Piggyback rider Review
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Piggyback Rider Review
Updated: April 28, 2021
Piggyback Rider Pros and Cons
Very Lightweight
Less than three pounds!
Super Versatile
Great for hiking, around town, or pretty much anywhere your little one needs a ride!
Quick and Easy Setup
Child wants a ride? It takes seconds to load them up. Child wants to walk? It takes seconds to have them on their way.
Low Price
At just over $100, it provides a great child carrier solution.
No Gear Storage
No place to keep snacks or a water bottle
Not Super Comfortable
Fine for 20-30 mins at a time, but less ideal for longer outings
No Sun Protection
Unlike other child carrier backpacks, the Piggyback Rider has no sunshade
Piggyback Rider Review - What is it good for?
Carrier for Older Child
If you are looking for a carrier for an older toddler that wants to walk some, the Piggyback rider is a great option.
We have found that children 2 years and older can walk a mile or even two, but then tire pretty quickly. The Piggyback Rider does a nice job of bridging the gap. Children can walk as long as they like, then hop on for a ride and some rest. This keeps the day moving, and kids have great fun riding as well.
Short Day Trips and Quick Hikes
The piggyback carrier is ideal for short trips. Morning hike at a local trail? Perfect. Walking around the neighborhood? Perfect.
Any sort of outing that won’t need extra layers of clothing, snacks, or other gear. The Piggyback Rider excels in these circumstances. If you need to bring a jacket or lunch, the Piggyback Rider likely isn’t the best choice. Have a look at our top rated baby backpack carrier, the Osprey Poco Plus (review), if you are planning longer day trips.
Around Town
While reviewing the Piggyback Rider, we found it to be perfect for trips around town. Heading to the Farmer’s market, walking around the neighborhood, or even shopping at the mall. These are times where older children can walk a bit, but eventually get tired and need a rest. You can either stop for a while, carry them in your arms, or try the Piggyback Rider. You can keep your day going without having to worry about your little one keeping up.
Traveling
Although our top recommendation for traveling will always be a full baby backpack carrier due to gear storage and comfort, the Piggyback Rider does have some real benefits. It is super compact, lightweight, and is quick to set up. Pretty ideal for travel. Plan to walk around a new city for the day and worried about your little one keeping up or having to hold them? Piggyback Rider is a solid option.
Piggyback Rider Review - What is not good for?
Small Children
The Piggyback Rider is made for older toddlers starting at 2 years old then up to 50 pounds. We would not recommend this product for any children younger than 2. Young children are still inclined to nap during the day and this child carrier would not allow for that.
Full Day Hikes
Planning a full day hike in a local state or National Park? The Piggyback Rider might not be the best solution. Don’t get us wrong. You can make a case for using the piggyback carrier for an older child, but it just isn’t practical for longer uses. In our mind, planning to use the Piggyback Rider for anything longer than 30-45 minutes seems unreasonable. It just isn’t built for comfort or longer outings.
Solo Outings with Child
We don’t prefer the piggyback rider for solo outings either. If you are going out for more than an hour, you’ll pretty much always want to bring along some snacks, diaper changing gear, a water bottle, etc. With the lack of storage on the Piggyback Rider, having a partner to carry a few items is very helpful.
Piggyback Rider Pros
Now let’s talk about what we really like about the Piggyback Rider.
Very Lightweight
Coming in under 3 lbs., it is one of the lightest carriers for older children. The biggest competitor would be the Chicco Smart Support (Review). Most full feature child carrier backpacks weight 7-8 pounds, pretty heavy in comparison! The Piggyback Rider also rolls up to be very compact. When you take a child out to the Farmer’s market, around town or on a vacation, you have so much extra stuff to pack and carry. With the Piggyback Rider, you have a nice compact solution that really doesn’t add much to your packing plan.
Highly Versatile
We love how versatile this product is. While reviewing the Piggyback Rider, we found it to be one of the most versatile carriers on the market specifically for older toddlers. Being so small and compact, you can take it pretty much anywhere. The problem many parents face at a certain point is that their child can do some walking, but runs out of gas eventually, leaving you carrying them in your arms which is never a good solution for long. The Piggyback Rider solves this problem. Your little one can jump on your back for a short break, then get back to walking when they are ready. This really opens up a world of opportunities knowing you won’t be stuck trying to carry your child back to the car or hotel room in your arms.
