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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
Hi everyone… if you have read my reviews before then you will already know about my addiction….. Polka Dots! I’m not afraid to admit …I am a Polka Dot addict! So when I got the opportunity to review a Red Spot changing bag from the City range of Miracle Bags I was over the moon. Actually that is an understatement! When I was waiting for this bag to be delivered I was like a child waiting for Christmas! I was so excited at the prospect of owning such a stunning bag!
When it arrived I was not disappointed. The bag is beautiful! It is my DREAM BAG! It is classed as a baby changing bag but I can tell you now that this bag will be used as a luggage bag, a beach bag, a swimming bag…a ‘whatever I can think of to put in it really’ bag! I just want to use it forever (I love it that much!) so I will be using this well after I cease needing a changing bag for my daughter.
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| Side view of the Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag |
The quality is amazing and there is lots of pockets for all your little bits and bobs that you need to pop in a changing bag. Such as medicine sachets, tissues, spoons, bibs etc. The bag has is divided into two main zipped compartments / sections and each one fastens with a two way zip.
I love two way zips as it means you can put lots of things into the bag and then if the zip doesn’t quite want to go over all the stuff you zip up from the other end and stop when the zip will go no further. For example you could have a magazine sticking out the middle or a bottle of fizzy drink or a folder, etc. I’m sure you get what I mean. I just like the fact that you have the option of either zipping it straight over or zipping it up from both ends.
The bag has 4 small zip -up pockets on the outside of the bag, 2 zip up compartments in each of the large sections of the bag and an elasticated pocket on one end of the bag. The zip pulls on the bag are a chrome colour and easy to pull. They are a nice added touch.
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| Photo showing the side pockets of the Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag |
I have had no issues whatsoever with the zips sticking on the bag which must mean that they are great quality. The bag has lots of room in it and I am being very good and re-filling it every evening, with nappies, etc. I must say being organised is not in my nature but a lot of my organisation of re-filling the bag with essentials is down to the fact I am also using the ‘Baby Essentials Organiser’ that is available to buy separately.( I will give the full details of that in the next review).
I couldn’t manage to get a photo of the inside of the compartments as every time I tried the photo came out blurred because the flash bounced back from the material. I have taken a photo of the base so you can see how big that it and each compartment of the bag is equivalent to half the width of the base.
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| Photo showing the base of the Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag |
The first changing bag I used with my daughter was a changing bag that came free from Boots parenting club. There was nothing wrong with it…just there wasn’t enough space for me to put all the baby things I needed and there was a lack of pockets. I also had a Graco changing bag that matched my pushchair and I hardly ever used that as it only fastened with a press stud and there was hardly any pockets in that either. I have since then reviewed a changing bag from Caboodle Bags that was nice and spacious and one of my friends is in the process of reviewing a fashionable white changing bag from Tippitoes for My Mummy Reviews. So I do consider that I know quite a bit about the variety of changing bags on the market!
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
Having now road-tested the Red Spot Miracle Bag for the last 6 weeks and having used it daily, I can honestly say that this changing bag is by far my favourite changing bag …EVER! A lot of this has to do with the polka dot print as I find it cheerful, fun and so ME! Although there is no mistaking the fact that this is a superb quality bag made to the highest standard.
It costs £39.95 which is more than I would normally consider paying for a changing bag but now that I know just how good it is I would definitely recommend to all of you that you buy one! If I could justify it I would also buy the bag in the Vintage Navy Spot and Black Spot. But I don’t suppose I really need 3 changing bags?! Hmmm…I’m sure I could think up some reasons. 🙂
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| Photo showing the elasticated side pocket and the metal carabiner clips on the Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag |
The bag is also available in Black Patent Finish, Lotus Flower and Black Flower. These designs are really classy and sophisticated and in my opinion I think the polka dot designs are fun and fashionable. If you follow fashion you will know that Kitsch is in …so a spotty changing bag is the fashion accessory you just have to have!
The bag is made from a wipe-clean 100% cotton laminated material. It is lined with a wipe clean waterproof red material with an elegant dandelion print in white. The changing mat that comes with the bag is also made from this same lining material. One side of the mat is red dandelion patent material and the other side is the same material but in a thinner weight and not laminated. These sandwich together the padding in the middle. The changing mat is quite large and folds into 3 to easily slip it in to the changing bag. If you are using this with a newborn or young child this is perfect as it is nice and padded to help protect their delicate head from the surface beneath the mat. It is equally as good with an older toddler but I have instead opted to use the changing mat from the ‘Baby Essentials Organiser’ that is available to buy separately.( I will give the full details of that in the next review.)
