The diaper bag is the piece of baby gear that parents use the most often.
And since you have to lug it around with you regularly, and it carries everything you need to take care of your baby when you're out, choosing a comfortable bag that can hold everything you need is key.
Enter the backpack diaper bag.
Whether you're running errands around town, packing up for a beach day, or looking for a diaper bag to bring on a trip, a diaper backpack is the best.
In this guide I’m going to show you the best backpack diaper bag in the entire world (or at least on the internet), followed by 10 alternatives just in case the top pick isn’t your jam. Cool?
Top 10 Best Backpack Diaper Bags
#1: Halova Diaper Bag Multi-Function Waterproof Travel Backpack
#2: Ju-Ju-Be BFF Convertible Diaper Bag
#3: Skip Hop Forma Pack and Go Diaper Backpack
#4: Ju-Ju-Be Legacy Collection Be Right Back Backpack Diaper Bag
#5: Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack Diaper Bag
#6: JJ Cole Backpack Diaper Bag
#7: Bag Nation Diaper Bag Backpack
#8: Cateep’s Baby Diaper Bag Smart Organizer Diaper Backpack
#9: Sleeping Lamb Waterproof Travel Backpack
#10: Ferlin Multi-function Baby Diaper Bag
#11: Wallaroo Diaper Bag Backpack
But first, before we get into it…
Why a Backpack Diaper Bag?
(Rather Than a… “Non-Backpack Diaper Bag”)
I was going to say “rather than a normal diaper bag” but I didn’t want to hurt backpack diaper bag’s feelings.
The most popular diaper bag style is the cross-body bag. It’s like a messenger bag if messenger bags played a cruel joke on you. Those are fine, but we chose the backpack diaper bag because they’re just way more comfortable (and a little more gender neutral).
OK, Here’s what we rated the top ten backpack diaper bags on:
Function
All the shit babies come with, tends to fit better (ie in a more organized fashion) in a backpack shape. Unless you enjoy carrying a beach ball on your hip. Backpack shape—check. Comfort is also huge. I remember having a messenger bag in school and my shoulders are still messed up. Nothing to do with pregnancy, I swear. If you’re planning on traveling or carrying your diaper bag around for any length of time, you need even weight distribution on your body. Plus, when you’re baby wearing, you can have the backpack on your back and the baby on your front and look like a mule. We also looked at the bag’s overall layout and made sure to highlight any extra convenience features.
Portability
We considered size and weight here. No one wants to carry around a bulky pack when they’re just going out to the park for a few hours. But you also don’t want to be underpowered for that day trip you’re planning. So we based this category on finding the right balance between storage space and being overly bulky or heavy.
Style
Can’t stand the thought of your best friend seeing you out with that hideous diaper bag in tow? Then it loses style-points and won’t make our top 3 because we all know style does matter. I mean, I guess if you were to buy a frilly pink diaper bag, it wouldn’t be very gender neutral. But we found many more diaper bags that could be used by both Ryan and myself without getting too many side-eyes. We had a cute idea at one point to each have our own diaper bag (I wanted this one, because obviously) but then we actually became parents and didn’t need more work on our plates to transfer Poppy’s gear back and forth. Ok, so after all that, we looked at design, form, colour, patterns, and overall flare. And we didn’t just give our opinion. This rating is also based on reviews from other moms and dads from across the continent.
Price
Don’t overpay. Just check out our price rating. We compared prices so you’ll know if the product is worth the cost.
I guess you’re already sold on a backpack diaper bag if you’re reading this article so I don’t need to beat a dead horse. Let’s just get into it.
The 11 Best Backpack Diaper Bags (That Don’t Look Like Diaper Bags)
| Function: |  (5 / 5) |
| Portability: | (5 / 5) |
| Style: | (5 / 5) |
| Price: | (5 / 5) |
| Average: | (5 / 5) |
I’d be lying if I said I understood why any company would make their product name this long, but this bag is AMAZE.
It doesn’t even look like a diaper bag, and if you’re anything like me and in complete denial that you’re “a mom now”, not having to call attention to the fact that you’re carrying around supplies to wipe poop off of somebody else’s ass is wonderful.
But it’s not just beautiful!
The backpack is waterproof. Yes, seriously. If you don’t have your little bundle yet, you may be shrugging in apathy, but trust you me that waterproof (especially if you have a “happy spitter” like our Poppy) is a beautiful thing.
Of course, the bag comes with the standard features like multiple compartments, bungy and mesh organizers inside each, insulated bottle holders, adjustable straps, and bonus: is lightweight.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Portability: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Price: |  (4.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (4.8 / 5) |
As far as brands go, Ju-Ju-Be is, besides Skip Hop, the most popular diaper bag brand on the market.
It makes sense as far as design goes — they’re beautiful bags that don’t look like diaper bags which, again, is awesome for the parent-in-denial.
The Ju-Ju-Be BFF Convertible Diaper Bag is one of the top hits for new parents.
The best thing about this bad boy is that it’s convertible, meaning if you can use it as a backpack and a handbag or shoulder bag.
It’s machine washable, comes in not one, not two, but FIFTY different colors, and it even has something called “crumb drains”, which are what they sound like: ditches for crumbs.
Pros
Cons
| Function: |  (4.5 / 5) |
| Portability: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (4.6 / 5) |
Okay, so the Skip Hop Forma is one of the most popular backpack diaper bags, and on one hand it makes sense—the bag helps you stay insanely organized, which is wonderful when you have a naked baby from the bottom down squirming on a change table 10 feet from the ground (I’m not exaggerating, I swear) and you just need the wipes stat.
