Babymel Striped Satchel

There were a couple of features that were on my must-have list when I was searching for the all-important diaper bag with my second son. First, I wanted something that was affordable. Second, I wanted a bag that would be versatile and also not scream “I’m a diaper bag!” too loudly. Third, I wanted a bag that would last through all the schlepping and toting and hauling I knew I would be doing through trips to daycare, errands out, and storage of all the bottles and dirty clothes and snacks, etc.
Luckily, the Babymel Striped Satchel fit the bill on all counts. I’ll be the first to admit that I am a sucker for stripes, and so I was initially drawn to the looks of the bag without even knowing how it would do functionally. But I was pleasantly surprised—this is a great bag.
The adjustable strap makes it possible to wear it as a messenger bag or—when it’s in the short position—an over the shoulder bag. (Which is how I find myself preferring to wear it the most—I’m often in such a rush that I can’t be bothered with even the extra .5 seconds it takes to sling it over my head!) The inside has a water resistant lining (major plus), plenty of pockets and comes with a changing pad. One of the cooler (no pun intended!) features is the insulated bottle pocket that is on the side of the bag (see bottle peeking out of it in the image above). I love this feature, because it keeps your bottle easily accessible, separate from all your things, and as cold as hot as you need.
I really love the way the bag is arranged, with a zippered side (where the many inner pockets are) and the outer pocket with flap over it. This helps me keep my mom things and the baby’s things apart, meaning my phone stays crumb-free and I can find my lip balm much faster than I otherwise might.
The bag comes in both navy stripes and in red stripes, and is a total winner from my perspective. Affordable, functional and cute—a win-win-win.
Price:$75
To buy: babymel.com