What To Put In A Diaper Bag

We're doing a short 1 minute survey on the type of diaper bags mums prefer. Your results will help other new mums know which diaper bag to buy.

Every diaper bag guide is a shopping list. This one starts with what people carry, because we asked.

“What’s in your diaper bag?” 1,545 votes

19%: Diapers
19%: Wet wipes
18%: Extra set of clothes
15%: Changing pad

Four things, almost evenly weighted. That’s the core. Everything else is situational.

How many diapers to pack

“How many diapers does your newborn use daily?” 1,291 votes

47%: 7 to 9
29%: 4 to 6
21%: 10 to 12

Roughly one every two to three waking hours for a newborn. A simple rule for the bag: one diaper per hour you expect to be out, plus two. The plus-two is for the outing that runs long, which it will.

As it happens, 84% of our readers use disposables and 16% cloth (3,287 votes). Cloth users need a wet bag in the diaper bag, which disposable users can skip.

What to pack, by how often you’ll need it

Always

Diapers: the rule above
Wipes: a travel pack, not the giant tub
Changing mat: many public tables here are fine, plenty aren’t
Nappy bags for the used one
One full change of clothes, including socks. A vest alone isn’t a change of clothes when the leak has gone up the back.
Hand sanitiser, since not every toilet has soap

Nearly always in Singapore

A thin muslin or light blanket. Not for warmth. For aircon. Malls, restaurants and buses here are cold, and this is the item most often forgotten.
A spare top for you. Learned once, never forgotten.
Water for you, especially if breastfeeding
Sunhat

Depending on age

Newborn: burp cloths, a dummy if you use one, a spare
Formula-fed: pre-measured powder, bottle, water. Cooled boiled water if making up feeds out
6 months+: snacks, a bib, a spoon
Toddler: snacks that aren’t a bribe, one small distraction, and a change of clothes you’ll definitely use

The small things that save an outing

A few plastic bags for wet or soiled clothes
Paracetamol suspension if your child is old enough for it, and any prescribed medication
Plasters
A copy of health booklet details if you’re travelling

What you can leave out

The changing station organiser, portable bottle warmers and most of the accessory category
Toys. One, at most. Children will play with your keys anyway.
A full-size wipes tub
Three changes of clothes. One is right; two if you’re out all day

Choosing the bag itself

Backpack over shoulder bag, once you’re also carrying a child. Almost everyone converts eventually.
Can you open it one-handed? The single most important test, and the one nobody does in the shop.
Wipe-clean lining. It’ll need it.
Pram straps, or clips that fit your pram handle.
An outside bottle pocket, so you aren’t unpacking to find water.
Does your partner mind carrying it? A bag only one of you’ll be seen with is half a bag.

You don’t need a dedicated diaper bag at all. A rucksack you already own, with a changing mat and a wet bag inside, does the same job.

Frequently asked questions

What should be in a diaper bag?

The four things our readers named most were diapers, wet wipes, a spare set of clothes and a changing pad, at almost equal weighting. Beyond those: nappy bags, hand sanitiser, a thin muslin for aircon, and a spare top for yourself. Everything else depends on your child’s age.

How many diapers should I pack?

One for every hour you expect to be out, plus two. Newborns get through seven to nine a day according to 47% of readers we asked, with 21% saying ten to twelve, roughly one every two to three waking hours.

What do people forget most often?

A thin muslin or light blanket. In Singapore this isn’t about warmth. Malls, restaurants and buses are heavily air-conditioned, and it’s the item most often left behind. A spare top for yourself is the second.

Do I need to buy an actual diaper bag?

No. A rucksack you already own works, with a changing mat and a wet bag inside. If you do buy one, the best test is whether you can open it with one hand while holding a child, which almost nobody tries in the shop.

Backpack or shoulder bag?

Backpack, once you’re carrying a child as well. Most people who start with a shoulder bag switch within a few months.

What to remember

Diapers, wipes, one full change of clothes, changing mat. One diaper per hour out, plus two.

Add a muslin for the aircon and a spare top for yourself, and leave the accessories at home. The bag you already own is probably fine.