I received the Ju Ju Be Earth Leather BeHave in Black a week ago. I have taken the bag out three times so far and I have to say that I love it! I have been a Ju Ju Be fan for diaper bags for a year now and I was so excited when they released the BeHave, which was billed as a “mommy bag with a baby pocket”. Since my daughter was born 10 months ago I had been carrying a diaper bag exclusively and just throwing my wallet & cell phone in it with her things. Now that she’s a bit older I was looking for something that I could use for quick trips with the baby and something that I could actually use when I didn’t have my baby with me! The BeHave is a perfect match for me right now. I can see myself using this bag beyond the baby years as well, which is awesome.
Here are some pictures of me wearing the BeHave with the detachable messenger strap and the short straps:
I love that the messenger strap is both adjustable and detachable. At its longest length, I can actually wear the bag messenger-style over a winter jacket still.
The Earth Leather material on the BeHave is amazing. It really does feel like leather but because it’s washable, I don’t have to worry about getting it wet in the rain or snow! I took 2 pictures of the outside of the bag. One picture is with a flash and makes the bag look shiny. The other picture was with no flash and is much truer in representation of how the bag appears. It isn’t very shiny at all. Just a touch of a sheen. It’s very child-friendly as well.
Without Flash:
So for a quick trip with my 10 month old daughter I usually pack the following:
- My black EL BeRich wallet
- My cell phone
- Sippy cup of water
- Snack for the baby
- Snack for myself
- Small notebook & pen
- Advil & allergy meds
- Small Kleenex pack
- Lip gloss
- Feminine products
- Regular key set & spare key
- Baby soother clip
- Extra soother
- Baby nasal spray
- Baby Tylenol
- Wet wipes
- BeQuick filled with – 3 diapers, small wipes package, hand sanitizer, thin change pad, baggie for diapers, diaper rash cream. I like to pack these things in a separate Quick because then I can easily remove the diaper stuff from my bag if I’m going out without the baby.
- A few toys for baby
*Note: I am able to fit all this in the bag but still have room to add other things that I need for a particular trip. Sometimes a few pockets are empty, but that doesn’t bother me at all!
In the front pocket I carry my phone in the main part & my debit card in the zipper pocket:
Here is the sunglasses pocket (it’s raining here so I’m not carrying sunglasses today!)
Sippy cup in the insulated bottle pocket. This can also fit a water bottle for me!
On the inside of the BeHave, I like to keep receipts and my wallet in the middle zipper compartment. I keep baby stuff on one side of the divider and mommy stuff on the other side of the divider.
On the “baby side”, I have the pacifier clip:
Wet wipes:
Nasal spray, baby Tylenol:
I also keep a JJB Quick filled with all the diapering supplies on the “baby side”. I will show this in a picture later.
On the mommy side, I have snacks:
Mommy stuff in a small JJB set piece:
Small notebook:
Spare key set:
Kleenex, lip gloss, advil & allergy meds:
Quick with diaper supplies & my Be Rich wallet:
Large JJB set piece that has all my banking stuff in it. I throw this into the BeHave too on days that I need it:
Everything that was packed in the BeHave:
Showing the wallet in the middle zippered pocket:
Adding the Quick with diapering stuff and the Set with bank stuff.
The bag is ready to go now!
I love that there is a place for everything. I also love that it looks good whether it’s packed full or just has a few things in it. The front pocket for the cell phone and the insulated bottle pockets are 2 of the coolest features for sure. My absolute favourite feature though has to be the washability of the Earth Leather. The first 2 times I took it out it was pouring rain and it was so nice to NOT have to worry about the bag getting wet.
The only feature of the bag that doesn’t get my completely approval would be the card slots & small unzippered pocket in the front pocket in the BeHave. I don’t quite know what I would use them for and my phone doesn’t fit in the little pocket. So I just keep my debit card in the zippered pocket and my phone in the main part of the front pocket and that works just great!
As far as strollers go, I have a small Combi stroller & the bag will work just fine with my stroller using JJB’s stroller clips…. But I’m a baby-wearing mama so I don’t use my stroller very often. I have worn the BeHave though crossbody when my daughter was being carried in my Beco baby carrier though!
My sisters are pretty impressed with my new bag too. My one sister (26 and no kids yet) thinks that the material on the Behave is amazing. She also loves that it’s so sleek on the outside and has such a fun print on the interior. My other sister (22 and no kids) thinks that the insulated and zippered bottle pocket is a really cool feature. My husband is just happy that this bag makes me happy!
This is a great product that will be with me far beyond the baby years. I think that Ju Ju Be has knocked one out of the park with this bag. The Earth Leather is amazing. It feels like leather but can handle being washed. As a mom I NEED something that is easy to clean and durable. I got the BeHave in Black but I think that I would like a Brown BeHave at some point in the future as well.
Pro’s
Washable
Fun, light-coloured lining
Great organization
Awesome insulated bottle pocket
Real leather feel
Dedicated spot for your sunglasses
Easy access outer pocket
Easy to attach to stroller clips
Great adjustable and detachable messenger strap
Good drop length on the regular straps
Love the “bling” on the zippers
Key fob
Classy looking AND functional
Con’s
Not quite sure how to use the pocket spaces on the front outer pocket
That’s it. That’s the only con!!
Sun May 30, 2010 9:16 am
