As new parents who love to travel we were at a loss when it came to finding the best travel bag for mums and dads. We were used to travelling super light (I’m talking a small backpack) and just making do, but with a little one now in tow that wasn’t going to cut it.
I’ll be honest with you, our first trip abroad with Jack was comedically catastrophic. I had laid out everything he needed meticulously, I’d been brutally cutthroat when it came to how many cute little outfits he needed. I had trimmed down his gear as much as possible. But still, there was mountains of ‘stuff’ to pack.
I thought it would be fine. We had checked luggage after all. I squeezed his (and our) luggage into an old suitcase I found in the loft, packed his usual diaper bag, and off we trotted. What I hadn’t thought through was just how difficult it would be to get to everything when we needed it.
I’d packed his pouches at the bottom of the bag, so getting through security was a song and dance. I lost all our documents when I put them in the huge main compartment of the diaper bag. I’d put his toys for the plane in a jumble so I held up the whole aisle getting more and more flustered looking for them all as we boarded.
To top it all off, carrying a 6-month-old along with a very full and uncomfortable diaper bag that was not made for travel, meant I was a sweaty, angry mess for most of the journey.
Luckily on this occasion, we were staying in one place, but it made us realise we needed something a little more suitable for travelling with a baby if we were going to head off on the epic adventures we had planned.
Luckily I love a good research project, and I found some excellent family travel bags that I’m excited to share with you. It’s not a huge market, so I sourced a mixture of luggage made specifically for families and others that have been tried and tested by families and are perfect for this use.
I’ve also included a few different styles. We love a backpack as we find them most versatile for all different types of travel – getting on and off buses, aeroplanes, camping or sailing. But I did also consider a wheel-along suitcase at one point so if that floats your boat then you’ll find a few that are perfect for travel with kids in this article.
I hope you find exactly what you’re looking for. Our new family travel bag set-up has made going abroad so much easier. Don’t struggle along anymore! If you don’t have time to read this whole article (totally get it, babies and free time don’t go hand in hand) skip to our top pick.
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Table of Contents
- Our Top Pick
- The Best Travel Bag For Moms And Dads
- Diaper Bags For Travel
- Luggage Allowance For Families
Our Top Pick
After a whole lot of research, we settled on the travel bag set-up from No Reception Club. I’ll deep dive into these bags below with a totally honest review – the good, the bad, the ugly (spoiler, there’s nothing ugly about them), but if you don’t have time to read all my chatter then take our word for it.
These bags are a cut above the rest when it comes to travel bags for Moms and Dads. They are packed full of the most useful features I’ve seen, they’re comfortable to wear even when fully loaded (and with a not-so-little one strapped to your front) plus they’re rugged enough to withstand a little puree and a little puke. Speaking from experience.
Go for the set, you will use it all. But if you have to pick one then my favourite is the getaway bag. It’s become my new everyday diaper bag because it’s far superior to any others I’ve tried.
The Best Travel Bag For Moms And Dads
We were surprised to find that there aren’t that many brilliantly designed travel bags for moms and dads. Sure, you can just use a regular travel suitcase, but when you travel with kids there are certain features that are so incredibly useful.
Things like insulated pockets, built-in waterproof storage, and a rugged but lightweight design make all the difference and yet even bags claiming to be designed for parents haven’t thought of all the little features that make the life of busy (and perhaps just a little stressed) parents that much easier.
This is why I spent so long on the hunt for the perfect family travel bag, and I think I found some competitive options. We’re starting with our favourite, but make sure you read through the list as everyone’s needs will be different. Hopefully we’ve found the right bag for you.
#1 The Hideaway Carry-On Duffel, No Reception Club
You can tell this range was designed by a Mom and Dad. Even more so when you make your first purchase and get invited into the No Reception ‘Club’ – a community of families who love to travel and who support every travel question you can throw at them. This is more than just a bag, it’s a community of like-minded family travellers.
But you’re here for the bag, so…..
I have never seen a better thought-out travel bag for Moms and Dads. It’s going to be hard to list all the useful features without a stand-alone review but I’ll give it a go and try not to ramble!
Firstly, this luggage bag is small enough to be classed as carry-on luggage with a range of airlines (do check your airline’s requirements as they’re getting smaller and smaller). That in itself is super handy when travelling with a little one. No queuing at baggage claim and no risk of misplaced luggage either.
