No Reception Club Luggage Review: Brilliant Family Travel Bags to Try

The Getaway Bag, the Hideaway Duffel, the Rollaway Carry-On, the Sidekick diaper change belt bag… what do they all have in common?

These are the hallmark items from No Reception Club, a travel brand for families that I actually learned about from my best friend, three years ago. I was new to being a parent and didn’t know why on earth I’d “need” to update my luggage, diaper bag and belt bags to accommodate my growing family.

But after three years of using all the No Reception Club diaper backpacks, duffel bags and rolling carry-ons, well, you can guess what’s happening to how I travel as a mom who can’t live without traveling around. In this review, learn all about each of the brand’s bags and how it can elevate (and minimize stress) during travel as a parent.

Key Takeaways

• No Reception Club luggage helps the modern parent (like me, and like you) travel elegantly and smartly, through bags and luggage. They’re doing this in a few ways.
• The features of the No Reception Club bags are everything from cooler pockets for bottles and kid snacks, to the “Cubby,” the smartest and most organized way to pack for your baby, kid or toddler.
• The products: I’ll run down each of the Getaway Bag, the Hideaway Duffel, the Rollaway, the Sidekick waist bag, the Dopp Kit and the “Sliders,” each of which have a place in my packing when we travel as a fam.
• See how they all work together. They stack, they pack, they stay friends with each other: see how I use the No Reception Club ecosystem to stay neat, tidy and stylish while being a cool travel mom (lol)
• Lastly, learn which are worth it, and why you’d want to invest in luggage for your kids (and yourself, or your whole family… you get it)

No Reception Club: a background and intro

I’m going to break this down for you as someone who had one kid, and then another, and realized that I couldn’t travel how I used to.

I mean, if you read my “Traveling with a baby is a whole new game” article, you’ll know how shocked I was when I realized I couldn’t just backpack around Southeast Asia or Central America with a single 50-L backpack and a daypack for myself. Yikes. I had to learn.

So luckily, because I never could’ve thought of all the features that Daniel and Gemma (the founders of No Reception Club) packed into all their products, this family travel brand found its way to me.

We upgraded our travel diaper bag with the Getaway Bag - and when we take it out to the park and to barbecues, parties, whatever, other parents say, “Hey wait a minute, which bag is that?”

We updated our toddler’s overnight bag to the Hideaway Duffel. My mom said, “Wow, I’ve never seen that before, and I wish I’d had it when you were a kid.” Because it’s a duffel that’s this smart.

When our friends Jess and Nick gave birth, I said, “You’ve got to get the Sidekick, because if you travel even once, it’ll be worth it.” And so they did (they got it in Black, and we have it in Olive)

And when we took the Rollaway on its maiden voyage to New Hampshire, we showed my aunt everything that it does and of course, she was impressed.

That’s just the thing about No Reception Club, though. It’s luggage that does something for you as a parent who travels. It keeps you organized. It helps you change a diaper on an airplane. It makes you want to pack for your kids when you book a trip. Crazy, I know!

In the review that follows, you’ll see what each product does, and why I like it, as a mom who has traveled (*and is traveling) the world. <3

The Rollaway

The newest No Reception Club family travel luggage is the Rollaway. And it blew my mind when we got it because it is “the SUV of carry-ons” for a reason. It’s a carry-on suitcase on its side. Let me explain.

The biggest problem the Rollaway solves is helping parents alleviate physical AND mental stress on travel days, mainly when going through the airport. Like I explain in this Instagram reel, the first time we traveled as a family, we had like 90 bags (not 90, but definitely way too many). The Rollaway helps “stack” your stuff better so that you’re a bit more hands-free, in a big way.

HOT TIP: Right now, this product is on Kickstarter, so you can GET IT AT A DISCOUNT (Save $86, 22% off) for a limited time at this link. After the Kickstarter ends, the Rollaway will be on the No Reception Club website at full price!

You can stack your hiking carrier, travel crib, booster chair or car seat on the extra-long trolley handle. I stacked my Hideaway Duffel and Getaway Bag on there, and still had room to slip my hand in (*just make sure those bags don’t exceed 20 lbs. please).

There’s my full YouTube review about the Rollaway that I’m very proud of for you to see, along with this YouTube short if you only have a minute!

