Ness Mamie Review

Name: Ness Mamie
Brand: Ness

This is a great bag for taking on weekend trips, but we think it is just too imposing to be useful

Ness Mamie Review (The Ness Mamie) — The Ness Mamie
Credit: Natalie Hale

Price: $269 List

Manufacturer: Ness

By Natalie Hale ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Nov 11, 2014

OVERALL
SCORE

Ease of Use - 35% 8.0
Quality - 25% 8.0
Weight/Bulk - 20% 2.0
Features - 15% 8.0
Style - 5% 7.0

RELATED: Best Breast Pump Bags of 2024

Our Verdict

The Ness Mamie has been discontinued.

REASONS TO BUY

A lot of extra space

Attractive and useful design

REASONS TO AVOID

Enormous

Bulky

Heavy

Of all the bags we tested, the Ness Mamie was the largest, heaviest and bulkiest of the bunch. While it is very attractive and made with durable materials, the extra weight and size docked it enough points to keep it from winning any awards. We liked the versatile interior, which allows the user to re-arrange how contents are organized, but the bulkiness of these well-padded movable parts also seemed to waste a lot of valuable space. This breast pump bag was also the most expensive of the ones we tested by a long shot. Despite its stylish appearance, we would recommend moms take a closer look at the Juno Blu Esalen or the Nurse Purse for a comparably sized (and lighter) bag at a more competitive price.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Ness Mamie is a fun bag with a lot of features we think moms will like, if they can get over the weight and cost of the bag. Its large size, removable insulated cooler, and adjustable/removable compartments are what make it stand out from the rest of the bags we tested. We liked its playful style, the quality materials it is made from and the hearty metal hardware that holds it all together.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

Using this bag was easy. Of all the bags we tested it could accommodate even the most cramped scenarios with ease. Because of its larger depth and width, the Mamie was able to fit all of the pumps and their parts, plus all of the accessories we tested without any issues. The adjustable compartments kept the pumps and their parts separate from the rest of the bag. We thought this was a very nice feature because it would be easy to lose small parts in such a large bag. We gave the Mamie a score of 8 of 10 in this metric.

ness mamie - sans stuffing this bag still weighed in at well over 4 lbs. — Sans stuffing this bag still weighed in at well over 4 lbs.
Credit: Micah James

Quality

The Mamie is made with man made materials. It is made to look like well used leather, which is attractive and feels sturdy. After being subject to our rigorous tests, the bag held together well. Other moms who reviewed this bag online also had similar findings. The metal zippers still worked easily after heavy use. We liked the many compartments and sturdy nylon interior. We think this bag is made of very high quality materials and will hold up well over time, which is why we awarded it a score of 8 of 10 in this category.

Detailing of the metal zipper and stitching on the Ness.

Closeup of the handle of the Ness Mamie bag.

The exterior material of the Ness performed well when exposed to... — The exterior material of the Ness performed well when exposed to water without lasting stains.

Weight/Bulk

Where this bag falls short of the rest of the competition is in terms of weight and bulk, and because of this it only received a 2 of 10 in this category. In all of the reviews we could find online, most everyone mentioned how large and heavy the bag is. This is not surprising given the plethora of accessories and high quality materials it is made of, but at a whopping 4 lbs. 14.4 oz. you definitely feel the extra weight. Also, as the widest bag we tested (it has an additional 2.5 inches on our next largest bag), the Ness is challenging to navigate through tight spaces without knocking in to people or things.

ness mamie - on the way to work. we were not kidding when we said this bag was... — On the way to work. We were not kidding when we said this bag was huge!
Credit: Natalie Hale

Features

The Mamie is loaded with features, which explains its very high score, an 8 of 10. It has five exterior pockets: one has a zipper enclosure, three are secured with magnets and two are open and would suit a water bottle or tall, skinny item well. It has an insulated removable bottom cooler outfitted with metal feet, padded adjustable and removable interior dividers to keep purse and pumping supplies separate, and an adjustable shoulder strap which can be used as an alternative to the handles. The only concern we had was with the detachable cooler base, which if not utilized, places the bottom of the bag directly in contact with surfaces, exposing it to additional germs and dirt.

The Ness Mamie and the detachable cooler base. We loved that it had... — The Ness Mamie and the detachable cooler base. We loved that it had three areas of secure attachment- the two side snaps and a hidden magnet in the middle of the bag to prevent separation at the midpoint.

View of the Ness Mamie Cooler while it is attached to the base of... — View of the Ness Mamie Cooler while it is attached to the base of the bag.

Bottom of the Ness Mamie with the detachable cooler in place. Notice... — Bottom of the Ness Mamie with the detachable cooler in place. Notice the metal feet- while they are placed far apart the sturdiness of the base kept the middle of the bag from sagging and touching the ground.

Bottom of the Ness Mamie bag without the detachable cooler attached.

Style

This is definitely a fun bag to carry your breast pump in. Its large size and ruffle detailing follow current over-sized handbag trends. We awarded a score of 7 of 10 in this category because we think the color, fun detailing and leather appearance make it an appealing choice for many moms with different style preferences.

Best Applications

We think this is a great bag, but its large size and heavy weight make it almost too big for use at the office (it is borderline overnight bag size). It also looks disproportionately large when used by shorter moms. We think it's an excellent choice for mothers who want a bag that can fit everything they can think of and do not mind carting around a lot of extra weight in exchange for quality and style.

ness mamie - here you can see the spectra s1 hospital grade pump with the bag... — Here you can see the Spectra S1 Hospital Grade pump with the bag. One of the helpful features of this bag is you can fit almost any size of portable breast pump in it.
Credit: Natalie Hale

Value

This was the most expensive bag we tested, but you do get a lot of bang for your buck. We think moms who plan to use the bag for a long time will find it well worth the high price tag.

Conclusion

The Ness is a nice, high quality, stylish bag that will make consolidating your breast pump, its accessories and any other items you might desire into one place a breeze. Just be prepared for a bit of a workout while lugging it around town.

Video

This You Tube video will give you a good idea of just how large the Ness really is!

— Natalie Hale