It has 5 different ways to carry. Yes, 5. The luggage pass-through is particularly useful if you have your own luggage to manage too. Plus it can be a backpack or over-the-shoulder bag. The shoulder straps stow away if you’re checking your bag.
Adam will sigh, but possibly my favourite feature is the laundry compartment. A LAUNDRY COMPARTMENT! It’s an odor and water-resistant space for soiled clothing, so you don’t have to worry if you don’t have access to a washing machine for a while. This is such a genius idea for a family travel bag. You also get a laundry bag included.
Another really useful feature, especially if you have a small baby, is the insulated compartment where you can store things like milk or pouches that should stay cool. If you’re travelling somewhere hot these insulated pockets really come into their own. Why don’t all baby bags have these?!
The ‘cubby’ is a really cute idea and I can see it could be really useful for organisation, but we found it takes up quite a lot of space and we tend to just remove it. If you’re camping or staying in basic hostels it would be really useful, as it means the suitcase acts as a wardrobe too. You won’t be pulling out all your child’s clothes every time you need to look for a sun hat.
I could go on and on, and there are more features I haven’t even mentioned yet like the add on hanging straps and the Dopp Kit, or the many, many storage pockets. But don’t listen to me rabbit on, go check it out, and read some of the other reviews too. This is definitely one, if not the, best travel backpack for moms and dads.
Our only small gripe is the amount of packaging the bags arrived in. Most of it was biodegradable, and it’s great the bags were so well protected, but we did feel some of the packaging was a little overkill and could be avoided from an eco-friendly point of view.
Still, they’re doing some good work in that space, using recycled fabrics in their bags and through partnerships with charities to change the world for the better. So we’re kind of grasping for negatives to be honest.
If you’re one of our UK readers then we got them shipped here with no trouble at all, it was a super smooth process and they arrived in really good time. Just be aware of the customs fee when ordering from abroad.
#2 Alyssa 4 Wheel Cabin Carry-On, Storksac
For those who are big fans of wheel suitcases, this is an excellent parent travel bag.
It isn’t the biggest but there is a deceptive amount of room inside and it meets some airline cabin requirements for hand luggage which does make it really handy for getting through the airport quickly and getting little ones to bed!
Similar to the Hideaway Carry-on, it has an internal organisation system that can be removed. Again, I’m not sure this is all that useful for travel as it takes up precious space that you’d rather save for essentials. It does look neat and tidy though.
The outer layer is water-resistant and wipe-clean so it can take a bit of a beating, but this bag is less about practicality and more about style. It does look lovely. But it doesn’t have a few features I’d really love in a bag for moms and dads, like a waterproof pocket or insulated section.
If you’re looking for something suitable for travel with your family but also something you’d happily take on a work trip or weekend away with friends then this is perfect.
✅ Buy the Alyssa wheel suitcase here
#3 The Weekender, Freshly Picked
If you’re more of a short-break kind of parent then The Weekender is a solid choice. It wouldn’t be big enough for a week or two away but it’s perfect for spontaneous weekend breaks away with the kids.
The style of this bag means it’s more versatile than some of the other options. It looks great with an outfit and isn’t just practical. It’s made from wipeable vegan leather and although we haven’t put it through its paces we have on good assurance that it is more durable than it looks.
This can be worn as a backpack as well as over the shoulder or on a suitcase. It’s also really handy that it can be strapped to the pram handles. It’s made from good quality materials and does feel and look expensive.
Apparently I’m a sucker for a waterproof pocket. I really love this feature on family luggage bags which is why The Weekender made the list. It’s such a thoughtful and useful add-on that makes our lives as parents so much easier.
There are so many pockets in this bag that they’re hard to count. Although that’s useful in some ways I did find I forgot where I put certain things when I tested it out. Plus I had the same problem of having to rummage through everything to find the things I’d stored at the bottom of the bag. For a weekend away this wasn’t such a problem.
We liked the insulated pockets but as they were exterior we weren’t sure how well they would work. If anyone has tested these out let us know.
It’s definitely designed for moms and is quite a feminine design. I’m not saying men can’t use it too, but you see what I mean. Adam said he wouldn’t be in a rush to sport it. Overall we really like this as a mini-break bag for moms, and especially any fashion-conscious moms out there!
Diaper Bags For Travel Families
Think of your diaper bag as your baby’s cabin bag. In it you’ll want to pack everything your little one could possibly need for the flight, and even a few things for the other end just in case your baggage is misplaced.
