Diaper caddies are a great way to have everything you need to change your little one right at your fingertips.
I love them because you don’t have to go to the changing table for every diaper and portable versions can be great for on-the-go!
As you work on your baby registry or start to outfit your home for your baby, thinking about a diaper caddy is a great idea!
Here you’ll learn about what to include, considerations to customize yours, and find cute suggestions to add to your registry or buy for your home.
Ready to make your diaper changes a little bit easier? Let’s do it!
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What is a diaper caddy, and why do I need one?
A diaper caddy is a little life hack I like to share with mamas because it’s a very simple way to make things easier – especially in those early days! It’s basically just a basket, bin, or cart where you store essential diapering and changing supplies for your baby.
The idea is that you keep it on the main level of your home if you live in a two-story house, or in the living room/common space where you likely spend a lot of your time. Because one less trip up and down the stairs or into the nursery is a definite win.
Depending on the size and layout of your house it can even be worth it to put together a few different strategically placed diaper caddies. An “on-the-go” diaper caddy for the car is also a fantastic idea.
As far as do you need a diaper caddy in your life? Well, I definitely wouldn’t go as far as saying you have to have one of these – but why not make things easier for yourself and your partner if you can!
Related Reading: Small Space Nursery Ideas
Which type of diaper caddy is right for you?
Now that you know what a diaper caddy is – and why they are so great to have – let’s talk about types of diaper caddies. Because believe it or not, there are actually a lot of different kinds.
When you read through this list, you might realize that you can benefit from more than one type. Maybe you want a portable one for downstairs, one for travel, and one hanging in the nursery closet for organization purposes!
1. Portable diaper caddy basket
This definitely tends to be the most popular type of diaper caddy because you can pick them up and move them around easily. And because of this there are tons of options out there so that you can find something that fits your unique style!
When I talk about a basket-style caddy, I don’t necessarily mean a traditional woven basket (though that is a great choice!). Basket-style caddies can be made of rope, felt, leather, cloth, canvas – the options are endless!
To go with this option, you can get something that is specifically meant to be a diaper caddy, or you can use any basket with handles to store your diapering items.
Pros of a portable diaper caddy
- You can choose a size that works best for you
- You can pick different colors, patterns, materials, and styles to match your home
- You can find ones with more or less compartments depending on your needs
- And of course – they are portable! Handles make this easy to tote around the house with you
Drawbacks to a basket
- Some basket caddies might be too small for people that are really looking to stock up
- Material may be trickier to clean depending on what you choose
Some cute portable diaper caddy options
2. Travel diaper caddy
So technically this is different than a diaper bag but essentially has all, or most, of the same items that you might keep in a diaper bag.
A travel diaper caddy is essentially a bin, basket, or another organizer that you can keep in the car or even the trunk with all your diapering needs inside.
Since most travel caddies are pretty similar to the features of a basket caddy, you can expect very similar pros and cons!
One additional pro over a diaper bag is that travel diaper caddies are often very organized and prevent searching through a “black hole” of stuff when it’s time to change your baby.
Top travel diaper caddy picks
3. Hanging diaper caddy
A hanging diaper caddy is something that I see a little less often, but is a great choice if you have a smaller space or want something that is really tucked away. Basically, think of one of those hanging toiletry things for adults – but filled with diapering essentials!
Most hanging diaper caddies come with hooks or buckles so you can hang or attach them to a changing table, wall, crib, pack and play, etc. You can also use hanging organizers that aren’t specific to diapers such us shoe organizers, over-the-door spice racks, and other over-the door organization systems like that.
While hanging diaper caddies are technically “portable” – they aren’t moved as easily as a basket with handles (and are usually bulkier too). So you likely wouldn’t want to be moving it around as often.
Pros to a hanging diaper caddy
- They can hold a good amount of things
- You can find them in all different shapes and sizes
- Can hang it up higher or behind a closed cabinet or door to get it out of the way. This is a perk especially if you have other little ones around that might be trying to get into things
Potential drawbacks to a hanging diaper caddy
- They are not as easy to move from place to place
- You may not have a good space to hang one depending on your home, furniture, and layout!
