The Ultimate Flying with Baby Carry On Packing List for 2023 (+ Printable)

Traveling with a baby doesn’t have to be complicated. Sure, you’ll need to bring more than you ever did in your pre-child days, but that doesn’t mean it has to be stressful or involve pounds upon pounds extra gear.

I’ve always preferred a minimalist approach to packing for travel. I even managed to travel carry-on only for a full year, so that’s the energy I brought to packing carry on for my baby.

Here’s your ultimate packing list:

Diaper Bag Backpack

First and foremost your diaper bag matters – like really matters. I spent way too much time researching so that you don’t have to, and ended up picking the Jeep Ultimate Freedom Diaper Bag backpack.

Although it’s not as cute as some of the other bags out there, we cared about comfort, size, and convenience. This bag has 10 pockets, including a wipes pouch on the side that we love the convenience of. It comes with its own changing mat and buckles at the top that easily attach to a stroller.

There’s also an insulated bottle pocket on the other side that fits two of our bottles easily, as well as a hard pocket at the top that works well for a phone. Here’s what we bring:

This all fits well into the backpack. If you’re lucky enough to be able to exclusively breastfeed, you’ll have even more space to work with.

My Favorite Baby Carriers

I have been on a mission since day one to find the best baby carrier for our little guy. I find it much easier to wear him down to push him in a stroller, plus I love the cuddles. He also sleeps very well on the flight when worn. Here’s what we have:

Solly Baby Wrap (10% off!): Especially for younger babies, I love this wrap for the softness, comfort, and the way it distributes the weight so well on my body. I have a 16 lb 3-month old, so this is essential. They are not as quick to put on as the other carriers on this list, though, so I don’t always use it.

ErgoBaby Omni 360: This carrier is comfortable and easy to use, though I didn’t like it with the infant insert we had to use until Felix got a bit older. Now that he fits well without it, it’s much more comfortable. This is Garrett’s preferred carrier.

Artipoppe Zeitgeist: Yes, it’s bougie, but since I didn’t initially love the ErgoBaby and wanted an alternative to the Solly Wrap, I wanted to try this to see if it’s worth the hype. I can vouch it is quite comfortable, and I love the prints (I can send you a discount code via email as well).

How to Handle the…