If you’re starting to feel as if you are spending more time, energy and thought selecting the perfect diaper bag than you put into choosing your child’s name, then this list of must-have diaper bag features is sure to rescue you! Choosing the ideal designer diaper bag is a big decision. Quality, well-crafted, stylish diaper bags are not cheap. A high-quality diaper bag is an investment that is well worth the price as you will be toting this bag everywhere for several years.

As a mom you are busy, on-the-go, with things to do and places to be. You will want to select a diaper bag that offers you all the unique features you need to fit your individual lifestyle. There is an overwhelming choice of diaper bags on the market now and the sheer volume of the selection can be intimidating. The following features are considered ‘must-haves’ by busy, on-the-go moms just like you:

1. Secure closure with easy, one-handed access to opening – A difficult combination is a secure closure with an easy-to-access opening. You want to ensure your baby bottles, toys and diapers won’t go tumbling across the room, yet you want to be able to access the contents easily and quickly. A diaper bag closure that offers security and functionality is a durable magnetic snap front closure. A good magnetic snap will hold the content of your bag intact even if your bag goes tumbling. Yet, a firm one-handed tug on the flap easily opens the bag and allows you to grab what you need quickly.
2. Durable, easy-cleaning exterior fabric – Your diaper bag goes with you everywhere: supermarket, playdates, mall, park. It is going to be exposed to dirt and unidentified sticky things. A durable, easy-cleaning exterior fabric is absolutely essential. A laminated, waterproof vinyl exterior fabric is ideal for protecting the exterior and providing easy clean-up. A high-quality designer diaper bag offers this fully functional exterior fabric without looking at all too shiny and plastic-looking.
3. Functional straps or handles – Strap length and width is a personal preference, yet choosing a diaper bag with a strap or handles (some offer both) that are not-too-thin and securely attached to the bag is essential. Many diaper bags are also available with multi-purpose straps, which can convert your baby bag from an over the shoulder tote, to a messenger style bag, and then to a stroller bag.
4. Compartmentalization / Custom-sized pockets – The more pockets the better. You will want to keep your diaper-changing pad segregated from the baby bottles and your extra baby clothes separate from your sippy cups. Interior dividers and pockets that are waterproof and easy-cleaning are the best kind. In addition, many designer diaper bags now offer custom-sized pockets, each sized appropriately for the accessories that a mom carries in her diaper bag: cell phone, keys, wallet, baby bottles, diaper changing pad, PDA. Custom-fitted pockets allow easy access to specific items without scouring through a pile of jumbled objects.
5. Stylish design – A great diaper bag should carry you through the first years of your baby’s life. Select a design that is stylish and fits your individual tastes. With so many diaper bag designs and styles available, you are sure to find the perfect fashionable diaper bag with all the above ‘must-have’ features for you and your baby!