I'll be interested to hear the DL take on diaper bags. I've been looking around at the dedicated diaper bags geared toward men and, if I were to go that route, I like the Diaper Dude "Green Dude" and the Fleurville "DJ" bags, mostly due to their eco-friendliness. But at $90-100, I would rather get something that is more of a multi-use bag. One that I could use for school, groceries, etc. My other thought, although it is actually considerably more expensive, is going with a Bailey Works messenger bag, as I could use it essentially for the rest of my life. They're super durable and waterproof. They're not as eco-friendly material wise (except that they last forever, so no need to keep buying new bags), but they are handmade in the town that I live in (Portsmouth, NH). They are really great bags. If you want to check them out, go to baileyworks.com

@halldur

I'm really leaning toward recommending that you go with a general purpose messenger bag or a backpack. The convenience factor and features that you get with a "diaper bag," are counterbalanced by the utility, durability and style of a non-specific bag, and it looks to me like the pricing comes down to being about the same.

So I like your idea of the Bailey Works bag. The Timbuk2 bags also look great. One thing I notice is the use of buckles instead of velcro, which I really like. Lots of baby stuff sticks to velcro. The velcro strips get all fuzzy and I think that looks like crap. That said, we do like the DadGear and Diaper Dude bags. And these bags look good enough that you can use them as general purpose bags when the baby is big.

For the purpose of the comparison piece we just did, I bought a North Face Surge backpack. At REI, this pack is at the same price point that you are talking about. I love all the features of this thing. I’m using it as my everyday work bag. I think it would make a good diaper bag as well. Not as good on instant access as other bags, but really good on storage, durability and utility after the baby is bigger.

By the time our third child came along, we could get all the required diaper bag contents into a gallon ziplock. This could be passed back and forth between parents. This system is perfect for North Face or Bailey Works strategy.

Lil' late to the party here... Didn't we discuss this once before, I couldn't find it - maybe it was chatting on the live show...

ANYWAY...

I'm a luggage fiend. I dig a cool bag. But it's gotta be a bargain too, my paycheck requires this feature. So, thrift stores, yard sales, what have you... I've been able to curb the purchasing of bags recently, even with a recent flood ruining all but one piece o' luggage... but a Samsonite briefcase for $7, or a retail $50 Canon camera bag for $3, yea, I'm gonna bring that home for sure. Sorry Honey.

I agree that multi-use is key, and if it's labeled as a diaper bag "first," for some reason it seems the price will be close to double. (Backpack at $25 will be a $40 or $50 diaper bag.) My neurosis loves the idea of a special lil' pocket for each item, however, practical everyday experience has shown me, that is easy to overcome and doesn't matter at all. We are actually still using the 'freebie" from the hospital. The essential diaper gear, one meal and one change of clothes still fits (though tightly). I have a specific backpack diaper bag ($3 baby consignment) that I used a few times, because it was so much cooler than the black purse looking freebie, but in order to have 2 bags, you have to have 2 sets of everything. Switching items from bag to bag was irritating, more so if you forgot something. So now, I accept carrying the "purse," as long as I'm carryin' TheBoy too. (The purse won out for the ONE bag, 'cause TheWife didn't like the backpack.)

The freebie certainly would NOT be big enough with 2 kids in diapers, and carrying 2 of them would really suck. So that'd be a reason for sure to get a bigger bag. I've seen Moms with the roller airline bags. Seems like an efficient alternative to me.

Our next one will likely see the Canon camera bag as his/her "daddy's" diaper bag. Plenty big, and convertible "walls" inside. Very cool. Even cooler if I ever put the skate patches on it, which I threatened often with the first kiddo, but never did.