Traveling with kids, even for a quick trip, can feel like a monumental undertaking. Having the right diaper bag is not just helpful—it’s essential. For parents on the go, a backpack diaper bag is the ideal choice, offering comfort, convenience, and enough space for all baby and parent necessities. Ideally, you want a bag that is functional and, dare we say, stylish enough to carry anywhere. We rigorously tested 30 diaper bag backpacks to pinpoint the best options for every travel scenario, from day trips to overnight stays.
The best travel diaper backpacks stand out with their smart organization and effortless access to contents. Nobody wants to fumble through a disorganized, bottomless bag while dealing with a fussy baby. Our evaluation process focused on capacity, thoughtful design, carrying comfort, and overall value. We conducted lab tests in New York City and extended our testing over six months in real-world conditions for long-term durability assessment. Each bag was loaded with bottles, wipes, and diapers, and carried around the city, mimicking real travel scenarios. We assessed how well they fit in strollers and even performed the crucial one-handed access test while simulating holding a crying baby. The top performers were comfortable to wear, intuitively designed, easy to use, and stylish enough for everyday use.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Bugaboo Changing Backpack
Best Organization: Ruvalino Diaper Bag Backpack
Best Convertible: Caraa Nylon Baby Bag
Best Colors: JuJuBe Zealous Backpack
Best With Luggage Sleeve: 7AM Enfant London Backpack
Best With Changing Station: Baby Brezza Dante Changing Station Diaper Bag
Best for Overnight Stays: Honest City Backpack
Best for Short Outings: Fawn Design The Original Diaper Bag
Best Lightweight: JuJuBe Travel Backpack
Best Mini: Itzy Ritzy Mini Diaper Bag Backpack
Best Overall
Bugaboo Changing Backpack
PHOTO: Amazon
$160 at Amazon View on Potterybarnkids.com View on Albeebaby.com
Why We Love It: This stylish diaper bag backpack is exceptionally comfortable, even when fully packed, and accessing necessities is quick and easy thanks to a convenient front zipper.
What to Consider: The adult water bottle pouch on the side is somewhat narrow and might not accommodate all bottle sizes.
This backpack perfectly blends style and functionality, making it our top pick for the Best Travel Diaper Bag. It features a laptop sleeve and a portable changing mat, plus thoughtfully designed pockets to keep all your baby essentials organized. Even when loaded with baby gear and a laptop, it remained comfortable and felt surprisingly light, with balanced weight distribution. Its sophisticated look means you’ll happily carry this bag even on days you’re not with your baby, making it a versatile choice for modern parents.
What truly sets this travel diaper bag apart is the user-friendly front zipper. It allows quick access to essential items, including the changing mat, without needing to fully open the bag and rummage around. The Velcro top closure is equally simple to operate, even with one hand. While a leakproof interior is standard in most diaper backpacks, the water-resistant base is a significant advantage, protecting the bag and its contents from external spills. The side pocket, designed for a water bottle, is a bit snug for larger bottles but works well for standard sizes.
Despite being one of the taller models we tested, this best travel diaper bag fits easily into the undercarriage basket of both large jogging strollers and smaller umbrella strollers. It also includes integrated straps for effortless attachment to most stroller handles. Overall, we found this backpack to be the most durable, stylish, and user-friendly option, making it the best diaper bag for travel overall.
The Details: Weight: 3 pounds | Dimensions: 12.75 x 6.5 x 17.75 inches | Capacity: 19 liters | Material: Recycled polyester
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Best Organization
Ruvalino Diaper Bag Backpack
PHOTO: Amazon
$43 $39 at Amazon $45 at Target
Why We Love It: Featuring five separate zippered compartments, this is the best diaper bag backpack for organization-obsessed parents.
What to Consider: Accessing compartments one-handed can be challenging.
This accordion-style diaper backpack is an organizational dream, boasting an impressive 16 pockets across five zippered compartments. There’s a designated spot for virtually every item you need to carry, ensuring everything stays neatly organized and prevents items from getting lost at the bottom. Even when fully packed, the bag distributes weight evenly, and its padded straps offer comfortable and secure carrying. The inclusion of two insulated bottle pockets in the main compartment is a thoughtful feature, making it easy to bring along formula or breast milk safely for short trips.
