Baby Bag: The Ultimate Dilemma

As mentioned in a previous posting, I've officially embarked on the journey to find the perfect diaper bag. I wanted something that's not too obviously a diaper bag, but something that won't become destroyed if we have a leaky bottle (or worse). I also wanted to steer clear of anything too pricey (as much as I'd love a Coach diaper bag, does it make sense to put poopy diapers in a $300+ bag? Doubtful). After perusing the internet, I decided on two diaper bags made by the same company. The reviews on the one were good, and the other is a new style, so therefore had no reviews.

Now my only problem? Deciding which one to keep! Here's a run-down...

First up is the "Mila". The idea with the Mila is that she's a complete "carry-all", meaning it's got loads of compartments to keep both mommy and baby things organized, so you don't have to haul around both a diaper bag and a purse.

She's a black and white chevron print with two magnetic pockets on the front with gold buttons. It also has a black fold-over flap on top.

The Mila has three zip pockets -- one very wide (main) pocket in the middle, and two other pockets on the front and back of the bag. Each have a few mesh pockets inside. The bag also came with a case for wipes.

In between the front and main/middle zippered pockets is another compartment that is held together by a magnetic "snap". Located in here are more pockets still, along with a nifty leather strap that has a hook on it to keep your keys (or whatever else, I suppose) handy and not lost in an endless abyss. Excellent idea, I must say, as I lose my keys in my purse the way it is, and my current purse is definitely a quarter of the size of this bag!

Next is the middle zippered pocket. This compartment held a whole treasure box full of goodies when the bag first arrived! I'll get to those in a minute.

You can see this main pocket is very roomy. Zippered interior pockets and elastic pockets line each  side. In the middle, there are a few extra straps. One is used for converting the Mila into a cross-body bag, and the other, shorter pair, are used to let your diaper bag hang from your stroller so you don't have to carry it while going on a walk or while shopping. There is also a small zippered red pouch that actually isn't a pouch at all -- it actually unzips into a reusable shopping tote! Pretty clever.

As I mentioned, a bunch of goodies came in the middle pocket when it arrived. Here's what was inside:

From the top left, we have a red, cushy changing mat that folds and Velcros up for nice storage inside the diaper bag; next to it is another little bag with a Velcro closure; on bottom is another larger bag that has elastic draw strings to tighten it up.

So that's exhibit A, the Mila. Loads of pockets and storage, a cute exterior print (I'm a sucker for chevron!), and doesn't really look like a diaper bag.

What I don't like? Well, she's kind of heavy -- and that's without anything inside. And the exterior is a canvas-type material, so I can't imagine it's going to repel stains very well -- and if I'm realistic, babies + no stains = dream on.

Anyway, onto exhibit B: the Kayla Satchel Bag. She's a dark orange and white geometric print on a more plasticy-coated exterior (better for wiping off spills and preventing stains!). She has less compartments and fewer "extras" than the Mila, but still has lots of room inside. Like the Mila, Kayla has a magnetic-clasped front pocket.

The bag has two magnetic-closure pockets on the front and back of the bag, along with a zippered main, middle pocket. My favorite part about the Kayla? The pretty purple interior! I love how it looks with the deep orange... so cute!

The magnetic-closure pockets don't have any pockets, zippered or elastic, inside of them for organization. In the middle, however, each side is, again, lined with elastic and zippered pockets. As with the Mila, the bag comes with a case for diaper wipes, a matching padded purple changing pad, a cross-body strap and a pair of straps for hooking to your stroller.

So, what do I like about the Kayla? Well, as mentioned, I love that purple interior, and I like the bright color and happy pattern on the bag. Another thing I'm a big fan of is the wipe-able exterior. And though it doesn't have as much for storage, it feels slightly less overwhelming than the Mila, which almost seemed to have too much space inside. But I've never been a mommy before, so maybe that much space is good?

Anyway, I need help! I obviously don't need two, and I'm having a hard time deciding. So if you have thoughts, share them! Which one do you like better? Or maybe you like neither! Do tell.

I do have one other question: has anyone ever used just a regular tote (not designated as a diaper bag originally) that you've used as a diaper bag? How has that worked for you? There are some super cute Fossil tote bags at Herberger's right now that I've been very tempted to utilize as my diaper bag, but the inside is definitely not waterproof, and there's not much in the way of compartments. Here's the one I've been eyeing...

 

Decisions, decisions.

Help!