I had my eye on this bag for over a year and for some reason never purchased it, but I'm glad I finally did. Look for one that’s cabin-sized with accessible pockets so you don’t have to root around in it with one hand holding a crying baby while you try to fish out the essentials.

Pockets and compartments will make life a lot easier in terms of organising things, and there’s also hygiene to consider when you’re dealing with a bag that might contain used nappies, clean clothes, milk bottles and food at the same time. The zipped mesh back pocket is ideal for carrying a debit card and travel pass, and the bag comes with a short, buckled handle that you can attach to the pram or carry with the longer detachable strap.

As parents ourselves, we know what makes a good baby bag and the features that single out the average from the exceptional. If you’re looking for something to just carry your changing mat, wipes and nappies, a clutch may be the way to go – and some larger changing bags come with a clutch already inside. You will have to be a little discerning on what you pack in it, as there isn’t tons of room inside but it works well for day-to-day jobs and activities. While being a parent is the best job in the world, it’s nice to remind ourselves of who we were before our little people. The changing bags that feature in our roundup have been put through real-life testing, with every bag we recommend rated in various categories so you can make the best choice possible for your needs.

Sometimes you want a backpack changing bag, especially when you’re pushing the buggy or carrying the baby in a baby carrier. Not to mention the inside pouches which easily hold smaller necessities, such as medications, sunscreens, diaper creams, insect repellents, breast pads, etc. The changing bag doesn’t open as wide as some of the others in this list, and although it can carry an awful lot of kit – in ours is a blanket, three changes of clothes, six nappies, wet wipes, a rattle, two bibs, two muslin cloths, our red book, two bottles of ready-to-feed Aptamil milk and two bottles of pre-sterilised Aptamil bottles – your items aren’t always that easy to find, even with the separate compartments. Designed for those moments when you just need to pop out for a short period, Essentialz’s Itsy is our favourite compact option.We use cloth diapers and usually pack ~8-12 in it at a time plus ~6 extra liners, 2-3 extra sets of clothes, a giant roll of cloth diaper liners, butt cream, the changing mat, a notebook, the Moby wrap and a toy in the main compartment (with room to spare). In the main pocket: 3 onesies, 3 outfits and 1 set of pajamas, along with 2 small packets of baby wipes. The fact that the entire bag is made from water-resistant fabric will be welcome to any UK-based parents. I purchased this bag myself for when I was taking my infant son across country and didn’t want to bother with a large, one shoulder, cumbersome bag.