Find The Perfect Designer Diaper Bag

I just had my first baby and it took me forever to find THE PERFECT diaper bag. Of course all of my mommy girlfriends had tons of tips and advice for me. However, there only seemed to be a few that really helped me in my great diaper bag search.

1. It has to be big enough. Well, what's really big enough? It depends on how you intend to use your bag. I fully intended to use mine as a purse and diaper bag. That means that I needed it to house all of my "usual" gear plus the new baby gear. I had to have enough pockets to separate both types of stuff without having to pull everything out just to find my keys or wallet.

2. It has to be functional. It's great to have a great looking bag but, if it's not functional it's not going to stay great looking for very long. By that I mean it has to have an easy open top, a wipe down interior and an easy to clean exterior.

3. It has to be chic and go with everything. This may not be a deal-breaker for everyone but for me, since this was going to be an everyday purse I didn't want a bag that looked like a diaper bag. I basically wanted an undercover diaper bag that was chic and functional. I refused to be one of those mommies that was a pack horse by carrying not only my own purse but also my baby's purse. Plus, designer bags aren't cheap. If I'm going to make this my purse for the next 2 years it needed to be a bag that would go with most of my wardrobe. So that meant it had to be a basic color or pattern with no crazy colors.

4. Get Daddy his own bag. Because this is essentially your new purse Dad will be better off getting his own bag so you're not constantly on his case about what he did to your really expensive baby bag or the stuff in the baby bag. After all would you let him walk out the door with with your regular purse? Also, it's a time saver for Dad to have his own bag with the stuff he thinks he needs so he always knows whats in the bag and doesn't make changes to the stuff in your bag. I saw several of my girlfriends practically divorce over diaper bag fights!

Well, this is the part that get's a little trickier. Mostly the internet is the best place not only to do your research but also to actually buy a diaper bag because most stores either carry very limited stock or none at all. But here are a few retail stores you can check:

1. Nordstrom - www.nordstrom.com

2. Bloomingdales - www.bloomingdales.com

3. Saks Fifth Avenue - www.saksfifthavenue.com

But, really you should stick to the internet. You'll get better prices and a wider selection.

1. Amazon - Amazon has tons of deals and you can price check your items.

2. E-bay - E-bay is the place where you can set your price for your item. However, with tons of sellers selling inauthentic items you need to do your research ahead of time. Also, you may want to stay away from sellers in Asia as most of the knockoff's tend to originate from this region.

3. Coach Factory Outlet Online - You can sign up on the factory site and get access to their weekly sales. There's always tons of baby bags at great prices!

4. Zappos - Zappos actually offers tons of great baby bags from well-known designers as well as lesser known designers at great prices. Plus, you can't beat the free shipping (both ways!) and the 365 day return policy.

One other strategy you may try to find a great baby bag at a lower price is to try your local outlet mall. Especially if they have several high-end designers (Burberry, Tory Burch, Coach, etc.). I got lucky and found my Kate Spade bag at the Kate Spade outlet for about 35% of the regular price.