It’s the bag you never knew you needed until suddenly you did. Becoming a parent is a game changer, and it’s like almost overnight, you go from leaving the house with only the keys to not remembering life without a baby bag (aka nappy bag).
As a new mum or dad, the fourth trimester can be overwhelming, and that one trip out of the house can feel like an almighty feat. We hear you… the whole ‘everything but the kitchen sink’ packing situation is real. But it needn’t be exhausting, the right nappy bag can be a God send, making life that much easier.
Cue - the leather baby bag - also affectionately known in new mum circles as the nappy backpack or diaper bag.
The holy grail of baby bags, a high quality leather nappy bag or nappy backpack - such as our APOSTL Vienna Baby Bag, has a dual purpose, acting as a chic fashion statement while also being functional AND easy to clean (#amen).
Unlike cotton or material tote bags that stain easily or don’t offer compartments (hello spills!), a good nappy backpack made of leather caters to both fashion and functionality in mind.
Within the APOSTL range (see here), we want mums and dads to know they have been thought of, which is why all our nappy backpacks have multiple compartments and feature leather and suede fabric that makes life on-the-go much easier (and stress-free!) once you learn how to clean the leather bag.
To help busy parents on the go, we’ve created a list of the benefits of a nappy backpack, why it’s worth the investment and tips on how to clean your leather bag in a time efficient way.
Read below to learn more about nappy backpacks including features of the APOSTL Vienna baby bag and how to clean your leather bags and so they stay in shape year round.
What should I look for when choosing a nappy bag?
As a local leather company, family, functionality and fashion are all front of mind for us at APOSTL, which is why the Vienna Bags (nappy backpacks) are designed from first-hand experience.
We get that once a baby comes along your hands will be full. Our nappy bag was birthed out of a need to solve our own dilemma after not being able to find the perfect nappy backpack that was fashionable and also gender neutral, for days when parents swap baby minding shifts.
With leather being a luxe fabric that always looks good, suits both mums and dads and can mask as a day bag or weekender bag if need be, by choosing a genuine leather nappy bag you can trust it is going to serve you and be a lifelong investment you’re grateful for.
After our own trials and tribulations road-testing nappy bags, we came to discover a few essential ‘must haves’ for leather bags and nappy backpacks. Read on below for tips on investing in the right one.
3 Non-Negotiables Of A Nappy Bag
1. Functionality - does the nappy bag have space, compartments and secure zips? It should have enough space for nappies, toys, bottles and personal adult essentials such as makeup, wallet, snacks.
2. Durability - will it go the mile and last longer than the fourth trimester? Can you clean the leather bag and learn how to clean leather bag in a way that is simple, easy, practical when time poor?
When investing in a leather bag (in particular a nappy backpack) you want it to be a lifelong sidekick (potentially through many pregnancies) so make sure it’s 100% genuine leather.
3. Sustainability - Is the leather sustainable material? Is the leather bag ethically made? Will it be able to see out the season and any season thereafter? The leather should be able to last the long term versus disposable (faux leather).
We recommend purchasing 100 % genuine leather such as leather nappy bags from our Apostl range, which are ethically sourced and made.
The other consideration is - where it’s made and how is it made? Can it hold your baby’s essential products safely and with integrity? Can you trust the nappy bag has been made with minimum toxins and under ethical practises and guidelines? To learn more about our ethos, read here.
The Benefits Of Our Baby Bag
The Vienna Bag is the final product of years of perfecting the ultimate nappy backpack.
With parents in mind, we used our own first-hand experience and feedback from customers to fine tune the perfect leather nappy bag and we believe it ticks all the boxes and makes day trips and cleaning a breeze!
Our nappy backpack features the following:
- 100 per cent genuine leather (cows hide) and ethically sourced.
- Locally designed in Tasmania and an Australian owned brand.
- Each is hand stitched and made by a local designer in Indonesia (meet the maker here).
- Features include: a large wide zip front opening - to make space for larger items such as sweaters, baby blankets, lunch boxes, nappies. Front, side and back pockets.
- Three iconic colours - black, tan and nude.
- Soft pebble leather finish which is durable, won’t wrinkle easily and is safe and easy to wipe.
- All of the pockets: 7 internal and 1 concealed zipper pocket at rear of bag for valuables.
- Baby bottle or drink bottle holders - one on each side.
- Padded shoulder straps to support spine and posture (because carrying a baby is enough strain).
- Multi-purpose leather bag - can be used for day trips or as a weekender or office bag.
How to clean a leather bag: do’s and don’ts
Do: Dust off regularly
The best reason to invest in leather is the minimal cleaning it requires. To know best how to clean your leather bag and keep it in top shape we encourage regularly removing routine layers of dust as a weekly must. Using a lint-free cloth, either brush off with a dry cloth or for dirt marks, dampen with a drop or two of water and wipe the leather.
Don’t: Wash with laundry liquid
As a lifelong product, leather is durable, but just the same way you would dry clean a silk dress rather than throw it in the tumble dryer or washing machine, leather is much the same. While leather is a sustainable material, it’s important to know how to clean your leather bag and understand why you can't wash leather in a traditional way. Instead stick to purchasing leather cleaning products or following our leather bag cleaning protocols below.
Do: Dab down
Understanding why can't you wash leather like shoes or clothes is essential. Rather than using a foaming solution and scrubbing a leather bag the way you might rub back and forth to remove a stain from a white clothes, focus on wetting a cleaning cloth and lightly dabbing the affected area. This is the best way to know how to clean your leather bag gently while maintaining integrity of the leather.
Don’t: Use baby wipes or a homemade cleaning solution to clean your leather bag
It can be tempting to want to save money and trust online ‘how to clean your leather bag’ forums, but as a leather brand we can’t emphasise enough how important it is to only use leather approved products (or nothing at all). Most cleaning products contain toxins such as chemicals that can damage the colour, the quality or the suppleness of the leather (resulting in a dried and cracked leather bag).
Don’t: Use a hair dryer
If you’re a time poor parent, it’s natural you may want to dry your leather bag with a quick zap of the hair dryer but it is one of the most potentially damaging things you could do.
Using a hairdryer or any artificial heat (i.e. leaving to dry beside a heater) can lead to shrinking the leather material and leaving it to become dry, stiff and damaged. When in doubt, don’t.
Do: Turn inside out and air dry
Most leather has a suede interior and in the Apostl range, all our leather bags are malleable and wide enough to reverse and turn inside out.
By slowly reversing the inside suede out, you can shake out any loose crumbs and then dust or dab the suede inside to clean. This is the easiest way to figure out how to clean your leather bag. Then hang up and air dry on the clothing line or hang over a chair for a quick, damage-free Spring clean.
Do: Condition regularly
No one wants patchy leather. If you happen to end up with a spot or two on your leather bag, be it from a too damp cleaning cloth or getting caught in the rain, it’s important to recover the leather’s natural oils.
When leather gets wet, the oil contained in cow’s hide can bind to the water molecules and result in the leather losing the natural oils that keep it soft. This leads to brittle leather and a less luxe, supple finish.
To keep leather buttery soft and smooth, we recommend regularly conditioning with an A-grade leather conditioning product or olive oil.
For more tips on how to clean your leather bag check out Cleaning and Conditioning APOSTL Leather blog here.