Organize by task, not by item: group everything for a diaper change together, everything for feeding together and so on, each in its own pouch, so anyone can find it with one hand. Then restock at the same time every day so the bag is ready before you need it. The system works with any bag you already own.
Sort by task, not by item
When your baby is crying it is hard to recall where each separate item lives, but a handful of zones is easy to remember. Divide the bag into six:
- Change: everything for a diaper change.
- Feed: bottles, a burp cloth and anything else for feeding.
- Clothes: a spare outfit.
- Comfort: a soother, a small toy, a light blanket.
- Wet: a place for used and soiled items.
- You: keys, phone and wallet.
Now a change means reaching for one thing, the change pouch, instead of three items from three pockets. If your current bag is one big compartment with almost no pockets, the diaper bags collection has styles with more, but pouches can do the same job in any bag.
The change kit: diapers, wipes, cream, pad
The change kit is the zone you will reach for again and again, so give it the easiest spot: the top of the main compartment or an outside quick-grab pocket. Everything for a change lives in a single pouch:
- diapers;
- wipes, or a portable wipes dispenser;
- a changing pad;
- a small bag for the used diaper;
- diaper cream, if you use one, following its label.
Lift the pouch out, set it on the changing surface and everything is within reach. After a change, put what is left back in the pouch before you do anything else, so the next person finds it complete.
Feeding, clothing and comfort zones
Feeding
Bottles stand upright in a side pocket, or in an insulated pocket if your bag has one, away from the change kit. Keep the burp cloth and other feeding items in a pouch beside them. Questions about carrying prepared feeds when you are out are best answered by your doctor, nurse or public health nurse, together with the label on your formula.
Clothing
Keep one complete spare outfit together in a zippered bag, so you can pull out a full set in one move rather than hunting for a top, then pants, then socks. Slip a spare top for yourself into the same pouch.
Comfort
A soother, a small toy and a light blanket belong in an easy-to-reach outside pocket, because they are wanted quickly and often before anything else.
Pouches, wet bags and clear organizers
Pouches turn one big compartment into zones. Three kinds are worth knowing:
- Zippered pouches in a few colours, one per zone, so you recognize each at a glance.
- Clear pouches, which let you see what is inside without opening them. They suit the clothes and comfort zones, where you want to spot the right item at a glance.
- Wet/dry bags for used and soiled items. One option is the Skip Hop Grab & Go wet/dry bag in black and white stripe. Another is the OTraki wet/dry bags with zipper, listed at 16 x 20 in (about 41 x 51 cm) and sold as a 2 pack.
Measure the main compartment of your bag before you choose pouches, so the set fits side by side without crushing anything.
Your own things: keys, phone, wallet
Give your own things one zipped pocket, or one small pouch, and keep them out of the baby zones. You will not dig through diapers for your keys, and nobody has to open your wallet pouch to find a soother. A pouch that lifts out can also go into a coat pocket when you leave the bag in the car or hand it to someone else.
The end-of-day restock habit
A layout only lasts if the bag gets reset. Tie the restock to something you already do every evening, such as hanging up your coat.
- Empty the wet zone: used items go to the laundry or the garbage, and the wet bag is emptied.
- Look into each zone and refill whatever is low from your supply at home.
- Put your own pouch back in its pocket.
- Return the bag to its spot by the door, so it is the first thing you see on the way out.
Keeping spares in one place at home makes step two quick. The diaper storage and organizers collection has caddies and organizers for that.
A layout you can copy
| Zone | Where it lives | What is inside |
|---|---|---|
| Change | Top of the main compartment or an outside quick-grab pocket | Diapers, wipes, pad, small bag for used diapers |
| Feed | Side pockets, or an insulated pocket | Bottles, burp cloth |
| Clothes | One flat pouch in the main compartment | One spare outfit, plus a spare top for you |
| Comfort | Second outside pocket | Soother, small toy, light blanket |
| Wet | Bottom of the bag or a separate compartment | Wet bag for used and soiled items |
| You | Zipped back pocket | Keys, phone, wallet |
Shop this guide
- Itzy Ritzy Mini Diaper Bag Backpack, 10 Pockets, Changing Pad (ships via Amazon)
- Diaper Caddy Organizer Cart, 3 Tier Rolling Storage (ships via Amazon)
- Pee Pee Teepee Elephant Blue Baby Boy, 5 Count (ships via Amazon)
- Biloban Changing Pad Cover, Grey Star, 2 Pack (ships via Amazon)
- See all: Diaper Bags
- See all: Diaper Storage & Organizers
- See all: Cloth Diaper Accessories
- See all: Changing Pads & Covers
Prices are on each product page. Free shipping on orders of $100 or more within Canada.
Common questions
Should I pack the bag the night before?
It can help. Restock in the evening, put the bag back in its spot and the morning is a matter of picking it up. Add anything that depends on the day, such as a bottle, just before you leave.
What if my bag has only one big compartment?
Use pouches as dividers. Stand them upright on their edges, like files in a drawer, so you can see the top of each one and pull out the zone you need.
How do I get everyone to follow the system?
Label each pouch in plain words or give it its own colour, tell the next person the zone names when you hand the bag over and keep a short restock list in a zipped pocket.
Want help setting up a system that suits your bag? Describe your bag's pockets on the contact page and we will help you map out the zones, with a reply within one business day.