The 3 Best Hiking Baby Carriers 2025

The Deuter Kid Comfort Pro is the upgrade model of our top pick, and it has a few features that our pick doesn’t, such as an integrated sunshade (similar to that of our runner-up pick, Osprey’s Poco), a mirror for checking in on your passenger, and a bonus daypack so you can share the load. But those additions mean additional weight and size—and a sense that the pack is on the overbuilt side for all but multiday expeditions.

The Osprey Poco Plus has more carrying capacity than Osprey’s base-model Poco (our runner-up pick), as well as a more-padded waist belt with zippered pockets. But our testers’ opinion of this model was similar to what they thought of the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro, as those features didn’t seem to justify this carrier’s added weight and cost. In 2021, we tested the updated Poco Plus and still concluded that it was too much carrier for most people. The revamped version has a new back panel with updated 3D-tensioned mesh and added ventilation, but the slightly lighter and relatively small Osprey Poco offers the same experience with less weight and for a lower price.

The Osprey Poco LT is a good 2 pounds lighter, and about $40 cheaper, than the Poco, so it initially appealed to us for travel purposes. But this carrier doesn’t work for taller kids (over 3 feet tall), and Osprey’s designers achieved the lighter weight by eliminating some padding, which affects both the hiker and the passenger: Within a mile, your back and shoulders may be aching because of the lack of articulation in the hip belt, which usually serves to distribute weight in your legs—in this case, almost all the weight falls onto your upper body. And our kid testers didn’t like this pack either, as the carrier’s reduced weight meant less padding in the seat. Even our petite female tester, who was hoping the lighter weight might mean a faster hike, preferred the regular Poco over the light model. If you want a lightweight carrier because you’re planning to travel with it, you’re better off renting at your destination.

In the previous version of this guide, we selected the lightweight hiking pack now known as the ClevrPlus Canyonero as a budget pick, with the stipulation that it’s “just enough to get you by on hikes shorter than 3 miles if you hike only a couple of times a year.” This time around, we deemed this model too uncomfortable to recommend—and not worth the lower cost, even if you’re pulling it out of storage only a few times a year.

In 2021, we looked at another ClevrPlus backpack, the ClevrPlus Cross Country. At first glance, this carrier looks appealing, and it gets good reviews on Amazon. However, although it’s typically half the price of our top pick, it’s also about half the quality. The harness system is more complex than what we’ve seen on other carriers we’ve tested, and getting your kid clipped in can be difficult. And once they’re in, their weight is dispersed forward, which makes for a less comfortable ride for the kid as well as whoever is carrying them. The absence of an articulated hip belt ends up distributing more weight across the hiker’s shoulders versus dispersing it throughout the body, which makes the pack uncomfortable before you even hit the 1-mile mark. All in all, this model is a solid pass. We recommend looking for a used version of one of our top picks if you’re in search of a budget option.

We had hoped the Luvdbaby Premium Baby Backpack (which is nearly identical in design to the ClevrPlus Canyonero, except with a removable daypack added) would be a contender for a budget pick. But much like the Canyonero, this pack couldn’t hold a kid securely in the seat. “The hip belt didn’t support or distribute weight, and as a result the pack felt awkward and heavy on my shoulders,” one tester said. We recommend that shoppers on a tight budget instead browse for a used version of one of our picks.

The Kelty Journey PerfectFit Elite felt heavier on the shoulders than other packs and was too plush to feel comfortable or ventilated in the heat. The buckle-free harness straps also proved challenging to adjust around a squirming toddler, so the pack seemed best suited to babies under 12 months, who weren’t as eager to get in and out. While inside the pack, our passengers did seem to appreciate the soft, snooze-inspiring headrest.

Harness issues also hindered the Thule Sapling in our original round of testing. This carrier has since been updated (and we haven’t tested the newest model yet), but originally the buckle was located so low in the pack that it was hard to fasten around an impatient kid. The cockpit was narrow when the pack was planted, so it sandwiched down around a passenger and made it difficult for our tester to get them in or out. We also found this carrier to be prone to pinching in the adults’ shoulders and not especially suited to smaller-framed hikers. Testers did appreciate the storage space and oversize pockets on the hip belt, though.

The Phil&Teds Escape carrier has some nice features, such as a larger overall carrying volume, a changing mat, and a removable daypack for balancing out weight between two hiking partners. But ultimately, in our tests, we found that it failed to distribute weight well to the hips, which led to gradual back pain over the course of even a short hike. “Even after a great deal of adjusting, I was still carrying most of the weight on my shoulders and felt uncomfortable for most of the hike,” said the dad of a then 14-month-old rider. Toddlers were also quick to reject the fuzzy loop harness, which our testers had to wrestle over their heads before fastening, like a tight-fitting shirt.

Additional reporting by Ali Carr. This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.