The main drawback of this best travel diaper bag for organization is compartment accessibility. Due to zipper placement, accessing most compartments with just one hand is nearly impossible. We often found ourselves needing to set down the bag or the baby to get items out, which can be inconvenient when you’re on the move. However, if organization is your top priority, this is a superbly designed diaper bag backpack that efficiently accommodates everything needed for a successful outing.
The Details: Weight: 1.78 pounds | Dimensions: 11.8 x 7.8 x 16.5 inches | Capacity: 25 liters | Material: Water-resistant polyester
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Best Convertible
Caraa Nylon Baby Bag
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PHOTO: Caraa
View on Caraa.co View on Maisonette.com View on Babylist.com
Why We Love It: This best convertible travel diaper bag is spacious and comfortable, offering versatile carrying options to suit different travel needs.
What to Consider: Backpack straps are somewhat difficult to adjust, and a changing mat is not included.
A cross-body diaper bag style can sometimes be more convenient for travel, especially when managing multiple bags. We appreciate that this option provides flexibility in how you carry it. It features an abundance of pockets and compartments – more than we could even utilize during our tests – and a comfortable, almost pillow-like design. The long zipper pulls on the exterior make one-handed opening easy, and items inside remained secure even when the bag was intentionally shaken during testing.
While this convertible diaper bag backpack doesn’t come with a changing mat or wet bag like some other models, it does include insulated, wipeable interior pockets for bottles and clothes. Both the shoulder strap and backpack configurations are comfortable, although adjusting the backpack straps wasn’t as smooth as we preferred. Being pricier than most other bags we tested, it is a more significant investment, but it’s a stylish, well-designed, and versatile travel diaper bag option.
The Details: Weight: 2.5 pounds | Dimensions: 12.25 x 12 x 5 inches | Capacity: 12 liters | Material: Recycled nylon
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Best Colors
JuJuBe Zealous Backpack
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PHOTO: Amazon
$45 at Amazon View on Jujube.com
Why We Love It: This lightweight and compact backpack is available in over 17 different colors, making it the best travel diaper bag for style-conscious parents.
What to Consider: The main zipper can occasionally snag during zipping and unzipping.
The JuJuBe Zealous backpack offers the widest array of colors and patterns among all the models we evaluated, making it easy to match with your luggage or personal style. The interior feels surprisingly spacious with plenty of pockets, yet the bag maintains a compact overall feel. We particularly liked the intuitive exterior zippered pockets, especially the one with dividers and a key ring for non-baby essentials. Pockets are easily accessible with one hand, although the main zipper occasionally caught during our tests.
The smaller footprint of this best travel diaper bag makes it comfortable and lightweight to wear, and it fits effortlessly into both larger and smaller strollers. It also includes unique and practical compartments: a “tech” pocket on top for quick-access items and loops inside the main compartment to secure a baby blanket. We highly recommend this choice for anyone seeking extensive color options without sacrificing functionality.
The Details: Weight: 2.1 pounds | Dimensions: 11 x 5 x 16 inches
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Best With Luggage Sleeve
7AM Enfant London Backpack
PHOTO: Nordstrom
$110 at Amazon View on 7amenfant.com $110 at Bloomingdales
Why We Love It: The removable diaper caddy and built-in suitcase sleeve make this the best travel diaper bag for air travel and longer trips.
What to Consider: The grab handles are not as comfortable or practical as desired, reducing its versatility.
With its integrated luggage sleeve and chic quilted patent appearance, the 7AM Enfant London Backpack is a stylish choice for air travel and overnight stays. We found the design exceptionally well-thought-out: it includes a laptop compartment and a removable diaper caddy with insulated bottle pockets, a unique feature not found in many tested models. The included stroller straps and luggage sleeve enhance its adaptability for various travel modes.
