Thule Sapling Elite Child Carrier Review
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Thule Sapling Elite Kidpacker Rating: 89/100
Updated: June 24, 2021
Thule Sapling Elite Summary
The Thule Sapling Elite Child Carrier is one of the top child carrier backpacks on the market today. It’s our second highest rated child carrier backpack here at The Kid Packer, just behind the Osprey Poco Plus.
The Thule Sapling Elite gets top marks for adult carrier fit adjustability, child safety, gear storage, and extra features.
Thule Sapling Elite Child Carrier Scoring Summary
Thule Sapling Elite Child Carrier Pros and Cons
Great Storage
Includes a removable backpack for flexibility!
Rain Cover Available
Allows for use in adverse conditions or cold weather
Side Access
Makes for quick and easy child loading
Adjustable Hip / Torso
Ensures a great fit on a variety of body types
No Ideal Water Bottle Pockets
Can make for frustration
Sunshade Not Built In
Included, but could use improvements
Premium Price Tag
Excellent pack, but competitors offer similar features at a lower price
Thule Sapling Elite Adult Comfort: 8/10
The hipbelt, shoulder straps and torso are fully adjustable on the Thule Sapling Elite. Let’s start with the hipbelt. Plush mesh padding makes for a very comfortable fit with heavy loads. Fit is adjusted at the hips with an extender that allows the pack to comfortably fit small to extra large waistlines. This a great feature that most other packs don’t have and allows for a variety of body frames to wear the pack.
The shoulder straps and torso are also fully adjustable up to an XL (21 inch) torso. (More here from REI on how to appropriately fit a backpack) The Sapling Elite should fit up to a 6’ – 4’’ frame comfortably. The straps are adjusted by compressing two buttons on both sides of the frame, and sliding the straps up or down as desired. The mechanism is smooth and glides rather effortlessly. Good quality shoulder and torso adjustments transfer the weight to the hips and legs instead of straining the shoulders.
The Thule Sapling Elite also has excellent load lifters. These are critical for the wearer to find a comfortable fit. Load lifters essentially lift the pack up off your shoulders, and allow the weight to transfer to your hips and legs.
In addition, the back panel and lumbar are designed well. A tension mesh panel allows for air flow to keep you cool while hiking all day.
Lastly, this pack has some pretty awesome child “compression straps”. The straps essentially compress the child cockpit. This accomplishes two things: 1) Ensures the weight is close to your body to limit back strain and 2) Minimizes how much your child can squirm around. This ensures that you are stable while on the trail. We love this feature as you can adjust the straps while the pack is on and fully loaded making it one of our top rated child carrier backpacks.
Thule Sapling Elite Fit Adjustability: 10/10
As mentioned above, the Thule Sapling Elite is highly adjustable to fit a wide variety of body types. We’ve found that friends and family members really enjoy wearing the baby carrier backpack too, as it gives them a unique experience with the child. Having a pack that can be adjusted to fit just about anyone is a great selling point.
The Thule Sapling Elite has the highest fit adjustability ratings of any pack. The combination of the fully adjustable torso/shoulder straps, hipbelt with extender, load lifters, and child compression straps allow for a very quick and seamless hand off to another person to wear.
The other great thing about this pack is the quality of the adjustments. Some packs have great features, but the straps, clasps and buttons just feel cheap and you have to struggle to move things around. All the features on the Thule are smooth and easy. When you are tired after a long day, the last thing you want to do is to fumble with backpack adjustments. This is a well built pack!
Thule Sapling Elite Child Comfort: 9/10
Thule has a great design team. The Sapling Elite was built with both adult and child in mind.
This is one comfortable ride for a kid! The panel behind the child’s head is fully padded to keep them safe and comfortable on the trail. The chin pad is also made from the same material and provides a soft spot for the child to rest their head when it comes nap time.
One feature unique to the Thule Sapling Elite is the adult AND child both have mesh backpanels. Child backpacks can get quite warm for the kid, and the extra ventilation really helps ensure they stay comfortable.
Foot stirrups are a must and Thule built good ones. These are adjustable so they can move down as your child grows. Stirrups help kids find a comfortable position and keep good circulation as well. We really like the Thule stirrup design as they are easy to remove if you don’t want them on. This is ideal when the child is young, and the stirrups aren’t really needed. After a year or so, you can clip them back in to provide a spot for their feet to rest.
Thule Sapling Elite Child Safety: 10/10
Child safety also gets top marks from The Kid Packer. We love the Thule design for a variety of reasons. From the exceptionally sturdy aluminum frame to the extra thigh straps, this pack was built to keep your child safe.
One particular safety feature we love are the extra straps near the child’s thighs. When kids are young, say under two years old, they tend to squirm around the pack quite a bit, and the adult is always looking back to make sure they are still securely strapped in. The thigh straps on the Sapling Elite are just an extra safety feature to ensure that your child stays put.