We tend to pack more nappies than we could possibly need along with a travel change mat, wipes and nappy bags. We pack three outfits in case of accidents, but also in case baggage goes missing.
We include several new and novel toys – when Jack was young these spinning toys were amazing as was this fine motor skills toy, now he’s a bit older he loves this fiddle book which packs small but has lots of variety. If all else fails we make sure we have a few episodes of Miss Rachel downloaded on our phones – she’s saved us from some serious meltdowns several times!
We pack him lots of snacks and a couple of pouches in case he won’t touch the airline food. It’s also useful to have a little stock of firm favourites in case there are travel days when you can’t find food they’ll eat. We also pack his water bottle now. If you’re formula feeding then don’t forget that too!
If it’s an overnight flight then consider packing a sleep sack they’ve worn a few times for familiarity. We found it really helps him sleep on fights.
#4 The Getaway Bag, No Reception
As I said earlier, I have now switched out my actual diaper bag for the Getaway backpack because it’s so much better than any other bag I’ve tried.
It’s perfect for travel because it’s quite big, but it’s not too big to be a standard day diaper bag. It means you can carry so much stuff without feeling like you’re taking your suitcase out for the day.
But it has the added bonus of being perfectly designed for travel. It’s sectioned out rally nicely so you can keep your nappies and wipes and toys and food in separate compartments. It has a padded space for your laptop. It has an insulated lunch pocket and of course my favourite, an older free waterproof section for any emergencies.
It has one of the easiest stroller clip systems I’ve had in a diaper bag, with straps and caribeeners. It can also be strapped over a suitcase for easy carrying in the airport.
One of the things I love most about this bag is that there are several ways you can open it, so getting to all your gear is so easy. I get so flustered digging around in a standard diaper bag, I’m not sure why all bags aren’t designed like this.
I can see why it’s been named the best travel diaper bag of 2024 by Babylist. It really is brilliantly designed and executed. If you have to choose one from the set, go with the Getaway bag.
#5 New Parent Backpack, Lululemon
Although this wouldn’t be our first pick of travel backpacks for moms and dads it is a go-to for a lot of people so we thought it should be included in this list.
Lululemon has an avid fanbase for good reason. They make quality goods that are fit for purpose, and this diaper bag ticks those boxes. It’s obvious this bag is made to last.
It has some great features, like the secure pockets and versatile straps that can hung over a suitcase. My favourite extra that I haven’t seen in another diaper bag is the removable pouch that can be worn as a cross-body bag for essentials. This is so useful for travel. You can shove your passport and other important documents in this little over-the-shoulder bag and have them right at your disposal.
It’s a shame they haven’t included some of the essential features like the waterproof pocket and insulated pocket. If they had then this bag would be perfect for family travel.
✅ Buy the Lululemon new parent bag here
Luggage Allowance For Families
It’s pretty irritating that every airline has a different policy when it comes to travelling with a little one. It means you do need to do a little extra digging before you fly (or before you book your flights).
We have found that most airlines follow a similar set of rules though.
- You can sometimes take a diaper bag as hand luggage alongside your own cabin bag. Use this for your baby’s nappies, wipes, change of clothes, toys and snacks. Usually you can sneak in some extra items of clothing for the little one, or even your own laptop and other essentials. Some airlines only allow one cabin bag between you, which makes life a lot harder and even more essential to have a decent travel diaper bag.
- Usually you’re allowed two from the following list of items, some only allow one. Travel cot, car seat and pram. You can take your pram all the way through to departures and hand it over to the cabin crew when you board. We take a bag to stow it in. Other items will need to be checked at oversized baggage so make sure you have a bag for them too.
- You can carry liquid baby food or baby milk that’s either pre-packaged or made up at home. Just make sure it’s accessible so you can hand it over to security for screening.
Conclusion: The Best Travel Bag For Moms And Dads
Finding the perfect travel bag for moms and dads is about balancing functionality, durability, and style. Well, for us it’s all about functionality and durability because I’m the kind of mum who doesn’t have time to blow dry her hair, but you know, style is important too!
The key is to choose a bag that fits your family’s lifestyle—whether that means something minimalistic for day-to-day outings or a feature-packed option for extended travel. With so many thoughtfully designed choices on the market, you can feel confident you’ll find a bag that’s as adaptable as parenting requires.
So, pack smart, travel light, and enjoy the journey!
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