For some, the quest is for money. Others, it’s fame. For me, the greatest pursuit has been for *drumroll* The Perfect Travel Bag. I’ve legit been on this journey for YEARS.
And I think I’ve finally found my soulmate in the form of a backpack.
Let’s start by defining what I consider the perfect travel bag. A travel bag for me is something I can carry on an airplane that will fit under the seat in front of me.
It’s also got to be big enough to fit all the stuff that I or the kids will need (e.g. refreshments, entertainment, accessories etc.). Or not need. Usually more of the latter. (If you need some help packing, click here!)
Every baby needs one of these in their diaper bag when traveling right?
And is it too much to ask to look good too?
In case you didn’t get all that, here’s the criteria in a bulleted list:
- Durability
- Pockets
- Style
- Comfort
- Size
- Efficiency
- Stage of Life
Now before I get too far into this post, here’s my disclaimer:
My tastes in what I want from my travel bag has evolved as my children have gotten older.
Are we cool? Great. Let’s get right into it!
The Diaper Bag
JJ Cole - Satchel
My first traveling diaper bag was a bag by the brand JJ Cole. Unfortunately, I don’t have a pic. I think this is the 2.0 version of the bag I started with. They don’t sell the one I used to have anymore.
Production probably stopped because it wasn’t that great. It could only hold maybe one toy and a blanket. But that was about it. Where was I going to store bottles/food, wipes, diapers, or my hooter hider?
And of course when traveling with your first child, you follow the rules. I’m sure you know the one where you MUST pack everything you own when leaving the house for more that half an hour.
No judgement. I unnecessarily followed it too.
↑↑ This is what I looked like traveling with my first baby ↑↑
JuJuBe - Be Prepared
So I decided after our first flight with the JJ Cole bag that an upgrade was in order. I’m worth it dang it. It felt like I was moving up from a GEO Metro to the Cadillac of diaper bags. (No offense to my GEO owners out there).
My Cadillac of choice was the Ju*Ju*Be Be Prepared diaper bag. This bag has. it. all. There’s insulated bottle pockets, a ‘mommy’ pocket that holds cards, sunglasses & keys. A memory foam changing pad. Pockets, pockets & more pockets. *squeal*
This bag’s got so much going on they include a video tutorial on the webpage. It’s worth a view to make sure you that you’re using the bag to its full potential.
She was great for awhile, but she’s a big girl. And with all of that room comes extra stuff to lug around an airport or on a cruise ship. My shoulders would ache toting this thing around. The search was still on.
SkipHop - Pronto Changing Station
After you’ve been in the parenting game for a while, you learn that you really only need the basics for baby. Poor second child Miles. He was lucky if we’d remember to bring him let alone a diaper bag.
Now don’t get me wrong. We stand by the if-he-can-go-all-night-without-a-diaper-change-he-can-last-through-a-two-hour-flight method. However, we found this Skip*Hop Pronto Changing Station and it’s AWESOME.
If your kids are still in diapers and you travel a lot, YOU NEED THIS IN YOUR LIFE. It can either hook onto your adult carry-on bag or slip into it. There’s a changing pad & a case for wipes. It also has a front zipper pocket to put baby’s magic butt paste in.
And most importantly, it holds up to 4 large diapers. However, we managed to cram 7 diapers in that bad boy!
But time moves on. We are finally at a stage where diaper changes are no longer running our lives. Cue the singing angels! This was my chance to start rocking a more mature travel bag.
No longer having to pack diapers and wipes
Travel Bags with Older Children
Longchamp - La Pliage Large Tote
My husband gifted me the Longchamp La Pliage Large Tote for my work commute via train many many moons ago. It’s water resistant, holds a whole lot of goodies and looks super chic. It’s a travel bag love match right? Sadly, no.
Now I adored and still adore this bag buuuuuuuuuut there’s only ONE pocket. Total. And it’s not that deep. My phone falls out. A mini iPad is too big. So I certainly don’t trust the odd-sized pocket to hold my credit cards or passports.
