Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

I also tried out the Kelty FC 3.0 and the REI PiggyBack. It’s a tough choice but I finally decided to keep the Deuter. The PiggyBack represents the best value, but after a short hike with an 18 lb child and it’s cavernous pack filled with essentials, I was rather uncomfortable. I think it was just too top-heavy because of that huge top pack and no under-seat storage. The Kelty was much better in this regard. It has a smaller top pack and adds an under-seat pack, and as a result was more comfortable to me. The Deuter takes it a step further with an even smaller top pack and a bigger under-seat pack. I found the overall comfort of the Kelty and the Deuter to be close, but give the edge to the Deuter. The down side is the top pack isn’t removable like the other two are, but it’s hard for me to tell how useful that would really be.

The Deuter also lacks some of the other bells and whistles the others have, such as the rear-view mirror, removable chin pad, and automatic kickstand. I don’t know how important that mirror is, but I suppose if it is I can always bring my own and stash it in the belt pocket. At first I was a little dismayed about the Deuter’s non-removable chin pad… I thought that would be a good thing to have. But when I put my 1.5 y.o. in the Kelty, the first thing she did was rip off the Velcro chin pad and toss it out the side. She loves to undo Velcro. A similar problem occurred with Kelty’s sun bonnet, which is attached in the front with Velcro. As soon as I attached it, she went to work trying to undo it. The Deuter sun shade attaches with child-proof clips. One negative the Deuter sun shade though is that there really isn’t any good place to stow it. You pretty much need to decide whether you want to use it or not before you head out. I don’t think that’s too much of a problem, though. Now that automatic kickstand on the Kelty is pure genius! With the others, if you put on the pack and forgot to retract the kickstand, you need to either have someone else retract it for you, or back yourself up into a tree or something.

One of the best features of the Deuter is the child’s saddle. It’s more of a real seat and seemed the most comfortable (as far as I could tell). The REI had a pretty comfortable looking saddle as well, but the Kelty seemed to be more of a strap that the child needs to straddle. And it gets thinner the more you adjust it lower for bigger children. So although my little one seemed decently comfortable at her current size, I was worried about the long term.

Another great feature is the side entry/exit. One of the bolsters can unbuckle, making it easier to insert and remove the child. I image that a little older child could completely get in and out unattended. The bolsters themselves are nice and high, making them comfortable for sleeping against, but also soft enough and low enough in the front to allow arms to reach out and grab things. The Kelty allowed great freedom of movement, but the bolsters were too low to sleep against. The PiggyBack had high bolsters but were uncomfortably thin and hard.

The main thing I don’t like about the Deuter is the child harness. The shoulder straps are the main thing that secures the child. Whereas on the Kelty it’s mostly the lap belts, and on the PiggyPack it’s pretty equal. However, with all of Deuter’s straps cinched down all the way, and the seat raised as high as it will go, it was still a little too loose for my 18 lb girl. She was able to be secured very snugly in the other two models. I intend to get around this by having her sit on a small pillow, like a booster seat. Anyway, she should grow into it soon enough. But this was the main thing holding me back. I had visions of stumbling and seeing her ejected down a rocky slope.

A few other minor complaints with the Deuter are the low headrest and a hard chinrest. Both the others seemed to have higher and more comfortable headrests. The Deuter’s seems just barely high enough now. I’m not sure how it will be when my girl gets older. Both the headreset and chinrest aren’t as nicely padded as the others. It’s basically nylon, which can be abrasive on the skin.

A couple other pro’s for the Deuter include a flab over the zipper to shield it from moisture intrusion. However, I think this shield is also what makes the zippers not so smooth to operate compared to others. Also the belt pocket is very handy. The Kelty has this too, but not the PiggyBack.

