3/06/2011

Wet Bag Week: The Great Debate

Hello, my name is Abby, and I'm a wet bag addict. Yup, I'll admit it. I have a serious thing for wet bags. At last count, I think we have, hmm, 11? And that's just my personal collection, I mean, stash. The store also sports a plethora of options. But how do you know which bag is best for you?

To celebrate 'Wet Bag Week' (you know, like Shark Week, only much less scary), all of the wet bags in the store are 10% off through Saturday, March 12th. No code necessary - the bags are already marked down.
  

An important note to mention at the outset - I have found the quality between all the brands below to be completely comparable, so this post will focus solely on size and design comparisons.


I will test each bag with two types of diapers:

  • One diaper will represent the bulkiest possible diaper that would likely go in the bag - a one-size pocket with two inserts (this is comparable to most people's nighttime solution, and rarely would you actually have a whole stash of diapers that would take up this much space). For this control I used a Tiny Tush One-Size Elite pocket diaper, as it is the tallest pocket on the market. 
  • One diaper will represent the average sized diaper. For this control I used a Bright Star Baby All-in-One in size 1 (aka Medium). I would expect those using Premium or Toddler prefolds to have similar capacity results, and those using smaller prefolds could fit even more than my test results.
  • A final note on capacity - I tested each bag to a reasonable capacity. I did not really stuff diapers in. In a pinch, I imagine you could get at least one or two more diapers in each bag (with the exception of Wahmies Small, which really only holds one or two). 

Smallest to Largest
Happy Tushies Mama Cloth Bag, Wahmies Small, Wahmies Regular, Planet Wise Medium Wet/Dry, Wahmies All-Day, Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry


Happy Tushies Mama Cloth Wet Bag
  • Price $18.50
  • Size 5" x 7" 
  • Holds approx. six 6-8" liners in each side, or two 12" heavy pads in each side
  • Great for:
    • Cloth Wipes: store clean cloth wipes in one side and your wipes solution (a mix or a peri bottle of water) in the other.
    • Menstrual Items: For those times when you expect your period while out of the house - store your menstrual cup on one side and liners on the other. Or, store clean liners or pads in one side, and soiled in the other. When you get home, simply toss the dirties into your usual storage container, and wipe the bag out to use again the next day. Or store tampons in one side, and liners (either conventional or reusable) in the other. 
    • Toiletries: Keep your purse organized and make switching purses a breeze. Store medicinal items in one pocket, and makeup in the other. Or kleenex in one pocket and cough drops in the other. Or... you know how crazy your collection of items can look. 
  • Additional Notes: 
    • The two compartments allow you to keep wet items wet, and dry items dry. The two pockets snap together, with an open sleeve between them. For times when I need to use both wet pockets for, well, wet items, I then utilize this 'sleeve space' as a third storage area. The pressure from the wet pockets keeps my clean liners in place. 
    • If you need to maximize the wet bag space - I recommend unsnapping the pockets from each other. This will allow each bag to use the maximum amount of space. I was able to fit 1-2 more pads in each side doing this. 
    • The snapping handle allows you to keep the bag handy. I've snapped mine on the toilet paper holder and my purse handle (on those days when you're using a massive bag, and don't want your wet bag sinking into the nether regions of the black hole, I mean, stylish tote). 
 
Filled with five liners, one normal-flow pad and two heavy-flow pads

 
Using the center sleeve as a spot to store clean pads

 
Really filling it up - 6 liners, 2 normal-flow pads and 2 heavy-flow pads

 


Wahmies Small Wet Bag
  • Price $9.50
  • Size 9" x 9"
  • Officially holds 1-2 diapers; Actually holds 1-2 diapers
  • Great for:
    • Older babies who will only use 1 or 2 diapers on errand runs
    • Catch-all for diaper bags and purses
    • Holding a sweating Klean Kanteen on a hot summer day
  • Additional Notes
    • I LOVE this size bag now that I am diapering a toddler. By far we have the most bags in this size (six, I think?). I carry two Small bags and two diapers in my purse or diaper bag. These days I've even taken to storing diapers in the wet bags. Unzipped = Clean Diaper Zipped = Dirty Diaper So easy to grab a couple pre-stuffed wet bags and throw them in my black hole, I mean, stylish tote).
 
1 Tiny Tush, 2 Bright Star Baby
 


Wahmies Regular Wet Bag
  • Price $16.50
  • Size 13" x 15" 
  • Officially holds 6-8 diapers; Actually holds 4-8+ diapers
  • Great for:
    • Errand runs out of the house with younger babies who will go through four to eight diapers.
    • A backup wetbag for the car, stuffed with a cover and a few emergency prefolds. 
  • Additional Notes: 
    • I really love this size bag, as it is big enough to carry its weight but still small enough to tuck into a diaper bag. It is also a great size for those families who wish to decrease their reliance on disposable plastic bags, like holding a coloring book and crayons or a wet swim suit on the way home from the pool. 
    • Wahmies recently added a snapping handle to their Regular size - I think this is a brilliant design upgrade, as you no longer have to size-up to an 'All Day' if you want a clippable handle. 
    • Clip the bag anywhere - to the stroller on long walks so your diapers don't end up on the other side of Disney after falling out of an overstuffed basket (I have visions of that happening, can't say why exactly);  to your diaper bag's handle, when attempting to only make one trip out to the car with baby and diaper bag in tow; to the black hole (stylish tote's) handle so it is easy to reach. 
    • The Regular size has a scrap of fabric in the inner seam - this allows you to scent the bag with a few drops of essential oil if you are so inclined. 
    • I also love this size as a car wet bag on a day of errands - carry one Small wet bag in your diaper bag, transferring any dirties once you get back to the car, then return the Small bag to your diaper bag. This ensures your diaper bag is as light as possible, while still maximizing storage capacity. At the end of the day, clip the bag to your diaper bag or purse to ensure you have one less package to haul into the house.  
 
