Hiking with your little one can be an amazing experience, but it’s important to have the right gear, especially when it comes to carrying your baby safely and comfortably. A good hiking baby carrier is designed to evenly distribute weight, making it easier for you to trek through rugged terrain with your little one. It also ensures that your baby is secure and comfortable, so you can focus on enjoying your outdoor adventure together.
Finding the perfect hiking baby carrier can be overwhelming, with so many options available on the market. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve done the research and compiled a list of the best hiking baby carriers that offer a perfect balance of comfort, safety, and mobility, so you and your baby can explore the great outdoors with ease.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall Hiking Baby Carrier: Deuter Kid Comfort Child Carrier Backpack
- Best Budget-Friendly Hiking Baby Carrier: Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier
- Best Hiking Baby Carrier With Large Storage: Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier Backpack
- Best Hiking Baby Carrier For Infants: Baby Tula Explore Baby Carrier
- Best Hiking Baby Carrier For Toddlers: Piggyback Rider Toddler Carrier
- Best Lightweight Hiking Baby Carrier: WIPHA Baby Backpack Carrier
- Best Mid-Range Hiking Baby Carrier: Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Signature
- Best Frameless Hiking Baby Carrier: BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Air
In This Article
HappyBabyHub’s Best Hiking Baby Carriers Picks
Deuter Kid Comfort Child Carrier Backpack – Best Overall Hiking Baby Carrier
- Super adjustable for the wearer and the baby
- It has just enough space for a few items the baby would need (diapers, an extra outfit, and some food)
- It also has a spot for a camelback
- It has mesh netting where the carrier meets your back so that gives it a little air between the wearer and the baby
- A bit pricey but you get what you pay for
This baby carrier is made of 210 denier polyamide fabric, which is lightweight yet incredibly strong and abrasion-resistant thanks to the strong ripstop threads and PU coating. The Aircomfort mesh back system is a game-changer when it comes to providing your back with the ventilation it needs during long hikes.
The durable frame construction, made from flexible and break-proof spring steel, ensures that the load is evenly distributed and creates a gap between you and the backpack for added airflow. Additionally, the Vari Slide back length adjustment system allows you to adjust the fit for maximum comfort.
To ensure that the carrier stays securely in place, the pull-forward hip fins, padded hip belt, load adjustment straps, and adjustable sternum belt all work together to distribute the weight evenly.
- Item Weight: 7.5 lbs
Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier – Best Budget-Friendly Hiking Baby Carrier
- Super easy to get on and off
- Baby has plenty of room
- Baby in a separate pocket so your sweat won’t drench them
- Very lightweight and easy to assemble
- The visor is not big enough to provide sufficient shade
The Chicco Smart support backpack features an adjustable seat with multiple positions, a padded backrest, and a 5-point harness for added comfort and safety. Moreover, it comes with a movable canopy to provide shade from the sun.
The backpack has a lightweight aluminum frame, cushioned waist and shoulder straps, and energy-absorbing lumbar support to ease the strain on your back and shoulders. Plus, the lumbar support is designed with a unique shape to enhance airflow and promote ventilation.
The flat fold design makes it easy to store and transport. Additionally, it features a built-in kickstand that facilitates easy loading and unloading.
- Item Weight: 6.5 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 50 lbs
Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier Backpack – Best Hiking Baby Carrier With Large Storage
- This unit has a lot of storage compartments
- Makes very good use of the space under your baby’s seat
- A little extra sturdiness
- A great amount of padding
- Putting the unit on and off requires extreme flexibility
Equipped with a deployable sunshade, a detachable drool pad, and a comfortable harness with adjustable foot stirrups, this carrier is designed with your child’s comfort in mind. The carrier’s lower zipped compartment provides ample storage for additional food and layers, as well as a convenient slash pocket, ensuring that you have everything you need for your adventure.
The carrier’s AirSpeed suspension system not only offers exceptional comfort but also provides ventilation while carrying. Plus, the adjustable torso can be extended up to 6″, allowing both parents to take turns carrying their child uphill.
- Item Weight: 7.8 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 48.5 lbs
Baby Tula Explore Baby Carrier – Best Hiking Baby Carrier For Infants
- Linen material
- Easy to wear
- Cute
- Comfortable to wear
- Can be a bit hard to get the baby in and out at first
This user-friendly and adaptable carrier offers front-facing ergonomic usage, making it a versatile alternative to traditional baby carriers. It features adjustable head support, multiple carry positions, including forward-facing and back carry, and variable width settings, making it suitable for newborns to toddlers.
Crafted with care from soft, breathable, and 100% cotton material, this carrier is both machine washable and responsibly created. Padded shoulder straps provide excellent neck and shoulder comfort, while also making it easy for wearers to adjust.
The wide, cushioned waistline helps distribute weight evenly, ensuring maximum comfort during use. Additionally, the carrier features padded leg openings, which offer optimal comfort for your little one.
- Item Weight: 3.08 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 45 lbs
Piggyback Rider Toddler Carrier – Best Hiking Baby Carrier For Toddlers
- It’s very easy to put on & take off if you have another adult with you
- It is a lot faster to move through a large crowded area wearing this
- It is somewhat better than carrying a kid on your shoulders
- Lightweight enough to fit in a diaper bag
- All the weight is distributed to the shoulders
The Piggyback Rider child carrier is a compact, lightweight, and robust standing carrier that’s perfect for toddlers and older kids. It features two handles and a child safety harness that ensures both you and your child feel safe and secure during use.