The changing bag appears to be very hard-wearing and I see no reason why it shouldn’t last for many years to come. I am unsure yet whether my daughter will like polka dots when she is older (she may be fed up of them by then!)…if she does I may just let her have the bag, if not…I’ll be keeping it for myself!
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| Photo of te Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag |
The bag is very practical as the outer and inner materials are both wipe-clean. The bag is very spacious and I have been able to fit in everything I need for a day out. . . which really does make it a MIRACLE BAG ! Even when I am just popping out to the shops I pack for every eventuality.
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
Here is a list of just some of the things in my lovely Spotty bag at the minute:-
5 nappies, pack of Jackson Reece baby wipes( here’s my review of those), a bottle of follow on milk, a beaker, 2 dummies in a case, tissues, medicine, spare change of clothes, toddler backpack with reins, a container with biscuits, a pouch of puree, some rice cakes, digital camera, changing mat, nail scissors, muslin, vaseline, a carton of juice, a couple of toys, purse, phone, etc, etc. The list is endless!
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
Just yesterday we all went out for a meal for Mother’s Day and my brother couldn’t believe the amount of stuff I took out with me for just a few hours! I suppose I feel happiest knowing I have got all the essentials close by. You never know what you’ll need on a day out with a child… I don’t think these things can be planned! But it doesn’t matter what I pack into the bag I’ll probably have forgotten the very thing I needed the most… oh the woes of Baby Brain!
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
The bag has a removable webbing shoulder strap which you can use to hang the bag over your pushchair handles or use it to wear the bag across your body or over your shoulder. I find it really useful to wear the bag across my body when I am trying to carry my sleeping daughter and changing bag both back into the house after a day out. The fact I can carry them both at the same time is a godsend. The strap is attached with metal carabiner clips so it is really easy to just remove the strap and use the grab handles if you prefer. The grab handles are really sturdy and easy to use and when they are not being used to carry the bag they just hang down out of the way.
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| Photo of the changing mat that comes with the Red Spot City Range Miracle Bag. |
The base of the bag is made of the same laminated spot material as the rest of the bag. I do think that an improvement Miracle Bag could make would be to add some studs to the base as then you wouldn’t need to worry about putting it down on muddy ground or on the pavement, etc. However, I know everyone isn’t probably going to be as fussed as me about trying to keep the lovely spotty bag in pristine condition and spotless (excuse the pun!).
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
In conclusion, I’m sure you’ve realised by now that I highly recommend this changing bag. It is a lot of money at nearly £40 but it is superior quality and it is an investment as it should last for ages and once it has outgrown it’s use as a changing bag it can easily be used as a bag for holidays, etc.
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
If you would like to buy your own Miracle Bag then please click here to see the full range of changing bags available. Not only do they have the City Range (that I have just reviewed) but there is the Universal Range, the fabulous new Chic Range (which you can now pre-order before it is launched in June 2011) and the Exclusive Overnight Maternity Wheeled Bags (very classy and equally useful for mums and mums-to-be). Postage is different for each item on the site but the delivery cost for the City Range bag is £4.80 within the UK.
If you are interested in buying the Baby Essentials Organiser that I have briefly mentioned then you can purchase that here. I will be writing a full review on the Organiser in the next few days and in the next few weeks there will also be a review of the Black Croc Wheeled Overnight Bag.
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| Baby Essentials Organiser from Miracle Bag. Needs to be bought seperately from the changing bags |
If you visit the website you will see that they also sell lots of other products ranging from 5 weeks of heated birth pool hire to bump support bands under two other brand names The Miracle Box and Miracle TENS.
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| Photo courtesy of Miraclebag.co.uk |
If you have any questions regarding any of the Miracle products then please don’t hesitate to contact Martin Beckley, the founder and owner of Miracle Products. On the ‘About’ page of the website Martin says that he has one goal and that is “For all mums to have had, be using or to experience a miracle box, miracleTENS or miracle bag” so I am sure he would be happy to help answer any questions you may have about his products. You can contact him on 0870 803 3371 or by emailing customerservice@themiraclebox.co.uk
Here is a list of links to the Miracle Product websites:-
http://www.themiraclebox.co.uk/
http://www.themiraclebag.co.uk/
http://www.miracletens.co.uk/
http://www.birthball-handbook.co.uk/