Deuter Kid Comfort Pro Review

As new parents, it’s important for us to keep up the hobbies that fulfill us and help instill a respect for nature in our young son. What better way to do that than getting out on the trail? But with toddlers, hiking can be a hit-or-miss experience. Child carriers make it easier, but not all are created equal.

We’ve tried a few different ones so far, but landed on the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro Carrier. So far, it’s made hiking with our little one a ton of fun. The well-padded and spacious holding area lets kids sink in and get comfortable. The padded back even provides a place for them to fall asleep comfortably to the rhythm of your walk.

Slowly, we have been increasing our mileage with our 14-month-old, but we found no complaints on our latest trek at 35 degrees over some technical terrain.

In short: The Deuter Kid Comfort Pro ($390) is a burly child carrier from a brand known for making high-quality backpacks. The seating is supportive and secure, there’s a chin pad for your kiddo, a retractable sun shade, an extra daypack, and even a rear-view mirror accessory. The back is adjustable for either parent to wear, and fully ventilated for when you’re working up a sweat. This is a reliable, rugged piece of parenting gear that will make hikes more fun and comfortable for everyone involved.

Deuter Kid Comfort Pro Review

Features for Parents

For those who will be doing the carrying, Deuter used its Aircomfort Sensic Vario mesh back system for ventilation. The shoulder straps and hip belts are padded and have a ventilated mesh outer fabric that helps them wick moisture and stay dry or dry quickly. Behind each shoulder, there is an elastic water bottle sleeve.

The back length can be easily adjusted with the VariSlide back adjustment to switch carry-duty between parents on the go. And storage is ample, with tons of pockets of different sizes.

It even comes with an accessory daypack that stores inside the kid carrier and rearview mirror so you can keep an eye on your cargo while you walk. When you need to set the carrier down, a kickstand lets you set it upright and keeps it stable.

Features for Kids

The Kid Comfort Pro (as the name suggests) is equally dialed for those who will be riding in it. The harness is secure. There’s even a soft chin rest to relax or nap while on the trail, and a convertible-style sunshade offers coverage when it’s too hot or if you’re caught in a drizzle.

All-Around Comfort

The strap system is easy enough to secure a wiggly child solo and make fast adjustments. Mine always protests at the point of strapping in, but he’s happy once we get moving. So making the process as quick and easy as possible is appreciated.

The padding built into the Kid Carrier is by no means just for kiddos. It’s hard to know how universal toddlers’ idiosyncrasies are. But my son loves to lean to one side while we hike. That makes for a pretty uncomfortable weight shift. He mostly wants to see the trail ahead, but apparently exclusively prefers the view from the left. Try as I might to rearrange him, the left side remains his preferred side for miles at a time.

The frame of the Deuter soaks up the imbalance much better than our old pack. That carrier would leave my hip and lower back in pain for days. I’ve long been a fan of Deuter packs. So to me, it’s unsurprising that their penchant for quality extends to child carriers as well.

Easy to Swap

One thing we never considered before using baby gear was the height differential between my 6’2” partner and me at 5’8”. With front soft carriers like the Baby Bjorn that mold to your body type, it takes several minutes of tugging and adjusting to switch the baby between us. This hiking pack is nearly instant. The VariSlide back adjustment made switching between parents very quick and easy.

Great Ventilation

I mostly tested this carrier in winter weather. But my child acts as a space heater most of the time, and the ventilation still keeps me from sweating like other carriers we’ve used.

A Note on Weight

The downside of all the padding, extra features, and the frame is added weight. The Kid Comfort Pro is on the heavier side, at 7.83 pounds.

While not the heaviest carrier on the market, anything beyond the nearly 30-pound package it carries is definitely felt, especially when you pick it up. I will be curious to see how close to the carrier’s 49-pound load weight limit we’ll be able to physically manage.

Storage & More Features

Another well-designed feature of the Kid Comfort Pro is the ample storage and variety of pockets. On our last backpacking trip, I ended up strapping items to the frame of our old carrier because there wasn’t enough storage space. This made for swinging weight down the trail, which is less than ideal.

The Kid Comfort Pro has netting that is accessible from the front for quick-grab items like snacks or a water bottle. There’s a stuff sleeve on the back, water bottle holders, and pockets on the hips.

The sun shade deploys and stores easily via a top zipper. That way, you don’t have to worry about stuffing it into a gear compartment.

The Kid Comfort Pro also comes with a detachable day pack that fits in the bottom hold. It’s perfect for when you reach your destination, and let your little one play around and explore.

Room for Improvement

Besides the weight, one area where the carrier fell short for us is the child’s adjustable foot holder. The foot straps at their lowest level don’t do much to accommodate long legs.

To be fair here, my son is in the 99th percentile for height at his age. However, he’s also on the younger side for the carrier audience. Since he is blissfully unaware of his own knees, his feet end up straight out under where my arms swing.

Luckily, he was fine with ditching the foot straps altogether. The seat is comfortable enough that he didn’t need them.

Miles and Miles to Go

While not the cheapest pack on the market, the Deuter Kid Comfort Pro is still competitive with other big brands (much like their other pack lines). I would argue the price-to-feature comparison comes out heavily in favor of the Comfort Pro.

Overall, this carrier kept my son happy and comfortable for miles on the trail, a major feat for any toddler (and parents). Even better, it was comfortable for me too, up and down sharp hills, over rock gardens and gravel, and through some rudded out sections of singletrack.

I hope to keep increasing our mileage for longer hikes and instill more love for the outdoors in the next generation, one small hike at a time.