Diaper Dude Original Messenger Bag Review

The Diaper Dude Original Messenger Bag could barely fit all the items dad need to carry when heading out with baby. Despite the many style options available, the appearance of the bag we tested was not well liked compared to others. While it boasts seven pockets, they do not have expansion capabilities, which leads the bag to take on an awkward, inaccessible shape when fully stocked.

Performance Comparison

Storage and Ease of Use

The Diaper Dude Original was the most difficult of the group to pack. Consequently, we awarded it a score of 3 of 10. While it certainly has the right framework to be a good bag, it lacks a few key elements; namely, an insulated pocket for storing a bottle and/or food. Much like the Diaper Dude Messenger II, the Original's three pockets on the front of the bag are all the same size and have wider tops than bottoms, which causes the bag to carry its weight higher, making it easier for it to fall over. The interior fabric of the bag we tested was black, which made it very difficult to find smaller items that may have migrated to the bottom of the bag.

Comfort

This bag recieved a 6 of 10 in Comfort because it was just OK to carry. Thankfully, it is lightweight and the padded handle made it easier on our shoulder and prevented the nylon strap from cutting into our skin. Because the bag is so compact, it forced us to carry only the absolutely essential items, thus preventing overpacking, which meant weight was never an issue.

Quality

This bag is made with noisy, stiff polyester fabric. The zipper closures are a combination of plastic and metal, which we discovered were a common point of complaint among other users as they break and jam more readily. Our bag lost one of its zipper pulls almost immediately and the others do not look like they will last much longer. The seams and stitching do seem secure however, and many online reviewers state they are still using their bag many years after purchase. We gave it the lowest score we awarded for the group in this category, a 2 of 10.

Style

We awarded this bag a score of 2 of 10 for Style. Compared with the other bags we tested, it was the least favored among those we polled. Most were not keen on the appearance of the three pockets in front or the bright orange zippers.

Best Applications

We found the Diaper Dude Original is best suited for dads of older children. You need to carry more items for infants and this bag simply does not have enough usable real estate to meet those needs.

Value

Overall, it represents a good bang for your buck, but we recommend dads test out several bags first before settling on this one. While still a good option, we think you can do better.

Conclusion

This is a decent bag; it looks OK and holds the essentials. However, when compared to the other bags we tested, we couldn't help but feel like we were “settling” for something sub-par, when for a similar price, one can get a lot more value.

Video

This is a 2012 Diaper Dude video: