Kelty Journey perfectfit elite Child Carrier Review
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Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Carrier Summary
Updated: January 2, 2021
Kelty is known for making high quality outdoor gear and the Journey PerfectFIT Elite is par for the course. The Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite is Kelty’s top of the line baby backpack. This child carrier provides excellent storage, a built in sunshade and seamless adjustability.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Carrier Scoring Summary
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Carrier Pros and Cons
Ample Gear Storage
Including water bottle holders, hydration bladder and wipe-able lower compartment
PerfectFIT Suspension System
Allows for quick and seamless adjustments
Sunshade Built In
Provides a comfortable and safe ride
Great Grab Handles
Helps with lifting the pack
No Rain Cover Available
Limits when the pack can be used
Sunshade Design
Could use improvements to provide more coverage
No Hipbelt Extensions
Limits the range of waist sizes this pack can accommodate
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Adult Comfort: 8/10
The Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite baby backpack is a very comfortable backpack. When considering adult comfort for this particular pack, the padding, child positioning and load lifters make this pack stand out.
The shoulder straps, hipbelt, and back lumbar are constructed with well padded, perforated mesh to ensure a comfortable fit despite heavy loads. The PerfectFIT suspension system makes sure everything is situated where it should be when the pack is fully loaded. We will dig further into the suspension system in the Fit Adjustability section below.
Compared to other child carrier backpacks, the Kelty models position the child higher on your back. This is a nice feature from Kelty, considering backpacks are more comfortable when the weight load is situated higher up, vs. hanging low off your back.
Lastly, the Journey PerfectFIT Elite has well designed load lifters above both shoulders. This helps ensure the weight is not resting on your shoulders, but is instead transferred to your hips and lower body, making for a more comfortable experience on longer outings.
Another great feature on the PerfectFIT Elite is the child cockpit compression straps. The compression straps are easy to use and allow you to pull the child closer to your body. This effectively shifts the weight closer to the backpack wearer providing a more stable and secure experience.
This also limits how much the child can wiggle around, further helping stabilize the pack for the adult.
There is also a hydration bladder with great accessibility ideal for those longer days where a hydration bladder is needed.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Fit Adjustability: 7/10
As mentioned above, the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite has a unique suspension system.
The system is essentially two straps that you pull down on once the pack is on your back. When pulling down, you are shortening the torso section, ensuring a tighter fit. This feature works best when transferring the pack from a larger person to a smaller person. The PerfectFIT system allows for quick on the fly adjustments to ensure weight is close to the body and transferred to your hips for a more comfortable fit.
The system can accommodate a wide range of torsos from approximately 15 to 21 inches. This means the pack can accommodate taller frames up to roughly 6’ – 3’’ comfortably. For more on torso sizing, have at look at this article (Rei – How to size and fit a backpack).
The only thing missing with regard to fit adjustability is a hipbelt extender. Being the high end model offered by Kelty, a hipbelt extender would be a nice addition in order to accommodate larger waist sizes. Other child carrier backpacks on the market such as the Osprey Poco Plus and the Thule Sapling Elite, both high end child carrier backpacks, offer hipbelt extenders.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Comfort: 9/10
The Journey PerfectFIT Elite is right up there with other top rated baby backpacks when it comes to child comfort.
The child cockpit is padded on all four sides and is covered with a soft mesh material. The drool pad / chin protector in the front is removable and designed well. The edges of the drool pad wrap around the front of the pack, which is nice for when the child wants to lean forward and take a nap.
Kelty also has a well-designed child seat. As with most top rated child carrier backpacks, the height of the child seat is adjustable so it can move down as your child grows. The seat itself is also extra wide. In general we view this as a good thing. It allows your child to sit in a more natural position. However, on long trips, it does limit how much your child can move which may cause them to grow restless. On the flip side, this also means less room for them to squirm, which can have its benefits.
This pack also includes adjustable foot stirrups. This isn’t a critical feature when children are small, less than 18 months, but as they grow, stirrups are a must if you plan to carry you child for more than 30 minutes. Foot stirrups help ensure a comfortable ride and good circulation on long trips. Without stirrups, their feet just flop around and have nowhere to land.
Mesh upper side panels are also a nice touch to help ensure your child stays cool on long warm day hikes.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Safety: 10/10
Kelty gets top marks for child safety on the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite. At The Kid Packer, we really appreciate the well designed kid safety features.
Starting the with the aluminum frame, the entire backpack, more so than some of the competition, just feels…sturdy. The pack is fairly rigid and provides a good starting point to build from.
The back of the pack has a kickstand that pops out for when you put the pack down. As with all child carrier backpacks, make sure to find a flat surface so the pack doesn’t tip over!
Where Kelty really excels is with the child seat itself. A five-point harness to secure the child and a uniquely designed waist belt provides extra piece of mind. The Kelty child waist belt is wider than most, and acts as an upper torso holster for the child.
This baby backpack carrier also has a number of extra straps and adjustments built in throughout to ensure your child is secure and comfortable.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Sun Protection: 7/10
Great news, the Journey PerfectFIT Elite comes with a built in sunshade. The shade is accessed via a rear zippered pocked and pulls out. When fully extended, you securely clip it in to the front of the shoulder straps.
We like most design features on the PerfectFIT Elite sunshade. The top of the shade is slanted and allows the child plenty of headroom. The connector straps are mesh and allow for good child visibility when the shade is up and in place.
