chicco Smartsupport backpack carrier Review
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Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier Review
Updated: January 10, 2021
Chicco is a leading brand when it comes to baby and kid products in general but, did you know that they also offer a child carrier backpack? Their model is admittedly very bare bones, and is intended to primarily be used around town or short walks in the neighborhood.
Although this pack likely isn’t ideal for a full day on the trail, it is definitely worth considering if you plan to use it for trips to the grocery store and short strolls to the park!
Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier Scoring Summary
Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier Pros and Cons
Very Lightweight
Entire backpack is the most lightweight on the market
Adjustable Child Seat
Child seat moves up and down to adjust as your child grows
Sunshade Built In
Provides a comfortable and safe ride
No Gear Storage
No gear storage on this pack which really limits versatility
No Foot Stirrups
Would be nice for longer outings
No Hipbelt Extensions
Limits the range of waist sizes this pack can accommodate
Chicco SmartSupport Adult Comfort: 5/10
The Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier comes with padded and adjustable shoulder and waist straps. The straps are very sturdy and easy to adjust as you hand the backpack from one person to another.
The rear back panel and lumbar support is very padded and surprisingly comfortable. Extra padding on the lumbar from top to bottom really helps as your child grows and the total backpack weight gets heavier.
The primary downside with adult comfort is the waist strap. Compared to most competitors, the waist belt could really use some bulking up. It would be nice if Chicco extended the padding around the waist to help ensure the padding wraps further around the adult waist. This isn’t a huge issue with smaller body types, but for larger frames, this pack will be less comfortable. Specifically on longer trips or when the child is older and weighs more, this pack begins to lose its utility.
One nice feature is the back panel design that allows for decent airflow. Although this won’t keep you from sweating on a warm day at the park, it does help some to keep air moving.
Overall, we don’t really mind the lower ratings for adult comfort as this child carrier backpack is primarily designed for shorter outings where the comfort shortcomings would be less noticeable.
Chicco SmartSupport Fit Adjustability: 5/10
Compared to many other child carrier backpacks, such as the Osprey Poco Plus, Thule Sapling, or Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite, the Chicco SmartSupport is much less adjustable.
The backpack does offer adjustable hip, shoulder, and sternum straps. The adjustments are easy to make, and the backpack can be quickly adjusted to hand off to another person. However, one should not expect a truly proper backpack fit given the limited adjustments. To learn a bit more about how to properly fit a backpack, check out this helpful article from REI.
From our review, we found that the backpack fits medium size frames fairly well. Anywhere in the 30-36 inch waist range should find a pretty good fit. Petite sizes may find that the straps just don’t get tight enough to fit as desired. On the higher end, the backpack does accommodate up to size 42 inch waist. However, on the high end, don’t expect a super comfortable fit given the limited padding around the waist.
Chicco SmartSupport Child Comfort: 5/10
With our Chicco SmartSupport Backpack review, we found the child comfort to be more than adequate. With a fully padded back panel in the child seat and a padded, covered material spanning the entire rim of the child cockpit, your little one will certainly enjoy a comfortable ride around town.
Another nice feature on this backpack from Chicco is the fully adjustable child seat height. With a minor adjustment, the child seat moves up or down. This is great feature to have when your child is young, and prefers to sit higher in the backpack so they can see out and engage more. As your child grows, you simply slide the seat down, providing more room for them.
The sun shade is also fairly well designed. More on this in a bit, but a quality sun shade makes a world of difference when it comes to child comfort.
One knock when it comes to child comfort is the lack of foot stirrups. Despite being a bare bones child carrier backpack, foot stirrups would have been a nice addition.
Chicco SmartSupport Child Safety: 7/10
The Chicco SmartSupport received a 7/10 rating for child safety.
Although the Chicco isn’t as plush as many of other top, high end models, the most critical safety feature on a child carrier backpack, the seat harness, is a quality one. Chicco utilizes a five-point harness to secure your child in the child cockpit.
With most baby carrier backpacks, the child harness straps are padded. The Chicco keeps with the lightweight theme and does not utilize padding on the straps. Children really don’t seem to notice the difference on shorter trips. Although the straps on this pack are fairly thin, when clipped in place, your child will feel very secure in the backpack.