4 Tiny Tush, 8 Bright Star Baby

Wahmies All-Day Wet Bag
  • Price $18.50
  • Size 16" x 20"
  • Officially holds 10+ diapers; Actually holds 9-15+ diapers
  • Great for:
    • Those who wish to not use a diaper pail. Depending on the size of diapers it will hold one to two days' worth of diapers, making it an ideal choice for those who wish to not take up limited floor space with a diaper pail. 
    • A family trip to the pool - will easily hold several swim suits. 
    • Kitchen wet bag - the handle easily clips onto anything that will stand still. Stuff your unpaper towels (my personal favorites - flat diapers cut in half) and dishcloths in, and save yourself trips to the laundry room or precious kitchen space. 
  • Additional Notes: 
    • For families who will do diaper laundry every night, this is a fantastic solution. Put your nighttime diaper on baby, and dump the bag's contents and the bag itself into the wash. By the time morning rolls around you'll have clean diapers, a clean wet bag, and one dirty nighttime diaper to throw add to the wet bag.
    • This is also a great option for those who will be changing diapers in two areas of the house. Put the diaper pail in the more commonly-used place, and hang the wet bag in the less-frequented location. You can either transfer diapers once a day to the pail, or just grab both containers come laundry time. 
    • The All-Day size, like the Regular size, features a scrap of fabric in the inside seam and a clipping handle. 
 
9 Tiny Tush, 15 Bright Star Baby

Planet Wise Medium Wet/Dry Bag
  • Price $21.00
  • Size 13" x 16"
  • Officially holds 8-9 diapers; Actually holds 6-10+ diapers
  • Great for: 
    • Errand days out of the house, especially those who have a smaller diaper bag and need the dry pocket for extra diaper storage
    • An all-purpose wetbag, small enough to be in your diaper bag but large enough to cover the large portion of the day. 
    • Those who transport diapers daily - to the sitter, daycare, preschool. The dry pocket even provides the caregiver a spot to store clean diapers, so all diaper changing needs are easily accessible from start to finish. 
  • Additional Notes:
    • If you are considering the Wahmies Medium, this is an upgrade to consider. As it has a dry pocket at the front, you can stuff clean diapers in the front pocket, and transfer to the wet pocket as the day goes on. 
    • This bag has a snapping handle, making it easy to clip onto your black hole or diaper bag.
    • While the bag has two pockets, those two pockets share the same 'space' (if that makes any sense). Aka, you can stuff ten diapers in the dry pocket, five diapers in the dry pocket and five in the wet, or ten diapers in the wet pocket. Akax2, no matter which pocket you use, the bag will still hold the same number in sum. 
 
Six Tiny Tush, Ten Bright Star Baby

Planet Wise Hanging Wet/Dry Bag
  • Price $29.99
  • Size 16.5" x 27" 
  • Officially holds 20-24 diapers; Actually holds 16-31+
  • Great for: 
    • Those who live in small places, and would like the ability to store two-days' worth of diapers without using a diaper pail. 
    • Car trips with a full stash. 
    • Also great in place of a laundry hamper for any room of the house - for baby's clothes or even your clothes. 
  • Additional Notes:
    • This really is the mother of all wet bags! This is the bag we use when we travel eight hours north to my parents' house.  
    • The bag has two loop handles, one sewn on each side of the bag's opening. For those who use an open pail, I recommend hanging the bag from just one loop (that is, until it gets too heavy). This will make dropping dirties in easier, as you won't require quite as much dexterity.
    • Similar to the Planet Wise Medium Wet/Dry, the bag shares the same space, and the total capacity is the same no matter which pocket(s) you are using. 
 
16 Tiny Tush+2 Fuzzibunz OS, 31 Bright Star Baby

And perhaps I forgot to mention the most important feature - all of these bags have amazingly lovely woven cotton outer fabrics, with enough choices to satisfy any design aesthetic. Like diapers, you might choose them for other reasons (the environment, ease of use, lack of chemicals), but the cuteness, well that is just an added bonus!


An important note for those thinking of multitasking wet bags - PUL is not a food-safe fabric. Apart from using a wet bag to hold a sweating water bottle in the summer, I don't recommend using the above bags in a food-storage capacity (this includes using them as bags for Nuks or other clean items your baby will teeth or mouth through the day). If you are looking for a reusable food-safe storage option, I cannot recommend the Planet Wise snack and sandwich bags enough!

