When you’re traveling with a baby or toddler, your diaper bag becomes your lifeline. But what exactly needs to go in it to avoid meltdowns (theirs and yours)? In this post, I’m sharing our tried-and-true travel diaper bag essentials — the real items we pack, the ones we’ve ditched, and a few must-haves that have saved our sanity on flights and road trips. Whether you’re prepping for your first family getaway or fine-tuning your system, this guide is for you.
And if you use checklists as much as I do, don’t miss the free printable diaper bag packing list at the end of the post!
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Choosing the Right Diaper Bag
Before we get into what to pack in a diaper bag, let’s talk about the bag itself. The best travel diaper bags have a few things in common:
- Easy and comfortable to carry
- Roomy but organized
- Durable and easy to clean
We have been using Bag Nation’s Diaper Bag Backpack for four years, but unfortunately, it’s no longer available. The closest alternative I have found is the Parker Baby Diaper Backpack. Some of the features we like that are present in both diaper bags:
- the insulated pockets for bottles
- the diaper pockets inside (two pockets great for two kids in different size diapers)
- the portable changing pad
- the main compartment opens all the way to the bottom
Honorable mention: If you’re not a backpack wearer or you already carry your own backpack as your carry-on, another option is a tote-style diaper bag. I have actually been using a diaper bag tote as my carry-on since way before I had kids. So now it’s an added bonus that I have a second diaper bag! Again, the specific bag I have is no longer being made, but here’s the closest alternative: Dikaslon Diaper Bag Tote.
Travel Diaper Bag Essentials: What’s Inside
Diapering Supplies
- Diapers – Count how many you’ll need for the travel day(s) plus a few extras. Right now we’re mostly using pull-ups, and Pampers Cruisers 360 are our favorite pull-ups because they have the tab in the back so you can keep it closed after you take it off.
- Wipes – Pretty much any kind of baby wipes will get the job done, but our recommendation for traveling are the Pampers Complete Clean Baby Wipes. Their size, strength, and skin-friendliness make them super convenient to pull out for any messy situation on the go.
***Register for the Pampers Rewards app with our referral code 9843658 and get some bonus cash when you scan your first diaper code! - Changing Pad – If your diaper bag doesn’t already come with a changing pad, or if you want a more compact, self-sufficient version for times when you don’t want to carry the entire diaper bag, we recommend the Skip Hop Pronto Changing Pad.
- Diaper Cream – We use Triple Paste Diaper Rash Cream, and my MIL swears by Sudocrem. Remember that if you don’t have to stick to the 3.4 oz. rule here. Whether diaper rash cream is considered liquid or not, it is medically necessary for your baby. TSA will likely do additional screening, but they should let it through.
- Disposable Diaper Bags – Get the Munchkin Arm & Hammer Diaper Bag Dispenser. Not only are they great for stinky diapers that you can’t dispose of right away, but they also come in handy for clothes that suffered a blowout, spit up/throw up, or just a big food mess that simply cannot continue on in public!
Clothing & Cleanup
- Extra Outfits – I usually pack 2 spare outfits and a few extra pairs of underwear and socks for each kid. If you have room in your diaper bag, add one spare shirt for each parent.
- Pajamas / Sleep Sack – We don’t use them anymore, but for overnight travel, our favorite sleep sack was the Love to Dream Swaddle Up Transition Swaddle, because you can remove the “wings” when your child is ready to have their arms free.
- Burp Cloths – They can be used to clean up everything. Here are some cute wilderness themed burp cloths.
- Swaddle – Works as a cover, a blanket, or a towel if needed. Love these LifeTree swaddles if you’re headed to the beach!
Feeding On-The-Go
- Bottles – We tried a few different brands on our kids and both took to Dr. Brown’s. My only complaint is that the nipple caps don’t always stay tight if they have a rough ride in the diaper bag, but that’s what the screw caps are for. In every other respect they’re great!
- Sippy Cups – The Zak Designs Kelso Toddler Cups are perfect because they have a straw and really ARE leak-proof. Plus, they have several character options that make toddlers more excited to drink out of them!
- Our younger toddler still turns the cup upside-down to drink, so she’s not quite ready for the straw cups yet. For her we use Playtex Baby Stage 3 Sippy Cups. Again, lots of character options (ours are currently very into Paw Patrol).