My daughter loves the little teddy bear it comes with, but I wish it had some kind of tether because I can see it getting dropped pretty quick.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

I originally got the Kelty FC 3.0 but ended up returning it and going with the Deuter Kid Comfort II. I do like the Deuter better all around but there are some trade-offs:

Kid comfort:
-I think they are probably about the same although the Kelty has a kind of "saddle" (more between the legs) type seat rather than a "chair" (flat bottom). I'm not sure which would be more comfortable all day. It is kind of like the difference between a narrow bike seat and a wide one, but I'm giving the Deuter a very slight edge
-Agree with one of the other reviewers that it seems like the restraints might be a bit better in the Kelty since they have a broad waist belt and some skinny shoulder belts. The Kelty's wider belt seems like it could be more comfortable in terms of not "digging in" but I'm guessing that also would make it hotter in the summer and, unless you are doing really athletic things, I'm assuming you don't need to strap in as tight as, say, a car seat. Either set-up seems fine and I did have less trouble getting him into the Deuter, probably because of the side opening that gives more space. It seems like the Kelty is more tedious to get him in through all the straps.
-Head support/rest: probably the area where I would prefer some improvement in the Deuter. The Kelty has a removable chin pad that seems like it would be more comfortable and easier to clean. Plus, the general area seemed more supportive of the head when he naps. The Deuter doesn't have a removable chin pad and the chin area itself doesn't seem to be positioned well vs. his chin, but he may grow into it. I actually purchased the Deuter pillow but cannot for the life of me find a way to fit it on to the pack or him in a way that seems like it would work. If you put it in the back of the head, his head is pushed forward, and if you put it in the front, it is better, but kind of impedes turning his head to look at stuff. I haven't seen him nap in the Deuter yet, but he napped pretty well in the Kelty.
-Sun/rain shield. It seems like it would be OK on either. The Kelty does seem a bit more compact and easier to use however. Another review said there is no place to pack it in the Deuter but there is: you put it in the zippered space where you can also put a water bladder (which is probably another plus if you use a hydration pack since I don't think there is a bladder space in the Kelty). Note that I'm not sure if both the bladder AND the sun/rainshield could all fit at the same time so you might want to check for that.

Parent comfort/convenience:
So, you may wonder why we traded the Kelty in for the Deuter given it was pretty good on kid comfort. Well, the problems were all in the rest of it:
-The Kelty FC 3.0 is much bigger...about a pound or more heavier and 3+ inches longer. And I think an inch or two thicker. This made all the difference to my wife: she wouldn't wear the Kelty but would wear the Deuter due to size. The size was critical to us also because we want to take this on vacation and wanted to have the option to pack it in a large suitcase we have. The Deuter just barely fits and the Kelty not at all.
-The auto-deploying kickstand is nice on the Kelty but at a price which is that the design seems to require the legs to stick out a lot more than the Deuter when not deployed. This makes the overall pack much more bulky. In any case, unless you have very short arms or are...ahem...larger around the middle, it is easy to reach back and deploy/close the kickstand manually with the pack on.
-The Deuter is just more comfortable for me. It felt much more "natural" and less top-heavy in general. I also found the Deuter at least as easy to adjust as the Kelty.... maybe more so since I couldn't seem to get completely comfortable in the Kelty.
-From a convenience perspective, the Kelty does have more storage space, but the Deuter is adequate for a day-trip for us anyway.
-One nit is that I wish the Deuter had a bigger zip pocket on the hip belt. The existing "cellphone pocket" is tight for even one small cellphone and certainly could not handle a cellphone plus a wallet or even a fat keyring.

A final note is that there was a quality issue with the Kelty but I would not want to highlight that as I think Kelty makes great products but...just in case...you might want to double check to make sure the shoulder harness stays put. In the one we had, no matter where you put it, it kept popping lose and sliding up until it finally stopped at the top setting. There was never any safety risk but it means you can't control the fit. Hopefully this was just random bad luck. I do think Kelty is a great company so I would buy from them again. But, in this case, the Deuter seemed best for us.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

We had a Kelty pack. I would take my son (20-25 lbs at the time) on 3-10 mile hikes and would always come back with aching shoulders. The whole hike the pack was uncomfortable.