Quick and Easy Setup
Ill be honest. Here at the Kid Packer, we love full featured child backpack carriers like the Osprey Poco Plus or the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro. They are just awesome products. But, they are big and sometimes more than you need for a short outing with an older toddler specifically if your child is ready to walk most of the time.
The Piggyback Rider is so quick and easy to set up! Simply clip the safety harness on your child, squat down and have them load up, and clip them in over your shoulder. It takes 30 seconds from start to finish. This is a big pro in our opinion.
Price
Another pro, in our opinion, is the Piggyback Rider price. Coming in at ~$115, it costs less than half of most baby backpack carriers, and less than 2/3 of the cost of other top end products.
Piggyback Rider Cons
Now let’s talk about the downsides to the Piggyback Rider as compared to other child carrier methods.
No Gear Storage
Coming in under 3 lbs., it is one of the lightest backpack carriers for older children. Coming in under 3 lbs. also means that no gear storage is built in. This does make it difficult for longer outings. No place to stash a water bottle or changing gear. For longer day trips, this can be an issue. However, most people have another backpack or day bag that they can pack instead, so we can get past this.
No Sun Protection
If you have read any of our other reviews, you know that sun protection for children is a big deal. Younger children have very sensitive skin and burn easily. One of the biggest benefits to traditional baby backpack carriers is the great sun protection. The Piggyback Rider does not offer a sunshade, leaving your child exposed. However, with long sleeves, a good sun hat, and appropriate application of sun block, we can get past this for certain travel scenarios.
Not Very Comfortable
Ok, this is the biggest drawback about the piggyback rider. It just isn’t very comfortable in comparison to a traditional baby backpack carrier.
Traditional child carrier backpacks do a great job of transferring weight to your lower body so you don’t have all the weight of the child on your shoulders or lower back. The Piggyback Rider can not compete with a traditional carrier on comfort. Most, if not all of the weight sits on your shoulders and lower back. This is ok for 30 minutes at a time but, much after that it really becomes uncomfortable.
Piggyback Rider has more recently designed an additional hipbelt that can be purchased separately, and it helps some. For a larger child, say 35 lbs and up, the Piggyback Rider Hipbelt is a must.
Another part of the Piggyback experience is the fact that your child has their hands on your neck and face most of the time while they are riding. Not always an issue but, on a hot day it is less than ideal.
Again, if you are wearing the Piggyback Rider for 30 mins or so at a time, all of this is a non-issue. If you are planning to wear it for longer outings, you might consider a traditional child backpack carrier.
Piggyback Rider Specifications
Weight Limit: 50 Ibs
Suggested Age Range: 2+
Piggyback Rider Product Weight: 3 Ibs
Summary
So, who is the Piggyback Rider perfect for? The Piggyback Rider is perfect for families transitioning from a traditional baby backpack carrier to having a child that wants to walk on their own. This item packs small and is super simple to put on. Could this replace a baby backpack carrier for a baby/young toddler? In our opinion, no. This product does serve a unique purpose in the baby carrier industry as a bridge between carrying a toddler to having a little independent walking adventure partner.
For more information on traditional baby backpack carriers, take a look at our Top 5 Baby Backpack Carriers!
If you are specifically interested in small profile child carriers, take a look at these more traditional yet, minimal baby backpack carriers:
Piggyback Rider Key Competitors
Osprey Poco LT
Kid Packer Rating: 75/100
Pack Weight: 5 Ibs 1 oz
Price: ~$260
Osprey Poco LT Review
Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL
Kid Packer Rating: 78/100
Pack Weight: 5 Ibs 9 oz
Price: ~$240
Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL Reivew
ClevrPlus Urban Explorer
Kid Packer Rating: 77/100
Pack Weight: 7 Ibs 2oz
Price: ~$160
ClevrPlus Urban Explorer Review
Chicco Smart Support
Kid Packer Rating: 53/100
Pack Weight: 6 Ibs 7oz
Price: ~$130
Chicco Smart Support 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!
