Did anyone else get addicted to shopping for baby stuff whilst they were pregnant? I held off buying anything until I was 25 weeks then once I started I couldn’t stop! Most of this was for baby but the one item that I considered was for me was our change bag.
It needed to be convenient for carrying round everything for baby but as it would replace my gorgeous mustard leather handbag I also wanted it to be stylish and durable.
Needless to say I found out how fussy I am! I didn’t want anything too big, anything too ‘cute’ or with certain straps. But finally, after hours of online browsing, I fell in love with the PacaPod Richmond changing bag in navy herringbone which retails at £89.
There’s always the risk of falling for something online and it not quite living up to expectations in the flesh (as happened with the first changing bag I ordered) but this one did not disappoint. It looks lovely and the colour matches perfectly with our pram but it’s also very practical. It has a front compartment for all Casper’s baby things, the main zip part for me so I still feel like I actually have a handbag and a back pocket which is handy for slipping my phone and keys in.
What really makes Pacapod bags stand out from the rest though is that they include two ‘pods’ in front zip baby section. There’s one pod for changing and one for feeding, each with places to keep all the essentials e.g. nappies, wipes, creams, bottles etc, which make it so much easier to have what I need altogether rather than rummaging around in the bottom of a bag for each item.
When Casper needs changing I can just grab the changing pod and you could even just take this out with you if you didn’t need the rest of the bag. It also includes a padded foldable changing mat too which is very handy.
The feeding pod is insulated but as I’m nursing Casper I’ve taken this out of the bag until it’s time for weaning and I need to carry food around, instead I use this space for spare clothes, muslins and extra breast pads. This pod also has a wipe clean bag for dirty clothes or nappies which I’ve kept in as it’s a useful little extra.
So the pros of the PacaPod Richmond changing bag if you’re on the hunt are:
- It’s stylish looking, they do the herringbone pattern in three gorgeous colours too; navy, dusty pink and dove grey
- The bag has a wipe clean coating, is nice and sturdy, and has pockets for all the essentials, plus the handy feeding and changing pods contained in the front section for ease, making it a very practical as well as good looking option
- The pods for changing (including changing mat) and feeding (insulated) are easy to grab and can even be used on their own
- The bag is a good size without being too big to carry around! The main ‘handbag’ section is big enough for my iPad, bottle of water, purse, make-up, etc
- The Richmond bag has the option of a thick, adjustable shoulder strap that can also be worn cross body, carry handles and a pram attachment
And although I’ve struggled to think of the cons it’s only fair to mention a couple:
- It’s not the cheapest option out there at £89 but I think it’s worth it as it ticks the style and practical boxes I was after. The handy little extras like a foldable change mat, a wipe clean bag for dirty clothes and the pod organising system also make the price more reasonable.
- It can be a little heavy when filled but I guess this depends what you put in there and I hang it from the pram anyway so I can go hands-free.
As you can probably tell, I really love it and have had several comments from friends about how good it looks. You can absolutely tell it’s been designed by a mum of two, it really does help me keep organised and certainly makes changing time easier!
What do you think to it? Do you have a PacaPod bag and would you recommend it?
Chloe x