Top Ten Tips for Buying and Fitting Child Carriers
Summer is here, why not make the most of it and get outside as a family. Go for walk in the country, picnics in the park and long days on the beach. If you have a baby or toddler you will find that using a child carrier gives you much more flexibility to take the little ones with you.
The best thing about a child carrier is simply the freedom it provides. You can operate with one child on your back and both hands free, go for walks without stiles being a major undertaking, avoid wrecking your pushchair in the mud and of course your child should love being up at the same height as you, seeing things at your level and feeling part of the gang.
There are many choices of child carrier, to help you choose the right one for your family we’ve put together our top ten tips for buying and fitting child carriers:
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When to start using a rucksack style (rear) child carrier: your child should be able to sit up by themselves comfortably before you start using a rear child carrier. This is usually around six months of age. If your child hasn’t yet developed the muscle strength to sit up it is really too early to use a rear child carrier and instead keep them in a front baby carrier for a few more weeks. |
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Weight of the child carrier: remember when you are buying a child carrier you are likely to be using it from when your child can sit up by themselves comfortably until they are around 3 years old. If we assume they are an average sized baby you are looking at a weight gain during this 2 ½ year period of well over a stone. So the weight of the child carrier is important even though when you first buy one it will not seem like a big deal. |
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Ventilation: Once you have carried your child around for an hour or so, chances are you’ll be nicely warm and probably have a river running down your back! Look for a child carrier that is designed to sit slightly away from your back with mesh style material so it will allow some ventilation between you and your child. All the child carriers we stock have these features. |
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Storage: Most child carriers have a large zip pocket under the seat. You want this space to be large enough to accommodate at least your rain/sun canopy, nappies, waterproofs, drinks and snacks. The carriers with the “third leg” style collapsible stand (Vaude Jolly Light, Deuter Kid Comfort I and Deuter Kid Comfort II) tend to have larger under seat storage. But as is always the case the bigger the bag the more unnecessary stuff you will end up carrying, so you don’t need a vast storage compartment unless you have planned some serious trekking. |
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Adjustability: If you are going to share the carrying make sure the range of the shoulder straps and hip belt reach is sufficient to fit everyone. Also ensure that the child’s seat position and straps are adjustable. Your child’s eye height should be level or slightly above yours, but they shouldn’t be able to see over your head. |
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Comfort: Instead of looking at features much of the fit comfort of the carrier will be dependent on the way you have set it up for yourself. Make sure the hip belt fit is tight so you take the majority of the weight through your hips and not your shoulders. Pull the seat towards you (straps at the back of the shoulder strap) as much as possible without toppling your child forward too much as this will help keep the weight close to your natural centre of gravity. Make sure you drop the seat height down as your child grows taller, again to maintain your natural centre of gravity. Comfort features to consider are the design of the hip belt and shoulder straps, but remember just because something is well padded doesn’t necessarily mean it will be comfortable, more padding = more contact with your body and increased possibility of chafing. |
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Accessories: The only real must have accessory is a sun/rain canopy. These are usually sold as one, with a sun canopy that attaches to the top of the carrier and then a rain hood which you put over the top when you need it. The sun canopy is really useful especially if just the two of you are out because you won’t be able to easily see if your little one deposited their sun hat in a field half an hour ago. The Vaude Jolly Light is supplied with a rain/sun cover, the covers for the Vaude Swing IV, Deuter Comfort I and II can be bought separately. Additionally a head to toe rain cover can be bought for the Vaude carriers, this can be very useful if you get caught in a sudden down pour as they simply fit straight over the sun/rain cover and secure to the bottom of the carrier. |
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Keeping your child warm and comfortable: Remember that whilst you are working away climbing up a hill, your passenger will be sitting in the back and maybe exposed to a reasonable breeze and cooling down. Dress your child appropriately as they won’t be as warm as you are. Use layers, usual clothes then fleece jumper and trousers and an all in one windproof/waterproof suit if required. We stock a great range of Patagonia fleece wear and Muddy Puddles waterproofs for toddlers and babies. |
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Putting on and taking off the child carrier: Don’t rely on the stand to hold the carrier upright when it is on the ground and your child is in it, a few wriggles and they’ll have it over. |
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When just the two of your are out: If you are walking on your own with your child take a small vanity type mirror that way you can check all is well in the back without taking the carrier off. |
Overall should I get one?
Up to you….but speaking from experience it helped us get out and about for decent walks as a family from when our baby was 6 months old. Once we have used it a few times we started to bring it out for much more everyday activities, like shopping and trips to feed the ducks purely because it gave us more freedom and the little one was happy. We would strongly recommend a child carrier as a very useful and rewarding kit addition for young families.
We stock a range of child carriers that we believe offer both good value for money and the design features we have highlighted above. If you need any more information before buying a carrier please give us a call on 01491 818090.
