Phil and Teds Parade Review

International company Phil and Teds is a creator and marketer of award-winning juvenile gear. The company has been creating gear for 20+ years under brand names like Mountain Buggy and Mokopuna. Phil and Teds have been honored with three Red Dot awards and offer various products, including backpack carriers, strollers, travel gear, car seats, and more.

Performance Comparison

Parent Comfort

The Parade offers the worst overall parent comfort results in the group. This option's shoulder strap, waist, and back padding are poor.

The inability to adjust the shoulder straps tight enough means little ones are hanging too far away from the wearer, making it feel off balance. This design puts excess pressure on the collar bones and the front of the shoulders.

The waist belt is just as disappointing and is the worst for support. The torso length of the Parade can't be adjusted at all, so if your torso is longer or shorter than the pack, you'll end up feeling parts digging into your back because there is little padding to protect you from the poor fit.

Some testers feel that the frame of the pack or pack legs poked them in the behind or top of the rear end and the lack of adjustability meant this problem wasn't resolvable. Overall, testers reported they wouldn't want to wear this pack for long when toting baby around town.

Child Comfort

The Parade disappoints for child comfort with the lowest result in the group. This pack has a 5-point harness with shoulder straps with padding only around the chest buckle.

The straps are easy to adjust by lifting the buckle and tightening the belt. The seat bottom is reasonably wide, well-padded, and can be moved by pulling on the front strap to raise it to a higher position.

The cockpit where the baby sits is too big, even for our larger test baby, which resulted in little ones flopping around inside it, which is uncomfortable for them and the wearer.

The seat bottom is wide with thick padding offering comfy support, but the lack of padding on the harness means it digs into the baby's body more than it needs to.

The headrest also lacks sufficient padding; you can feel the frame bar underneath it. The face pad (where the baby rests while sleeping) has thin padding like the headrest. You can feel the bar, and it has no slant for better head placement. The drool cloth is not removable, and the baby's position in the cockpit means they can't rest on it anyway.

This pack also has no stirrups leaving the baby's legs to dangle. While not all little ones use stirrups, it can be more comfortable for taller children if they are available.

Ease of Use

The Parade earned a below-average result for ease of use. This pack has no canopy, but you can buy the Phil and Teds Escape canopy. There won't be dedicated storage for it, but it is nice to know it is an option.

The limited adjustability on this backpack makes it fit like a cheap Walmart book bag, and the inability to adjust the torso means you may be frustrated during longer hikes that you can't get the pack appropriately fitted. The chest (above left) and waist buckles (above right) are easy to operate but hard to adjust. The straps and seat for the baby and cockpit alternatively are easy to use even with your baby in the pack.

The kickstand/legs are easy to reach and use, but they don't pop out very far, so it creates a narrow base that could potentially tip over if the baby pushes up off the ground.

The Parade has a carry handle in the front of the pack, and the fabric can be spot cleaned only.

Storage

The Parade has one large and one small compartment on the pack's body and a pocket on the waistband. The pack will not accept a hydration bladder. The lack of storage features makes it one of the worst in the best baby backpack carrier review for storage.

The waist strap pocket is too smaller for larger mobile phones and is probably more suitable for keys, granola bars, or Chapstick.

The Parade has a detachable child backpack (above left) that disconnects from the main pack with D loops that have a split where the strap slides through for detachment (above right). The bag's opening zips on the bottom and both sides, so anything inside can potentially fall out when you open it. The compartment is big enough to fit snacks, a water bottle, a couple of diapers, and wipes.

The more substantial compartment sits under the child pack below the child's seat. This storage zips on three sides, and it has two holes in it where the front legs come out. This design means that smaller items can fall out through the holes, so you'll want to reserve the pocket for bigger things like jackets, diapers, baby wipes, or water bottles.

The Parade does not offer additional pockets or water bottle holders on the front or side of the pack, which is a disappointment since it also doesn't have space for a hydration bladder.

Should You Buy the Phil and Teds Parade?

A baby backpack can make the difference between a successful outing and one that frustrates both child and parent. Unfortunately, the Phil and Teds Parade leaves the parent and child wanting more for comfort. It's also one of the lowest-ranking baby backpacks in the group. Therefore, we suggest passing on this option, especially since there are better-performing backpacks in the lineup.

What Other Baby Backpacks Should You Consider?

If the cost of the Phil and Teds Parade is what attracts your attention, consider the LuvdBaby Premium. This pack's overall performance (although not outstanding compared to high-ranking options) is an improvement from the Parade and is relatively similar in price. If comfort is your main priority, the Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL offers notable comfort, especially for parents with a shorter torso or slimmer body type, and it's still wallet-friendly for the baby backpack world. If you want one of the best packs, the Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite is a high-quality, worthy option, especially for avid hikers.

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