Skip Hop Mainframe Wide Open Review

Skip-Hop was founded in 2003 by new parents, Michael and Ellen Diamant, who were less than pleased with the diaper bags on the market at that time. With Micheal's background as a tech advisor and Ellen's as an art director, they designed diaper bags that were more fashionable and functional. They have since grown the company to include additional baby gear items and sell products worldwide.

Performance Comparison

Likes

The Skip Hop Mainframe Wide Open is designed with durability, price, and versatility in mind. It is lighter (weighing 1.8 lbs) than some of the other bags we tested, which can be helpful when loaded with all of the necessary baby gear.

One of the cool things about this bag is its structured framework that allows you to open the top, and it will stay open. No folding down on itself, no open close, open close. Need to grab diapering supplies? You can reach in with one hand to grab a diaper cream without reopening the bag. It has a light fabric interior to help contrast the interior supplies to make them more visible. When you are ready to close up, the zippered top helps to reassure you that everything will stay inside.

We were pleased with the amount of exterior storage this bag offers. We could pack away all our diaper bag essentials with some room to spare. We love the two open side pockets, perfect for fitting a water bottle and your child's sippy cup. The front zippered pocket is ideal for a wallet and other parent essentials and sports an additional tech pocket for your phone. We are also pleased with the two insulated bottle pockets, perfect for a long day away from home.

The bag is a nice balance of versatility with a tote or backpack carry option. The cost of the Skip Hop Mainframe is very reasonable, making it an excellent choice for your diaper bag purchase.

Dislikes

While we were pleased with multiple aspects of this contender, no product is perfect.

While the exterior of this bag is loaded with multiple pockets and a thoughtful design, the interior doesn't share the same functionality. While there is a slot for your changing pad and two stretchy pockets for diapers, and a pack of favorite baby wipes, that is all the organization features you will find inside. The downside? Unless you invest in some organizational bags, all of the gear you load inside will be floating around, waiting to be shuffled from side to side. We feel like the roomy interior could use an upgrade to keep items in their place with additional pockets or zippered compartments.

Compared to the best diaper bags, this contender has uncomfortable straps. While they are durable, they are severely lacking good padding. With the amount of gear you need to fit into a diaper bag, it must be comfortable to wear and carry. The straps seem similar to seat belts but not as thick and wide.

If you choose to wear the bag as a backpack for a long time, these straps could dig into your shoulders. To balance out the discomfort, you can loosen the straps, which can create other comfort-related issues. We suggest trying it on with some added weight in the bag to determine if it will work for you. We wish Skip Hop would return to the drawing board and create some straps with adequate padding to make this more comfortable to wear.

Should You Buy the Skip Hop Mainframe Wide Open?

The bottom line is that the Mainframe is a roomy, versatile, durable bag with an attractive price tag, making it a contender to consider, especially for those with a limited budget. The bag can be toted or worn as a backpack to fit your style, and we appreciate that you can open it, and it will stay open, which comes in handy when managing a diaper change.

What Other Diaper Bags Should You Consider?

If there's room in your budget, we think you should look into either the Ju-Ju-Be Be Right Back or Ju-Ju-Be B.F.F.. Compared to the competition, these bags rank higher and offer better organization and quality.

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