- Snacks – Think mess-free, toddler-approved and not too difficult to handle.
- Snack Containers – The Elk and Friends Stainless Steel Snack Cups are really handy because they have the silicone food catcher and a travel lid that goes on top. We also have the Elk and Friends Stainless Steel Mason Jar Cups. They are good for holding larger portions of snacks, but we only use the drinking lids and straws at home because they do leak if tipped over.
Note: I didn’t include nursing items in the travel diaper bag essentials because I always had a separate nursing bag. Please reach out if you would like advice on packing pumping equipment, milk storage, finding nursing rooms and more!
Comfort & Entertainment
- Small, Quiet Toys – Some of our staples are this light switch busy board, these fidget spinners, and this drawing tablet.
- Lightweight Books – We love the Highlights Hello magazines for younger toddlers and Little Golden Books for older toddlers who can be kind to paper pages!
- Tablet – Sometimes we keep the kids tablet in one of our carry-on bags instead of the diaper bag. This way, the kids don’t know we have it unless we need to use it!
- Kids Headphones – Our kids love their iClever kids headphones. The colors are fun, there’s a safe volume setting, and they plug into each other so two kids can both hear the same thing at the same time!
- Travel Sound Machine and Night Light – We have the Yogasleep Travel Mini Sound Machine Nightlight. It’s great for helping your child feel at ease when it’s time to sleep in an unfamiliar environment. We’ve used it on airplanes, in cars, in hotel rooms and even outside!
If you’re planning to use audio or video entertainment on your phone or tablet, don’t forget to pre-download the content!
Parent Essentials
- Phone Charger and Power Bank – I just got this handheld mini fan, power bank and flashlight and I can’t wait to use it on my next trip!
- Headphones / Earbuds – My husband uses these earbuds which are super easy to toss in a diaper bag pocket. I never board an airplane without my bluetooth sleep headphones.
- We also have an airplane bluetooth adapter so we can use our own headphones to listen to the in-flight entertainment.
- Snacks and Water for YOU – We designate one side pouch for our own snacks, and we have a MiiR water bottle that we can clip to the side.
- Mini First-Aid Kit – Check out our First Aid Kit post for what to include!
You may choose to include your important travel documents in your travel diaper bag essentials, but we not. I prefer to have these in their own small bag that I keep on me at all times. Our IDs are easy to reach no matter how much other stuff I am carrying, and I feel safer knowing that it would be difficult for anyone to get to them without my knowledge. I like to use this Baggalini anti-theft bag.
What We Don’t Pack Anymore
Travel teaches you quickly what’s helpful, and what’s just taking up space. Here are a few things we’ve stopped packing in our diaper bag:
- Too many toys – A few favorites are enough. Toddlers are very good at keeping themselves entertained with what they have.
- Bibs – This is probably a personal preference, but we rarely used our bibs when we brought them. Either we didn’t think about it, or we tried, and our kid would end up wearing it backwards or taking it off. We assume their travel clothes will get dirty and would rather save the space for the extra change of clothes.
- Pre-packaged Snacks – They’re convenient, but we’ve found it’s usually cheaper to buy in bulk and portion snacks ourselves.
Download Our Free Printable Checklist
Want to double-check your bag before takeoff? Sign up for our email list to grab our free printable Diaper Bag Packing Checklist.
Print it, check things off as you go, and tweak it based on your kids’ ages and travel plans!
Final Tips
- Pack the diaper bag the day before – Earlier if you can, but you don’t want to be carrying around everything that you’ll pack for your trip before you need to.
- Keep the essentials accessible – Do your best to utilize your diaper bag pockets efficiently so you can access diapers, wipes and snacks quickly.
- Remember to think about the adults – Yes, you’ll likely have your own carry-on bags, but when you’re traveling (especially on a plane), you might only have the diaper bag within close reach. Keep the things you can’t be without in a designated adult pouch of the diaper bag.
Traveling with little ones might be chaotic at times, but being prepared can make all the difference. With the right essentials packed and your go-to gear ready, your diaper bag becomes your secret weapon for smooth(er) travel days.
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