Choices include black and navy blue, with a tan strip on the outside pocket. Of course, the phrase "Eddie Bauer" is imprinted on this strip; I have yet to see any Eddie Bauer product that hasn't thought to double as a billboard.
Although we usually steer away from printed items, we've had good luck in the past with Eddie Bauer products. Our wardrobes consist largely of Eddie Bauer shirts and our campsite could be placed in a commercial for them. So stamping our baby product with the phrase didn't really irk either of us.
Plus, it's tough. Built with thick, sturdy material, the Eddie Bauer diaper bag that we purchased is mostly waterproof and it's, so far, completely tear-resistant.
The biggest boon, however, is not the overall space or the durability. For us, it comes down to the thing that has always impressed us with Eddie Bauer camping supplies. They've clearly designed them with the consumer in mind. Some diaper bags come with a lot of compartments. The compartments are not necessarily usable when the bag is full, but they can sure advertise that they have a lot of places to stick stuff. The Eddie Bauer diaper bags provide storage options, for sure, but they are intelligently placed. Things that other companies did not think about, or did not think about accurately with the consumer in mind, include a front open diaper change area that doubles as a small storage location, mesh pockets on the side, places to clip things on the inside, a small pouch at the top of the inside compartment that can be used for keys or change, and a completely waterproof pouch for "used" diapers that is removable. All this for the same price as any other diaper bag on the market? We were sold.
Now our daughter is 18 months, and we're still overjoyed with our purchase. The bag looks as good now as when we bought it. Now it doubles as a home to toys and snacks. It's easy to clean, both inside and out. Even as abused as it could be, it still stands strong. We've dragged it on airplanes, through theme parks, through all sorts of weather, thrown it around on sports fields, and dropped it countless times from all sorts of heights. Our daughter uses it as a bulldozer to push things around the house.
There are other, smaller options than the large bag we chose. I don't know as much about those, but have heard that they are just as tough, only smaller. Perhaps for people who aren't quite as on the go as our family, they would provide a less expensive and more portable option. I'd definitely recommend Eddie Bauer diaper bags.
By Mick
