A note about milk safety – although some bags are marketed as being able to keep bottles of milk warm for hours on end, we have questions about the safety of this practice. Bacteria loves to grow in warm environments, so keeping a bottle of milk warm for a long period of time seems questionable at best, especially when it’s going to be fed to a vulnerable infant. The best changing bags have space for all the baby and toddler paraphenalia you need to carry around. But finding one that you actually like and feel good carrying? That's the holy grail. The stylish mums of the Mumsnet forums are experts on finding the essential baby gear that's designed to look great as well as for practicality. Many modern changing bags are designed to look good while offering practical features too, so it's perfectly possible to find a changing bag you're also happy to use for other situations. In the early months and years of parenthood, you'll be using your changing bag a lot, so it makes sense to put as much consideration and money towards it as you would any other everyday bag. What to look for when choosing a changing bag Worn on the hip with a long crossbody strap. Our tester found that leaning forward could sometimes cause the bag to swing around in front. While one bag may look more attractive than another at first glance, real-world testing offers a better insight into how practical a bag truly is – especially how it performs in those spontaneous ‘we-never-could-have-predicted-this’ moments (always more likely to occur when you add a runny poo to the equation).

Here at Mumsnet, we're dedicated to making parents' lives easier and we know how much difference the right product can make. That's why we've vetted and reviewed all sorts of products, from the best breast pumps to the best baby bottles - turning to the real experts: the real parents of the Mumsnet forums, for recommendations. Its contemporary design makes travelling a breeze, whilst the unique 3 in 1 system comprising of separate feeding and changing pod, provides organisation with military precision. Standout from the crowd with the newly designed map print feeder pod, and have essentials at the end of your fingertips with the help of the mini map print pod. Pacapod’s solution is their 3-in-1 changing bag organiser. It basically takes all the stuff you need to get out of the house, and sorts it out, keeping the messy, essential kid stuff away from your clean, important grown-up stuff. After thoroughly testing each bag, we then scored them on several criteria, including comfort, aesthetics, value for money, practicality and cleanliness. These days, changing bags come with all sorts of useful functions. We recommend you consider what’s necessary for you and your baby’s needs, then take a look at our list to inspire your choice. We took the advice of Mumsnetters on our forums - real parents who’ve used and rated these bags - alongside trusted online publications. Importantly, we did our own testing of some of these bags, to see how they coped in the real world. Whether you want something budget, stylish, small or all-singing-all-dancing, we hope there’s something on here for everyone.

What’s the best changing bag to buy?

These scores allowed us to compare the bags as objectively as possible and to award our favourite bags with coveted Mumsnet Best awards. Any bags that failed our tests were not included in our recommendations. We then added other bags to our list, based on research. Why you should trust us Want to feed your hungry little one? Grab the insulated Feeder Pod. Need a pristine new nappy? Like, now? There’s a special Changer Pod for that too. And how about your own stuff? There are many handy safe compartments in PacaPod changing bags, so your keys, phone and purse can all be carefully stashed (away from Looks for added extras - is there a perfect-fit changing mat included or do you need to buy one separately? Transparency is really important to us and that's why we're always upfront about how we tested the products we recommend. We won't always recommend the cheapest products or the ones with the most extra features. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones we'd recommend to our own friends and family.

Do you feel good wearing it? This is very important as you'll be using this bag a lot. Don't forget your own style (and that of your partner) when making your choice. We also asked writer Becca Heyes to test a selection of changing bags and let us know her thoughts. As a mum to a boisterous two-year-old and a three-month-old baby, Becca was able to offer insight into what makes a really great changing bag that will grow with a family and last for years to come. Over the course of three months, Becca rigorously tested a shortlist of 15 bags before narrowing them down to favourites, some of which we included on this list. We combined all of this research to choose a selection of products that we think offer something for everybody. How we tested:The spill test: We spilt a small amount of milk onto each bag, both inside and out (something that’s sure to happen in the lifetime of any changing bag), then cleaned them up as best we could. We assessed how easily the bag was able to be wiped clean and whether there were any stains or smells left behind.