Hands Free

Hand up who’s got a walker? If you have that will mean you know how necessary it is for you to be hands free these days. Tayo wants to walk everywhere which often means abandoning the pushchair or running quickly when I notice he’s taken a turn towards the swings at the park and it means hand holding when he’s feeling a bit unsure. For all of these reasons I am on the hunt for a hands free new change bag and I’m going to go for a back pack. I almost got a rucksack style bag initially but then just went with what I knew from the first time round. In hindsight I don’t think there is a better style of bag to get you through baby and toddler days than a back pack.

I’m still yet to purchase mainly because I’m a bit unsure as to what level of bag I now need. Do I need one with all the fancy thermal side pockets and matching change mat or because I already have those bits and we’re past taking bottles out with us should I go for a ‘regular’ bag that’s got a big enough capacity for a few nappies and change of clothes? 

I’ve collated my faves from baby specific to high street ‘regular’ bags for your perusal. Please feel free to add your fab bag in  the comments and if you’re yet to buy your change bag I hope you find this helpful.

Baby Specific

Lets start with Storksak. I was at a messy play session this week and spotted a new Mum changing her baby and this lovely rusk sack was sat right next to her so like any nosey person would I went over and asked her where it was from and she raved about it. It comes with a great change mat that has little pockets fro your wipes and nappies and she was loving the thermal side pockets that kept her bottles warm. She also told me about how much her other half liked wearing it as well. She said ‘he thinks he’s so smart, he loves it’. Cute.

Next up on my baby specific wish list is Tiba and Marl. They’ve recently had a collaboration with Mamas and Papas so you may be able to see and buy these in store or you can buy direct from their site. And their bags are lush. The prints are gorgeous but they also have a selection of neutral tones that are equally as gorge. I really love the T&B and Selfridges collab Elwood back pack in balck. It has everything, especially if you are a working Mum on the run as it comes with an internal laptop pocket as well as a removable small cross body bag. From their range with Mamas and Papas I love the Miller in pewter. It looks so lovely and would go with everything. If you have another little and you like to twin you can also get mini versions of some of the designs. How ace would you look walking around town with these camo bags?!

For those of you who like the understated look, Jem and Bea have the ‘Jamie‘. It is sleek in appearance and has a really subtle pattern. It’s similar to Tiba and Marl in terms of what it comes with and it is entirely water resistant.

For those Cath Kidston fans out there this one is for you. Yep, they do a really gorgeous change bag. If you want something simple that comes with a change mat but you don’t need thermal pockets for bottles and you love a CK print then you will love this. As with all the above bags it also clips to your pushchair.

My current change bag is a Pacapod but the shoulder strap version. The Hastings bag has such a lovely neutral tone it’s guaranteed to go with almost anything. From personal experience I have found the pods really useful. It means a trip to the loo whilst out in a restaurant for example means you only need to take the change pod with you instead of the whole bag – we all know some changing facilities can be slightly cramped. In terms of durability it’s been really good but I’m not sure I would go for the back pack as I definitely don’t need multiple pods but I would definitely recommend this as one to buy.

And finally, the Skip Hop Greenwich. Just look at that blush pink! It’s also made of vegan leather. There’s no thermal pockets but ample space and I like how it appears to open fro the front rather than the middle meaning you have some depth to hold all your bits and pieces together when it’s open. It comes with a change mat too. This one is definitely on my short list.

From The Highstreet

ASOS has countless pages of rucksacks. Countless. But these are two of my faves. The Hollister core canvas bag is so cool. The leopard print but in the light tones. Lush. It may not be wipe clean though so maybe better for those with older kids who don’t spit milk up all over their shoulders anymore. My other choice is the Hershel Crosshatch Dawson back pack… Probably also for those with older toddlers as it’s much smaller in size. It would be perfect for me to take out on a day with Leo. Big enough for a spare change of pants (just in case), a drink and a couple of snacks.

I really like these Next bags. I think the prints are lovely and for a cool £30 how can you go wrong? The polka dot is so much fun and the floral print is more understated and classy. Again they don’t come with any fancy baby bits but they have a really good capacity so if like me you need to transfer from an existing bag to a new one they would have ample room to store all your existing bits.

And finally Accessorize. They currently have a sale on so go go go! I have two faves that are both currently in stock and half price. The first is the Nylon Double Tab. If you’re general go to outfit is jeans and a white tee this would look so good. And then there is the Paint Splash Foil. Epic pattern and so much fun. They have a whole host of great designs so head over whilst they are still in stock.