Reviewers on YouTube & Reddit Claim This Is The Best Diaper Bag

Published January 26, 2023

By Katie Simon

Diaper bags. Ugh.

When I was pregnant with my first, the “tools” of motherhood (no, not love, patience, and worry – but the actual physical items we use) were all so new and exciting. I was such a fish out of water and so overwhelmed with pregnancy in general that I was happy to get whatever my friends or family thought best.

But, by the time I found out I was about to go through my second rodeo, I had formed opinions. Strong opinions.

One of those strong opinions: I knew what I wanted in a diaper bag.

Spacious, organized, lightweight, comfortable, and ahhhh yes, the holy grail…. stylish. Maybe this was asking too much, but I was willing to pay anything for the luxury of a practical and useful diaper bag.

Enter: Petunia Pickle Bottom’s Boxy Backpack, and my obsessive research habits I picked up during way too many days at home during COVID lockdowns.

I know it sounds crazy, but I spent over 7 hours researching the Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack. Writing this post about it is half wanting to share my findings, half catharsis, and wholly hoping this winds up helping some other mother out there who has ever asked the question “Why the f&#k can’t I just find a good diaper bag?!!”

My Methodology

So, let me start by telling you exactly what kind of insane research rollercoaster I went on, so that you can fully understand the work you now hopefully do not have to do.

Over my 7 hours, I did the following:

• Read through 281 written reviews across a variety of websites
• Watched 47 minutes of Youtube videos from reviews to product demos
• Combed through 16 different Reddit threads to find actually useful information
• Looked at the PPB’s site and 4 other retailers to find the best prices: Amazon, Target, Buybuy Baby, Babylist
• Tallied all of my findings about what people liked and disliked in a big spreadsheet (yes, I really did this)

Important! One thing I wanted to call out is that Petunia Pickle Bottom, which is now owned by Thrive brands, has somehow managed to get their own website’s reviews on a lot of other retailer websites. What this means is that when you’re looking at reviews on, for example, Target, the ratings are totally skewed by reviews the brand has submitted to the retailer.

So another thing I did was I weeded out those brand-submitted reviews to get a more realistic picture as to how the reviews compared vs. what’s on the Petunia Pickle Bottom website.

Well, I’m sure you want me to get to the good stuff, so here’s what I found.

By The Numbers

Here’s a quick overview of my findings in regards to reviews & ratings:

• Overall across all the websites I reviews, the bag gets a 4.6 / 5 stars
• If we exclude the brand’s website (often these can be skewed or can be harder to trust), it still gets a 4.4 / 5 stars which tells me generally speaking I can believe the reviews on the Petunia Pickle Bottom site as well.

The Good

Generally speaking, people really like these bags. The biggest callouts were around it being a spacious backpack which also has a good amount of practical, organized spaces. A lot of people said there were good places to store diapers, wipes, toys, etc., and one woman in a video I watched even demonstrated how diapers up to size 6 could fit in the diaper spots.

On the weight front, while I didn’t find a ton there were a handful of people who mentioned it being lightweight, including one person who explicitly said “it seems heavy but it’s light” and I can only assume that refers to the comparison of the weight to the size.

The other big thing people raved about (though admittedly a much smaller group did say it wasn’t as useful as they hoped) was the built-in cushioned changing pad.

I can’t even begin to describe the insane frustrations that come along with both (a) remembering to make extra space in your bag for a changing pad and (b) accidentally forgetting your changing pad altogether and then having to do weird hacky things like put a million paper towels on a changing table (which of course is just what you want to be doing when you’re dealing with a screamy-crying-poop-diapered infant). So, I thought this was nice on paper, but did wonder how people felt about it in real life, and it seems like most people agree it’s super handy. At the very least, it’s a thoughtful touch, and it shows you Petunia Pickle Bottom is thinking about what moms need most.

And of course… as if you can’t tell this yourself from looking at the pictures, it is really stylish and people lovingly appreciate this about it. A lot of the bags on Amazon, etc. you find look as cheap as they are, and even some more expensive backpacks look way too much like they could only ever be a diaper bag. The Boxy Backpack not only looks like something I would be comfortable wearing, but many of the patterns are things I’m actually excited about. They have over a dozen different patterns to choose from as well as several different materials from leatherettes to more cloth/canvas style looks, and I have to say, they all look beautiful.

Oh, they also have this super cute line of Disney patterns and while I know I shouldn’t admit to this, I definitely had the thought of “I’ll buy a separate Disney one for when I take my kids to Disney!” They’re that fun.

As you can see based on the numbers I posted above, most people are truly satisfied with this bag and despite it being a little on the pricier side often comment that it’s “worth the money”.

The Bad

There probably isn’t realistically a “perfect” diaper backpack out there, and I would be lying if I told you the Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack was that. But, I’ll let you decide just how bad these things really are.

The biggest thing I came across was a few people had bags with zippers that were too tough to open and close with one hand. These were older reviews. That said, nearly everyone I saw with zipper woes were able to get replacement backpacks from Petunia Pickle Bottom without any hassle.