Chicco SmartSupport Sun Protection: 7/10
Great news, the Chicco SmartSupport Backpack comes with a sunshade built in.
When it comes to a child carrier backpack, a sunshade is one of the most important features.
Children have sensitive skin and most burn very easily. A good sunshade helps protect them.
The Chicco sunshade is upright all the time, and simply snaps forward when you want to extend it. We really like this design. Although it would be cumbersome on other larger packs, it works on this backpack. Also, pulling the sunshade forward is so easy, you don’t even need to take the backpack off!
Lastly, the sunshade does have small side panels, which we appreciate. This provides a bit more sun protection when the sun is lower in the sky.
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
Chicco SmartSupport 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. Overall, we were fairly impressed with the nap effectiveness of the Chicco baby backpack!
A few things help with the Chicco nap effectiveness. First, the child cockpit is fully lined with padding. When the child is sleepy, they can simply lean forward and rest their head on the padded drool pad, or the sides of the child cockpit.
Secondly, the built in sunshade is a huge help. Kids get warm quickly when they nap, and then they typically wake up soon after. The sunshade does a good job of helping keep your child cool, which helps them nap longer.
Great Drool Pad
Provides a good spot to rest their head
Sunshade Included
Keeps your child cool while napping
Limited Side Panels on Sunshade
Exposures your child to more sun and limits where they can rest their head during nap time
No Foot Stirups
Would allow for a natural, comfortable sitting position and longer naps
Chicco SmartSupport Gear Storage: 0/10
Alright, this section is a bit unfair, we admit. The Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier has zero storage. As in, not even an option to store a pacifier. Given that there is zero storage, the Chicco SmartSupport gets a 0/10 rating for gear storage.
However, this backpack is not designed for a day on the trail. It is designed to be worn around town, in the neighborhood, short strolls at the park, or even around the house. Given that you are never more than a few feet from your car or house, you really don’t need a ton of storage.
Although we would appreciate a small pouch to store a few items like a pacifier, bottle, or a spare diaper, we can make do without.
However, for comparison a pack like the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite is loaded with storage. You can go for a full day hike, or even an international trip with all the storage it offers. But, the Kelty model was designed to do just that, and could be overly bulky around town.
Chicco SmartSupport Extra Features: 5/10
Our favorite “extra features” on the Chicco SmartSupport Backpack are actually pretty basic features, but make a world of difference.
The built in sunshade earns some solid points. Not all top rated baby carrier backpacks have a sunshade included, much less built in. Nice job by Chicco for providing this as a standard feature.
We also like the backpack kick stand. This allows you to take the pack off, and rest it on the ground securely while your child is still in it.
However, some features like a water bottle holder, foot stirrups, and mesh pockets are missing on the Chicco.
Chicco SmartSupport Durability: 7/10
Chicco is one of the top manufacturers of child products, and are known for quality. This backpack is no different. From the sturdy but lightweight aluminum frame to the quality materials used for the child seat and sunshade, you should have no concerns over durability.
Chicco SmartSupport Value: 4/10
Overall, the Chicco comes in on the lower end of the value spectrum. Despite being a very nice product that fills a niche very well (a child carrier backpack to be used around town and around the neighborhood), we believe there is better value available with other, similar economical baby backpack carriers such as the CleverPlus Urban Explorer.
Chicco SmartSupport Backpack Carrier Summary
After our Chicco SmartSupport Backpack review, we give this child carrier backpack an overall score of 53/100. Although it comes in at the lower end of our overall child carrier backpack rankings, we really appreciate the simplicity of the pack itself.
If you are looking for something to hold your child while you shop, walk around the neighborhood, or go for a short stroll at the park, the Chicco SmartSupport is a great option. If you are looking for a child carrier backpack for longer day hikes or days out exploring a new city while traveling, this is likely not the backpack for you.
If you are looking for something a bit more versatile, and our highest rated backpack, have a look at the Osprey Poco Plus. If you are looking for a more economical option, the Luvdbaby Premium or Kelty Journey PerfectFIT would be great options to look into.
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!