Best Diaper Bag for Cloth Diapers [2023]

If you’re in a hurry and just want to find out what the best diaper bag for cloth diapers is, I’d recommend the Bag Nation Diaper Bag Backpack.

With all of the things that you need to take with you when you are out and about with a baby, your diaper bag will become a constant presence. Need a fresh onesie, a new diaper, or your sunglasses? Look no further than your trusty diaper bag. Since you will be using your diaper bag almost all the time, it’s important to find one that you like.

In this article, I am breaking down the best diaper bag for cloth diapers, and in the end, I’ll choose the winner.

Here are the diaper bags I will be reviewing:

• Hip Cub Diaper Bag Backpack
• Skip Hop Messenger Diaper Bag
• Bag Nation Diaper Bag Backpack
• HaloVa Diaper Bag
• JuJuBe Be Prepared Diaper Bag

Diaper Bag Styles

When you go to buy a diaper bag, you have a few different styles to choose from. You can get a tote bag, messenger bag, or backpack.

Tote bags and messenger bags tend to be a little big more stylish, and more closely resemble hand bags. Backpack diaper bags look more like, well… backpacks.

The big advantage of backpacks is that they are more hands-free. You can throw on a backpack, and still carry your baby, a bottle, and some toys with no problem. These also tend to be a bit more guy friendly. While some men might balk at carrying around a tote bag, they won’t mind throwing on a backpack.

By the way, there are some diaper bags that convert between styles. The ones that do this well and still look good can be the best of all worlds.

Ryan’s Note: Our first diaper bag was a tote bag that looked a lot like my wife’s other handbags. Before I had kids, I wouldn’t have been caught dead carrying something like this around. Once we had our son though, I really didn’t mind at all. I was always happy to lighten the load for my wife or take the bag with me whenever I was taking our little guy anywhere. I think your perspective just changes when you have kids. So, I wouldn’t worry too much about getting a “guy friendly” diaper bag.

Things To Consider When Buying A Diaper Bag For Cloth Diapers

A lot of the things that are important in a diaper bag for cloth diapers are the same as the things that are important for diaper bags in general. However, there are a couple of key differences.

Capacity

The biggest thing to look for when you’re buying a diaper bag for cloth diapers is capacity. Cloth diapers take up more space than disposables. So, you’ll want to look for something on the large side.

Beyond the bag’s overall capacity, you want to make sure that the wet/dry compartment has plenty of room for dirty diapers. You aren’t going to be throwing out cloth diapers after your little one wears them, so you need to have enough space to store them.

Lots Of Compartments

There are a million different things to carry around when you have a baby. Diapers, diaper cream, bottles, burp cloths, wipes, toys, extra clothes, mobile phone, keys, sunglasses, wallet, lip balm, snacks… The list goes on and on.

If you have to dig through a large compartment every time you need to find a baby wipe, it’s going to get really frustrating. Things go much more smoothly if you have dedicated compartments for each item.

In particular, you want to make sure you have a good wet/dry compartment for dirty diapers and a dedicated spot for bottles and sippy cups.

Clip Onto Stroller

With all of the things you need to carry around, diaper bags can get really heavy. So, it’s really nice if you have an easy way to clip them onto your stroller.

Easy To Clean

Spills happen. It’s inevitable. That brand new diaper bag is going to be put through the ringer. If you want it to look good after a few months, you should get one that’s easy to clean. Getting a fabric that’s stain resistant is also a good idea.

My Top Reviews Of Diaper Bags For Cloth Diapers

I have reviewed my top 5 diaper bags below, and also picked my favorite. That said, this is one product where style and personal preference play a huge role. So, take a look and see which ones suits you best.

Hip Cub Diaper Bag Backpack

This Hip Cub bag is designed with both style and functionality it mind. It’s really versatile and can be used as a messenger bag, tote bag, or back pack. This can be really nice if you prefer the style of a messenger bag, but want the hands-free functionality of a backpack at times.

It has stroller straps as well. So, you can lighten the load whenever you’re pushing your little one around.