I would like to add that in one of the YouTube videos I watched, mom explicitly mentioned having received one with a bum zipper at first, but it seemed like the replacement she got was working perfectly.

Another issue I saw in smaller quantities were some people wanted very padded backpack straps. Personally, I’m not into the bulky padded straps (unless I’m carrying something super heavy), but I suppose an easy solution here would be to get any number of backpack shoulder pads you can buy.

Then I saw a couple of concerns over the side pockets not being insulated. I get why that seems like a concern, but in my experience if you’re going to be in hot conditions insulated side pockets are going to solve your problem. You need an insulated bottle or a separate insulated case in your bag.

Lastly, some moms complained that the bag didn’t have a wide open zip. Others mentioned they liked this feature to keep their items contained and safe.

Some Helpful Reviews

I found these pretty helpful in understanding the pros and cons of the Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack:

Derosa684 – Tuscon, AZ – 5 stars

“This is my first Boxy and although I prefer a smaller bag, I was pleasantly surprised with the size adjustments. The fold over part of this bag has multiple levels of magnetic closures to minimize the size of the bag if packing light or snap closure to maximize the size and add security if packing more.
We are out of the diapering stage so the changing pad easily detaches in the front zip pocket and is perfect as a parent pocket or to use for additional children. I love that it comes with the stroller straps and crossbody strap as options while keeping the padded shoulder straps for comfort. My favorite feature is the charm!!! It’s such a simple detail but adds that whimsical charm to the bag. It’s my daughter’s favorite feature as well.

We took the Shimmery Minnie Mouse to the museum and used the princess packing cubes (sold separately) to carry our snacks! I highly recommend the boxy for any stage of parenting or caregivers!”

MelanieS174042 – 5 stars

“I love love love my petunia pickle bottom diaper bag, so much so that I didn’t mind if the zipper occasionally got stuck. I come to find out petunia pickle offers a two year warranty on things like this. I contacted them and they were more then happy and eager to fix this issue! They even allowed me to change the color or bag if I wished! Other then the zipper getting stuck this bag is made exceptionally well! Super roomy inside beautiful design, great changing station. I am still so happy with my purchase and will always recommend this brand to any new moms looking for a diaper bag. Well worth the money!”

Tara – 4 stars

“This bag is perfect with exception to the zippers on the roll out changing pad. The zippers work fine when you have two hands to zip them, but it’s tricky when you only have one hand to use because you are holding your baby. The bag has a fantastic amount of storage and the compartments are laid out nicely. It is also a neutral color which means that my husband will carry it. It would also be nice if the shoulder strap was detachable as I like the backpack straps and find that the shoulder strap gets in the way if it isn’t being used to carry the bag.”

Where to Buy

Ok, so if you’ve decided this is the bag for you, your next thought is probably the same as mine was – “where can I find the cheapest prices?”

Don’t stress. While the answer isn’t totally black and white, I’ve done the work here for you as well & this should at the very least give you an amazing head start.

For starters, most of the time, the Petunia Pickle Bottom website is going to be your best bet. This is for a few reasons:

1. They often have a promo code available for signing up for emails. At the time of writing this, they were offering 15% off.
2. They are often running other discounts / promotions as well. For example, when I was writing this they had one Boxy Backpack discounted to $98 which was the cheapest one I could find available anywhere.
3. In almost every scenario, if another retailer had a discounted backpack, Petunia Pickle Bottom had that same price.
4. Petunia Pickle Bottom’s site is the only place you can get all the patterns/designs, so especially if you have your heart set on something specific it’s may be your only option.
5. Free shipping and returns. Plus, you’ll get direct customer support from their team which is going to make it way easier in case you do want to return or exchange anything.

That being said, here is the full range of options I found (with prices at the time of me writing this):

• Petunia Pickle Bottom – priced $98-$220, 15% off promo code available for signing up for email
• Amazon – priced $99.95-$220, no obvious promo codes available
• Babylist – priced $132.30-$189, no obvious promo codes available
• Target – priced $189-$189.99, no obvious promo codes available
• BuyBuy Baby – priced $188.99-$214.99, 20% off promo code available for signing up for email

Wrapping Up

Petunia Pickle Bottom was founded by husband and wife Braden & DeNa Jones, and Korie Conant in 2000 & the company was founded with the idea of creating thoughtfully designed bags and accessories for mothers & fathers. They also are passionate about supporting charities which help children and their families and have contributed to organizations such as March of Dimes, March for Babies, Toys for Tots, and more.

The Petunia Pickle Bottom Boxy Backpack seems to be a well made, functional product from a company that really cares about their customers and the people they’re serving.

I listed a bunch of things at the beginning of this article that were important to me in a diaper bag: space, organization, weight, comfort, and style. Based on my research the bag hits at least 4 out of 5 of these categories, and if there are comfort issues with the straps I’d have no qualms correcting that with some pads.

If you’re on the hunt for your perfect diaper bag, give the Boxy Backpack a try!