This best travel diaper bag offers ample space for wipes, changes of clothes, diapers, bottles, and more, simplifying packing for flights with a baby. However, accessing items one-handed can be challenging. The removable diaper caddy helps mitigate this issue; removing the caddy keeps frequently needed items within easy reach. While less comfortable to carry using the shoulder straps, it is comfortable and stable when worn as a backpack. This is an excellent choice when you need to manage additional luggage along with your baby’s essentials.
The Details: Weight: 2.1 pounds | Dimensions: 14 x 11 x 5 inches | Capacity: 14 liters | Material: Polyester
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Best With Changing Station
Baby Brezza Dante Changing Station Diaper Bag
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PHOTO: Target
Why We Love It: The integrated drop-down changing pad is a game-changer, making this the best travel diaper bag with a changing station, and it features 13 pockets for excellent organization.
What to Consider: Accessing items inside with one hand can be difficult.
The Baby Brezza Dante Diaper Backpack is not a compact option, but its numerous compartments and built-in changing station efficiently utilize its generous space. There’s ample room for storing food, bottles, and diaper changing necessities, and we appreciated the unique antimicrobial pocket for keeping pacifiers germ-free.
The standout feature of this best travel diaper bag is its integrated changing station. The back panel unzips to reveal a drop-down changing pad with small nylon “walls” to prevent baby’s hands from touching unclean surfaces and pouches for diapers and wipes to be readily accessible. Unlike some tested models, this changing station is detachable, adding to its versatility. Due to its larger size and multiple compartments, managing and accessing this bag one-handed is not as easy, but it’s a smart choice if spaciousness and a dedicated changing station are your top priorities.
The Details: Weight: 3 pounds | Dimensions: 16 x 14 x 7 inches | Capacity: 17 liters | Material: Polyester
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Best for Overnight Stays
Honest City Backpack
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PHOTO: Honest
$117 at Amazon View on Honest.com
Why We Love It: Roomy, stylish, and comfortable to carry, this is the best travel diaper bag for overnight trips and longer excursions.
What to Consider: The key holder pocket is located deep inside and is not easily accessible from the exterior.
Space and versatility are crucial when packing for overnight trips with a baby, and the Honest City Backpack excels in both. It’s very spacious inside with two large external pockets and includes both a wet bag for soiled clothes and insulated pockets for bottles and snacks. The wipeable vegan leather exterior gives it a professional, sophisticated look – you could easily use this bag for carrying a laptop and work essentials.
Even when fully loaded, the padded straps make this best travel diaper bag comfortable for extended wear, and accessing the outer zippered pockets one-handed was easy. We did wish for a more accessible key storage solution – the dedicated key pocket is buried deep within the bag and hard to reach quickly. Nevertheless, we recommend this as a stylish and functional overnight bag for both parent and baby essentials.
The Details: Weight: 2.75 pounds | Dimensions: 17.7 x 14.9 x 18.1 inches | Capacity: 15 liters | Material: Polyurethane vegan leather
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Best for Short Outings
Fawn Design The Original Diaper Bag
PHOTO: Fawn Design
$170 at Amazon $180 at Nordstrom View on Babylist.com
Why We Love It: Its stylish design and compact size make this the best travel diaper bag for quick errands and day trips.
What to Consider: A changing mat and insulated bottle pockets are not included.
For quick trips around town, the Fawn Design Backpack is a chic and easy-to-carry choice. The faux leather has a luxurious feel, and we appreciated the easily adjustable straps. We could fit most essentials inside, but adding a wet bag and changing mat would make it quite tight – a key limitation of this bag. It does include ample pockets for adult essentials, including a zippered pocket against the wearer’s back for extra security of valuables.
Operating this best travel diaper bag one-handed, from strap adjustments to pocket openings, was effortless. Although the straps aren’t as padded as some models, they are surprisingly comfortable. The absence of insulated bottle pockets or a changing mat makes it less practical for longer outings, but we found this to be a great choice for shorter day trips where style is a priority.
The Details: Weight: 4 pounds | Dimensions: 13 x 13.5 x 7 inches | Material: Faux leather
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Best Lightweight
JuJuBe Travel Backpack
PHOTO: Target
$175 $125 at Amazon $175 at Nordstrom View on Jujube.com
Why We Love It: This is one of the smallest and lightest models we tested, making it the best lightweight travel diaper bag.
