If You’re Flying with a Baby This Year, You Need to Read This Béis Ultimate Diaper Backpack Review

Like the original, the Ultimate Diaper Backpack features a removable front pouch that can double as a crossbody bag, several pockets to store diapers, wipes and bottles (without them getting all jumbled) and a fold-out changing pad in the back. But how they’re configured—and their overall design—has changed considerably.

The changing pad, for example, is wider than before, which is great for wiggly babies and toddlers. My biggest issue with most fold-out pads like this has been the width. (If your baby’s larger than 25 inches or moves at all, half of the ones on the market seem too narrow to contain them.)

Finally, a backpack with genuinely roomy pockets! It’s amazing how many diaper bags are still designed for tall, narrow bottles when we live in a world of wide-mouth ones and moms toting Stanley Quenchers. (Speaking of which, the two side pockets are spacious enough to hold a 40-ounce tumbler, or two bottles/kids’ cups side by side.)

It’s Well Organized

To that end, all 15 (!) pockets are generously sized, so you can fit four to six large diapers in the slide-in pockets, or a brick-sized, 84-pack of wipes without issue. The laptop sleeve easily holds my 13-inch MacBook, with enough padding that it feels secure too.

It’s Not Bulky—But It’s Still Spacious

Beyond that, the design itself is very streamlined, so while this thing is huge (nearly 16 inches tall and 9 inches wide), it doesn’t feel like a tortoiseshell on my back. That’s also thanks to the redesigned shoulder straps, which are surprisingly cushy. I’ve found it comfortable to tote, no matter how much I crammed into it. (And to that end, the main pocket is large enough to hold everything I need for a multi-hour flight—including snacks, extra diapers and diversions to get us through multi-hour delays.)

The Expandable Phone Pocket Is Ingenious

I was convinced my hulking Pixel Fold would not fit into the pocket pouch, but I was wrong. The pouch is made of an expandable mesh, so it easily adjusts to fit the size of your phone (or phablet, in my case).

And So Is the “Stink Bag”

Like Béis’s other diaper bags, this one comes with a pacifier pouch and a water-resistant “stink bag,” perfect for holding dirty clothes or dirty diapers—without surrounding you in the telltale odor that you changed a diaper but couldn’t find a trash can (or suffered a blowout from 30,000 miles up).

I’d Rethink the Crossbody Pouch

As cool as the fold-out changing pad is, I wish they moved it to the crossbody pouch, along with the front wipes compartment, and kept the buckle on the bag. Then you could easily unsnap the bag and take it with you to change your baby, without hauling the entire bag everywhere. (Better yet, when you land, the crossbody could be your on-the-go bag, and you could leave the massive backpack in your rental car or at your hotel.)

And Move the Fold-Out Changing Pad

Plus, while I love how roomy and plush the changing pad is, the fold-out design on the back of the backpack is challenging for bathroom changing tables, especially if you have a tall baby. As someone whose kid hit 33 inches long shortly after the one-year mark, having the backpack take up a third of the changing table space is tricky. (I’d rather wear the backpack and use a separate changing mat that I keep stuffed in the bag.) The fold-out feature is great for infants and for use on the floor though, where you’re not as limited by length.

I’ve been using the Béis Backpack Diaper Bag everyday for a little over a year now. After nearly five years of testing diaper bags as part of PureWow’s Happy Kid Awards, it remains my favorite for day-to-day use. That’s still the case, but that’s because I see the two bags as serving two different purposes: The Backpack Diaper Bag is short and stout, with a stay-open top that makes it easy to rummage through. It’s great for housing everything you need for daycare, errands or other outings. The Ultimate Diaper Bag is more like a wearable nursery, making it more cumbersome for daily use but ideal for travel.

While I have flown with the Diaper Backpack, its size left zero room for souvenirs (and made me limit my “just in case” packing), whereas the Ultimate style offers more peace of mind—and makes use of every inch of space the airline will afford you for a carry-on or personal item.

To that end, while most airlines allow you to bring a diaper bag free of charge (just check their Contract of Carriage to confirm beforehand), it’s worth knowing that this bag is a little tough to squeeze under your seat, particularly when it’s fully packed. Try to leave it a little underpacked, just so you don’t have to fight for overhead space, particularly if you’re sitting on a smaller plane. (Or plan on taking off the crossbody, so it’s easier to slide under the seat.)

If you plan on traveling—by air, car or cruise ship—the Ultimate Diaper Backpack is a great all-in-one solution, where everything has its own place and it’s easy to stay organized, no matter how chaotic the airport (or your destination) is. I would plan on using the crossbody pouch as a bag when you’re out and about, with a changing pad liner stowed inside.

For day-to-day use, I’d still recommend the Béis Backpack Diaper Bag. It’s just large enough to hold your essentials without the added bulk, and it's $50 cheaper. But, just like you have an everyday tote bag and a duffle for travel, different bags serve different purposes—and the right one for the right purpose can spare you from all sorts of stress.

Fast Facts

• Size: 15.75" H x 8.66" W x 12.6" L
• Material: nylon body with a polyester lining (top front pocket has a micro-suede interior)
• Colors: black, olive, camel, Atlas pink
• Pockets: The interior contains 1 padded laptop compartment, 1 large mesh pocket and 2 elastic pockets; the exterior features the removable crossbody pouch with two zippered pockets on the front, three side pockets (one of which is insulated), a zippered, expandable phone pocket on the shoulder strap and four pockets on the back (three inside the fold-out changing pad, one that doubles as a trolley pass-through)