Tom has made several design updates to our Parental Unit diaper bag inspired by feedback posted on our Forums, shared with us by friends and family who use the P.U., and Tom’s observations of it in use.
All Parental Units available for order include these new features and updates.
We've also introduced a new accessory -- Wheelchair or Stroller Straps -- that allows one to hang the Parental Unit on the back of a stroller. As the name indicates, the Wheelchair or Stroller Straps can also be used to hang a bag on the back of a wheelchair. The straps work with any of our bags that have 1-1/2" d-ring shoulder strap attachment points; see the Wheelchair or Stroller Straps page for a complete list of those bags. We're working on photos and videos that demonstrate this new accessory in use with both strollers and wheelchairs: stay tuned!
Interior Handles
The updated P.U. has two simple 1” / 25mm webbing handles, just inside the zipper of the main compartment. These two handles give you an easy way to grab and move or carry the P.U. while its main compartment is zipped open. This is mostly to use while loading/unloading the Parental Unit, moving it from kitchen to nursery for example. Because the handles are sewn inside, they politely disappear when you zip the bag shut; they give you a nice way to hang the P.U. up on a coat hook as well. (New Aeronauts have similar handle loops to facilitate moving while packing.)
Longer Main Compartment Zipper
Tom has extended the length of the main compartment zipper by over 4” / 100mm. This will not only make packing and unpacking your stuff easier, but allows a better view as you down into the depths of the bag. That main zipper now has two sliders as well.
Snap Divider Becomes Zipper Divider
The main compartment divider has changed from a snap closure to a zipper closure, much like the one in the front compartments of the Western Flyer and Tri-Star. This closure, as you may recall, joins the two interior pouches together to form a divider: if you choose to use it, the main compartment of the Parental Unit goes from one big expanse to four smaller divisions – depending on your packing style, it can be an nice option. It's a #5 YKK Vislon® molded tooth zipper, in case you were taking notes.
A Little Wider, A bit More Volume
The bottom of the original P.U. was about ~7.1” / 180mm thick; we pushed that out to ~7.9” / 200mm. This of course gives you a tiny bit more room (13.5 liters / 825 cu.in. as opposed to 13 liters / 795 cu.in.), and depending on what you pack and how you pack your P.U., it will now tend to stand upright better on its own.
