Review on Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier - Grey: Ultimate Comfort and Convenience for Carrying Your Little One by Donald Cox

Initial review + 1 week follow-up: I categorized my review as best I could. If I think of more, I'll add more. We decided to buy another brand known for its superior comfort and ergonomics to compare. With this update I will provide my comparisons. I have chosen not to list any other brand name just to show that I am not attempting to sell or promote any particular product. (I call this backpack Chicco, and the other backpack for comparison P#2STRAPS: The shoulder and waist straps are poorly padded and narrow. The waist is very high and reaches mid-upper abdomen. For reference: I built a sporty one. , 5'9my; my wife is 5'5, we both have this problem, the breast clip works well, helps keep things in place, but my wife didn't like this position, she has a busier breast and found one position to pull and accentuate her breasts in a way that was uncomfortable both physically and socially, she had to keep the strap almost completely loose to avoid discomfort, but it also meant the backpack was less secure, moved to her shoulders and back which made UPDATE: Nothing changed with the Chicco backpack P#2 had significantly better padding, wider shoulder straps spreading the weight over more shoulders o improves comfort rt of the backpack. , safety and social acceptability; especially my wife's ally. Also, the P#2 had significantly better waistbelt adjustability, allowing you to raise/lower it for a correct fit. CHILD HARNESS: It's okay. Easy to unzip. Low design. All straps fall inwards when the child sits in the chair (which is inevitable) and you must catch them. The straps are narrow with no padding for your little one. The hip belt is a bit difficult to access with a child in the backpack. UPDATE: OH MY GOD! Day-night difference between Chicco and P#2. The P#2's front suspension design is very simple. You won't lose the straps when you put the kids in, and you won't pull them out again. no hassle to attach or detach. The P#2 clips disappear behind their own padding on the child's back. The straps are comfortable and very ergonomic. so easy to attach and detach. The PLUS clips are located behind your child so they CANNOT come loose, either accidentally or because they played with the clip (something I didn't think about with Chicco). WEIGHT BALANCE: very bad. no matter how we adjusted the harnesses, baby's position etc. UPDATE: The Chicco had no improvements. P#2 had better weight distribution, mostly r/t, better strap adjustability. COMFORT: It is very uncomfortable, all the weight is on the shoulders. Caused my wife severe neck pain which led to a severe headache. Our baby is 23 pounds so that's about half the weight capacity. On the first walk, my wife walked 50 meters before experiencing significant discomfort. On my first walk I had the same experience but went further; Eliminated my discomfort as much as possible for 10-15 minutes, then my wife put it on at home for the remaining 3 minutes. 2nd walk, I was able to wear it for about 8-10 minutes before significant discomfort set in and endured about 25-30 minutes before handing it to my wife. On my 3rd outing I was able to wear it for about 10-15 minutes before significant discomfort set in and lasted about 40-45 minutes before having to hand it over to my wife. UPDATE: Chicco comfort has become my limit no matter how much I've walked to acclimate; about 10-15 minutes before significant discomfort set in and lasted about 40-45 minutes before I had to hand it over to my wife. It looks like a hat. each subsequent walk reflected this, with about 10-15 minutes to significant discomfort, and I could only endure about 30-45 minutes of this chicco torture. and overseas, most recently this past summer, in areas like Glacier National Park, the Ozarks, and the Yellowstone Wilderness (to name a few). My wife's XP with the comfort of this backpack was similar to my own, only she always had significant discomfort that started after 5-10 minutes and might only last 15-30 minutes. I can't imagine how frustrating it would be if we had to switch off every 10-15 minutes on a long hike without giving the body time to relax from the discomfort before taking it again. A 30 minute walk that ended with very slight discomfort (but I haven't toyed with any adjustments yet either). P#2 2nd walk, walked for 45 minutes, slight discomfort towards the end (played around with the settings a bit). P#2 3rd walk, 60 minutes passed, at the end there was very slight discomfort (keep playing with the settings). But it's clear that P#2 is out of competition here. CHILD ERGONOMICS: Bad. landing