Review - Nest Leather whipstitch Diaper Bags

Written by Diaper Bag Expert, Suz Hatch, who might not be famous (yet) for it but should be...

The store I went to had 2 of the Whipstitch Nest bags instock, the
Pool blue color & the Black. The Pool blue is a really pretty, clear,
aqua color. It kinda reminded me of the Aqua FV Luxe, except for some
reason the Nest color seemed more clean & crisp. Maybe because the
Luxe has a bit of a pebbled texture to the leather & to me, that
makes it seem more of a muddled aqua color IMO. As opposed to the
Nest, which is a smooth, sleek, flat leather, so the color seems to
really look crisp & vibrant. When I first saw it, I thought "No way,
too bright, not for me." But ya know, by the time I left the store, I
was kinda diggin' the color. :)

The black is your basic black, LOL! It had a cool, hip, rocker chick
look, w/out being too over-the-top w/lots of hardware & grommets &
stuff like that. A good mix of hardware & leather. :) The owner of
the store actually owned this exact bag in black, so she took out her
personal Nest bag and let me hold it (fully packed) and I have to tell
you, that sucker fully packed is HEAVY! Granted, I have no idea what
she had in there (I could see an Avent bottle, a D&W case, and a bunch
of baby stuff) but man, there must have been something major in there
because it was a brick. When I picked up the empty one, I wouldn't
have imagined it to be *that* heavy, but apparently it can be. She did
warn me ahead of time that she packs heavy, so if you're a heavy
packer, be prepared that the bag might feel quite heavy fully packed.

The Whipstitch bag is made of leather & it is a very soft, buttery
lamb leather. However, (here's where I'll get super anal w/my personal
opinions about leather bags, LOL!)).... because the bag is structured
& boxy, the leather is pulled taut and flat, you don't get to really
feel the leather that much, unless you are running your flat hand
over the bag. As opposed to say, a more slouchy style bag, like the
Not Rational bags, where you can just grab a corner of the bag and
squish it in your hand and really grab the material and feel how soft
it is, ykwim? Don't get me wrong, the leather is buttery soft, it's
just the style that lends itself to having a diff feel. Does that
make any sense?

Okay, as for size, it's a good size med/large bag, but I don't think
I'd say it'll hold as much as the FV MS (like the lady told me on the
phone ahead of time when I called the store). It reminded me of a
really nice, large satchel-style purse. It sorta reminded me of the
Mia Bossi Caryn, except not as long. (Personally I felt the MB Caryn
was a bit long 'cause when I turned around w/that bag on my shoulder
I felt like I would hit things w/it. But not w/the Nest bag, so it
must be at least a couple inches shorter). They are similiar in the
fact that they are a bit short, so if you have a lot of tall things
(like a large Patemm pad) it probably would stick out the top. Also,
the bag doesn't fully close, it has the same kind of closure as the
MB Caryn, a small leather flap w/a magnetic button that goes across
the center of the bag.

There are 2 exterior side cargo pockets w/flaps, they looked big
enough to hold a sippy or bottle, however you'd have the flap
sticking up I'm sure since the pockets aren't super deep. There are 2
exterior zippered pockets which look like they could hold a small
wallet (not a big T&L size one, but something smaller would work) or
a packet of kleenex or some small Mommy stuff.

http://tinyurl.com/2tscsy (exterior Mommy pocket)

The bottom of the bag unzips & you flip it open like a suitcase and
that is where their changing pad is stored. There is also 2 elastic
pockets where you can put diapers & a wipes case. (Although I wonder
if all your stuff would fall out of the main compartment when you do
this?)

http://tinyurl.com/2xf739 (bottom of the bag unzipped & flipped open)

The interior has GOBS of pockets! It also has the same feature as the
MB bags w/the zip-out interior lining.

http://tinyurl.com/2f59w5 (interior pic)

http://tinyurl.com/35fsuj (another interior pic)

Here is a comparison pic of the Whipstitch in front of a PPB Boxy BP.
The Nest is a good 2" longer on either side, but it's at least 2"
shorter. I'm not exactly at eye level w/the bags, so the proportion is
kinda off, but you can see that the Nest is shorter (although IRL,
probably not as short as it seems in the photo since I'm standing
above
them).

http://tinyurl.com/3aqs9o (Nest next to PPB BP)

It's not JUST a Diaper Bag, it's a Life Support System. Important questions to ask yourself when shopping for the perfect Diaper Bag.

How many kids are you packing for?
Are you Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding?
Are you using cloth or disposable diapers (cloth requires much more room and space for wetbags)?
How do you like to carry your bag?
*Messenger Style - across the body, with a foldover flap and small, button down pockets on each end.
*Tote (like a tote bag) and if so, what strap drop will be the most comfortable for you?
*Backpack style; dual straps reduce back strain and free up your arms to carry/or wear your baby.
*Stroller bags - commonly designed with long, looping carrying straps that can be hung over/or attached to a stroller.
Are you looking for a solid color or do you prefer a print (soft or bold)?
What type of material do you prefer: Leather, canvas, laminate, nylon, oil cloth, suede, vinyl, cloth, microfiber? Is wipeability or the ability to wash crucial?
Is the type of closure important to you? Will velcro wake the baby, do you need a magnetic snap or a zipper so nothing falls out?
What type of any how many pockets do you need? Are exterior bottle/sippy pockets important, do you need a large "mommy pocket" or a light interior so you aren't loading up a black hole?
What is your price range? Are you looking for stylish, super stylish or "OMG I can't stop looking at my bag" drop dead stylish?

There are no right or wrong answers but they are important questions. Only you have the answers, if you need help matching up your answers with the perfect bag -- you are in the right place.

Most moms have several bags, each has a different function and each is as important. Don't forget a bag that your husband can use. Daddy bags are all the rage right now, BUT if your husband is caught with your gorgeous floral or your TDF leather mom bag no one will really suspect it's his.