The 9 Best Diaper Bags for Every Parent (Whether You’re Type-A or Totally Laid-Back)

• Value: 20/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Quality: 17/20
• Aesthetics: 13/20
• Roominess: 18/20

TOTAL: 87/100

While this minimalist bag may not turn heads for its design, you’ll immediately love it for its affordability—and smart storage. Discrete tags note the use for every exterior pocket (one for diapers, one for wipes, a pacifier pouch, and so on), so couples can trade off using the bag without shouting, “honey, where’s the…?” every five seconds. The insulated front pouch is roomy enough to hold five bottles, though I’ve regularly crammed five in without an issue. (It’s also great for keeping pouches and snacks cool.) It has a separate interior sleeve to holding the changing pad, and two pockets within the main compartment for toys, sunscreen, you name it.

• Value: 16/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 17/20
• Roominess: 19/20

TOTAL: 88/100

For the always-prepared types, there is no better bag. The BFF can be worn as a shoulder bag or backpack, and at 14 inches long, it can stow pretty much everything you’d need, from diapers to lunch for two (in case that afternoon park outing runs long). But it’s not so roomy that you’re constantly rummaging for whatever you need—seven interior pockets keep things organized to a degree that’d make Marie Kondo proud, along with two insulated bottle pockets and a phone pouch that keeps your cell within easy reach. Our reviewer loved how easy it was to clean with a wipe (though it’s also machine-washable), though she admitted it she didn’t love how much space it took up under her stroller.

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Roominess: 17/20

TOTAL: 89/100

Ask any mom about her diaper bag, and she’ll tell you the same line she told her bridesmaids about their dresses at her wedding: “You can totally re-wear it!” Only in this case, she’s right. We’ve known many a mom to rock a Freshly Picked bag well after their kid’s out of diapers, just because the bag’s durable, chic and holds a laptop just as well as it does a breast pump and butt paste. Oh, and it can be worn over the shoulder, as a crossbody bag or as a backpack, making it extra versatile.

• Value: 17/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 16/20
• Roominess: 20/20

TOTAL: 90/100

As a new parent—especially if you’ve got twins or triplets—your hands are always full. And nothing will make you want to hurl a diaper bag into the trash faster than when you’re desperately trying to fish a bottle out of a bag that keeps closing on you while you simultaneously try to soothe a screaming, wriggling baby. That’s what makes the Mainframe Bag so ingenious—its large wire-frame mouth pops open and stays open, so you can easily grab whatever you need (and see what’s inside at a glance). Other brands offer a similar style, but that feature—paired with the Mainframe’s insulated side bottle pockets, comfy backpack straps and machine-washable changing pad—put Skip Hop’s style at the top of our list.

• Value: 20/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 16/20
• Roominess: 18/20

TOTAL: 90/100

After much trial and error, our reviewer developed a checklist of diaper bag must-haves, and this surprisingly affordable pick checks off all the boxes for day-to-day use: An extra-wide, stay-open top so you can rummage with ease, insulated bottle pockets, water-resistant fabric you can wipe clean, a luggage strap that lets you loop it onto your carry-on while traveling, straps that convert from shoulder bag to tote bag to backpack and it's not so bulky that you'll feel like you're carrying a tiny house on your back. “This is my go-to daily use bag, whereas the Huhu is more for weekend trips or bigger excursions,” she tells us.

• Value: 14/20
• Functionality: 20/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 20/20
• Roominess: 18/20

TOTAL: 91/100

Behold, the diaper bag no one realizes is a diaper bag. The eponymous logo elevates this nylon tote, which can take all of the spills and spit-up of baby life and look good as new with a simple wipe-down. The side pockets are just the right size for water and baby bottles alike, and the straps fit nicely on stroller hooks, our reviewer said. While there are larger models on the market, we like this size for handling all of a baby’s essentials without feeling like you’re hauling a duffle bag everywhere you go. The bag itself is an investment but keep an eye out for sales—Kate Spade often offers steep discounts.

• Value: 16/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 19/20
• Aesthetics: 18/20
• Roominess: 20/20

TOTAL: 91/100

This bag is ideal for parents of twins or multiple kids close in age, because it can hold half a nursery inside. Seriously—it took our reviewer a second to get used to all of the dividers and organizers, but once she did, she realized you can hold a day's worth of bottles and sippy cups, diapers and wipes, changes of clothes, toys, snacks and her stuff, all in one bag. The magnetic closure makes it easy to open one-handed too, because let's be honest: In that first year, are you ever not holding a baby while rummaging through your diaper bag?

• Value: 18/20
• Functionality: 19/20
• Quality: 20/20
• Aesthetics: 18/20
• Roominess: 18/20*

TOTAL: 93/100

On the other end of the spectrum, there comes a point—typically once your baby hits the one-year mark—when roominess isn’t as crucial to you as portability. You need to get out the door, quickly, and you don’t need to haul a replica of your kid’s nursery on your back anymore. This bag, a Happy Kid Award winner, is for that phase: It features a fold-out changing pad, a wet pouch for storing 20 wipes, a separate compartment for your cell, wallet and keys, and a main section that can hold diapers, a snack, hand sanitizer and bandages (because you never know when you’ll be taking care of a boo-boo). The one con? At 11 inches wide, there’s no way you’re fitting a bottle or sippy cup in there, so that’s something to keep in mind as you’re on the go.

• Value: 18/20
• Functionality: 18/20
• Quality: 18/20
• Aesthetics: 19/20
• Roominess: 20/20

TOTAL: 93/100

As much as we love the vegan leather and clean lines of Skip Hop’s Greenwich Backpack Bag, the Weekender style won us over with its multiple pockets and overall storage capacity. The 174-inch by 14-inch size is big enough to haul everything you need for a weekend away, including all the essentials (diapers, wipes, cream) and multiple days' worth of clothing for baby. It’s also durable—after three years of use and no more diapers needed, our reviewer says she still uses it for trips away. Her only complaint? She wishes the exterior was water-proof (but admits it wouldn't look as nice if so).