MiniMaestro wetbag review

So remember how I asked you to pretty please help me win some pink fluff in a recent "Name the Diaper" contest? Well, unfortunately I didn't win. You guys were awesome and helped me get 13 votes which looked like a shoe-in for the win... but then another crafty competitor snagged some clutch last-minute votes and stole the victory. So this served to reiterate the fact that I do *not* heart popularity contests!!!!

But, I *do* still heart MiniMaestro, the company who sponsored the giveaway! Why? Well, they are a Canadian company through-and-through (the manufacturer is located in Montreal, Quebec), they take pride in product quality and ethical working conditions, the owner and operator (Sophie Gratton) is warm, friendly and passionate about her company, and, last but not least, I was lucky enough to win one of their wetbags in a flash giveaway!

I first discovered MiniMaestro and won this bag way back in February. This was a very practical win, as I only had one small wetbag at the time which proved to be quite inconvenient if I wanted to get out with S while it was hang drying.

When the bag arrived in the mail, the first thing that struck me was how compact and lightweight it was! It has a similar capacity to the other bag I own (about 6-8 diapers) but less than one quarter the bulk! Seriously, check this out:

As we CDing parents know, free diaper bag space is at a premium, so the trimness of their wetbag is certainly appreciated in this regard!

The next thing I noticed was the quality of the bag's construction. It is made of PUL with a strong zipper and a nylon handle for carrying or hanging. Simple, yet very durable and sturdy - especially impressive given its trimness!

So the big question - how did it hold up in practice? Very well, I must say! I've used it on at least a dozen outings so far, and true to its description, have not noted any leaks or smells - even when it has contained a full day's worth of wet diapers! (And, lemme tell ya, S's dipes are due for a strip. They're definitely becoming ammonia-licious!) And another nice thing about the trimness - it makes for VERY short drying times!

When I first set out to write the review, I thought I wouldn't have anything negative to say about the bag. However, when I stumbled upon the product description for another (much pricier) bag online which claimed you could fill it with water, squeeze and nothing would come out, the sleuth in me decided to try the same experiment with my MiniMaestro. Unfortunately, it appears that the bag isn't *technically* leak-proof:

Rats! That said, a couple things are worth mentioning on this point:

1. From my research, it sounds like this would happen with the majority of wetbags due to a very common (but evidently imperfect) method used to stitch the seams, and
2. I doubt this would be a problem in practice since wet diapers are not soaked to the point of liquid readily squeezing out (or at least they SHOULDN'T be!!) and poop (even the EBF variety) would presumably be too thick to leak out through the micro-holes. And, as I mentioned earlier, I've never noticed a leak myself. That said, I probably won't expand the use of this bag to extremely wet items like bathing suits due to this discovery.

What else can I say about these wetbags? Well, they come in a small but snazzy array of solid colours. Those of you who are all about the funky and stylish patterns may be a bit disappointed, however I'm a simple gal and liked my orange bag just fine, TYVM!

 

And finally, one of the best things about these bags - they're just $9.99! Many comparable bags sell for $15+, so you're getting a great deal with this one!

All in all, I really like my MiniMaestro wetbag. Here is a pros/cons summary for those of you in a hurry:

Pros:

+ Extremely lightweight & trim

+ High-quality construction

+ No leaking or smell issues in practice (12+ outings)

+ Very quick drying time

+ Affordable price - just $9.99 each!

Cons:

- Not technically 100% leak-proof

- Available in a small set of solid colours only - no patterns

Buy It:

MiniMaestro sells their products, including their wetbags, directly from their website. Head on over and go shopping! :)

** UPDATE ** I received an email from Sophie at MiniMaestro this morning in response to my review. She learned recently that ammonia develops faster in wet diapers when there is no oxygen (due to an anaerobic reaction). She now keeps the lid of her daughter's diaper pail slightly open to help ward off this problem. It's possible, then, that it's actually *better* for a wetbag to be slightly breathable (and not 100% leak-proof). This is inconclusive, of course, but some interesting food for thought so I wanted to point this out here!

Disclosure:  I was not compensated in any manner for writing my review.  This is my completely honest opinion above and may be different from yours.