How's that diaper bag coming?

[Darcy]

Looks like it's been about 3 1/2 months since your last official post on the Parental Unit. Being that we're less than 2 weeks from 2011, is the TB team now able to commit to offering up a more specific release month for this bag? If not, the next best thing would be -- when can we expect the next "official" update on the release bag? Thanks again for your time and Happy Holidays.

It's still in the works for sure, but I can't give you a specific time just yet. I hope to soon! Thanks for reminding us, though -- that's always a good thing.

[Maria]

This is intriguing. I am expecting an additional three nieces or nephews in 2011 in my family...so a Tom Bihn diaper bag would be a great gift.

Actually, I am wondering with Tom's skill for providing bags that have multiple uses and all those organizational pockets...maybe I could use one too for carrying around all my junk each day. As long as it's not in baby blue or pink....(I know there are no such TB colours, but you never know.) :)

[Janine]

It's still in the works for sure, but I can't give you a specific time just yet. I hope to soon! Thanks for reminding us, though -- that's always a good thing.

I have my fingers crossed for first- or second-quarter 2011 because I'm due in early May. And it's twins, so I need some serious organization and hauling capabilities.

Thanks! And...of course I'd be happy to test a protobag, hint hint. :)

[Janine]

Disclaimers: I'm a father of twins, so my experience is not typical, and may be more "extreme" than parents who sensibly bring their children into this world one at a time.

Thanks for your comments! My husband and I will be bringing our first and second child into the world minutes apart. I'm the self-designated product researcher in our family. Diaper bags are near the top of my list, since we'll need something right away, and I haven't seen a more practical description of diaper bag packing for twins yet in my 6 months of scouring the internet. You just kicked my bag criteria up a few notches.

The idea of fitting packing cubes into a larger bag for organization - genius.

Thanks also for listing how many bottles you tote around - I hadn't guessed it could be that many.

I've been told that backpack straps and being able to hang the bag from the stroller handles are both Very Good Ideas. I hope that the bag Tom's designing will take those recommendations into consideration.

[Janine]

wrangling an early prototype of the diaper changing pad with one hand was never a problem back in the day. i'm not sure how the final design is different, but i wanted to share a picture...

I LOVE that this changing pad is wider than a child's butt! I've been wondering how people keep the kid centered on the smaller changing pads that I have seen in other bags.

[Janine]

i totally agree. the pockets in the synapse make it easy to organize a diaper bag. here is one scenario:

- main compartment pocket: diaper changing pad (tom bihn will be coming out with one), diapers.
- main compartment: blanket, books, toys.
- front side compartments: bottle(s) / food for baby.
- front bottle compartment: bottle for parent.
- front bottom compartment: wallet, pen, pad, keys, business card for your favorite spa.
- front top compartment: phone.

Question for all the parents on this forum:

What goes in the "bottle for parent"? Vodka? ;)

[rdu flyer]

I hope that the bag Tom's designing will take those recommendations into consideration.

You'd better spend your time hoping that Tom's designing takes whatever recommendations he likes into consideration quickly, because development of this unicorn product has been slowwww.

If you go back in this thread and review the dates, you'll see that expectant parents eager for this bag might already have birthed, watched learn to walk, heard learn to talk, and potty trained their kids that were, at the time the bag was teased and promised, were merely fetuses (feti?) that hopeful and plan-ahead parents were hoping to carry diapers for in a Tom Bihn bag.

At this rate, most people who were hoping for this product might be better served asking for a Kindergarten-sized backpack.

[dorayme]

I haven't read the whole of the thread, so this may be redundant, but as a mom of 3, 2 of which were 15 months apart, imho many of the bags on the current TB docket would serve nicely as diaper bags. I have carried messenger style bags, tote style bags and backpacks as diaper bags. Some had more specialized pockets and were sold as diaper bags. Others didn't and were not. Some dedicated diaper bags didn't work for me for my parenting choices. I didn't need bottles because I nursed my children exclusively so bottle pockets designed for baby bottles, and insulated pockets were wastes of space for me. We cloth diapered as well so spaces designed for disposable diapers weren't big enough to be useful. Same thing with wipes.

Across the board a good change pad was essential, because you never know when you are going to have to lay your baby down in a public place (or in your vehicle) and you want your baby protected as well as the other surfaces, but great change pads can be purchased separately. My favorite change pad is by ju-ju-be because it has memory foam padding, and anti microbial machine washable surfaces. I also like that they chose two different colors for the surfaces. It's easier to remember which side to consistently put to baby and which side to put down onto change stations.

I haven't used any TB bags for diaper bags, my daughter potty learned right as I started buying TB so I usually just carry a single change of stretch pants and panties and normally keep them in the car, but any number of the bags would work well, especially with adding in the organizer pouches.

Other than the change pad, essentials to me in a diaper bag:

Does it hold what I need? (newborns need more stuff than toddlers, but depending on how far you venture out with them you may be able to store
backups in the vehicle or your destination. Cloth diapers take more room than disposables. Bottle feeding requires a larger bag than if you exclusively breastfeed. All of these factors and many more dictate the perfect bag, and that varies greatly by parent and child.)

