In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician

OiOi Hobo Review

Not a great option as a bag to carry your breast pump, but definitely a great diaper bag
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OiOi Hobo Review (OiOi Hobo in Rose Chevron)
OiOi Hobo in Rose Chevron
Credit: OiOi
Price:  $145 List
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Manufacturer:   OiOi
By Natalie Hale ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 11, 2014
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OVERALL
SCORE
  • Ease of Use - 35% 3.0
  • Quality - 25% 5.0
  • Weight/Bulk - 20% 6.0
  • Features - 15% 5.0
  • Style - 5% 6.0

Our Verdict

We'd like to first begin by saying that the OiOi Hobo is actually designed as a diaper bag. Because of its larger size and cute style, we wanted to see if it could also be used as a bag to carry a breast pump. While it is able to do the job, it does not do it well, and this is by no fault of its own. Unfortunately the depth of the bag and the lack of compartments make it difficult to set up the breast pump as it inevitably got buried at the bottom of the bag. We were less than enthused by its lack of space (it is not a very wide bag), which required some finessing when it came to putting everything into it. In the end, the bag always looked like too many things were crammed inside, which made it look unattractive. While we think this is a darling diaper bag, we found that it simply is not a great option for carrying a pump. If you desire a diaper bag that could also act as a bag to hold your breast pump, we would recommend the Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F..
REASONS TO BUY
Cute bag
Can carry a lot
Sturdy
REASONS TO AVOID
Too deep
Breast pumps and supplies tend to get buried
Not enough room for many extras

Our Analysis and Test Results

The OiOi Hobo is a stylish diaper bag that is really only meant to be just that. At first, we thought because of its size and style it might be a candidate for cross-use, meaning as a breast pump bag as well. The OiOi was able to hold just about everything we tried to cram into it, just in a very unorganized fashion. Although its fun geometric pattern and bright colors make it a very attractive bag, the functionality just wasn't there.

Performance Comparison


oioi hobo - here you can see the oioi outfitted with the electric medela pump...
Here you can see the Oioi outfitted with the electric Medela pump and personal supplies. There was no room for our larger electronics in the bag.
Credit: Natalie Hale

Ease of Use


What we found about this bag was that it was very easy to fit a lot of stuff into it, but then it was difficult to get everything back out. Its height and lack of width work against it in this scenario, as heavy pump parts need to be kept at the bottom to avoid crushing the rest of the contents. This resulted in a complicated game of Tetris every time the bag was packed and unpacked, wasting valuable time. For these reasons, we gave it only 3 of 10 points in this metric.

Quality


We liked that this bag was made of nice cotton materials. We liked the feel of the silky exterior and interior fabrics used, and appreciated the fairly thick padding between them. Unfortunately, the pleather portions did not wear well, especially on the key ring clips and base. In fact, we noticed it tearing shortly into our testing period. Like the Nurse Purse, the OiOi also has plastic zippers, but we did find them to be more sturdy and they rarely got stuck. The OiOi earned an average score of 5 of 10 in for quality.
We were bummed by how quickly the pleather base on the OiOi wore away.
We were bummed by how quickly the pleather base on the OiOi wore away.
Water left a few streak marks on the fabric of the OiOi Hobo, but...
Water left a few streak marks on the fabric of the OiOi Hobo, but these dried up within an hour and did not have any lasting impact on the bag.
Closeup of the shoulder strap of the Oioi Hobo. We were disappointed...
Closeup of the shoulder strap of the Oioi Hobo. We were disappointed with the lack of padding.

Weight/Bulk


At 2 lbs. 3.5 oz. this bag fell in the middle of the pack in terms of weight. While testing, it was often remarked how light the bag felt, despite its large size and materials. We awarded it a 6 of 10 for weight/bulk because it was not too heavy, but it certainly was not the lightest of the bags we tested.

Features


As a breast pump bag, the OiOi just doesn't have a lot to offer. It does however, have a few great qualities worth mentioning, including metal feet, adjustable shoulder strap, a plethora of interior pockets, a case for wipes, a large padded microfiber changing pad, an insulated bottle holder which should keep bottles cold for about 2 hours, and two key clips. While these features are great, not many of them pertained to the usefulness of the bag when utilized as a breast pump bag, which is why we awarded it a score of 5 of 10 in this category.
We loved the two long key clips featured on this bag.
We loved the two long key clips featured on this bag.
The OiOi Hobo diaper bag and included accessories: changing pad...
The OiOi Hobo diaper bag and included accessories: changing pad, wipes container, small pouch, and insulated bottle holder. Here, we placed some make up items in the clear bag, but it was not used for this purpose in our actual testing.
The Oioi Hobo was the only bag to feature five metal feet, which we...
The Oioi Hobo was the only bag to feature five metal feet, which we thought was a great way to mitigate any potential sagging that might occur due to heavy cargo.

Style


We think the style of this bag is cute and great for moms who want more than a plain black bag. The patent leather base and lining enhance the overall appearance of the bag and the pink color scheme follows current trends. The biggest detractor of the quality and style of the purse is the nylon adjustable strap, which is why we awarded it an average score of 6 of 10 in terms of style.

Best Applications


The best application for this bag is as the diaper bag it was designed to be. It is not meant to be a breast pump bag, although it will perform the task should you try, but will most likely fall short of your expectations.

Value


This bag falls in the middle of the pack in terms of value among the bags we tested. Its higher price point can be justified by the number of accessories it includes, which are great, if your intended use is as a diaper bag.

Conclusion


oioi hobo - oioi hobo with spectra usa s1 hospital grade pump. we ran into...
OiOi Hobo with Spectra USA S1 Hospital Grade Pump. We ran into trouble trying to fit such a large pump into the OiOi. The large radius of the Spectra distended the bag significantly and left little room to fit much else in the bag beyond the pump and its accessories.
Credit: Natalie Hale
This is a fun, trendy diaper bag that moms are sure to love. Its geometric patters emulate some of the hottest bags appearing on the handbag market today which makes it an attractive option for moms that desire to keep up with current fashion. Its use as a bag to carry a breast pump is questionable, particularly when you try to include any additional personal items; the bag simply gets too full, and its height and lack of width lead to items getting buried at the bottom, requiring constant packing and unpacking when in use. We think moms would be better served looking at the Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F. if they really desire a diaper bag to carry their breast pump in as well.

Natalie Hale
 

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