is ok. The main problem is the position of the legs. The only place for them is on the back (depending on the size of the child, this can be very uncomfortable) or where you need to swing your arms. On the first day of a regular walk, my kids dug their fingers into my funny bones (not that funny) three times. Other stretchers have leg straps or are designed to allow legs to hang more vertically instead of now providing legroom. Strength is given to those who don't mind legs, feet, knees in the back. The child seat is good and the backrest is good. UPDATE: Additional Chicco comments. The P#2 car seat adjustment is much better and easier than Chicco. P#2 places the baby over and over the back of the carrier; this means better air circulation, less sweating and significantly more leg room for the baby (so that knees and food don't dig into the back of the carrier). This provides a free range of motion for a natural hand step. The P#2 has leg straps to prevent baby's legs from dangling and blocking blood circulation due to the constant pressure. Also, I didn't realize it until I saw it, but leg stirrups allow your child to gain a bit of leverage, which allows them to adjust their own position a bit, preventing blood flow. SUN VISOR: Too small. does almost nothing unless the sun is lower in the sky and you just walk away from it. UPDATE: Chicco is a joke. If they took the same accordion design and added 1-2 more panels, effectively doubling or tripling the expansion, that would be acceptable. It's not easy to remove on days when it's not needed. It does not collapse, that is, it sticks and clings to things. P#2 was significantly better. Foldable, retractable design with internal zip compartment so it doesn't get in your way on gray days. no snagging trees, bushes or destructive cobwebs for me. Much better sun protection for a child. PACK SIZE: We liked the smaller size. UPDATE: P#2 We have opted for a smaller package of this brand. even completely disassembled it is larger than the Chicco. PACKAGING STYLE: We liked the simple style. UPDATE: We still really like Chicco's simplistic design, and if another brand had a bare-bones option similar to Chicco, we'd probably go for it. However, for P#2 we have chosen the simplest packaging of this brand. We REALLY like it. much better. Even the simple addition of a mesh belt pouch, perfect for sunglasses or my phone, knocks Chicco out of the water. something Chicco could just as easily make at no extra cost. DURABILITY: Fair to good impression. Fabrics, metals and even plastics look decent. but I doubt it will hold up if you push hard. UPDATE: I haven't noticed any issues that would lead me to believe the durability would be acceptable. However, when comparing the quality and level of durability I expect from using P#2, I am confident that P#2 durability will easily last 2-4 times longer even with heavier use. FRAME: All-metal frame ensures the safety of the child. I hate backpacks that don't have a button closure at the top. It has! it's also decently padded. good work on it. foldable legs are easy to open and close when carrying. UPDATE: Chicco has straps connecting the front and back legs of the stand. I didn't realize how nice it was to grab the strap and just pull it forward; who started folding his hind legs after putting on a backpack. The P#2 does not have this leg strap. Both my wife and I are flexible enough to reach back, grab our legs and tuck them in. but not everyone has great shoulder flexibility. The P#2 has a metal frame with bars that completely enclose the child and keep them secure like Chicco. However, the side bars of the P#2 detach on one side, allowing them to be folded and unfolded for storage. P#2 padding is significantly better than Chicco. STORAGE: I love the foldable design. much smaller than other packages. UPDATE: The P#2 has side rails that detach on one side so they can be folded and flattened for storage. not stored in small places like Chicco. GENERAL: Not even close to worth the money. I could see it was selling for $40-$50 but not $150. If you find it convenient, then this bag is for you. Its simple, compact design is great in theory. I just didn't skimp on some important aspects like weight distribution and ergonomics. LAST UPDATE: After comparing Chicco to P#2 I see a clear winner. We will return Chicco as soon as possible. we had high hopes for him but he collapsed and burned badly for us. Maybe that would be acceptable if my wife and I were shorter and if my wife was less chubby. If you fall into these categories, give it a try. Just make sure you're buying something good about returns. You might even consider buying this + one more pack to compare, as I ended up doing.