So there’s most definitely a lot of room to throw my cross-body purse in. But then I have to dig through the bag to get to my purse. Then open up the purse to get out my cards and/or passports. Who’s got time for that? Not this gal.
And I almost forgot. There isn’t a long strap to wear this as a crossbody. It’s seriously annoying for me to hoist that thing on my shoulder just to have it slip off in .02 seconds. God forbid the wind blow. #firstworldproblems
Madden Girl - Booker School Backpack
So with all of this trial and error I established that I’m tired of my shoulders hurting. I’m tired of not being able to secure the bag to my roller board. And I finally made the executive decision to go for a backpack.
I thought I’d found love with this Madden Girl Booker School Backpack. The bright red color is what initially grabbed my attention. It has side pockets and a wide opening zipper. There’s a place on the back that would slide over the handle of my suitcase. It can hold a lot of swag.
I was swooning.
I should’ve known better than to choose something with ‘girl’ in the title. And being labeled a school backpack was a stretch. That implies it can transport thick and heavy school books. Spoiler alert: It can’t.
I used this bag a total of 5 times before the strap broke.
You heard that right. 5 whole times. All I’d put in there was a couple of magazines, a 20 oz. soda and my laptop. No books, no weights, no oversized rocks. I should’ve just set my money on fire.
eBags - Professional Slim Junior Laptop Bag
But with every heartache comes a life lesson. As I started researching I found myself sucked in by an Instagram ad.
It was for the eBags Mother Lode Weekender Backpack. This thing looks incredible but a little much for what I need right now. It’s basically a carry-on for your back.
Now, I may indulge if we decide to go backpacking through Europe in the future. And fly on a major airline. And don’t want to check a bag.
But since we’ve been using a lot of discount airlines lately, I didn’t want to risk it being too big and getting charged a fee for it.
So I ultimately chose the Professional Slim Junior Laptop Backpack from eBags. I will refer to it as going forward as the PSJLB. I’ll get carpal tunnel if I type out the bag’s full name again.
Oh PSJLB. How I love thee. Let me count the ways! This bag ticks off all of the boxes for me. There’s the video on their website demonstrating some of the more advanced features.
Though, I do have to admit that it doesn’t quite have the flair of the Madden Girl. Or the prestige of the Longchamp. But it still looks fly and as an added bonus, it’s water-resistant.
My favorite detail about this bag is the front pocket. I’m a huge fan of having the credit card slots (and a strap to lock them in!). I typically just include my license, primary credit card, debit card & health insurance card.
Within this front pocket there’s 2 interior zippers that are big enough to throw your passport or plane tickets in.
So when you’re rushing through that security line because your youngest child decided they suddenly need to pee even though they refused the last 47 opportunities – BAM! There’s all your credentials. Moving right along!
The first primary zipper pocket is the self-proclaimed easy access pocket. I use this for books, pashminas/blankets, food, the kids’ pads and headphones. If there’s anything you want to get to quickly, this space is for you.
There’s also a middle zipper compartment that is the perfect size for a tablet. Since my youngest child stepped on my iPad and cracked the screen into oblivion, I use this pocket to store my cross-body purse and Kindle.
Now on to the 3rd zipper pocket. I realize that not everyone requires the laptop sleeve, but that’s ok. It’ll neatly store your magazines, coloring books for the kiddos, plane blankets etc. The possibilities are endless!
Lastly, there’s a handy dandy cord management compartment in the front bottom that has a ‘crush-proof’ shell. For my non-geek computer packing friends, it’s also known as the best place ever for storing your sunnies.
And there you have it! My journey to find true love…with a travel bag. You have my heart right now PSJLB*.
It looks good, it’s the right size and it holds my stuff and the kids stuff no problemo. I’m thrilled to have found something that will last for the foreseeable future. Or until the next stage of life comes along 🙂
What’s your favorite bag to use when traveling with your kids? Comment below or let me know if there’s anything out there that you’d like me to try!
*None of the items linked in this post are sponsored. Everything was paid for by me and the recommendations are my own opinions.
