Osprey Poco SLT Child Carrier Backpack Review
lightweight child carrier with a sleek design that doesn’t sacrifice comfort or gear capacity
Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
October 14, 2024
Home > Gear Reviews > Hiking
Our Verdict
We’ve tested several kid carrier backpacks, including multiple versions of the Osprey Poco, like the Poco Plus. All of them have performed well, and each model has its own advantages and ideal use cases. This review focuses specifically on the Osprey Poco SLT—one of the newest and lightest carriers in Osprey’s lineup.
The Osprey Poco line of child carrier backpacks has long been a popular favorite among parents, and for good reason. They’re well made and rich in features—ideal for schlepping kiddos and all the necessary gear that comes along with that, whether you’re headed out on a long hike, traveling, or just strolling around town.
I tested the Osprey Poco SLT carrier alongside other backpacks, including the more premium Poco Plus. I used it for everything from long hikes in the backcountry to cruising along city streets with our little guy in tow. If you’re looking for a lightweight child carrier with a sleek design that doesn’t sacrifice comfort or gear capacity, the Osprey Poco SLT is an excellent choice.
Osprey Poco SLT Child Carrier
We create reader-supported, objective gear reviews independently selected by our editors. This story may contain affiliate links, which help fund our website. When you click on the links to purchase gear, we may get a commission — without costing you an extra cent. Thank you for supporting our work and mission of outdoor coverage for every body! Learn more.
Specs
Weight: 4.72 lbs.
Total weight capacity: 48.5 lbs (holds kids up to 40 lbs)
Storage capacity: 22L
Dimensions: 23.6 in. H X 13.8 in. W X 16.9 in. D
Fits waists/hips: 26 - 48"
Fits torso length: 15 - 21"
Adjustable torso: Yes
Frame material: Folding Stainless Steel
Freestanding: Yes
Sun shade: sold separately
Rain cover: yes; sold separately
Comparison Table
| BABY CARRIER | WEIGHT | WEIGHT CAPACITY (lbs) | STORAGE CAPACITY | SUNSHADE? | FREESTANDING? | MSRP* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Osprey Poco SLT | 4 lbs 11.5 oz | 48.5 | 22 L | Yes (sold separately) | Yes | $250 |
| Osprey Poco Premium | 8 lbs 5.4 oz | 48.5 | 36 L | Yes (UPF 50+) | Yes | $395 |
| Osprey Poco Plus | 7 lb 14.4 oz | 48.0 | 26 L | Yes | Yes | $320 |
| Deuter Kid Comfort | 7 lbs 2 oz | 48.5 | 14 L | Yes | Yes | $320 |
| Kelty Journey PerfectFIT | 6 lbs 6oz | 50.0 | 17 L | No (additional purchase) | Yes | $270 |
We tested the Poco SLT pack out on long and short hikes around Colorado. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
Best For
The Poco SLT is a lightweight and streamlined design that’s ideal for travel and instances when a smaller, sleeker pack is beneficial, like walking tight city streets with a kid in tow. However, though this pack is designed with that in mind, we think it also makes an excellent choice for hiking and other outdoor activities, especially for smaller kids.
Larger toddlers will be better off in a burlier pack like the Poco Plus, which has stirrups and a more robust suspension system. But for small babies and young toddlers, the SLT is a great choice that carries both kid and gear nicely, and packs small.
What We Like
The author’s son stayed comfortable on hikes in the mountains in the Poco SLT. By Tom Callaghan
The Poco SLT is a great pack for parents who want something sleek, but don’t want to sacrifice comfort or storage. The pack carries comfortably, even for a few hours of hauling a kid around. The lightweight foam back panel is comfortable, and allows for airflow to minimize back sweat when wearing the pack. The shoulder and waist straps are comfortable and easy to adjust. There is a Velcro adjustment system for the pack’s torso length in the back panel that allows for different-height adults to wear the pack comfortably.
This pack is very light for being a child carrier, weighing under five pounds. But despite the weight savings, it doesn’t sacrifice much in the way of carrying capacity. There are two spacious pockets on the back of the pack—one lower one with the most carrying capacity, and a smaller one above. There's plenty of space to carry diapering essentials, bottles, snacks, and extra layers for you and baby. There is also a slot behind the pack panel for carrying a bladder if you want, though we found the pack more comfortable without that.
