Baby And All Changing Bag with In-Built Baby Carrier review

I always smirk guiltily when women (and, dare I admit, even yummy mummies) are asked to reveal the contents of their handbags and come up with a list along the lines of lip gloss, mascara, mirror, hair brush, fresh breath mints and a spare pair of tights. If you open mine, you'll find a couple of nappies (possibly even used, if I haven't found a bin !), wet wipes, kiddie snacks, sun cream, a sippy cup full of juice and various kiddie trophies like conkers, smashed up leaves and feathers from the park. Hmmm. Well, next time, I'll be able to go one better and reply THE BABY !! But don't go calling the NSPCC just yet - I've just received a fantastic Baby And All Bag to review.

At first glance, the Baby and All Bag is just another snazzy-looking but pretty standard changing bag. The bag itself is a bit like a tardis and is very roomy inside, and it's also got various pockets that are extremely handy for stashing away all the baby and toddler paraphernalia that you need when you're out and about with your little one. Despite having three children, I found plenty of room to pack away sun cream and sun hats, cardigans, drinks and snacks and a few toys for all three with no problem at all. I love the small pockets on the front that close with a press stud and make it simple to keep your keys, mobile phone, purse and dummy at hand without scrabbling about in the bottom of the bag trying to find them.

The zips, clips, press studs and seams all seem really well made, sturdy and resistant. The material that the bag is made of is also thick and strong and seems water resistant. I also like the black colour which hides a lot of stains - except baby sick maybe, but you can't have it all ! So far so good - just as a changing bag, I'm already more than satisfied with the high quality of the product. But this bag has an absolutely ingenious trick up its sleeve - it has a built in baby carrier ! Pure genius !

I have never seen anything like it but once you've thought about it, it's obvious. I'm a great fan of baby carrying and have used a variety of types of carrier - a structured carrier, a sling, a wrap - with Pierre but also his big sisters. But there comes a time when it becomes impractical to keep baby carrying, either because of the weight, the long legs getting in the way as you walk or the sheer wriggliness of your toddler. Out comes the pushchair, which is great most of the time but - if you use public transport a lot or live in a town with very narrow streets or bumpy pavements or if you need to go up and down flights of stairs, you'll soon realise how inconvenient it can be. Pierre, who will be 2 next week, refuses categorically to go in his sling or wrap now but loves sitting in his Baby And All Bag-carrier because of the sheer novelty value !

It's great for short trips out, to the shops or the park, when your toddler wants to walk but inevitably gets tired and grizzly before you've made it back. You end up trying to juggle your shopping, handbag and keys with your tired toddler, while trying to hold the hands of his elder brothers and sisters as you cross busy roads. The Baby-And-All bag is ideal. It's smart enough to be used as a handbag (and is even unisex enough for dads to wear it, once baby is strapped in) and once your little one doesn't want to walk any more, you just clip the two sides of the baby carrier onto the rings and you're off - your toddler is comfortably seated (the bag takes his weight so it doesn't all bear down on the carrier part between his legs, which can be a problem with some baby carriers) and it doesn't cut into your shoulder either because the strap is slightly padded and wide enough to spread out the weight.

I'd been having a dilemma about what to do with Pierre on holiday next month when we go to Turkey. Last year, I took a sling and spent the whole fortnight sniggering discreetly at people struggling across the dusty, uneven pavements with pushchairs. But this year, I knew I wouldn't be able to use the sling. I was starting to resignedly admit defeat and think about taking a pushchair with us, but now, I have the perfect answer. The Baby And All Bag is definitely coming with us ! Even better, I'll be able to keep it on the plane with us as hand luggage so I won't be running around after a tired toddler in the check-in area once the pushchair has gone through with the luggage.

I've said so many times before that all the best child and baby products are invented by parents so I was sure that this was another example. Only a parent could come up with something so practical, user-friendly, multi-purpose and just utterly spot on, solving problems that I always thought never had a solution. Sure enough, the website explains : "You won't be surprised to learn that this baby bag was designed by a mum of two who just needed to make her life easier. She couldn't find what she was looking for so she made herself a Baby and All Bag. And now you can get one too!"

Little extras that make the bag even more user-friendly are the fact that it is washable and that the exterior pockets are accessible even when you're using the baby carrier. It has three positions - hands-free on the hip, front carry or hip support for a toddler (using the strap instead of the baby carrier for support). It's also great for babywearing novices, because the bag offers support as you strap your little one in, which is always a bit scary in the beginning.

I've been totally blown away by how fantastic it is, and I'm not the only one - mums have been chatting to me at the bus stop or in the queue at the shops to comment on how practical and innovative it is and to ask where they can get one. That says it all !

star rating : 5/5 (and that still isn't enough !)

RRP : £45.95 (which sounds a lot but you have to remember it's a 2-in-1 product)

for more information : http://www.debraclare.com/ (where you can see a video to explain the three ways of using it)

Other reviews you may be interested in :

Lifft Sling

Sleepy Wrap

Eco Friendly Baby Bag review