On the opposite side from where you enter that main pocket, another side pocket is designed to hold diaper-changing materials, or the Sidekick, a separate diaper-bag waist pack. It’s not a particularly deep pocket, though, so it didn’t hold as many diapers as I would have liked; I often had more diapers in the larger interior pockets with a tube of diaper cream. I also tested the Sidekick and found it really didn’t fit into the pocket as easily as I’d hoped.
It also has stroller clips and a luggage pass-through, and can even fit a 15-inch laptop in one of the pockets, so it’s made for a variety of travel. It comes with a little insulated lunch bag, which is a fine size to fit two bottles or a couple of baby yogurts and an ice pack.
No Changing Pad
This bag is designed for parents. While I call it a diaper bag, since it has a pocket intended for diaper materials, it’s missing a key component: a changing pad.
Instead, No Reception includes a changing pad in the Sidekick. The Getaway Bag costs $235 on its own, and to bundle it with the Sidekick costs $275. (You’ll save some money, but it’s still not cheap by any means.) The Sidekick is a beautifully made waist pack, but it truly fits just a couple of diapers, a pack of wipes, and the included changing pad. I sometimes stuff my phone and wallet among the diapers, but it just feels weird that there’s nowhere else for my phone to go. (Then again, I also throw my phone into the changing pad pocket of my favorite diaper bag.)
Technically, I don’t need a changing pad, and I could easily purchase my own for much cheaper than $85 if I wanted to use the Getaway Bag without the Sidekick. But it’s frustrating that it’s left out when this backpack is already so pricey.
I can’t ignore that it’s well-made and much nicer to wear to an amusement park or take to grandma’s house for the day. My husband and I are both happy to wear and use the Getaway Bag, and I’ll stuff my phone between a few diapers in the Sidekick to bring the changing pad along for the day.