Perhaps the biggest advantage of the SLT, though, is the slim, streamlined design. It does not have as robust a suspension system or as many pockets as something like the Poco Plus. This change makes it easy to pack down, and it’s much less cumbersome when walking around with it in tight spaces.
I used it on a long road trip where the car was stuffed to the brim with gear, and this pack was easy to fold down and slide into the trunk or up in the topper box. I’m not kidding when I say that a larger kid carrier could have been the metaphorical straw that broke our Subaru’s back in terms of our load for the trip. We planned to do lots of hiking and walking on this trip, and though we had the option of the Poco Plus (more pockets and cushioning), we chose the SLT for its light weight and packability.
What Could Be Better
There isn’t much we don’t like about this pack. And even though we had others from the Poco line to choose from, the SLT is the one we reached for most and the one my husband and I both prefer, thanks to the sleek and light streamlined design.
I do wish it came with the sunshade included. Though you can purchase it separately, I’d rather it come included and have the pack priced slightly higher. There are very few situations where I’d go out without it. However, this is likely because I live high in the mountains and spend a lot of time outside in the sun with my baby. If you don’t intend to use this pack much while out in full sun, or if your kiddo is comfortable wearing sunscreen or a sun hat without ripping it off, then that’s a non-issue. But, I feel that most parents will use this outside a good deal, and you want your child to be protected from the sun.
There are no water bottle pockets on the side of this pack, and that’s understandable given the emphasis on weight and packability, and when you consider that there is a bladder compartment. So because of that, we didn’t miss the bottle pockets too much. But, for the same design reasons, there are no hip pockets on this pack, and we’d love at least one.
If these features matter greatly to you, consider the Poco Plus, but know that it’s significantly heavier and bulkier than the SLT. In the end, my husband and I ended up preferring the streamlined design of the SLT for almost all of our adventures.
How We Tested
The author using the Poco SLT to carry her son plus aid station gear and snacks while supporting her husband during a multi-day mountain bike stage race. By Tom Callaghan
I used the Poco SLT in a variety of scenarios over the course of several summer months in the Colorado mountains. My husband, who is several inches taller than me, also used the pack comfortably. Our baby was 6-9 months old for the bulk of our testing, and weighed around 15-20 pounds during testing.
I took the pack out for multiple hikes around my home in Breckenridge, Colorado, from daily dog walks around the river to longer excursions in the mountains lasting up to a couple of hours. The pack was comfortable for it all, and I never had an issue with space or carrying capacity.
I also used this pack constantly for an entire week during the summer, where I supported my husband during a week-long mountain bike race — while on baby duty. The SLT was the perfect “support vehicle”—easy to toss into the car to get to-and-from start and finish lines, and comfortable for long walks and hikes to various aid stations.
On a long summer road trip, the pack was also constantly used for long hikes near Crested Butte, and walks around downtown Salida. It even stood in as a high chair to feed the baby during a full week of camping. And save for a few avocado stains in the baby cockpit, the pack looks good as new.
Technical Design Features
The two main pockets on the Poco SLT. By Stasia Stockwell.
The Poco SLT is built on a lightweight aluminum frame. Unlike the Poco Plus, the “kickstand” is always deployed unless the pack is folded up to be stored. That means you don’t have to think about deploying a kickstand when setting the pack down with a kid inside, keeping this simple. There are clips on the pack that allow the kickstand and pack as a whole to fold nearly flat for storage. But the kickstand bottom must be deployed and clipped in for carry mode.
When set up for carrying, it sturdily stands on its own on the ground, and is easy to swing over your shoulder even when fully loaded. The back panel uses Osprey’s Airscape foam design for breathability, and it works well, though we found sweat will build up eventually on hot days. There is slim but dense foam on the hip belt and shoulder straps which provide plenty of comfort. The pack body is made with burly, 210-denier nylon which is treated with a PFAS-free DWR coating.
