We know, we know – rucksacks don’t exactly scream style. And although even the most fashion-conscious parents will be swapping their subscription to Vogue for the latest mummy magazines, you don’t need to completely sacrifice your style with a baby changing rucksack.
First, get the important stuff sorted. Make sure your rucksack changing bag fits in everything on your changing bag checklist. Once the baby basics are sorted, then you’re free to go and choose a bag you like.
But wait!
There are lots of other useful features you need to know about the baby changing rucksack. So before you take the leap, we’ve looked at the top eight things you need to consider when buying a rucksack changing bag.
8 Tips for Buying a Baby Changing Rucksack
1) Comfortable
With all those extra nappies, baby wipes, a tub of nappy cream and the rest of your baby essentials weighing you down, you need a comfy bag to hold them all. A baby changing rucksack is great for lightening the load.
With two straps, the weight of your baby gear is evenly distributed across your body when you wear a rucksack changing bag. This can help avoid creating more back pain, especially if you’re already feeling sore after giving birth. You can also adjust the straps to make it a perfect fit.
2) Adventure Time
If you’re an outdoorsy mum who likes hiking and exploring, a baby changing rucksack is ideal for an adventurous lifestyle. With all the baby basics at the back, your hands are free to easily navigate your pram.
Although it’s unlikely you’ll be climbing Everest anytime soon, at least a rucksack changing bag will make trips with your little one simpler. Even if you don’t like trekking up mountains, you can still enjoy journeys to the park or the beach wearing a baby changing rucksack.
3) More Pockets Than You Can Shake a Rattle At
Ok, so you could just go out and buy any old backpack to carry all your baby stuff. But then, everything would be piled on top of each other and you’d probably never find anything again! Imagine digging around, helplessly searching for your baby’s comforter while they’re non-stop crying… It’s just not worth it.
That’s why you need a bag with lots of pockets – a lot more than your standard backpack. A good-quality baby changing rucksack will have lots of individual compartments to keep all your essentials separate. Plus, they’ll have extra parent pouches to keep hold of your purse, phone and keys.
4) Unisex Design
Most dads won’t love the idea of carrying mum’s flowery handbag. But you can avoid that look of horror when you ask him to briefly hang onto your bag with a unisex baby changing rucksack. An office briefcase, a gym bag or his old holdall just won’t cut it when bringing the necessary baby gear on a day out. They’re too impractical and aren’t designed to transport everything you need. But a rucksack changing bag is both functional and trendy – ideal for any hands-on dad.
Most men will probably prefer a neutral bag, so try to find a baby changing rucksack in plain colours. Black is probably your safest option, but you could try navy, grey and brown too.
5) Inclusive Travel Mat
A baby changing rucksack would be pretty useless if it didn’t come with an essential travel mat. How else would you change your little one on big days out? Public changing facilities often don’t have the right surface to comfortably change your baby’s nappy. Plus, they’re not guaranteed to be 100% hygienic.
But if your rucksack changing bag comes with its own mat, you can be sure you always have a safe space to change your baby anywhere, anytime.
6) Accessibility
In the great debate between the backpack changing bag versus the baby tote bag, one of the issues that comes up is accessibility. It could be said that baby changing rucksacks are less accessible because they’re harder to get into (since you need to take the bag off to grab your baby gear).
But to combat this, you can use pushchair clips to handily hook your baby changing rucksack onto the back of the pram. That way, you can easily reach inside if you need something fast. The latest BabaBing! Mani Baby Changing Rucksack comes with free pushchair clips, giving you a flexible approach to carrying your bag.
7) Insulated Bottle Holders
Feeding on the go is much easier if your baby changing rucksack comes with insulated bottle holders. These clever removeable pockets are perfect for travelling with your little one, especially if you have two. One can hold water, and the other can carry formula powder. Simply mix them together to give your baby the nutrients they need when you’re out and about.
Of course, if you’re breastfeeding, you won’t need formula. Instead you can fill up the insulated bottle holders with water. Babies can have small sips of water once they’re around six months old.
8) Multi-Functional
Still stuck between a baby changing rucksack and a tote bag? Well, why have one when you can get both?
The latest Baba Bing! Mani Baby Changing Rucksack gives you the best of both worlds. With two sets of straps, it’s both a baby changing rucksack and a tote bag all in one. Whether you’re going shopping on the high street or adventuring through national parks, you can use the multi-functional Mani backpack to fit your lifestyle.
Order your own backpack changing bag and get free next day delivery and a fantastic 365 days to return in case you can't make up your mind. Not sure what you're looking for? Feel free to get in touch with our friendly customer service team for more info about our rucksack changing bags.