What to Consider: Its features are more basic compared to some higher-end models on the market.
The JuJuBe Right Back is a small, lightweight option that still provides ample compartments for organizing necessities. It’s understated yet high quality, and its pockets are tailored to parents’ needs, including a glasses pocket, a wallet compartment, and an elastic key strap. It lacks some advanced features like a built-in wipes compartment, but the included features are versatile enough to meet most needs during testing.
This best travel diaper bag feels incredibly light to wear, and the padded straps are easily adjustable. Its compact size allows it to fit easily into the stroller cargo area, even smaller models. Accessing most items one-handed was straightforward, although we had to remove the bag to reach the changing pad. Some items, like the changing pad and an adult water bottle, are a tight fit, but it’s a great choice for a lighter-weight diaper backpack.
The Details: Weight: 2 pounds | Dimensions: 12 x 16 x 5 inches | Capacity: 17 liters | Material: Polyester
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Best Mini
Itzy Ritzy Mini Diaper Bag Backpack
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PHOTO: Target
$100 $94 at Amazon $85 at Kohls.com View on Pibaby.com
Why We Love It: This mini backpack size still accommodates all essentials needed for a day out, making it the best mini travel diaper bag.
What to Consider: The thin, unpadded straps can be less comfortable for carrying over extended periods.
The Itzy Ritzy Mini Diaper Bag Backpack is truly miniature, yet retains most features parents need for a day out. It offers fewer pockets than full-size versions (four external and four internal), and due to its small size, the pockets are less versatile. However, we could still fit all essential items into this compact bag, and we appreciated its non-bulky profile.
The front of this best travel diaper bag opens fully, allowing easy visibility of contents, and every zipper was operable one-handed during testing. However, the backpack lacks overall padding – the included changing pad is a thin vegan leather mat, and the unpadded straps are not very comfortable for long durations. While it holds less gear due to its small size, if portability and a manageable size are your top priorities, this is a solid choice.
The Details: Weight: 2.1 pounds | Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.5 x 13.75 inches | Material: Polyurethane
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Other Diaper Bag Backpacks We Liked
Five additional diaper backpacks we tested, while not top picks, still impressed us. These bags had notable positives, but minor drawbacks prevented them from ranking higher.
Petunia Pickle Bottom Tempo Backpack: We appreciated this backpack’s gender-neutral design and surprisingly large capacity, but the lack of interior zippered pockets was a notable drawback for organization.
HapTim Large Baby Diaper Bag: This straightforward option offers significant capacity and good padding. However, interior pockets are only accessible from the top, making it less user-friendly for quick access on the go.
Dagne Dover Indi Diaper Backpack: The comfort and chic design of this backpack were nearly winning factors – it felt incredibly comfortable. However, the interior pockets lost their shape and functionality when the main compartment was filled, making it less practical under heavy use.
Our Testing Process
Our team spent a full day in our New York City lab putting 30 backpack-style diaper bags with diverse features through rigorous testing. We assessed each bag based on capacity, design effectiveness, carrying comfort, and overall value. Recognizing durability as crucial for diaper bags, we extended our evaluation with six months of long-term, real-world testing.
We personally weighed each backpack both empty and fully loaded and tested the zippers of every compartment multiple times to evaluate ease of use and durability. Each bag was packed with a standard set of baby and parent essentials, noting how intuitively packable each design was and whether dedicated slots for necessities were available.
To replicate a typical day out with a young child, we carried each bag on a brisk walk and tested its fit in two different stroller sizes. We also conducted the “crying baby test”: using only one hand, we assessed how easy it was to access items inside and repack the bag, simulating the challenges of managing a diaper bag while holding a fussy baby or toddler. The diaper bags that performed best across all tests were selected for our top recommendations.
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Tips for Buying Diaper Backpacks for Travel
Decide the best size for your needs
Diaper bag backpacks vary significantly in size and capacity. Before shopping, consider the nature and duration of your trips. For air travel, a bag smaller than 18 x 14 x 8 inches (standard personal item size) with easily accessible pockets for wallets and phones might be ideal. Overnight stays may require a larger capacity bag you can easily stow in a car. For day trips and short outings, prioritize comfort and portability with padded straps and lightweight designs, while features like insulated pockets or built-in changing stations may be less critical.
