A great diaper bag when you need to tote lots of gear

I loved this bag when my son was less than a year old, and going out meant almost-certain diaper changes. It carries plenty of diapers and wipes, plus it has room for toys and things like that to keep your little one entertained. But, despite its size, the Duo isn't good at holding a LOT of big things at once. We can't fit our plastic placemat and small-sized insulated lunch pack in the bag at the same time -- it's one or the other at best, and that kind of defeats the purpose!

Pros
- This bag holds all the basics you need for a full day away, especially if you are only bringing along baby food, not finger foods for a bigger child.
- Dad doesn't look stupid carrying this bag; in fact, he looks pretty hip!
- Lots of storage for the price; a lot of other bags I checked out in this price range didn't have as many zipper compartments or storage.
- The mesh cup holder on the side holds great big fat sippy cups, but the drawstring feature also lets it keep a tight grip on slender water bottles, too.
- The velcro on the cell phone pocket is nice and secure -- I don't worry that my phone is going to slip out.

Cons
- If you choose a light color (like light blue!), be aware that the bag will show dirt quite easily.
- The main pocket is very deep, and therefore hard to use while you are wearing the bag. You can stick your hand in there, but fishing around such a large compartment with the bag slung across a shoulder isn't easy -- especially since you're also probably holding a baby or pushing a stroller simultaneously!
- It can be hard to get the diaper changing pad back in the back pocket if you're only using one hand. It fits pretty exactly so you can't just shove it in and be done with it.
- The bag is rather large for a short jaunt, or if your baby is old enough to where you don't need to carry everything and the kitchen sink.

About that stroller-handle strap...
I've never used it. Not once. I've never even been tempted. You have to unbuckle the shoulder strap from the bag, replace the shoulder strap with the stroller-handle strap parts, and then hang the bag from the stroller. Which might be nice if you were going to be pushing the stroller for hours on end, but if you need to take the bag off the stroller and carry it with you, you'd have to go fish the shoulder strap out of the bag and switch out for the stroller strap again. It's cumbersome and not worth the trouble. It's much easier, if your stroller allows, to just store the Duo in the basket under the stroller. Or, as I do, just keep the Duo slung across your body. This is one of those features that sounds really awesome, but actually isn't in real life.

Overall
The Duo is a well-made bag at a good price, and it will serve both Mom and Dad well for a good long time. It's not the greatest bag for a short trip or for when you need to carry big or weird-shaped items, but for most of your diaper bag needs, this is a smart choice.