The bag itself doesn’t appear to be huge, but it actually holds a lot more than you would think. It has 10 pockets, including 2 bottle pockets and a back pocket sleeve to hold your changing pad. Oh, by the way, it comes with a changing pad too.

The biggest issue with this one is that it’s not super durable. After a while, all of the wear and tear you put the bag through is likely to show.

Skip Hop Messenger Diaper Bag

This is a messenger diaper bag that also happens to be fairly stylish.

This one comes with patented shuttle clips to allow you to easily convert it from a shoulder bag to a stroller bag. With all of the things that you’ll be carrying around, it can be nice to lighten the load by clipping it onto your stroller.

It has 11 pockets, including 2 elasticized mesh side pockets for bottles. So, you’ll have plenty of places to put everything. The side pockets have fairly strong magnets. So, they stay closed when you want, but they are also easy to access. It comes with a stroller pad as well.

The biggest issue with this one is that the capacity might be a little tight for cloth diapers. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of parents that use this one with cloth diapers. It’s just that it’s a bit of a tight fit. So, if you’re traveling with more than one child or happen to take a lot with you whenever you go out, you might want to look at other options.

Bag Nation Diaper Bag Backpack

This is a wildly popular diaper bag backpack. It’s very well designed and very well made. In fact, it’s my favorite diaper bag for cloth diapers.

This one is definitely more functional than stylish. That said, it looks fine. It just looks more like a regular backpack than anything else. In a way, it’s nice since both women and men will feel good using this one.

It has 14 pockets, so you really do have a place for everything. There are 2 wet/dry pockets, an insulated pocket for bottles, and a dedicated pocket for wipes. It’s worth noting that if the main compartment is stuffed full, it can be hard to access some of the interior compartments. That said, there are still plenty of external pockets so this isn’t really a big issue.

The shoulder strap are ergonomically designed for comfort. Given all of the things that you will be carrying around, this is really important if you don’t want your shoulders to ache. It’s also able to hang neatly on your stroller to help lighten the load.

Some parents note that this backpack often falls over when placed on ground if it’s full. But, this is hardly a deal breaker in my mind.

This one is quite durable, and holds up well against all of the wear and tear that it will go through.

HaloVa Diaper Bag

This backpack diaper bag is an affordable option that works well for anyone on a tight budget.

Its capacity is quite large and it has dedicated compartments for bottles and wipes. So, you will have plenty of room for cloth diapers, burp cloths, toys, extra clothes, and everything else that you need to carry around.

The fabric is both water resistant and easy to clean. So, it’s easy to keep this bag looking good.

This biggest issue with this one is that there is no easy way to clip it onto a stroller. So, you’ll be stuck carrying it around.

The bottle holders are a little on the small side. So, depending on the size of your bottles or sippy cups, you might have a little trouble fitting them in.

This one is not quite as durable as some of the others, which isn’t terribly surprising given the price point.

JuJuBe Be Prepared Diaper Bag

JuJueBe is really well known for making great, stylish diaper bags, and this one is no exception.

The outside is treated with Teflon so stains don’t stick. The inside is protected with Algion which inhibits and reduces the growth of odor causing bacteria, mold and mildew. It’s inevitable that things will occasionally spill on or in your diaper bag. So, having these protections built in is a really nice feature. The back pocket also has a crumb drain to help it stay clean.

This is the biggest bag that JuJuBe makes. If you have ever worried about having enough space to carry everything, you can put those worries aside with this bag. It’s got 17 different pockets, including 2 insulated bottle pockets. You can carry it with tote handles or an adjustable shoulder strap. It comes with a changing pad as well.

For some people, this is actually too big to use as an every day diaper bag. It’s also fairly heavy in large part due to it’s size.

Bringing Home The Best Diaper Bag For Cloth Diapers

Diaper bags are one of those products where personal preference and style play a huge role. I think the Bag Nation Diaper Bag Backpack is the best diaper bag for cloth diapers. It well designed, well made, and has plenty of capacity. That said, if you prefer a messenger bag or a tote bag, there are probably better choices for you. All of the diaper bags listed above are good options, so pick the one that suits your taste.