Prioritize organization
When choosing a travel diaper bag backpack, prioritize intuitive pockets and zippered compartments. Consider the number of essentials you’ll need and your personal organization preferences – whether you prefer a dedicated pocket for each item or a more flexible, open design. Look for bags offering separate spaces for baby items and adult necessities to prevent losing keys or phones among toys and teething rings.
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Look for water-resistant material
Diaper bag backpacks are naturally prone to spills, making a wipe-clean, easily maintained bag essential. Opt for interiors described as “stain-resistant,” “water-resistant,” or “wipeable.” Polyester or polyurethane (faux or vegan leather) are excellent, durable, and practical material choices.
Choose the right bag for multiple users
Unlike personal bags, a diaper backpack is a shared item, carried by whoever is caring for the baby. When selecting a diaper backpack, consider all potential users. A sleek, gender-neutral design enhances versatility for any caregiver, and a manageable size is important for users of all statures.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What makes a backpack a “diaper backpack”?
While any backpack can technically serve as a diaper bag, those specifically designed as “diaper backpacks” include baby-focused features. These include insulated pockets for bottles and snacks, multiple compartments for organization, changing pads, and wet bags. Diaper backpacks are also typically made from water-resistant, washable, or wipeable materials for easy cleaning and often feature padded straps for enhanced comfort.
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What should I pack in a diaper bag?
Your diaper bag packing list depends on your needs, your child’s age, and the trip duration. Essentials usually include diapers and wipes, a change of clothes, a toy or two, spare pacifiers (if used), and bottles or snacks. If carrying breast milk or prepared formula, use a lightweight ice pack in an insulated pocket to maintain safe temperatures.
Consider the weather and destination: for summer trips, pack a sun hat and baby-safe sunscreen; for colder weather, add a light layer or baby blanket if space allows. Hand sanitizer, burp cloths, and a small first aid kit are also useful. Most parents also include their own essentials – wallet, keys, phone, and water bottle.
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Does a diaper backpack count as a personal item or carry-on?
Many airlines do not count diaper bags or diaper backpacks as personal items or carry-ons, allowing you to bring a purse or tote, a carry-on suitcase, and a diaper bag. However, policies vary by airline. United and American Airlines permit families to bring a diaper bag for free, while Delta and Alaska Airlines count diaper bags as a carry-on item. Always confirm the policy with your specific airline before traveling.
You May Also Need
For upcoming travels with young children, here are some additional recommended items.
Joolz AER+ Travel Stroller: Our top pick among tested travel strollers, the Joolz AER+ is incredibly quick to assemble and weighs only 13 pounds, ideal for leaving bulkier strollers at home. Its compact fold is perfect for flights.
Moon Lence Collapsible Outdoor Utility Wagon: In our beach wagon testing, this model stood out for carrying kids. It handles up to 220 pounds, great for families with lots of gear, kids, and pets. Its sturdy wheels manage sandy terrain well.
Graco Contender Slim Convertible Car Seat: Slim and suitable for compact cars, this versatile car seat features customizable inserts, including an infant insert with extra padding, eight headrest heights, and two recline positions. It also includes a removable cup holder for snacks and drinks.
Why Trust Travel + Leisure
Mandy Harris, a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure, has evaluated hundreds of parenting products over the last decade. For this guide, she leveraged our in-house testing data, manufacturer details, and her personal experience as a frequent diaper backpack user to identify the best diaper bag backpacks for all types of travel.
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Edited by Morgan Ashley Parker
Morgan Ashley Parker is an associate editorial director at Travel + Leisure, focusing on content strategy and review coverage. She has been involved in lifestyle content since 2007, with a lifelong passion for travel and shopping.
Updated by Asia London Palomba
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Asia London Palomba is a trilingual Italian writer based in Boston, originally from Rome. Asia’s writing focuses on food, travel, and history, covering topics from travel products for India trips to medieval judicial duels.