My favorite aspects

• The extra-long trolley handle, of course: even when we took it on its maiden voyage to New Hampshire, I stacked 2 bags on it as we migrated from the car to where we were staying. Easy.
• The CUBBY system, y’all: this is the organization system I first saluted as a traveling mom who needed packing help, when we got the Hideaway Duffel! Absolutely brilliant.
• SeatLatch: these anchor points help you anchor in a car seat on travel day, because how else are you supposed to carry it to the gate?!
• The drinks carrier: I was like OMG, are you serious …. this insert/outsert hangs on the trolley handle and carries two drink bottles. (Bonus: the other side stores an iPad with a clear sleeve)

How I’m using it

• Well obviously I use the Cubby organizer for packing. It just makes packing easy, satisfying and more of a breeze. I packed for my son and filled it up, then slid it into the luggage itself.
• Rolling away with it: Those Hinomoto wheels really roll. It’s not good luggage if you don’t have super-rolly 360-degree wheels by Hinomoto like other top premium luggage.
• Mesh pockets inside for flat stuff: I packed in my toddler’s activity books, some bedtime books and anything else I stashed the night before we left home.
• The stacking on the trolley handle: our hiking carrier fits there, sideways, and frankly I have no idea how else we’d carry it. I also stack the Hideaway Duffel and then the Sidekick on there, because I’ve got my hands full with other stuff—believe me.

See the entire dedicated Rollaway Family Travel Carry-On review here.

[And get the Rollaway at a 22% discount on Kickstarter, before time runs out](https://noreceptionclub.kckb.me/halfhalftravel).

The Getaway Bag

This is the diaper bag backpack that No Reception Club became famous for. And maybe you saw my Instagram reel that explains how I pack it for when we fly.

It doesn’t look like a diaper bag, and in fact, I hate diaper bags. When we had our first child, I didn’t want anything advertised as a diaper bag. I wanted a cool backpack.

I couldn’t have dreamed up the Getaway Bag, though. If you head to my Getaway Bag travel diaper backpack review, you’ll see exactly how it works. For now, I’ll list out my favorite parts of it, and then how I use it.

My favorite family travel features

• The “shelf system.” It puts my Type A brain at ease. We separate everything so we each know where to dig for something the kids need.
• The built-in perfect-fit snack/bottle cooler. It’s petite, it’s perfect and it’s where I store all our snacks.
• The bottom zippered wet/dirty compartment! Also good for random storage (extra diapers).
• The secret pocket for valuables: I’ll be honest, I didn’t even find it until I’d had this bag for 6 months. That’s how secret it is.

What should you be packing in the Getaway Bag? I outlined what to pack in your travel diaper bag, here, featuring the Getaway Bag.

How I use all the benefits

• We put wet bathing suits, soiled clothes and a stash of clean diapers in the bottom zippered “wet” compartment that’s sealed off from the rest of the bag.
• I put the Sidekick belt bag in the top “shelf” so that I can access it quickly from the top for a diaper change.
• The Sliders fit perfectly into this backpack, so I have each of the kids’ spare outfits in a Slider packing cube, and those stash right into the bottom “shelf.”
• The “secret zippered pocket” under the trolley sleeve is where we put our keys/wallets if we’re at the pool. On travel days, it’s for passports or money.
• The laptop compartment stores my computer!
• The top-access pocket is where I put sunscreen, extra tissues, a snack bar, really whatever has to go there and might need to come out soon.

And there’s MORE, so I’ll send you right to my Getaway bag video on Instagram.

The Hideaway Duffel

(Jump to: this Instagram reel about the Hideaway Duffel because it shows me packing it!)

Do NOT underestimate the power of this family duffel bag. In fact, it made me enjoy using duffels again. To be honest, duffels never did it for me. That was, until I found myself packing the Hideaway Duffel bag for my toddler’s big night away at her grandparents’ house.

That was when my mom opened up the Hideaway Duffel and said, “Wow, this thing is neat.” She was looking at the Cubby system, and that was before I showed her that it comes out and can hang as a wardrobe in a hotel closet. Plus, dare I say this duffel bag has the longest list of parent-friendly features out of ANY No Reception Club product? Let’s get into it.

Jump right away to our No Reception Club Hideaway Family Travel Duffel review if you want the full low-down on this can’t-miss family travel bag.

My favorite features

• Hands down, the Cubby: this packing organizer keeps my toddler’s things neat, easily found, easily unpacked/packed and tidy! I <3 this.
• The cooler pocket! This duffel bag has an insulated COOLER pocket to keep drinks/bottles/snacks cold while you’re out on travel day! Unreal.
• Five ways to carry it: backpack, grab handle, single strap, luggage stack and leather-closure top-side handles. Totally versatile.
• Top pocket for small stuff (zippered): and I just found out that it fits the No Reception Club Dopp Kit perfectly (why did it take me this long to know that….?)

How I use it

• The trolley sleeve: super crucial if you ‘stack’ this duffel on other carry-on rolling luggage with a handle - like the Rollaway, naturally.
• The stowable backpack straps: you never know when you’ll want to carry this as a backpack, like we do, and when you’ll want to put the straps away (it’s easy to tuck ‘em back in)
• All the grab handles: every good duffel should have grab handles, and while this seems like a silly thing to call out, it is very important for balancing it with other stuff as a traveling parent.
• The cooler pocket: I mean, come on! This is so nifty. It’s insulated!
• The included laundry bag: yup, used it on our most recent trip with the Hideaway Duffel and it was a matchy-matchy way to separate laundry.

