BabyBeau Nava

By Published On: March 11th, 2013

When I first found out that I was pregnant, I […]

babybeaunavaWhen I first found out that I was pregnant, I began my search to find a fashionable diaper bag. I decided that I was going to simply forego carrying a purse when I was with the baby in an effort to avoid traipsing around with multiple bags all the time. I thought I had done fairly well in my quest with the diaper bag I had been using for the first six months of my son’s life. Enter the BabyBeau Nava. Heavenly! This was a bag that could not only pass for a purse, but could continue to be used like a purse indefinitely once the kids are out of diapers! The fact that I had stumbled upon the answer to my prayers was confirmed when the young, hip, early 20s-something gal commented on my “fabulous purse” the first time I took it out. (You should have seen the look on her face when I told her it was a diaper bag. SCORE!)
As I first pulled it out of the protective cloth sack that it came in, I immediately was struck by how soft and luxurious the leather felt. I was slightly concerned by how heavy it felt prior to putting any of my things in it, but once it was fully loaded, I realized that it didn’t feel too heavy. The thick leather straps help me to carry it comfortably, without any shoulder pain to speak of. The two shorter straps are the perfect length to fit over my shoulder, staying firmly in place without feeling too snug on my underarm, and the removable longer strap will be great when I am wearing my baby and need to be able to keep it away from curious hands.
This bag is full of feature upon useful feature. The expandable zipper located on the bottom offers more space when needed, but gives it stylish appeal when it isn’t. The removable ecru liner in the interior makes cleaning a breeze and improves the versatility of the bag if I ever want to use it as a carry on for travel or any other purpose. The bag also includes a genuine leather snap closure changing pad and bottle holder that match the tan leather of the exterior of the bag. Attached to the inside, there is a generously-sized zippered ecru and camel colored wristlet. It is removable, and I use this to carry my wallet and other personal items which I might otherwise keep in a purse. One of my favorite features, however, is the removable clutch located on the outside of the bag. It folds in half, offering twice the storage, and snaps away from the bag for a quick run into a store or drinks with the girls! To top it off, the bag still looks fabulous even when the clutch is removed.
Although I thought the bag was not going to have a very large capacity at first glance, I was pleasantly surprised that everything transferred over from my other diaper bag without a hitch. This definitely wouldn’t fit everything for a long weekend, but it fits my day to day needs perfectly. It even has a wide array of pockets to help my Type A brain stay organized. Diapers, wipes, keys, cell phone … They each have their own special home! One large and two small interior pockets are elastically cinched to easily slide goodies in and out, while another extra large pocket has a single snap closure, perfect for keeping a tablet or netbook separate from all the other diapering supplies. In addition to the removable clutch, the exterior has two pockets that snap closed, perfect for holding a cell phone and keys for easy access, and a larger zippered pocket on the reverse side. The bag lacks “feet” to help keep the bottom clean, but I think they would take away from it’s stylishness, and the soft leather easily wipes clean with a damp cloth.
Overall, I love the bag. It’s clearly designed with a mom in mind but is stylish enough to allow its continued use as a purse, justifying the price tag. It’s not one my husband would be comfortable carrying, but if it was, I probably wouldn’t like it anyway, right?
Price: $450
To buy: baby-beau.com