Essential Equipment: Wet Bags

By Brianna

In which Brianna explains wet bags, their typical manifestations, and what to look for as you accumulate your own fleet of this highly useful piece of gear.  This informative article contains a combination of affiliate and non-affiliate links.

You need a wet bag.

You need a wet bag.  I don’t care if you have kids or not, everyone needs a wet bag.  If you have a baby, you extra super duper need a fleet of wet bags, but everyone else should have one anyway.

Kids are messy.  Babies leak from every place imaginable.  I was definitely relieved when I stripped dirty clothes off Monkey and had a wet bag in which to place them.  When my wet bag was already back home to be washed, I had to resort to plastic diaper disposal bags to save the interior of our diaper bag.  Please, avoid putting wet clothes in plastic bags.  The result is incredibly gross, and sometimes went straight to the trash, with no hope of redemption.  If you're building a baby registry right now, read this article, and then go add wet bags to your list.  Add more than one, or you'll end up like me, throwing out clothes that got gross fast.

Monkey is no longer a leaky baby, but I still love our wet bags.  Now that it’s wintertime, we’ll be spending more time in the pool at our gym.  I have one bag just big enough to hold my suit and Monkey’s, but I still prefer the one we got from the baby section.  That bad boy is big enough to hold the whole family’s suits, and then some. I think I might start giving it as a gift to friends who are going someplace tropical for their honeymoon.  

What do I look for in a wet bag?

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1. Size. Some wet bags are barely large enough to hold a bikini.  If that’s all you have that will ever be wet, this size is fine.  But I think even then you should opt for a slightly bigger bag than you think you need.  What if you have a wet bikini AND a wrap or t-shirt?  Or your friend doesn’t have a bag of their own?  Think about what you’ll use your wet bag for, and then get one that will leave you with a little extra room, and you’ll always look brilliant and prepared.
   
2. Shape. Wet bags for bathing suits are usually rectangles that look like the product of a beachy tote bag and a trendy clutch.  Once again, this is fine for something small.  My favorite wet bag is semi-circle shaped, which allows it to accomodate other wet items, like shoes or snow gear.
3. Zipper.  There are wet bags with drawstrings, but I’m not a fan.  Water will drip out through the opening, or your things will sneak out as your bag jostles.  Or it's a drawstring because it's a backpack, and now you're wearing a slimy wet backpack.  EWWW!  Make sure your wet bag has a quality zipper.  In the summertime, you can buy adorable wet bags pretty much everywhere.  You can pick one up in the grocery store for a few dollars.  But really look at the zipper.  Does it feel cheap, or look weak?  Does it look like it can stand up to water, or will it rust easily?  Are there other bags on the shelf whose zippers are already ruined?  Without a strong zipper, your wet bag is basically useless.

​You can buy a wet bag anywhere you might pick up a cute swimsuit or poolside accessories.  Those will mostly be the rectangle sort, but their size and quality will vary based on the store.  If it’s not exactly swimsuit season near you, or you’re looking for a much larger bag, the internet is your best friend.  I’m going to link you to some of my current favorites from across the web.  If you want to do your own search, here are some alternative phrases to help you find just the right thing.

​wet bag, dry bag, swimsuit bag,
swim bag, diaper keeper

Don’t be afraid to use any of those phrases, even if they don’t sound like what you’re looking for.  A good waterproof bag is what it is, whether you’re keeping diapers in it or not.  If you take a little time, I’m confident that you can find just the thing to match your style and your needs for many years.  

These are at a great price point to accompany a gift for a baby shower or bridal shower. Example: if you're giving new parents some bibs or diapers, add a wet bag.  Families with small kids will appreciate them as a gift at any time of year, and anyone who loves to swim or play in the snow will enjoy getting a nice one for a birthday or holiday.​

Ariel’s Two Cents: I have gotten so much use out of my fleet of wet bags! Ever become obsessed with something even before you have a good reason to flip out? For me that was wet bags. When I was putting together my baby registry, I could not get enough of them! The fun patterns! The versatility! And I had even more reason to love them than most. I cloth diapered for the first 6 months of Bean’s life. Planning on going green? Go buy several wet bags right now. Seriously. You will go through so many ziplock bags transporting used diapers. I also pumped exclusively. If you are planning on pumping outside of the house, wet bags come in handy for keeping sanitized unused pump parts away from the already used. But make sure the bag has two separate compartments if you are using wet bags for pumping purposes. One for clean one for unclean.This way you don’t cross contaminate parts. Also if you are pumping at work and have access to a refrigerator, wet bags are even more handy. With a wet bag all you have to do is shake off the parts, put them in the bag, then stick the whole bag in the refrigerator. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. I pumped exclusively and did not slow down as a travel enthusiast. Wet bags made it possible.

If you're interested in buying wet bags that we like, check out this list and click on your favorites.  Some are affiliate links, which means we get paid when you buy them, and that helps keep Busy Nest News going.  Thanks!

Brianna & Ariel's Favorite!
Kanga Care Wet Bag in Aquarius**
We both LOVE this bag, so it's getting five whole eggs.
​Brianna: ​These wet bags by Kanga Care are great!  They are huge, their half-cylinder shape allows them to accomodate bulky items, and they are well made with excellent materials.  Bonus: They come in over 30 colors!  I was esepcially impressed to see some winter and holiday prints, as these bags are a great choice for wet snow gear, such as hats, gloves and socks.
Ariel: For large loads, i.e.: containing a day's worth of dirty cloth diapers. Rather than a diaper pail, I used this wet bag in the fox print. Because foxes. What does the fox say? Use me!
​**Affiliate link

Planet Wise Wet Diaper Bag in Jewel**
They are on the smaller side. So this is my throw-in-the-diaper-bag bag. But the real reason I love them? They have a metric ton of fun prints. I may have a few...
** Affiliate Link

Bumkins Zippered Wet Bag in Feather**
This bag is more like your typical wet bag.  Rectangular and ubiquitous, it will hold soiled baby gear or a wet swimsuit.  It also comes in several colors and prints, so everyone in the family can have and identify their own.  It's well rated on Amazon, and roughly half the price of the Kanga Care bags.
**Affiliate link

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Pump 2 Nurse Purse**
For pumping. See what I mean? Two separate zippered compartments.   Bonus: This one comes with a mat and two washable nursing pads.  What's not to love?
**Affiliate Link

Wet Bags for Men, by SewingPro on Etsy
Angela Sokolova, the owner of Etsy shop SewingPro, has designed these wet bags with men in mind.  If you know a man who frequents the pool or beach, he would probably appreciate a bag like this.  Of course anyone can use them to carry anything that might be wet, so if this is your style, you're welcome.  This is not an affiliate link; we just think they're cool.  

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House Sigils Extra Small Wet Bag, by Cat and Wolf Designs on Etsy
Measuring in at only 9x5 inches (22.8x12.7 cm), this bag is small.  That makes it perfect for a single swimsuit, toiletries, or baby feeding gear.  A great choice for someone obsessed with Game of Thrones.  Not an affiliate link, just awesome.

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