Kiddy Adventure Pack Review
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
For 50 years, Kiddy has worked to increase car safety for children. The company has filed patents concerning lie-flat technology, impact shield, and shock absorbers and has received awards from Stiftung Warentest and ADAC for safety and quality. Their Evoluna i-Size is the only infant car seat with a lie-flat function inside and outside the car. Kiddy products are sold in over 50 countries worldwide and include car seats, strollers, and backpack carriers.
Performance Comparison
The comparison chart below shows the overall scores for the backpacks we tested in this review including the Kiddy (blue).
The subsections below include details on how the Kiddy performed compared to the competition.
Parent Comfort
The Kiddy earned a 5 of 10 for parent comfort.
This pack has padded shoulders (above left) that are sort of ho-hum and uninspired, but they do the job without discomfort. The chest clip is stiff (above right), but it sits off your chest.
The back of the pack has so-so padding. The pad is breathable and opens to expose the torso height strap but the torso range is only 1.5 inches making it somewhat useless.
The waist belt has average padding but it isn't as supportive as it should be. A significant amount of baby's weight rests on your hips making a supportive belt essential.
The back pad has a removable lumbar support that attaches with Velcro. Our testers didn't know if it was there or not indicating it doesn't offer much support. It could be a useful addition, but it needs to be more substantial to be effective.
Child Comfort
The Kiddy earned a 4 of 10 for child comfort.
The seat bottom has average padding but it folds in half under baby's weight. The seat padding runs from the back up the front covering the straps and buckles for comfort and the fabric is not soft and could chafe baby's exposed skin. The shoulder straps are lightly padded and sufficient for baby's comfort.
This pack has a front face rest (above left) with two removable drool pad (above right). This pad is useful for napping little ones and the drool cloth is easier to keep clean than those that don't remove.
The cockpit on the Kiddy isn't as tight as we'd like but it isn't so open that baby will be flopping around like the Phil and Teds Parade. The pack doesn't offer stirrups, so little one's legs will dangle.
The Kiddy has a built-in canopy that pops up from the rear storage pocket (above left) and the front clips in (above right) to secure the hood. It feels like a cheaper version of the Deuter Kid Comfort 3 which is one of the best and it is challenging to stuff back into the pocket.
Ease of Use
The Kiddy earned a 4 of 10 for ease of use. This score is the low score for the carriers.
The child harness (above left) is hard to adjust and near impossible with a baby in the pack. The strap has to be taken out of buckle, looped through the back of the carrier and then threaded through buckle again. The chest clip has a button push (above right) and is weirdly stiff for such a simple design. Adjusting the baby's seat is also challenging with raising harder than lowering but and moving to the higher position is almost impossible with a baby in the carrier.
The adult shoulder straps are stiff and don't move smoothly making tightening on the fly frustrating and the buckles on the chest and waist are stubborn and difficult to push. The torso adjustment is time-consuming and convoluted, and given the limited range of movement, it's almost not worth the hassle.
The Kiddy has dual carry handles attached mostly out of the way. There is no location for a hydration bladder but it has a water bottle holder. The manual is similar to that of the Clevr Cross Country using the same pictures with the same model number indicating the two packs are made by the same manufacturer.
The leg brace locks in place and will stand if you don't lock it but for safety, you should double check the lock before letting go of the carrier with your baby inside. There are safety straps you need to unlock before closing the brace which can't be done once the pack is on.
Storage
The Kiddy earned a 2 of 10 for storage, making it the worst in the group.
The main pocket (above left) is large, but access is frustrating. There is a flap covering the zipper causing it to get stuck in the fabric. There is a smaller zippered pocket (above right) higher up on the backpack which is easier to operate thanks to an uncovered zipper.
There is a mesh water bottle holder with an elastic band at the top to help keep the bottle in place. The holder is unreachable by the wearer, and it requires two hands to get a bottle inside. The waistband pocket has a zipper but is too small for most mobile phones, and the zipper is sticky with a similar fabric cover problem as the main pocket.
The canopy is attached to the pack so it can't get lost or misplaced. It stores in a dedicated pocket at the top of the bag and while difficult to get in and out, this is preferable to those products where the canopy doesn't have storage or isn't connectedk.