The Osprey Poco Soft Child Carrier is marketed as a lightweight, high-performance baby carrier, designed for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking and exploring. It claims to combine comfort and safety for both parent and child with features like a ventilated back panel, adjustable harness system and ample storage space.
At £120, it’s positioned as a premium product alongside brands like LittleLife and Thule, but it aims to offer a softer, more streamlined option, without sacrificing durability. It also boasts of being made from 100% recycled materials. Scroll down to find out how our tester Nicole got on when using it with her two children.
www.osprey.com
Pros
- Suitable from young infant to 36 months, so either grows with or versatile for families with children close in age
- Comfortable, well-padded design with excellent waist support that reduces the feel of child’s weight compared to other carriers
- Outward-facing position is especially comfortable and enjoyable for both parent and child (a highlight with my 6-month-old)
- Inward-facing option works well for naps, offering strong head support
- Premium design: neutral colour palette, high-quality fabric, and stylish logo
- Integrated, lightweight sunshade that tucks neatly away
- Breathable mesh fabric keeps parent and baby cool in warm weather
- Machine washable
- Strong stitching and durable build for long-term use
Cons
- Back clip is awkward to fasten solo, making independent use difficult
- Waist strap requires unthreading Velcro every time - slower and fiddlier than slip-on styles
- Back-carry feels awkward and unsafe when attempting to load a toddler without help
- May not feel snug or supportive enough for newborns under 3 months
| Dimensions: | H 62cm x W 43cm x D 8cm |
| Weight: | 65kg |
| Colour: | Tan Concrete or Black |
- 3 carry positions: facing in for newborns, facing out for infants, and back carry for older children
- Padded, fold-away headrest
- Removable drool pad
- Machine washable
- Extra-wide padded hipbelt
- Padded shoulder straps with ventilated foam
Testing the Osprey Poco Soft Child Carrier LT
I was excited to test the Osprey Poco Soft Child Carrier LT, especially as it promised to work for both my 6-month-old baby and 2-year-old toddler. As a mum of two, carriers are an everyday essential, whether for supermarket trips, dog walks, or soft play visits when a double pram isn’t practical.
I currently own three other carriers: the LittleLife Explorer S3 for my toddler, and I alternate the Infantino Flip Advanced 4-in-1 and Dreamgenii SnuggleRoo for my baby. The Poco Soft LT appeared to be a middle ground—more structured than a wrap-style carrier but lighter and softer than a framed backpack.
Over three weeks of daily use, I tested it in almost every situation: long off-road dog walks, supermarket runs, caravan holidays, days out, and even at home while doing the dreaded chores!
Build
When it arrived and after unboxing (yes, this product came even came boxed, which I felt was a nice premium touch for a soft carrier), I was immediately impressed by the high-end feel and elegant neutral design. The simple setup took less than five minutes, even with two children underfoot. The instructions provided detailed information that I was unable to find on the website listing regarding age/weight specifications for each carry position: - inward facing for 0-36 months (7lbs-33lbs), outward facing for infants 5-16 months (15lbs-25lbs) and back-carrying for older children 12-36 months (20lbs-33lbs).
Performance with my baby
The inward-facing position was excellent for naps - my son settled quickly thanks to the very comfortable breathable stretch mesh seat and padded fold-away headrest. I would confidently say that he appeared to find it the comfiest of all the other baby carriers he has slept in in the past. The outward-facing position, however, was the standout feature: far more comfortable for both of us than any of my other carriers in this position, keeping him upright and with excellent posture support. Switching between positions is quick and easy - you simply fold the two side flaps on the seat inwards to make the seat narrower.
Would I use this carrier for a newborn? Honestly, probably not. Although it’s advertised as suitable for newborns (from 7 lbs), I do think a newborn would feel a little lost in it. For the first three months or so, I’d personally stick to a fully fabric wrap-style carrier, then transition to this model once the baby is less limp and a little bigger.
Performance with my toddler
The back-carry position with my toddler was unfortunately less successful. Getting him into the back-carry position felt like the biggest drawback with this product. I found that it felt unsafe to swing him round to my back as per the instructions suggest, particularly when attempting it solo. In addition to this, unlike my LittleLife Explorer Carrier, which allows my toddler to sit high with a wide view, this back-carrying position felt more like a “back hug.” His posture was rounded, which worked when he was tired, but otherwise, he grew restless quickly. So, honestly, for toddlers, unless they are tired and happy to chill/nap, one of Osprey’s more structured hiking carriers may be a better fit.
Usability
The carrier folds reasonably flat for storage - I often kept it in the car footwell beneath the carseats and it did fit in my small pram basket when required. It is less compact than a fabric-only carrier, but this doesn’t bother me as I would much prefer to have the comfort benefits of the additional structure it offers than a fully compact carrier.
At only 1.44 lbs, it’s impressively light compared to my toddler’s Explorer carrier. The padded hipbelt and straps distribute weight so well that both children felt lighter to carry. The breathable mesh fabric has been invaluable in warm weather, keeping both me and my baby cooler than my fabric carriers. This quickly became my go-to for summer days. The strong stitching and high-quality fabric make this carrier feel dependable and built to last, even with daily use.
In addition to the drawback with getting my toddler into the back-carry position, I also felt frustrated with this carrier's awkward fastening system. The back clip is tricky to secure alone, as you have to try and bend your arms right behind your back to fasten it (and I consider myself reasonably flexible). I would best describe it as being like fastening a bra strap on your back without the option to fasten it at the front and spin it around. Unfortunately, the Velcro waistband also feels unnecessarily fiddly compared to slip-on alternatives, particularly as the instructions recommend unthreading it each time; however, I did work around this by loosening it and stepping into it rather than unthreading it.
I loved the clever, lightweight integrated sunshade. I found this particularly useful on dog walks when the sun unexpectedly came out and I hadn’t brought a sun hat for my baby. The storage pockets, while useful for small items, are hard to reach with a child in place. The removable drool pads felt like a design afterthought rather than a genuinely helpful feature as my baby’s mouth isn't directly in contact with these areas more than others such as the fold-away headrest in the front carry position.
Final verdict
The Osprey Poco Soft Child Carrier LT exceeded my expectations in style, comfort and everyday practicality—particularly for my baby. It has replaced one of my other carriers entirely and has become my daily go-to. While it doesn’t fully substitute for my toddler’s structured carrier, it shines for younger babies in both inward- and outward-facing positions.
Its main weaknesses lie in the awkward fastenings, solo back-carry challenges, and limited suitability for newborns or restless toddlers. Still, the breathable mesh, durable build and thoughtful extras like the sunshade make it a strong contender for everyday and short outdoor adventures.
At £120, it’s an investment, but the value is clear to me given how much I use it. I would recommend it to parents looking for a stylish, eco-conscious, and comfortable carrier that grows with their baby through the early years.
Emily Gilbert is the Features & Reviews Editor for Mother&Baby. With a background in both print and digital journalism, she has written extensively on pregnancy, fertility, perinatal mental health, and the best in baby and parenting products. A first-time mum, Emily combines her professional expertise with personal experience, offering readers trusted advice and relatable insight. Specialising in product and travel reviews, she stays ahead of the curve on the latest parenting trends and is passionate about showing that life with a little one can still be full of adventure.