The five-point harness is also fully adjustable, and the ergonomic child seat moves up and down to ensure a proper fit. The child seat is a bit wider than other backpack carriers on the market and provides inner thigh support, ensuring your child is comfortable for hours on end. Just another reason we have the Thule Sapling Elite as a top rated baby backpack.
Thule Sapling Elite Sun Protection: 7/10
The sunshade if one of the most critical parts of a kid carrier backpack, and the Thule Sapling Elite does a pretty good job. The sunshade is not as good as the Osprey Poco or Poco Plus, but it does the job.
The sunshade comes with the pack and is stowed away behind the child. After removing it, you place the back two pegs in their slots, and secure the front with two loops, locking the shade in place.
Overall, it is just fine, but a few improvements would really put this pack over the top.
Removable
Can be left behind if unnecessary
Provides Maximum Height
Providing the child plenty of head space
Sunny Sides
Allows a lot of sun through the sides
No Side Panels
Limits child's ability to nap without side head support
Thule Sapling Elite Nap Effectiveness: 8/10
The pack is very plush, and children should rest comfortably most of the time. In general we prefer the Osprey Poco Plus as the top rated napping baby backpack, but the Thule Sapling Elite has plenty of great features.
Nap features we like:
Plush Materials
Makes for a comfortable nap spot
Fully Adjustable Child Cockpit
Ensures a cozy spot for napping
Upper Stuff Pockets
Provides a spot to put a phone with a white noise app - great for helping kids nap longer!
No Side Panels on Sun Shade
Does not allow for a place for your child to lean their head
Thule Sapling Elite Gear Storage: 10/10
Thule does not have an official gear capacity listed for the Thule Sapling Elite, but we believe it is likely 25-30 L. We love the gear storage on this backpack, it has it all!
The hipbelt has large zippered pockets that are big enough to fit an Apple Max Pro or Google Pixel XL, or small toys.
The rear storage consists of multiple stuff areas, great for rain jackets or other quick access items. The upper storage is actually a removable daypack and includes two zippered compartments, one for larger items and one for small items such as keys and sunglasses. We love this feature! It allows you to a) share the load with someone else carrying the daypack, b) leave the daypack at home to reduce weight or c) fully load the pack with all the gear needed for a long day hike or overnight trip. This feature makes the Thule Sapling Elite one of the best baby backpacks for international travel. The Deuter Kid Comfort Pro also rates very highly when it comes to travel. Have a look at our comprehensive Kid Comfort Pro review here.
The only storage missing is a spot for a large Nalgene or water bottle. We will let this slide, as there is a spot for a hydration bladder.
Thule Sapling Elite Extra Features: 10/10
A unique feature on the Thule Sapling Elite is the dual access loading which allows for child side entry as an option in addition to the traditional top loading.
The next feature also comes in handy when removing the child from the baby backpack. Thule included a 3-4″ strap from the bottom of the torso section that touches the ground for the adult to step on to hold the pack down as you remove the child. If you have ever removed a child from a backpack carrier, you know that most of the time, the baby backpack comes up off the ground with the child as you try to get them out, which can be a struggle. This may seem like a trivial feature but, it just adds to the thoughtfulness of this design!
Another great feature is the rain cover that is sold separately. This is a must for us as it fully covers the child in inclement weather including cold and wind. It securely clips onto the pack keeping your child dry for hours. On hikes at elevation with rapid weather changes, the rain cover is a must have. By strapping on the rain cover, it will keep your child warm and out of the wind and rain, making for a much more enjoyable experience for all.
Thule Sapling Elite Durability: 9/10
As mentioned above, Thule built a very high-quality pack. Using 210D Cordura Nylon and 420D Nylon, this pack is about as durable as they come. The pack also comes with a limited lifetime warranty.
Due to the high quality design and materials, this pack has great resale value down the line.
Thule Sapling Elite Value: 8/10
The Thule Sapling Elite is a premium child carrier backpack and is priced as such. It is consistently one of the highest priced packs we review, however, you do get premium features and quality for the premium price tag.
Thule Sapling Elite Child Carrier Summary
With a total score of 89/100, the Thule Sapling Elite is one of the absolute best child carrier backpacks on the market. The Thule Sapling Elite is only second to the Osprey Poco Plus according to The Kid Packer criteria and research. If you are looking for a high quality baby backpack, loaded with features and plan to use it for years to come, you can’t go wrong with the Thule Sapling Elite.
For another strong competitor, and top of the line pack, consider the Osprey Poco Plus.
If looking for a highly versatile pack built in a bit more of an economical fashion, have a look at the Osprey Poco or CleverPlus Urban Explorer.
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! To learn more, check out the About Us page!