Fit and Sizing
My 5’11” husband testing the Poco SLT on a walk along the river close to home. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
The Poco SLT only comes in one size. The back panel has a simple Velcro system that allows for up to 6” of adjustment to accommodate different torso sizes. Both my husband, who is at the tall end, 5’11” with a long torso, and I, at 5’3” with a truly miniature torso, were able to use the pack comfortably.
The pack can carry a child between 16 and 40 pounds and has a maximum carrying capacity of just under 50 pounds. We had no issues with our baby, given that he is quite small. And even with a larger, heavier child, there is enough leeway to carry additional gear and baby or toddler essentials.
Weight
The Poco SLT is the lightest of the child carriers in the Poco line, weighing just under 5 pounds. That’s a feature we really appreciated, both when carrying the pack on our backs and when packing up for long road trips. It saves both weight and space.
Gear Capacity, Organization, And Pockets
The Poco SLT does not boast the numerous pockets of more robust models like the Poco Plus, but it doesn’t exactly skimp on gear storage either. There are two spacious pockets in this pack.
The lower pocket, at the base of the pack, is the largest. We used it to carry diapering essentials, snacks, baby bottles, and large water bottles, with space to spare for an insulating layer or rain jacket for mom or dad. The top pocket is smaller but still spacious. We easily could fit a small bottle plus a jacket, hat, and spare socks for the baby inside, as well as a phone and car keys. Both pockets add up to a total of 22 liters worth of potential storage capacity.
Additionally, there is a sleeve behind the back panel to carry a water bladder, which is a nice option for longer hikes.
Child Seat Design
The Poco SLT has a stable base, and it’s easy to set the pack down when fully loaded. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
Like other Osprey Poco packs, the SLT has a Double Halo harness design. It fits a child snugly and comfortably, with a bit of stretch in the straps to accommodate for some movement without sacrificing safety.
There is a comfortable seat and headrest for the child. There are not stirrups on this pack, which was not an issue with our little guy, but something that may be desired for larger kids on longer outings.
Carrying Comfort
The Airscape padding and suspension on the Poco SLT is light and comfortable. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
The Poco SLT uses Osprey’s Airscape suspension system, with foam that spreads across the whole back panel and along the shoulder straps and hip belt. While the suspension and cushioning is not quite as robust as the Poco Plus, we found it to be plenty comfortable, partially because the pack itself is so light and slim.
On the top of the shoulder straps there are load lifting straps, which help to balance the weight nicely on your back. These helped us to always even the load comfortably, even on hikes and walks when we were wearing the pack for up to two hours (the maximum length of time our 8-month-old will chill in a backpack).
Weather Resistance And Sun Protection
In addition to the sunshade option, the cockpit of the Poco SLT has comfortable, breathable mesh, which, according to Jasper, is also great to chew on when teething. Photo by Tom Callaghan.
The Poco SLT does not come with a sunshade included, but it is compatible with one and we recommend having it, especially for outings in the mountains. My son often finds a way to take his sun hat off, and having the sunshade gave me reassurance that he wouldn’t get fried by the high alpine sun.
The sunshade paired with the DWR coating on the pack fabric helped to keep the pack and my son dry in light rain. In heavy rain, you’d want more. Like other Poco packs, the SLT is compatible with Osprey’s rain cover, which is sold separately (we did not test this on the SLT).
Durability And Quality
Our young tester snacks on some avocado in the Poco SLT. Aside from some stains from snack sessions like this, the Poco SLT showed no signs of wear even after multiple weeks of use in the backcountry. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
After a full summer of near-daily use, we have not had a single durability issue with the Poco SLT. We packed it in and out of the trunk and topper box several times, used it for multiple weeks worth of camping, and lots of day hikes and walks in between.
Osprey packs in general are known for their durability, and we think the Poco SLT lives up to that. The zippers and pulls are smooth and robust; the fabric is burly and resists abrasion. Aside from some dirt, this pack is truly as good as new after all that use, and we expect it to last for many years and multiple kids.
Sustainability
During our testing, the Poco SLT doubled as a makeshift high chair while camping in the mountains outside of Crested Butte. Photo by Stasia Stockwell.
