Sometimes using a stroller feels like driving an SUV. If you’ve used a stroller, you are no doubt familiar with the roll-of-the-eyes as you sheepishly say “excuse me” to maneuver around something or someone. Hey, I live in San Francisco, so I totally understand that space is a commodity.

I must also confess that before I became a parent I felt the same way about strollers. They seemed bulky, slow, and somewhat selfish. Nowadays I parent a thriving twenty-something pound baby boy, so a stroller is sometimes a necessity. However, there is a happy medium for me. The medium lies between the cute front carrier (that you hope your little bundle will never outgrow) and the stroller. It’s the Kid Comfort. The name rocks because it’s undoubtedly comfortable for the both the parent(s) and your precious cargo.

Nate loves the view from our Kid Comfort II. He feels like part of the team. Instead of fighting the 5-point harness (as he does with the stroller) he squeals in delight as I lift him off the ground and strap him to my back. We’ve had festival, bus, zoo, beach and park adventures. The Kid Comfort II fits both my husband and myself, and the necessary adjustments for a change of porter for Nate can be made in less than a minute.

If I’m flying solo with Nate I can easily load and unload the pack. If Nate falls asleep I can either keep traveling, or grab a coffee, fold out the kick-stand, unload, and sit beside him until he comes back to the land of the living. Finding a coffee in San Francisco is not a challenging task with a city that boasts states-offer-the-most-coffee-shops-survey”>2.2 cafes for every 10 000 people.

Nate is 1, and loves to walk, and walk, and walk. He seems fiercely independent, although I can’t imagine where he got that trait from…

Using the Kid Comfort works for us because while his enthusiasm for walking bubbles away, I have both hands free to guide my little man. It’s also easy to chase Nate if he decides to run away. Not quite such a graceful activity with a stroller. Deciding to use the backpack instead of the stroller always makes for an adventure.
So, while a stroller has its place in an urban environment, the Kid Comfort also deserves a mention. It’s comfortable, exciting, equally spacious with regards to storage and you’ll be the coolest mom (or dad) at the zoo!

—Belinda Pohlmann

If you have little ones – do yourself a favor, check out the Kid Comfort II

• Learn all about the Kid Comfort II at Deuter.com
• REI
• Backcountry.com
• Altrec.com