Travelling in style – Okiedog changing bag reviewed.

When we’re out and about on foot, we do sometimes nowadays use a buggy. This is because while I’m still a babywearing fan (more to come on this soon) I’m not superwoman, and can’t wear Smallest and Tigerboy. Generally I wear Tigerboy (he’s lighter!) and push Smallest and as they’re both in nappies, that means a good size changing bag is required. I’ve had a few to try over the last couple of years, with varying success, but I’m always happy to give another a go. This time I was sent the Okiedog Urban sphinx nappy bag, which fastens to your buggy with a whole new system, called Clipix.

The bag itself is fab – an excellent size, with lots of internal pockets. There are two across the back – I keep spare nappies for each child, wipes in with one lot, antibacterial handwash in the other. Change of clothes for each child in the main body of the bag, along with snacks for four children, then first aid essentials go in the front side internal pocket. There’s an outside front pocket with a good sized phone pouch and a keyring clip, as well as plenty of room for my purse and phone charger. There are end bottle pockets, one of which is insulated, and it comes with a coordinating bottle cool bag, not required for a baby bottle, but ideal for keeping my water bottle cool. On the reverse side of the bag there’s another pocket, this time with a coordinating wipe clean changing mat – a nice thin one. (One changing bag I won had a huge changing mat that took up half the bag, seemed to be rather missing the point to me!) There’s also a coordinating wet bag for those disastrous change moments, or for bringing home your cloth nappies.

With all that lot in the bag still isn’t bulging – it is, to put it bluntly, generously proportioned. And then you come to the fixing system. The clipix fasten around your buggy handles with a velcro system, and then there are different types of clips and accessories that slide into them. The bag comes with a pair of hooks, which then hook into rings attached to the bag. And away you go. As with all changing bags and buggy systems of this sort, it’s a bit bulky swinging from the handles and can impede your legs a little, but not horrendously so, and well worth it so that I’m not carrying it.

We also have a buggy light for review, but we’ve not had a lot of opportunity to be out in the dark at this time of year! The clipix system is just as straightforward as it is for the bag, and I can see that on grim autumn evenings a light could be a very good idea on a dark coloured buggy crossing roads.

On the occasions I have had it slung over my shoulder, the changing bag itself is lightweight so doesn’t add to the bulk of the necessary stuff for carting four children about, and doesn’t look particularly like a baby bag (meaning when the baby changing requirements are finally done with, it will be repurposed as a craft bag. All those lovely pockets!)

A definite winner in my mind – Okiedog were a new brand to me, but one I’ll be looking out for.

(Pictures to follow – slight technical hitch in that I’ve left the camera in the tent while dashing home to do shopping and stuff and set up these posts to be scheduled…)