The Poco SLT is made with bluesign-approved fabrics and recycled nylon for the pack body. Additionally, the DWR treatment on the fabric is free of PFAS forever chemicals.
Osprey packs, including this one, are durable and well built. This pack is meant to last many years and can stand up to heavy use, meaning you should not have to buy others to replace this. Based on our testing so far, we think it should last through the toddler years and even through multiple kids, meaning you shouldn’t need to replace it and can hand it down when your child grows out of it.
Warranty
Osprey has its All Mighty Guarantee which covers pack repair or replacement within the warranty timeframe, which depends on the specific item. Poco packs are covered with this warranty for seven years, starting on the date it was manufactured. This means that within that time frame, Osprey will repair or replace your Poco pack, no matter what.
Additionally, Osprey offers replacement parts that are easy to purchase from the Osprey website, should you need to repair a pack that’s outside of the warranty.
Differences Across the Poco Line
The back panel of the Poco SLT (left) compared to the Poco Premium (right), showing the differences in weight, padding, and adjustability. By Stasia Stockwell
There are multiple packs and accessories within Osprey’s Poco line, which covers all of Osprey’s child-carrying-related items. There are currently five different child carrier pack models within the line—the regular Poco, the Poco Premium, the Poco Plus, the Poco SLT and the Poco LT. Of these models, the Poco SLT is the lightest and slimmest.
Poco SLT Vs. Poco Plus
The Poco SLT (left) is lighter, smaller, and more streamlined than the Poco Premium (right). By Stasia Stockwell
We have also done an in-depth review of the Poco Plus, which is the burlier option that has as many pockets as you could dream of, though it is heavier and bulkier. The Poco SLT weighs over three pounds less than the Poco Plus, and it packs down smaller, too.
But if you want all the bells and whistles, the Plus comes with more storage—26 liters compared to 22 in the SLT—and has dual water bottle pockets and hip pockets. The Poco Plus also comes with stirrups and includes the sunshade. The SLT does not have stirrups, and the sunshade is compatible but must be purchased separately.
If you’re debating between these two packs, consider what your priority is. Do you want the most features and comfort possible, and are you willing to sacrifice some weight and packability in order to get that? Then the Plus is probably for you. But, if you’d prefer a pack that’s sleek, simple, easy to maneuver, and that packs down smaller and weighs less, then we think the Osprey Poco SLT will suit you well.
With both packs, there are pros and cons, but both are well-made, comfortable, durable packs with the storage and features needed for all sorts of adventures with your kid, or kids.
Poco Plus
Poco LT
The Poco SLT is comfortable for both wearers and passengers (pictured sunshade is not included). Photo by Tom Callaghan.
Should I buy the Osprey Poco SLT?
If you want a child carrier that has maximum amounts of storage, unmatched carrying comfort, and top-end features (like stirrups, sun shade, and a washable child harness) and don’t mind a larger, heaver, and ultimately more expensive pack, then the Poco Premium is a good buy. If you have a larger family or often go out with a lot of gear or extra items, the Poco Premium is going to have the space and pockets for everything. If you prefer a slimmer pack that’s more packable and affordable, consider the Poco SLT. But if you’re a maximalist with a bigger kid, bigger family, or lots of gear and accessories to tote around, the Poco Premium is going to suit your needs best.
About The Author / Why You Should Trust Us
Stasia Stockwell is a true mountain dweller who feels far more at home on a high alpine ridge than on a busy city street. She’s worked as a backpacking guide in Southeast Alaska, has held a WFR cert, AIARE 1, AIARE 2, and Avalanche Rescue certifications, and is working to become an avalanche education instructor. She’s now a full-time freelance writer and editor working primarily in the outdoor recreation realm.
Her bylines can be found in Backpacker, 5280, and REI’s Uncommon Path, among others, and she’s been testing and writing about gear for nearly a decade. She is also the managing editor of the new print zine, Trails Magazine. When she’s not writing, you can find her on a trail with skis, a bike, or trail running shoes—or off wandering in the woods with her husband, son, and hound dog.
You can learn more at her website www.stasiastockwell.com or read all her Treeline articles on her author’s page.
