Our two-year-old, Oren, has the Deuter Kid Comfort figured out. We unclip the side, he climbs right in, and when we’re done, he climbs right back out. If you’ve ever tried fishing a toddler’s legs down through those little gaps on a top-loading carrier, you know how big a deal that is. It’s a small thing you do a dozen times a hike, and it’s a big part of why this is the carrier we’d tell most families to buy.
Take me back to the child carrier full guide
Best child carrier backpack overall
Deuter Kid Comfort
The one we'd grab for just about any hike. It's comfortable for whoever's carrying and whoever's riding, comes with stirrups and a sunshade, and has enough pockets for the stuff you actually need.
Weight: about 7.1 lb (3,230 g) · Max load: about 48.5 lb (22 kg) of kid plus about 4.4 lb (2 kg) of gear · Fits caregivers: about 5’2″ to 6’5″ (158 to 195 cm) · Volume: 14 L · Tested with: Oren, age 2, about 29 lb, plus short rides with Cypress at about 39 lb
Good for: most families, parents who trade off carrying, kids who want to climb in on their own, and warm days on the trail.
Skip if: you need maximum storage (look at the Poco Premium or the Kelty), or your kid naps a lot and you want a sunshade with mesh sidewalls (that’s the Poco Premium).
Is the Deuter Kid Comfort worth it?
Yes. Put it side by side with the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite and the Kelty wins on pockets and extras. The Deuter wins on the stuff you notice every single hike: loading your kid, how it feels on your back, and how sweaty you both get. Then factor in the price. This is Deuter’s standard model, and it still costs about $70 less than Kelty’s top-of-the-line one.
How easy is it to get a kid in and out?
Easier than anything else we tested. The side entry is the whole story here. Little kids can be set in through the side, and once they’re a bit older, they can climb in themselves. The harness is easy to adjust too, even with a kid already in the seat. That’s where the Kelty falls short.
How comfortable is it for the kid?
Very. It scored highest of everything we tested for child comfort, which is the thing we care about most. If the kid’s uncomfortable, you’re going to have a bad time. The seat is well padded, the foot loops (Deuter’s version of stirrups) give their legs somewhere to go, and the pack vents well for the kid as well as for you. The chin pad is big and soft, which matters more than you’d think once they nod off.
How comfortable is it to carry?
Also the best of the bunch. The back panel vents better than the others, so you’re not sweating through your shirt on the climb. We both wore this one, and it’s easy to dial in for whoever’s carrying.
What comes with it?
The sunshade, the foot loops and the chin pad all come in the box. For storage, you get three outer pockets, one main compartment, two zippered hip belt pockets, and a sleeve for a hydration reservoir up to 3 liters. It’s not the most loaded carrier here, but it has enough pockets for the stuff you actually need.
How has it held up?
We’ve been using some version of the Kid Comfort for years. When our son Cypress was two, an earlier one rode along through Yellowstone and Grand Teton while we hiked every day for our guidebook, Hiking Wyoming, and he napped in it nearly every day. Deuter calls this newest one the successor to the Kid Comfort 2, so it’s a new generation, and it’s earned its spot all over again. It’s well made, and it’s held up great.
What doesn’t work
The sunshade could be better. There are no mesh sidewalls, so when a kid nods off, their head ends up on the chin pad. It’s soft, and it works fine. But on the Osprey carriers, our kids always seemed to sleep better leaning against those mesh sides. And when the sun goes away, there’s no dedicated pocket for the shade, so it gets rolled up and stuffed in the main compartment.
No water bottle pocket you can reach. You won’t be grabbing a bottle on the move. It does take a hydration reservoir up to 3 liters, though, which pretty much solves the problem.
No mirror. You’ll find one on Deuter’s Kid Comfort Pro, but not on this one. Easy fix: flip your phone to the selfie camera and you can check on your passenger anytime.
Care instructions
Deuter says hand wash only, chin pad included. Lukewarm water and a mild soap do the job. The chin pad, which doubles as a drool pad, comes off, and it has its own removable cover. Keep that out of the washing machine too, or it’ll come out a mess. We treat the whole thing like a car seat.
Packability
Of the three big framed carriers we tested, this is the easiest to live with off the trail. It’s got the least bulk of the bunch and takes up the least space in the car. On paper it’s the slimmest too, at about 13.4 in deep compared to 17.7 for the Poco Premium and 22 for the Kelty.
Sizing guide
- For you: Deuter lists the Kid Comfort for caregivers from about 5’2″ to 6’5″ (158 to 195 cm) tall, with about 17.3 to 22.8 in (44 to 58 cm) of back length adjustment. If you’re shorter or slimmer, Deuter’s Kid Comfort Active SL has a Slim Line fit built for that.
- For your kid: Deuter recommends starting around 8 months, once your kid can sit up on their own. It’s rated for up to about 48.5 lb (22 kg) of kid. Our older son, at about 39 lb, still fits for short rides.
Who it’s for
Most families. If you want one carrier that’s comfortable for everybody, easy to load, and doesn’t take over your trunk, this is it.
Pro tip
The sunroof doesn’t have its own pocket, but there’s a trick. Twist and fold it, kind of like a pretzel, and it’ll collapse small enough to fit in the main compartment without eating up all your space.
How the Deuter Kid Comfort compares
| Deuter Kid Comfort | Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite | Osprey Poco Premium | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 4.8/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 |
| Price | $330 | $399.95 | $450 |
| Carrier weight | about 7.1 lb | 7 lb 4 oz | 8.34 lb |
| Volume | 14 L | 26 L | 36 L |
| Easiest to load | Yes, side entry | Harness is tricky | Good |
| Sunshade | Included | Included, own pocket | Included, mesh sides |
Ben Dawson
I'm Ben Dawson: dad of two, former full-time van liver, and co-author of three Falcon Guides, including Hiking with Kids: Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. I've worked in outdoor media for more than a decade, and I've been testing gear with Roxy since 2017 as a gear reviewer and analyst. These days most of my testing happens with a kid on my back or a tent full of them. I've carried and hiked with my kids more miles than I can count, from Canada to Mexico and plenty of places in between. My rule is pretty simple: if the kid is uncomfortable, or you are, nobody's having a good time out there. I tell you what works, what doesn't, and who it's actually for.
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