One of the most significant advantages is that your child’s hands remain off your face and hair while they safely rest on a non-skid bar. The durable and unisex design functions similarly to a typical backpack by dispersing your child’s weight at your core, enabling you to walk hands-free while standing upright.
- Item Weight: 1.69 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 50 lbs
WIPHA Baby Backpack Carrier – Best Lightweight Hiking Baby Carrier
- No cover on the side of the canopy
This lightweight hiking carrier is specially crafted to prevent back pain. Its flexible and adjustable straps effortlessly accommodate parents of varying sizes, ensuring maximum comfort during use. The broad, cushioned waist belt also helps distribute the weight of your child, making you feel half their actual weight, and relieving your shoulders of the burden.
Crafted with a foldable and sturdy metal frame, this baby carrier guarantees excellent support for your baby, while its compact and lightweight design doesn’t compromise durability. You can conveniently fold this carrier for easy storage and transportation.
- Item Weight: 7.39 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 50 lbs
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Signature – Best Mid-Range Hiking Baby Carrier
- Comfortable and lightweight
- Adjustable height for both the wearer and the child
- Several storage pockets
- Great sun shade
- The child will feel top-heavy at first, but soon after it will be comfy for you and your kid
With the Kelty PerfectFIT Suspension System, you can easily adjust the weight distribution to accommodate both mom and dad, allowing for a comfortable and customized fit. Furthermore, the carrier comes with an integrated sunshade to provide added protection against the sun’s harmful rays.
For a worry-free hiking experience, the carrier is equipped with a 5-point safety belt and cushioned aluminum roll cage. Your child’s comfort is also taken care of with the wide seat base and adjustable foot stirrups, which mirror their natural resting position.
To ensure effortless lifting, moving, and setting down of the kid carrier, multiple grip handles are included. You can also conveniently store extra layers, toys, and other items in the large zipped compartment with internal elastic pockets.
- Item Weight: 7.13 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 48.5 lbs
BabyBjörn Baby Carrier One Air – Best Frameless Hiking Baby Carrier
- There is additional padding in the shoulders and a weight-distributing waistband
- Easy-to-use zippers make sure you achieve the ideal ergonomic position for your little one
- It’s fully machine washable
- Breathable mesh fabric, which is perfect for our scorching summers
- It feels a bit awkward, but you have put this particular carrier on like a shirt, aka overhead
The Baby Carrier One Air is the perfect solution for comfortable babywearing, thanks to its lightweight and airy 3D mesh design. The stylish mesh fabric not only provides superior breathability and comfort, but it is also durable and dries quickly after washing.
With various front and back babywearing positions available, you can switch between them easily. This carrier is suitable for use from birth to approximately three years old.
- Item Weight: 2.2 lbs
- Weight Limit: up to 33 lbs
How To Choose The Best Hiking Baby Carriers?
- Frame or Frameless: Usually, framed carriers are built more firmly. They feel lighter because they are more durable, can support more weight, and evenly distribute the child’s weight. A terrific option for wearing everyday, frameless carriers may be used for younger babies and are helpful in a number of situations. However, frameless carriers don’t provide the same amount of support, weatherproofing, or storage capacity.
- Comfort: Find a carrier that is cozy for the baby and the person using it. To reduce strain on the parent’s back, look for a carrier that is either wrapped around the hips or secured at the upper chest as well. If more than one adult will be using the carrier, ensure that it is completely adaptable to make switching between parents simple.
- Adjustability: A highly adjustable fit mechanism may be crucial if the baby carrier will be worn by more than one adult. Your pack must have a sufficiently wide torso range in order for all users to be comfortable.
- Extra Features: Several carriers come with numerous accessories, like canopies, storage, add-on packs, and others. Before putting on accessories, consider where you’ll be using the carrier and how frequently.
- Certification: All child carriers sold in the United States have to meet the Frame Child Carrier Standard from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This ensures that no hazards such as sharp edges, exposed springs, or unintentional folding are present in the carriers. Some carriers go the extra mile by obtaining a JPMA safety certification, which means that they have undergone a separate testing process conducted by an independent third party.
REI also has a great resource on how to choose child carriers that is worth looking into.
How To Prepare For Hiking With Baby?
You can decide if the route is a suitable fit for your family by reading up on it beforehand. Use child-safe sunscreen and bug repellent whenever you can. Here is what you should bring with you for a day of hiking with your child: Diapers, baby wipes, changing pad, formula, and some snacks or sippy cups.
Do I Need A Hiking Baby Carrier?
It is not necessary to have a hiking baby carrier, but having the right carrier would certainly help. A specialized hiking backpack might not be required if you only sometimes take your child hiking. However, a hiking baby carrier is advised if you intend to hike with your infant. It provides great support for big loads and has enough space for a day’s worth of hiking kit storage.
When Can My Baby Go In A Hiking Carrier?
Premature infants shouldn’t ride in upright carriers, advises the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (1). Although the AAP doesn’t specify an age range, most experts concur that parents shouldn’t carry infants less than six months old in a hiking carrier.