However, the primary downside of the shade is the lack of side coverage. The sunshade here lacks side panels, allowing your child to be exposed to sun for much of the day. No side panels also means potential difficulty when it comes to nap time.
For the backpack with the best sunshade, have a look at the Osprey Poco Plus.
Fully Integrated Into Pack
Quick and easy setup
Good Child Headspace
Shade sits high above the child
Limited Side Coverage
Leaves your child exposed during certain parts of the day
Less Ideal for Nap Time
Limited side panels can make napping more difficult
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Nap Effectiveness: 8/10
Nap time is critical for everyone. For your child, it provides the rest they need, and for you, it provides some peace and quiet. Having a space where a child can comfortably rest is one of the biggest assets of a child carrier backpack. When your child is smaller, the Kelty should be a great place for them to take a long comfortable nap.
As mentioned earlier, the drool pad designed well. It wraps around the front of the pack. When your child is ready for an nap, they can lean forward and comfortably rest their head.
However, as they continue to grow, the lack of side mesh panels on the sunshade could make napping a bit more difficult, depending on their desired napping position.
Backpacks that have side mesh panels on their sunshade allow the child to rest their head to the side, using the mesh side panels a bit like a hammock for their head. Otherwise, they end up having no place to secure their head, and they tend to take shorter, less recuperative naps, which isn’t good for anyone.
Great Drool Pad
Provides a good spot to rest their head
Foot Stirups
Allows for a natural, comfortable sitting position
Sunshade Included
Keeps your child cool while napping
No Side Panels on Sunshade
Exposures your child to more sun and limits where they can rest their head during nap time
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Gear Storage: 9/10
With 26L of storage space, the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite has great gear storage capacity for toys, snacks, and other gear.
The PerfectFIT Elite model comes with three rear zippered storage compartments. The top two compartments have several mesh dividers to help keep things organized. These compartments are great for quick access items like sunscreen, small toys, or extra layers and jackets.
The bottom rear zippered storage compartment can easily fit lunch or a full sized DSLR camera. The nice feature on the lower rear storage compartment is the coating. A slick rubber coating has been applied. This allows you to simply wipe clean any mess instead of staining a typical fabric compartment.
Two zipper hipbelt pockets are also included. These are big enough for a phone or small camera. One of the hipbelt pockets has an underside zipper that allows you to turn the pocket into a full sized water bottle holder. This is a fun feature more than a functional feature. It does make for quick access to water, but then you have a water bottle knocking against your upper thigh with each step. A better option is the hydration bladder sleeve that is conveniently built into the side of the pack.
Lastly, two mesh stuff pockets are built into the upper sides of the pack. These are medium sized, but could easily fit a full sized Nalgene water bottle or a small jacket. We like to use upper small mesh pockets for a phone and a white noise app.
When we are traveling, and are in and out of buildings or crowded spaces, we like to use a white noise app to keep the background level constant. This helps the child take a longer, less interrupted nap. Too many times have we walked out of a busy marketplace to an empty street, and the change from continual background noise to complete silence woke our child up! The white noise app has been great for us and can be downloaded for free on most app stores.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Extra Features: 8/10
Thoughtful storage really is the best feature on the Journey PerfectFIT Elite.
With dual hipbelt zipper pockets, two upper mesh stuff pockets, and two larger rear zippered pockets, there is plenty of room for everything you need on a full day excursion, or a short trip around town.
Having multiple spaces for water bottles is appreciated, and the wipe-able lining of the lower rear zipper compartment is a also a great feature.
For someone who hasn’t owned a child carrier backpack before, you might overlook how useful the SIX heavy duty, grab handles can be. These are built in on various areas of the pack, and allow you to securely put the pack on and take it off, fully loaded with your child and gear. Most packs have two grab handles, and Kelty has placed six handles on the Elite model.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Durability: 9/10
Anyone familiar with outdoor gear knows that Kelty is a highly respected brand known for making top notch gear that lasts, and that is no different with the Journey PerfectFIT Elite. This pack is built to last and will have great resale value years down the line.
This pack is constructed using highly durable materials such as 75D Poly and 140D Nylon blend.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Value: 9/10
The Joruney PerfectFIT Elite is a premium child carrier backpack, and it is priced like one. However, with the Elite you get a pack that has loads of storage and great fit adjustability so the pack can be shared with others. Given all the features, we give the Elite model a strong value rating.
Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite Child Carrier Summary
With a total score of 84/100, the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite is one of our top rated baby backpacks. This pack offers loads of gear storage, top notch child safety, and exceptional construction quality. Whether you are going for a quick trip around town, or a full day hike, this pack has everything you need.
For other strong competitors that also offer premium features found on the PerfectFIT Elite, have a look at the Osprey Poco Plus (Review), Thule Sapling Elite (Review), and Deuter Kid Comfort Pro (Review).
If looking for a highly versatile pack built in a an economical fashion, have a look at the Osprey Poco (Review).
About The Kid Packer
Here at The Kid Packer, we want to help you live your best life. A great baby backpack child carrier can help you do just that. After having used a child carrier backpack for over 1,500 miles of adventuring and exploring, we have a passion for them and know what makes a great pack that both you and your child will love. We hope our comprehensive research allows you to confidently find the right backpack for your needs!