ooYoo Christina Hobo Tote

When I first saw the ooYoo Christina Hobo Tote online I fell in love! It was so very stylish, appearing to be more of a large purse than a diaper bag, and had lots of pockets and an amazing leopard print interior fabric. My only concern was that it might be too big for everyday use—after all, it looked huge in the pictures! When I finally got the bag in my hands I was not disappointed! This bag has it all—lots of pockets, stroller straps that also make a great place to hook your keys, and a coordinating changing pad.
It’s also not as big as it appears online and is the perfect size for me to use every day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still plenty big, and I found that I can fit all of my normal diaper bag essentials into it, too: two cloth diapers (much larger and puffier than disposable), travel wipes, a change of clothes for my 1 year old, socks for all four kids (since we always seem to have one without socks on when we get to the jumpy place), hand sanitizer and lotion, a blanket, and a few bags for dirty diapers/clothes. In addition to those items from my previous diaper bag I can also fit all of my purse essentials into it—a large wallet, a small tote with lip gloss, safety pins, gum, some “girly” products, pens, and a mini first-aid kit. On top of that I was also able to add the toy case that I insert my smartphone into for my 1 year old to play games on, a sippy cup, water bottle and snack inside when we are on the run. So getting this bag was really like getting a two for one deal since it is now my purse and diaper bag both. And let me tell you, it is so much easier to carry around one bag instead of two!
The down side to this bag being my purse and being so stylish is that my husband will not carry it and does not even like to reach into it for a diaper or my keys if we are out somewhere. The upside to it being my purse and so stylish is that I always have it with me and get tons of compliments on how amazing it is!
After using the bag for a couple of weeks I did determine that there are a few flaws with it. One is that the zippers are difficult to zip and unzip especially with one hand so I rarely bother zipping the main pouch area that I use the most. I am also not a fan of the size of the changing pad. It is larger than the ones I have previously use which is nice for keeping baby off of the yuck that is on a public changing table but anyone who has ever changed a baby in a public bathroom knows that you want to get in and out quick and have one hand on the baby the whole time to keep him from touching something gross and unfortunately this changing pad does not really seem to allow for that because of the extra folds to get it compact enough to get back into the bag neatly. I also do not feel that the “legs” on the bottom are long enough to actually keep the bottom of the bag from being on the ground when you set it down.
Despite these “negatives” the bag is still amazing and well made overall. It is very easy to wipe clean which, obviously, is a must for people with kids. The stroller straps seem to be nice and sturdy and ready for multiple uses although I usually wear my baby so I haven’t been able to use these often. It is also very helpful that the bag has a nice, wide, flat bottom so that it stays standing up when I put it down. This is such a nice feature so that I don’t have to spend time picking up items that fall out after a spill when I have kids to chase after. Add to this the fact that all of the outside pockets as well as several of the inside pockets zip and I am never wondering if something fell out or got left behind when I’m in a hurry. I am also amazed that even though this diaper bag holds a ton of stuff I still don’t find that the bag is too heavy on my shoulder nor does it slide off of my shoulder when I’m carrying it. I think that this ooYoo bag will be in my life for years even after I have all of my kids out of diapers. Whether using it as a daily carry-all or an overnight bag for myself or a child it is versatile and sturdy enough to make it through all of it. Plus, who doesn’t want to carry a bag that makes all of your friends drool when you come walking in with it over your shoulder?
Price: $105
To buy: ooYoo.com