Does it organize what you need so that you can easily find it? (black hole syndrome is not fun when baby is crying and you cannot find their soother or you are covered in projectile vomit and need your wipes, etc.)

Is it comfortable to carry? (too heavy, too floppy, slipping non padded shoulder straps, etc. rule out an otherwise great bag. Do you desire to clip it to your stroller, does it interact well with your sling/carrier?)

Once a bag meets the criteria above it can be judged by aesthetics, but that is not my first criterion.

I know that everybody doesn't choose bags like I do, but I know my method works for me. Every bag I have chosen that I didn't follow these rules with I hated, didn't carry for long, and was sorry I got it. My favorite diaper bags like my son's backpack diaper bag have transitioned well past diapering years as functioning bags for the beach, gym or day trips. I use my daughter's retired ju-ju-be between attached to my rear bike rack as a trunk bag.

Oh and one other thing I found important. Horizontal layout was easier to navigate and pack vs. vertical. Maybe with packing cubes and organizer pouches it would be different, but I didn't want to have to dump contents to find something at the bottom, and with horizontal you can usually see the bottom.
jm2c

[bltkmt]

You'd better spend your time hoping that Tom's designing takes whatever recommendations he likes into consideration quickly, because development of this unicorn product has been slowwww.

If you go back in this thread and review the dates, you'll see that expectant parents eager for this bag might already have birthed, watched learn to walk, heard learn to talk, and potty trained their kids that were, at the time the bag was teased and promised, were merely fetuses (feti?) that hopeful and plan-ahead parents were hoping to carry diapers for in a Tom Bihn bag.

At this rate, most people who were hoping for this product might be better served asking for a Kindergarten-sized backpack.

I'm sorry, but this post makes me laugh as I can empathize with the frustration over the TB announcement/release policies.

[Janine]

9 weeks out and I'm still holding fast to my dream that the Parental Unit will be ready by the time I go to the hospital. I'm also dreaming that the interior for at least one color choice will be Ultraviolet. :)

For those of you who have already been through the diaper bag phase, and especially thoe of you who carried stuff for two kids at once, did you try to carry a single diaper bag or did you carry 2 or more smaller ones? Did you have one bag per child? Were your diaper bags primarily used when you were out of the house, or did you grab them to use while at home, too, as you moved around the house?

[dorayme]

I didn't have twins, but my 15 month apart boys were frequently referred to a virtual twins. I used one bag, it was not the hugest out there, but rather medium sized and similar to TB bags in that it held way more than I believed possible when looking at it. I preferred backpack styling over messenger because I liked to keep my hands free, even when slinging my kids.
I didn't use the diaper bag in the house, I kept it in my car, or hanging on the bag hook by the door ready to go. Our vehicles were always stashed with extra "backups" in a smaller area with other things I didn't carry in the diaper bag like antibacterial wipes, the travel potty, extra changes of clothes, etc. My suggestion for you is to do what works for you though. Other's systems may sound wonderful, but when it comes down to it, your dynamic, schedule, etc. determines what is going to make things easier for you. :)

[rdu flyer]

9 weeks out and I'm still holding fast to my dream that the Parental Unit will be ready by the time I go to the hospital. I'm also dreaming that the interior for at least one color choice will be Ultraviolet. :)

For those of you who have already been through the diaper bag phase, and especially thoe of you who carried stuff for two kids at once, did you try to carry a single diaper bag or did you carry 2 or more smaller ones? Did you have one bag per child? Were your diaper bags primarily used when you were out of the house, or did you grab them to use while at home, too, as you moved around the house?

This thread started over 3 years ago. Don't hold your breath. Good luck with baby, though.

[Janine]

This thread started over 3 years ago. Don't hold your breath. Good luck with baby, though.

Ha! I won't, but do enjoy dreaming of a TB diaper bag with an Ultraviolet interior. :)

[backpack]

There are thousands of diaper bags in the market, Tom Bihn Inc doesn't do things half way and when the Parental Unit comes to life, it will be great!


The development of the Synapse was very slow as well but the result is just so wonderful, it speaks for itself.

The FJN was a bit faster but, we had to wait as well.


I think the way Tom Bihn Inc plans and announces their new products is really great.

The crew picks up ideas from customers and rework them into something
tangible, then show us some pictures or give us some hints, it is very exiting.



When I first became a customer, everything I wanted was on the site, so I just had to pick a bag color, a couple of accessories and that was it.


We should be delighted to have such a great array of bags and accessories available to us! :)

[photomatt]

I think the way Tom Bihn Inc plans and announces their new products is really great.

Backpack- I feel your enthusiasm. For the most part. I too love the way TB partners and collaborates with the online community in the designs of their bags...I've never seen anything quite like it!

However, TB announcements are occasionally bewildering by any stretch of the imagination. When unofficial "official" comments are made (see below) in this very thread, it's head-scratching that we're here almost three years later -- still left to wonder, "when, and how much longer"...

From 06-11-2008, 10:35 AM:

Sorry, but I don't think it will be ready by the end of July [of 2008]. More like this fall [of 2008].