At a glance:
This clever bag is two products in one – as a lightweight changing bag, it is very spacious, leaving room for all the baby essentials. As a cot, it makes live easy when visiting friends. We love this clever bag!
What they say:
“Its what’s inside that counts... The perfect sleep solution for parents on the go, the Bizzi Growin POD Travel Changing Bag ensures that travelling with baby is convenient and stress free. The unique fold out crib section is quick and easy to use, perfect for travel and daytime naps. No need for bulky, heavy travel cots, just grab your bag and go! Using the lightweight poles provided to secure the crib sides, baby can sleep safely and comfortably in the fold out crib section. The assembly of the crib section takes less than a minute! A padded mattress comes complete with the bag and can be used in the crib or as an everyday changing mattress. The bag features many compartments and pockets to organise all baby’s and mum’s essentials and includes an insulated bottle pocket. The bag is beautifully made from quality, durable fabrics, and has continued use as a changing bag/weekend bag after baby has grown out of the crib section. Never leave your baby unattended in the Pod Travel Bag.”
Tested by mum Rachael Harrison-Murray for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this product because it's lightweight, is very spacious and doubles as a travel cot. It’s very easy to convert from bag to cot, it took me less than two minutes. I love the pretty ‘bee’ design too. The mattress or changing mat is much more comfortable for my little one than I expected as it is quite padded. When using it as a bag, it’s roomy enough to fit all the essentials and is actually quite slim line and easy to carry. It comes with a long detachable strap to make it easier to carry as well.
How did this product make your life easier?
This product makes my life easier because previously, I was using a standard, medium sized changing bag, but when travelling to family, I found I needed another bag such as a ruck sack to carry spare clothes, toys and bottles. Now, I can fit everything in one bag. Also, amazingly, there is now no need to worry where she will sleep as it doubles as a cot - genius!
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose this product over similar ones on the market because whilst there are cheaper products available, they are more bulky and don't appear to have much space for changing essentials. I think this product should win a Mother & Baby award because it is a good balance between being a comfortable, convenient travel cot and a spacious changing bag.
What changes would you make to this product?
The only thing I would change about this product is the zip connecting the head and foot of the cot compartment. The zip is similar to one you might find on a hoody or a pair of jeans, meaning that it’s flimsy. But otherwise this travel bag is amazing!
Tested by mum Corinna Harrison for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
This bag is so handy when you're out and about and baby needs to have a nap. Also for holidays or overnight stays, rather than taking a travel cot and a bag, this is two in one! The bag is quite big, which is good as you can carry all that you need, and it also fits onto the pram perfectly. It’s perfect for swimming too as you don't have to think about what to do with baby when you have to get changed, he can lie in the bag. Having a cot when you’re on the go is great. It’s so easy and simple to use and the design is lovely too, very unisex and my partner doesn't mind using it due to the gender neutral design.
How did this product make your life easier?
I found this bag really useful. Firstly, as a baby bag, it was really spacious and I was able to fit in all the baby essentials as well as my own belongings. Then, the travel part of the bag was just such a clever idea as I could use it when visiting family or friends to put baby to sleep in. It was also especially helpful when changing my baby after swimming lessons. Being able to place them somewhere safe whilst getting changed is crucial.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would definitely choose this bag over any others, I think it's an amazing idea. There’s lots of room, I don't struggle to zip it up, and the cot side is great and will last a while as it is quite long.
What changes would you make to this product?
I would potentially like to see different colours available. Also maybe more compartments within the bag so I could separate everything out more precisely? Overall, it's a fantastic bag and I would highly recommend it!
Tested by mum Lucy Hardman for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this product to my mum friends because it is very easy to set up. It is compact to transport when you have a car full of baby items, which is vital. It is a very high quality material and I love that it is all wipeable and easy to clean. It would have come in very handy whilst visiting relatives when my baby was smaller, as I always wanted something I could put her down in safely at other people's houses.
How did this product make your life easier?
This bag made my life easier whilst spending a whole day at my parents for example. When my daughter was asleep I could place her in the travel cot with no fuss. I could even leave the bag there as her designated cot when we came round, as I knew it wouldn’t take up any space or be a burden in their house.
Would you choose this product to win?
I don't think I would choose this product over all the others on the market, as even though it is easier to transport, I find a traditional travel cot better. This product is very small for my four-month-old daughter, who was head to toe in it, and she is average size. The mattress is also very thin and the baby is essentially sleeping on the floor. I know this is to save space and make it easier to transport, but I would have given that up for a bigger cot and a thicker mattress. But I can definitely see the positives in this product and would recommend it!
What changes would you make to this product?
I might improve the zip as it was very fiddly and difficult to fasten.
Tested by mum Dawn Stevenson for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Yes definitely. I love the design with the bees, it’s a nice, bright bag to carry around with you. The product material is hard-wearing and would withstand everyday wear and tear. It is also simple and easy to use, no complicated instructions, just two poles and some zips! The cot part folds up easily to store and is wipe clean. My little one seemed to like it as she could see through the mesh sides so was able to see us when she was lying down.
How did this product make your life easier?
This bag means having somewhere easily accessible for my little one to sleep when I’m out, which is beyond helpful. Everything is in the one bag, so no need to carry three or four different ones which is cumbersome. The POD travel bag has lots of compartments to put items in and these all have zips. The changing bag part has a thermal bottle holder, a net pocket and lots of space. The cot part then folds out easily and the large changing mat provides a soft mattress for baby to sleep on.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose the POD Travel Bag to win a Mother & Baby award. I love the style and design – the bag is a nice shape and is not too bulky and it is easy to put together, even granny can do it too! It deserves to win for sure.
What changes would you make to this product?
I think there should be a separate compartment for the changing mat as it was awkward to get in with all the other items in the bag. Otherwise it’s great!
Tested by mum Zoe Harrison for the Mother & Baby awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this if you want a nice, small, lightweight travel cot that you can carry around and also use as a changing bag. The design is lovely and would suit a little girl or boy and it seems very hygienic as it is easy to wipe clean and is very easy to put together. Once it was set up, I felt that it was sturdy too.
How did this product make your life easier?
This product has made my life so much easier when visiting relatives for the day or going away. Our little girl always naps in her cot at home, so this is the next best thing, it has a lovely comfy mattress and plenty of room, she fell asleep really quickly! It was really easy to put together, and she looked so cosy inside it.
Would you choose this product to win?
I do think this deserves to win as I haven't seen many of these travel bags on the market. I think it’s a good price, as many normal changing bags are more expensive than this. The design of the bag makes it look very expensive and designer but it would be affordable for many mums.
What changes would you make to this product?
The only criticism I have of this product is that I found the bag quite hard to zip back up after I had finished using it as a cot. The zip felt quite poorly made and kept getting caught, this could be improved.