I’ve never been much of a handbag fan. When I admit that, other women look at me with the same confusion in their eyes they get when I tell them I’m not a big fan of chocolate. Like, are you sure you’re part of the sisterhood? I suppose it’s supposed to be ingrained into women to like bags and shoes. And chocolate.
But yeah, I tend to buy one (usually massive and leather) handbag, use it to death for five years and then repeat. I can’t be bothered with swapping my belongings from one to another all the time, something always gets lost.
When the children were born I had dalliances with various nappy bags but found it so much easier to use a handbag/nappy bag hybrid. In my opinion they look better and it’s a lot easier to cart around the one bag. I started using the Sugarjack a year ago and never looked back: I thought it was the perfect bag.
UNTIL NOW
*Ominous face*
The kind folk at BabyBeau sent me one of their Ellie changing bags in Black and I was fully prepared not to love it as much as the Sugarjack. I was wrong. This bag has been a bit of a game-changer.
On the outside (and inside) the bag seems quite standard. It has all the pockets you need for your various baby-related accoutrements, with a removable lining so you can choose to not use them if you don’t want to. I don’t anymore, they’re always surplus to my needs and I end up losing things in them, but they’re great when you have a baby with bottles/nappy bags/dummies/kitchen sinks.
BUT THEN. The accessories, bottle holder and changing mat, are leather. I’ve never seen that before in a changing bag. +1 BabyBeau.
What swung it for me though were the straps. This bag has an across the body strap, shoulder strap and shorter hand straps. Bloody brilliant. Never underestimate how difficult it is to carry a one year old, hold your toddler’s hand and somehow shift a huge big nappy bag across a busy car park/supermarket/TopShop. The across body strap has quite literally changed my life.
(I can’t be the only person to cart around creepy babys in my bag, right?)
This is a good looking bag, too. Its style is reminiscent of Longchamp but is made of the most delicious leather, has a huge interior, is very well-made and feels very solid. It also comes with buggy clips (a relevation!) and a stripy interior. In a nutshell, I love it: this is most definitely my handbag for the next 5 years.
I was sent the Ellie free of charge for the purpose of this review. It has not left my side since.
I love this bag, sadly it’s out of my price range. Lovely though!
It is a bit of a pricy one but gorgeous!
I may have to start hanging outside the NCT meetings locally so I can snag me one of these babies. As I don;t , you know, have an actual baby….
You can borrow mine for bag purposes ANYTIME! x
This looks fab. I used a pliage as my changing bag for a while although it wasn’t that functional, but this is a similar style and obviously purpose made! Now I’m a slob and just have a shabby old cotton tote with some nappies and wipes in the bottom of the buggy! x
The Pliage is great, isn’t it?!x
You had this at BritMums didn’t you? I remember admiring it from afar. It’s lovely and I would’ve never guessed that its a baby bag! Xo
I did! It literally has not left my side since I arrived. I think I love it so much for the exact reason it doesn’t look like a baby bag x
This is gorgeous. I love that it looks nothing like a changing bag. Want Want Want!
That’s exactly what I love about it! To be honest I probably mostly use it when I’m without the babies x
Alice do you still have this bag? Do you still use it? Fancy selling to me if you dont?! Love it but ain’t love the price and no black ones on eBay! Sorry for being so ballsy to ask!!!! ????????????????
Oh I wish I did, I would have sent it to you if so! No, I used it so much it literally fell apart :( But have switched to using an Eastpak backpack for the kids if that helps xx