Now my son weighs 35-40 pounds and we use this Deuter pack. It is so much better. The pack seems to fit closer to the body and distribute the weight more evenly. No more sore shoulders. Love this pack! I also like that it is a bit smaller and fits nicely in the trunk of our car.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

My husband and I are very happy with this Backpack. We used it a few times, for hikes and for walks around the neighborhood. Baby seems very comfortable in it and the padding is thick enough for her face to rest comfortably against when she falls asleep. It has also been good on our backs. We love how easy it is to adjust the pack for use between my husband and I. We also like the number of pockets and the size of the compartment.

I should note too that I am a mere 5"1. All the other backpacks on the market - Kelty, REI, etc - are too big for my torso.

The rain hood is an important addition to the backpack. Just tie a knot on each side of the two straps before attaching to the pack and baby gets better protection from Sun.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

This is the best thing going in its category. Relatively lightweight, easy to adjust from Mom to Dad, rugged, comfortable, hydration compatible, just enough storage space, and a low profile (for a baby carrier). It carries really well, and we use this almost daily in place of a stroller - groceries, downtown, treking, traveling, everything. Our son is a bit over two years and its still going strong.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

As a mother of one year old, i find this carrier to be extremely comfortable and back friendly. My highly active little one loves to get into it and get a better view of the world around her.
Its also quite spacious. Though a bit pricey but seems to be worth it. i would highly recommend it.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

This pack was one of the best investments we made with our daughter. We have used it from when she was 6 months and could sit up and we are still using it at 2 years old. I use it for short walks to the store to long day hikes. I am cutting hiking time down now as she gets older and isn't as comfortable as she used to be (I think her legs get uncomfortable when she sits in it for longer then a couple of hours) The only thing I wish it had was the feet straddle things that are optional on some Kelty packs. But all and all this has been a great pack.
It is comfortable on my husband and on me. We take it on all vacations because some places are just not stoller friendly. My daughter has grown with this pack. My advice to parents is to start out when they are small and keep putting them on your back, you will never feel like they are too heavy even at 30+ lbs.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

Use this backpack on everyday hikes with a growing beast of a boy. Took him on some half day hikes without any issues. Not so much use with it now that he runs everywhere but when he gets tired we just pop him in. He even fell asleep in it. Looking forward to loading up kid number 2!

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

We started using this as soon as our son was old enough to keep his head up. He absolutely loved it and still does. He gets excited every time I get the Kid Comfort II out of the closet. I've used this for hikes up to 10 miles and even mowing the lawn. The support system on this thing is fabulous; I can move around with great confidence because the pack is so secure on my back.

You will want to get some pillows to take with you if your child falls asleep in this carrier like mine. There isn't any support for his body when he is asleep and limp, so I stuff pillows around him to keep him comfortable.

Overall, great pack and top-quality construction. Well worth the money we spent on it.

Comments about Deuter Kid Comfort II Child Carrier:

We first bought the store brand without the daypack kid carrier and wasn't very satisfied with it. The rain hood didn't fit, it was awkward and a bit cumbersome and their weren't any pockets. We didn't want the store brand carrier with the attached backpack b/c the backpack part of that was up top - too top heavy.
The Deuter is fantastic. I have taken it only on a few short (2-4) mile hikes, but with a 25 pound 12-month old, it is still comfortable. The pockets are ample, although I wish I could reach the water bottle pocket myself, but I'm rarely hiking alone.
My husband also prefers this one and the transition between the two of us wearing it is almost unnoticeable. My son fell asleep in it coming down after our first hike and was happy to be in it.
It actually comes with the teddy bear shown and my son loves to cuddle it.
The bottom pocket holds lunch for two of us, diapers, bottles, and the top pockets are big enough to hold the sun/rain hood (also awesome - doesn't cover his face, and has detachable rain hood), sunscreen, hats, etc. The zipper on the bottom pocket has been a bit grabby, but that's not a big deal.
Also, I wish there was a way to collapse it and keep it collapsed. We will probably just get a bungee or clip to hold the two top handles together to keep it closed.