Hanging diaper caddy ideas you’ll love
4. Changing table caddy
For space and organization purposes, a hanging caddy can work great when considering having it as part of the changing table. This might be a soft-structure organize or a clip-on sort of basket.
Changing table caddies can also be used on the top of the changing table if space allows. This would be a spot to keep just a few diapers, creams, and wipes, with more of these items stored in the changing table below.
Pros to this approach
- You will likely be doing a lot of baby’s diaper changes right there on the changing table so having one attached to the changing table will be super convenient
- If it’s a hanging caddy then it will also share all the same pros associated with the list above!
- Most hanging caddies attach to the side of the changing table, so they are easy to “hide” and are out of the way
- It will keep things really organized at the changing table!
Cons to this type of caddy
- Probably not as portable or easy to move around as the basket-style caddy – so can’t take the place of that
- Can be bulky and cumbersome
Cute changing table diaper caddies
Things to consider when looking for a diaper caddy
Okay, so now let’s talk about some options and considerations for your diaper caddy! To be honest, there isn’t really a wrong way to do this – and you don’t have to overthink it if you don’t want to.
Anything that can hold some diapers and wipes will certainly work. But it can definitely feel good to have a cute and organized caddy, so let’s break it down!
1. Diaper caddy size
This is probably the most important thing to consider and will vary based on your living space and where you plan to store your diaper caddy.
For example, if you have a lot of space to work with, a rolling metal cart can be a really great option. But if your space is smaller or you prefer something more discreet, a basket with dividers or one with a zip-top might be more appropriate.
You may even be able to find something that can fit inside of an existing closet or cabinet if you’d like it to be out of sight when not in use!
2. How much do you want to spend?
Just like with everything – there is a wide range of price points that could work for your diaper caddy.
There are some more “luxury” diaper caddies, like this beautiful handmade seagrass one, but there are more affordable ones as well, like this simple woven rope option or felt-like caddy.
3. Think about storage space within the caddy
You definitely want to consider something with enough space to accommodate a handful of diapers and a pack of wipes, if nothing else.
Depending on whether or not you go for the basket style or hanging caddy, you might prefer only dividers inside or you might want dividers plus pockets and other storage components along the perimeter.
You may also prefer a caddy without dividers! It’s really all up to you.
4. What style, look, and vibe do you love?
There are hundreds of different options when it comes to caddy colors, patterns, and styles. I know you’ll be able to find something that perfectly matches your aesthetic.
I thought it might be helpful to put together some different ideas to help inspire something that you love! Click on any image below to check it out and find similar looks on Amazon.
What to put in a diaper caddy
- Diapers: I recommend stashing about 10 diapers in the caddy for a newborn. As baby gets a little older (and isn’t going through quite as many diapers) you might not need to keep quite as many stocked
- Wipes: One pack of wipes should do the trick. Make sure it either has a sealable top, or get one of these handy, refillable wipe cases for in your caddy
- Diaper cream: Keep that little bum lathered up to prevent any diaper rash! I like the 3 oz tubes of Baby Aquaphor for this
- Fold-out changing mat: Keep the couch, rug, or floor clean and protected with a changing mat so that you can do your change right where you are! A wipeable, waterproof one is perfect
- Change of clothes: Speaking of blowouts…always a great idea to keep a change of clothes for baby in the caddy
- Distraction item: Depending on how mobile/active your little one is, you might want to keep a rattle or toy in your caddy to help distract baby during changes
- Hand sanitizer: Hopefully no explanation needed
- Other baby care items so they are handy: Things like an extra pacifier, lotion, nail clippers, socks, burp cloths, and a swaddle blanket are great to have on hand if space allows
The bottom line on diaper caddies
So, I hit you with a pretty lengthy list of items above and you might be thinking, “Diaper caddy or diaper suitcase!?”.
But when you boil it down, the most essential items are quite simple: diapers, wipes, diaper cream, and hand sanitizer.
And as far as what to keep those things in – don’t overthink it! But with the help of this guide you now know about the variety of options out there.
More baby “gear” posts you’ll love:
- Baby Things to Buy Before Birth: An Info-Packed Guide
- My Favorite Baby Registry Items (as a Labor & Delivery Nurse!)
- The Breastfeeding Essentials You Need as a Nursing Mama
