Not only is this my favorite diaper bag ever but it's one of my favorite handbags in general. I got the black and gold limited edition version and it looks so incredibly sophisticated particularly compared to you're average diaper bag. Honestly the only other two I've had before have been sweet printed Ver Bradley ones which who doesn't love and are and will always be useful but they have their limits and are fairly casual. This Petunia bag with the gold hardware looks great in jeans or dressed up in a suit. There are a few cons for me but not worth removing a star. No metal feet on the bottom of a bag is one of my biggest pet peeves. Every woman I know feels the same way so I'm not sure why manufacturers even bother not adding them to flat bottomed bags. The changing pad is short and my baby is in the 106% of height but no big deal really. I don't like how puffy it is or how puffy the elasticized pockets beneath the pad all, which makes the whole front bulge out even when nothing is in there and look pretty ridiculous and shows everything if even a few items are in the pockets. However once your done with the changing pad for good you can remove it and then it's near perfect enough.
I love how many pockets there are, my only complaint about the pockets both on the inside and outside is the height of them (they all seem just a little shorter than most pockets). In fact the outside, end pockets are so short bottles tend to fall out...including my water bottle. I've heard other complaints about the straps but I've had no problem with them, quality is great and I stuff it full of crap and it never hurts my back or shoulders and I'm pretty sensitive since I have upcoming brain surgery thanks to a bout of preeclampsia. This isn't a huge diaper bag, this is more like a largish medium purse with lots of pockets. Personally I keep a Vera Bradley weekender in my car stuffed full of extra diapers, snacks, formula, bottles, sippy cups, a change of clothes for both kids, burp cloths, blankets, etc because along with my normal purse stuff I just have enough room but two diapers for each kid, wipes, a small face wipe packet, an extra binkie, a couple of fruit snacks, a burp cloth and not much else. It works for me since I love in rural Texas and have to drive everywhere so I can keep the extra bag in the car but if I still lived in Seattle and walked or road the bus everywhere, this bad would simply not cut it...i would need something like their weekender. Of course on top of my wallet I also tote around a giant phone, an iPad and one of those big mom planning calendar books.
I love the sort of quilted nylon fabric. It feels sort of like a synthetic silk and is soft and beautiful and expensive looking. Unfortunately it pills in places, luckily not too terribly but too much for how much it costs and it started almost as soon as I received the bag though it has never gotten seriously bad over the last six months. Also I don't love the textile they used for the bottom, piping and short handles. It's a kind of thin waterproof material often used in outdoor equipment. I think it feels super cheap and flimsy and it's the only part of the bag that I think looks at little cheap if you look closely. I will say that despite this it has held up extremely well, as good as the day it came to me. I would of preferred if all of the second tier material had been switched for a high quality full grain leather but let's face it girls....most producers rarely use any leather on diaper bags and when they do they jack up the price far beyond what's reasonable simply because it's in the diaper bag category. Oh also the gold hardware is well made and hasn't tarnished yet which is more than I can say of some of my regular handbags that have coated three times as much.
Geez, it sounds like I have a lot of complaints but i just wanted to give a thorough review of my experience with this bag. As a whole it has been astounding and it is truly beautiful. Short of reaching four figures it seems near impossible to find a diaper bag that is grown up, well made, sophisticated and practical but the Petunia brand has managed to do just that with this bag and many of their other non childish prints. If the size works for you and you're looking for something sophisticated and not maternal/cutesy then between the $100-500 price range....this is THE bag. But if you regularly use a stroller dish out the extra $20 and buy the stroller straps, I didn't and I'm super annoyed with myself and now refuse to lay the extra shipping lol
| Product Dimensions | 12.6 x 5.8 x 17.2 inches |
|---|---|
| Item model number | CAGL-00-451 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Material Type | Plastic |
| Care instructions | Machine Wash |
| Additional product features | Premium |
| Style | Detachable |
| Batteries required | No |
| Item Weight | 2.44 pounds |
| Item Weight | 39 Ounces |