Hope this post helped you find a bag or bags that will suit your needs. If you would like further information (say, can X bag really hold 12 OS Tiny Tush pockets?), I'm happy to pull diapers from the shelves and play mad scientist for a few minutes!

Stay tuned through the week for more wet bag posts, including tips on travel and washing and more.

Happy shopping!

11 comments:

  1. Oh no! Does it hurt a baby if I have put things into a small wetbag that she puts in her mouth? I didn't know!!!

    I only put bottles in them, with the lids on, so the nipple never touches the PUL, and I store her pacifiers in a plastic carry-case, so they don't touch it either... Is it still bad?

    Do the Planet Wise snack and sandwich bags seal so that wet stuff won't leak out? I put ice or cooler balls (little plastic balls filled w/ water that you freeze) in the wetbag to keep bottles cold.

    I feel like such a bad mommy for not researching before sticking stuff into the bags!

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  2. From what I've read, I think you'll be fine as long as what is going into baby's mouth isn't touching the inside of the bag.

    The Planet Wise food items aren't as water-tight as a regular wetbag, since they seal with velcro rather than a zipper.

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  3. i have a question. i'm new to cloth diapering and currently borrowing the diaper set i plan to buy- flips. do you have a recommendation for a bag? i am in love with a planet wise pattern- outer space- but idk if it's the bag for me. i need one for out of the house day trips and maybe i should get one later for our family reunion in june. ds is 8mo and goes through the avg 6-8 diapers a day.
    also, do you know much about this pail liner? i'm considering it for ds's bedroom. i need something that helps with smell and can store. http://www.amazon.com/Kissas-Antibacterial-Pail-Liner-White/dp/B0037NXP18/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IRP69MIY2V4II&colid=PMD379EHNM58

    any advice would be greatly appreciated! TIA!

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  4. Hi Traci -

    For a days-out-of-the-house bag, given that you are using 6-8 diapers a day (and Flips pack especially small, I find) I'd get either the Wahmies 'Regular' bag or the Planet Wise 'Medium wet/dry.' The wet/dry would give you a bit more flexibility as you can store clean diapers in the front pocket, and dirties in the back. The con of the Planetwise is that it retails for a bit more.

    I haven't tried that pail liner, no. I know Kissaluvs has had a hard time keeping them in stock for retailers, but I haven't heard any actual feedback on them in terms of smell-containment or other research speaking to the anti-bacterial functionality.

    What kind of pail are you currently using for diapers?

    We use a kitchen trash with a flipping lid, purchased at Target, lined with a Planetwise or Wahmies pail liner (we have one of each - completely comparable quality-wise, after 19 mos of washings). I have found that this works very well to contain the smell.

    The reason cloth diaper pails tend not to smell much, if at all, is that any solid waste goes into the toilet. And urine doesn't start to smell until ammonia begins to form (when you start getting into the third day, and that is the longest you'd want to go between washings anyways). The reason cloth doesn't smell to the extent of disposables - the urine isn't sitting reacting with the chemical absorbers like they do with disposables.

    Sorry for the novel. Hope that helps! Feel free to email me or reply to this post if there is something I can clarify further.

    Best -
    Abby

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  5. i'm okay with paying a little more for the planetwise if i would get the best use out of it. plus dh is already so thrilled i'm switching and the money we will save so i'm sure he will be okay, too.

    right now i am living off a one day supply of flips from a friend. our tax return money should be here shortly and i'm going to be purchasing another day's worth. so right now i just use my recycled grocery bags in a waste basket. i do the same with my disposables.

    i have read to wash every three days which is what i plan on doing. i really appreciate your help in answering all my questions. <3

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  6. I think, of all our wet bags, the Medium Planet Wise wet/dry has been the most versatile. And, after 18mos, it still looks great!

    I'll be bringing Bum Genius into the store in the next month or so. May I ask, what kind of Flips are you trying, the Stay-Dry or the Organic? If you are trying both, do you have a favorite? And do you use them overnight as well? I have my own experiences with them to draw from, but I always love to hear what works for other people. Thanks Traci!

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  7. i'm trying the stay-dry. i plan on using those until i think we are getting close to the potty training stage and then i will switch to organic. i hope that will encourage him to want to use the potty instead of feeling wet all the time. *wishful thinking* i love the stay-dry and have managed to go 3.5hrs without a changing if need be. i am not brave enough to do overnight yet. i was thinking about giving it a shot, but my son wakes at 4a and freaks out if i don't rush him to our bed to nurse and fall asleep lol. i worry that i would have to change him. i have an organic prefold. would that be enough overnight or would i need a liner as well?

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  8. I'd try the prefold + the stay-dry insert laid on top of it (you might have to increase the rise on the Flip to accommodate the extra bulk). This combination (microfiber+natural fiber) has always been our go-to nighttime choice since we stopped changing her diaper midway through the night (around 4mos or so). DD is now 20mos, and it still can handle her heavy-wetting tendencies.

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  9. thank you soooooo much! i'm incredibly happy that my friend recommended your blog to me. <3

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  10. you're welcome! :) happy to help!

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