Petunia Pickle Bottom City Carryall

Petunia Pickle Bottom City Carryall

I have been wanting to try this bag out because it looks more like a purse, but still has the zip-out changing station on the front like their boxy backpack (review coming soon).  I love this print and I love that there is an embroidered accent on the front.  Most of their glazed bags have this embroidery detailing and I love it!  I was pleasantly surprised by how much I like this bag and the function of it is pretty great. I love the quality of the Petunia bags.  All the materials are durable and will help the bag to last a long time.  Plus they just look so classy and pretty!

Most bags will have some sort of zipper on the back, but this bag gives you two large slip pockets.  The more pockets and the more organization the merrier:)  Since there is not really a designated area for "mommy" stuff, these pockets work well for my things that I tend to grab for quickly.

Not only are there tote handles, but there is also a detachable and adjustable messenger strap made out of their seat belt material.  I like this strap because it's wide enough that it doesn't dig into your shoulder when the bag is fully packed. 

You can also use these D-rings on the sides to attach stroller clips for your stroller, or cart.

I'm bummed that the bottom doesn't have feet, especially since some of the colors in the fabric are lighter like white and yellow.  I worry that this will get dirty easily, but it is made out of the glazed material and wipes down pretty well.  Side note- One thing you do have to be cautious of with the glazed material is color transfer from dark clothing such as jeans.

The bottle pockets on both sides are a generous size, but I find them to be a little stiff if that makes sense:)

The front changing station is a really cool idea that Petunia came up with.  It makes all your changing needs very easily accessible.  As you can see there are zippers on each side that zip down to give you a full, fold out changing pad.  The two larger elastic pockets are great for your wipes and diapers.  I could only fit 4 size 5 diapers at max, but i'm sure you could fit more with a smaller size.  I usually keep my diapering needs inside of a Be Quick and I can fit about 6 diapers with a buti-pod for my wipes, plus my disposable bags and a tube of diaper cream.  So the be quick is more compact and fits more for me, but the accessibility of Petunia's changing station makes it a toss up.

I love how you can just place the bag on the changing table and without digging through the bag for the changing pad, it just easily unzips right there.  Then you have your diapers and wipes right there and when your done you just fold it back in and zip it away.  I think it is so clever!

Another great feature of the changing pad is that if it gets dirty which it will, you can just pull it off of the velcro strip and toss it in the washing machine.  I'm not a huge fan of velcro on my bags, but in this case it works.

Something that does bug me a little is the wipes case and the diapers stick out above the top of the pocket a little when it's all zipped up, so not a huge deal, but just a little pet peeve.

The handles are a nice length and they look really nice, but since they are rolled they are not the most comfortable to wear.  If it's not packed with much I can wear it this way, but normally I wear it using the messenger strap because it's just the most comfortable.

The main compartment of the bag closes with a zipper.  It doesn't go all the way to the edges, but it still keeps everything safe and secure.

The zipper actually can come all the way undone so that the two panels on the top can fold down nicely to give you more of a tote bag feel.  Plus you can see everything super easy this way.

The interior has two elastic pockets on the sides that could fit smaller bottles, a tube of sunscreen, a thin, rolled up blanket, etc.  The front panel has two good size slip pockets and the back has a zippered pocket that I like to use for first aide, medicine, and extra pacifiers.  That gives you some good organizational pockets and still leaves you with a good amount of space for everything else you will need.  What's nice about this bag is it keeps it's structure and you can pack it really full without the bag changing it's shape and looking weird.  I like the cotton feel of the interior, but it is not very cleanable if anything should spill.

Overall it is a great option for a mamma who wants to have all the function of a diaper bag, but still wants to look like she is carrying a larger, fun purse.  

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• glazed fabric is easy to wipe down
• beautifully made with excellent materials
• two carrying options ( sad there is no backpack option since it's my favorite)
• comes in many colors and fabric options
• plenty of organizational pockets
• Zip out changing station- super cool
• unzips all the way to get in and out easily
• looks pursish 

Cons:

• tote handles are uncomfortable
• not the easiest bag to keep clean inside and out
• the changing station can get a little bulky and doesn't hold as many diapers as I thought it would
• not protection on the bottom