It has amazing storage cubes, it fits and hangs perfectly on your stroller and at less than $100, it’s pretty affordable.
On the other hand, it’s just not that cute. It’s quilted and you can sorta tell it’s a diaper bag.
Considering its popularity, it must not be that bad (maybe I’m just picky?) so it still gets the #3 spot.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (4.5 / 5) |
| Portability: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (4.5 / 5) |
| Average: | (4.5 / 5) |
The Ju-Ju-Be Legacy Collection bag is incredibly popular online because it’s so damn beautiful. Plus it comes in a billion colors (or 19, whatever).
The bag’s made out of teflon (it won’t stain no matter how many pouches of orange dye #14 juice your kid spills on it) and is machine washable. It’s reported to be super comfy, light, and has been called the “queen of the diaper bags”.
Ju-Ju-Be has a reputation to protect, so these bags have a lifetime warranty and are rock-solid.
One of the only downsides is the price. At over $125, it’s one of the more expensive backpack diaper bags available.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (4.5 / 5) |
| Portability: | (4.5 / 5) |
| Style: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (4.3 / 5) |
Ahh, the notorious Petunia Pickle Bottom backpack.
I heard about this one a few times while I was pregnant because again, I was in denial and didn’t want a bag that would make me look like a mom.
The Boxy Backpack is a beautiful bag that comes in 16 colors. The fabric is sort of coated so you can wipe it down really easily and it’s convertible, which means versatility for days.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (4 / 5) |
| Portability: | (4 / 5) |
| Style: | (4 / 5) |
| Price: | (4 / 5) |
| Average: | (4 / 5) |
The JJ Cole Backpack Diaper Bag is a popular option and often compared to the Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack and the Ju-Ju-Be BFF but unlike those two options, it’s a bit more affordable.
Like it’s more expensive sisters, it’s convertible and can be worn as a backpack or a messenger diaper bag.
It comes in 3 colors including black (though the black version tries to pull off that odd quilted look that a few other bags in this list sport — not a fan) and is apparently quite functional for dads, too.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Portability: |  (3.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (3.8 / 5) |
This bag is suuuper popular and one of the best selling backpack diaper bags on Amazon.
It’s functional, roomy, and has a place for everything. You could probably carry your entire house in this backpack, and it doesn’t look as bulky as you’d expect(though it does carry some bulk).
The straps on this guy are wide and comfortable even if you find yourself wearing it for longer periods of time, but hopefully you won’t, because it also has a stroller strap.
Finally, and maybe the biggest selling feature of this bag is that Bag Nation has a lifetime warranty. Even if you beat up on the thing, they’ll replace it if anything goes awry, like rips, tears, or a manufacturing defect.
Pros
Cons
| Function: |  (3.5 / 5) |
| Portability: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (5.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (3.6 / 5) |
As far as I can tell, this is a knockoff to S-Zone’s Upgraded Baby Diaper Bag Travel Backpack, but it’s making the list and the original isn’t because somehow the Cateep bag has become more popular than the original.
It comes in at only around $40 and has pretty much all the storage you need unless you have like 4 babies.
Plus, it’s waterproof, and need I remind you that there are a lot of liquids involved in parenting a baby or two, most of which aren’t the type you want soaking into difficult-to-wash fabrics.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (3 / 5) |
| Portability: | (3 / 5) |
| Style: |  (2 / 5) |
| Price: | (4 / 5) |
| Average: | (3 / 5) |
Sleeping Lamb’s version of the waterproof backpack diaper bag definitely doesn’t look like a diaper bag. It’s a gender neutral, sporty bag that has all the functionality of your traditional bag for a decent price.
Reviewers love how lightweight and machine washable it is, and the straps are comfortable for long-term wear.
The best thing about this bag is how it opens. Ever have a backpack that seems to open from the top? You feel like you’re digging around for whatever you’re looking for in a black pit for ages.
This Sleeping Lamb bag zips all the way down from the front, making it much easier to access the stuff inside.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (2.0 / 5) |
| Portability: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (3.5 / 5) |
| Average: |  (2.9 / 5) |
Ahh, we finally get to the bag that Ryan & I started with: the Ferlin.
We chose this bag because it’s attractive but also good for both of us. We also love the amount of space it has.
When we went on our road trip when Poppy was 8 weeks old, I put our entire trippin’ cloth diaper stash in this bag and it still had room for wipes, spare onesies, bottles, and all the crap we have to tote around for her.
The fabric doesn’t look it, but it’s waterproof and the insulated bottle holders are great. I’m also a huge fan of the quick access pocket at the top, where we keep important things like our phones and an emergency soother just in case she decides to go haywire in like a funeral or something.
But… pockets. Pockets errywhere. Most people think that’s a good thing, but I’m one of those people who throws everything into the main console and then complains I can never find anything in “this damn bag”. This is a great option for people more organized than me.
Pros
Cons
| Function: | (2.0 / 5) |
| Portability: | (2.0 / 5) |
| Style: | (3.0 / 5) |
| Price: | (4.0 / 5) |
| Average: |  (2.8 / 5) |
So, I’m preeeetty sure that this is Wallaroo’s ripoff version of the #2 best backpack diaper bag, the Skip Hop Forma that I mentioned above.
Regardless, it’s pretty popular and functional so it makes the list of the top backpack diaper bags.
I don’t have that much to say about it that I didn’t say about the Skip Hop version, except that it does lack a lot of the extras the Forma has (for example, packing cubes). I still don’t really like the aesthetic, but again, maybe it’s just me.
The price is pretty damn good though, I must say.
Pros
Cons
There you have it!
Eleven backpack diapers bags that can carry all your stuff and that aren't totally frumpy.