The Sidekick (Diaper Change Belt Bag)

This is my second diaper fanny pack, and I like how lightweight it is, compared to my previous one. It’s also entirely unisex. If Dan needs to use it to head to the restroom with a child, no problem.

You can see all about the specs of it at our Sidekick Diaper Change Fanny Pack review, but for now, I want to tell you how I really use it.

The handy features I appreciate the most

• 1000 times yes for the WIPES FLAP! This satisfying (and convenient) wipes pocket holds your (*half-full) wipes pack. The flap gets you quick access to wipes in a split second for diapering or messy hands.
• The matching and included changing pad: it’s a great size, too.
• Dual zippers: one-way zippers do not cut it for me when I’m in a jiffy.

How I use it

• So, of course, if you’re considering how to change a diaper on a plane, it is my secret weapon. Rest areas, too, or really, any public bathroom.
• I use that quick-flap wipes pocket constantly!
• I actually don’t use any of the interior organization. I let my hand sanitizer, diaper cream and whatever else (rocks my toddler found) float around.
• I fit 2 diapers in there, typically - Kudos diapers and Coterie diapers are pretty thick, and those are my travel go-to travel day diaper brands.

Overall, I would be nowhere without a diaper change fanny on travel days, whether it is day trips or flying to another continent. Get the Sidekick Waist Bag to solve the diaper change shuffle and nail the look as a cool parent!

The Dopp Kit

It helps that I have two of the No Reception Club Dopp Kits, one for each kid. You may think that sounds ridiculous, but on our most recent trip, our kids stayed on different floors of the house, and so, naturally, they needed their toiletries near their bedrooms!

Best aspects of this toiletry bag for babies and kids

• Handle on top, PLUS a tuck-in hanger hook for hanging on towel bars in bathrooms.
• Two mesh zipper compartments, plus clear windows. I can always see what is inside.
• Matches my Hideaway Duffel, Sidekick Belt Bag and Getaway Bag! So cohesive and feels intentional.

How I use my Dopp Kits

• Quick trips, long trips: even if my toddler goes to sleep at Grandma’s, her Dopp Kit is always packed with things like children’s Tylenol, a thermometer, hair rubber bands… just as a baseline set of toiletry needs.
• One for each kid: my kids are pretty different ages with different travel stuff (infant vs. children’s meds, different hair needs, of course!)
• Fits into the Hideaway Duffel in a designated pocket: now that I know this, it’s too cool not to pack it like this! (Shown below, packed into the Cubby of the Rollaway)

Get the Dopp Kit here, to start packing toiletries for your little ones.

The Sliders

While they seem easy to explain, I’ll run through why these rectangular packing cubes are satisfying, smart and handy.

They’re made to fit the Getaway Bag, and that is where I use them! Of course, I could use them in other spots, but I use the two large ones in our Getaway Bag and I’ve purposed them to be “one for each kid,” to store quick-change outfits (if we spill, or have leaks of sorts) plus a diaper or undergarment for each.

It’s too smart not to do it just like this! And previous to the Sliders, I just mushed everyone’s clothes into one big packing cube in our previous diaper bag. That was a mess, not helpful and way less smart.

What I like about them

• The clear window design. I’ve used packing cubes that don’t have the “window,” and you forget what’s in them (which is not the point).
• The rectangular “hold their shape” design, PLUS expansion. I think it goes without saying how this works!
• The fit in the Getaway Bag: this makes days out so easy. Even this week, we went to the zoo and someone needed a spare diaper when our Sidekick ran out. I knew just where to find one.

How I use the Sliders packing cubes

• Our Getaway Bag turns into our ‘pool and beach bag’ for the kids in summer, so the Sliders contain bathing suits, swim diapers and more.
• The two tiny Sliders contain small things like toys or accessories, or spare snacks when I use them.
• I like that they fit diapers and Pull-Ups perfectly, so I stack a few inside, with extra clothes for both kids, and voila: everyone’s got their things at the ready.

Conclusion: Is No Reception Club family luggage worth it?

As you likely learned in this review, I thought I traveled well with kids, but I was lacking.

I travel better now with my kids because I’m put-together, just like I was before I had kids. And that is what I like about the No Reception Club products.

Some people have scoffed to say, they’re expensive. And to that I say, well, if you have a few kids, won’t you be using them, just … forever? They’re made so well, with quality zippers, materials and stitching. And believe me, I have seen lots of bags, as well as ones that break through lots of travel.

So because of the smart features and all those design elements that come from parents who’ve been there, I say the No Reception Club products - any of them - are a smart choice for you as you travel with your family, and they’re an even better gift for new parents or parents who’ve started traveling more.

You can try No Reception Club products at the website, and don’t delay!