Osprey Poco

The Osprey Poco AG offers a fabulous child carrier. Osprey incorporates its super comfortable suspension system with ventilated back panel, hipbelt, and shoulder straps. Many features make this a highly coveted child carrier.

With my growing quiver of active grandchildren born to my adventurous children, I decide to purchase a few child carriers. The Osprey Poco AG was my first purchase this past December. There are several models in the Osprey child carrier line. I opted for the entry level pack, which in hindsight, I regret not moving higher up the line that offered more storage. I will add, purchasing online, sight unseen is unwise in this category (which I did for both child carriers I bought from two different manufacturers).

What I did like:

• Breathable, mesh fabric backpanel, hipbelt and shoulder straps are incredibly comfortable
• Child compartment is sufficiently padded, with a narrower padded seat area which garnered less complaints from the little ones on long hauls. *Another manufacturer's child carrier had a wider child seat which caused discomfort with infants during long stints possibly causing their legs to fall asleep (the little ones couldn’t articulate the area of discomfort)
• Child harness is simple and doesn’t get lost under the child so you don’t have to dig for them after placing the child in the pack.
• Side "roll bars" simply insert into a small sleeve and secures with a snap buckle. Folding the pack reverses the "tool bar" process where the "roll bar" staves secure down to the side. Simple procedure.
• Kickstand support detents positively into open or closed positions.
• Removable, washable padded drool pad
• Sunshade deploys rapidly for excellent coverage
  

What I would change if I could:

• I would ditch the mesh hipbelt sleeves and add large zippered pockets
• I would like to see child carrier manufacturers not only include an integrated sunshade, but also a rain cover. It’s an accessory that I did purchase, but reputable pack companies include rain covers with their backpacks...so why not include them.
• Include a water bottle sleeve for easy access
  

Final Thoughts:

The Osprey Poco AG is a delightfully comfortable pack to carry your precious cargo, thanks to their easily adjustable Anti-Gravity Suspension! Some of my desires for more storage pockets is remedied by higher models in the Poco line. Materials used are the same durable fabrics used on all their packs, yet soft padded materials are employed wherever it may come in contact with the child.

These child carriers aren’t cheap. You must look at them as a great investment with an even greater return! I highly recommend the Osprey Poco line!

Background

I’ve had opportunity to use the Osprey Poco AG for the past five months carrying two of my grandchildren around parks, neighborhoods, shopping malls, and multiple-hour hiking trails...where its suspension system shines!

This product is well made with great supporting accessories. There are too many child carriers that are made for a stroll in the parking lot to the trailhead and back to the vehicle. Once parents or grandparents leave that parking lot it is critical that the equipment used provide the additional safety and protection needed in the outdoors. Of course it is also critical that the unit be comfortable for both the youngster being carried and the adult doing the carrying.

Previous to having children I hiked the Appalachian Trail end to end and and have had a passion for the outdoors. I dragged my children into the outdoors from early on. While both my boys grew up to be stoic young men, they endured many a soggy or sun baked dehydrating trip in a variety of the BEST made devices including sleds, chariots, snugglies, backpack carriers, and floaty things.

As a grandparent, I purchased the Osprey Poco child carrier as the first carrier for our son and daughter-in-law to carry our grandson in for his first outdoor trips. The pack is comfortable to carry with good lumbar adjustments and padding in all of the right places. It seems to be comfortable to ride in (according to the lack of complaints) and once again the padding seems to be in all of the right places.

The pack has a stand for loading a child into it (not for a child to be left in) and shoulder straps to keep them in. We purchased the base model for $200, the sun shield for $40 and raincover separately for $35. The $275 cost was better than buying the premium model or any of the other brands we looked at.

Our grandson will have good sun and rain protection while viewing nature from his perch above his Dad's head.