I shall start this Osprey Poco Premium review with a strong statement: in my view, this is the best product of this kind on the market. I do rank it above the very similar Deuter Kid Comfort III model due to reasons that will be made clear in the text below.
Every product from Osprey Poco series carries the TüV GS safety certification. It is designed to be used by both parents, so the adjustment system is very effective and the pack can be adapted for various torso and waist sizes in seconds.
Adjustable AirSpeed trampoline suspended mesh is on the back. It is aimed at increasing ventilation. I know that such systems are effective, have something similar with my Deuter Futura backpack.
Similarly effective is the child seat adjustment as you will be able to see from the video below. The seat is floating and equipped with stirrups for child’s feet. The child’s harness and seat are nicely padded.
There is a beautifully done padding in front of child’s chin; it is removable and washable.
The pack has a standing mode, for this purpose a leg is used when the carrier is with the child on the ground.
The harness of the backpack is made using all the usual great Osprey technology and features; easily adjustable, well-padded. There is even a phone pocket added to the shoulder strap.
The hip belt is generously padded, with yet another great feature: you can extend the padding on the belt while on the go, without taking the pack off; this is fit-on-the-fly adjustable hip belt system. You will see this in the video below. Two nice zippered pockets are on the hip belt itself.
Two additional stretch mesh pockets are on the side of the pack. A big storage area is below the child seat, the access to it is through the front zippered opening. There is a mesh pocket inside of this storage area, on its lid.
On the upper part of the front face, thus behind the child’s seat, there is a 16 liters day pack which can be removed and used separately. A truly unique feature, this is something that distinguishes this Osprey Poco Premium child carrier from the Deuter model.
Between this detachable pack and the seat, there is a changing mat for the kid, stored in a zippered pocket with the access from below. This is yet another surprisingly nice feature. You will see it in the video.
On the upper front part of the pack, there is a zipper with the access to the pocket containing the sun-roof. It can be taken out in one simple move. It has buckles for attachment to the back of the main body of the backpack, creating a pleasant shade for the child, with mesh on both sides, and a window in front of the child. The roof is of SPF50 rating material.
The whole roof structure is a bit tensioned and you should be careful when you undo it; the attachment buckles can hit the child.
The Osprey Poco Premium child carrier is hydration compatible. Between the child’s seat area and the back of the pack, there is a sleeve for a water bladder and the usual openings for the water tube.
Technical specifications and the summary of some features
- Weight: 7 lbs. 9 oz (3.43 kilograms).
- Capacity (L): 34 liters.
- Carrying weight (child+pack): 48.5 pounds.
- Torso fit: 15.5 – 21.5 inches.
- Waist fit: 26 – 48 inches.
- Dimensions without day pack: 27 x 13 x 12 inches (69 x 33 x 31 cm).
- Pockets: 11.
- Material: ripstop nylon; polyester.
- Adjustable AirSpeed™ trampoline suspended mesh back system.
- Fit-on-the-Fly adjustable hip belt.
- Twin zippered hip belt pockets.
- Sternum strap with emergency whistle.
- Fold-away feature, for storage and travel.
- Adjustable torso length.
- Adjustable: child’s seat, harness, foot stirrups.
- Integrated nappy mat.
- Built in Poco sun-shade with SPF50 rating.
- Compatible with Poco rain cover (not included).
- Removable 16L daypack.
- Internal hydration sleeve.
So Osprey model is slightly lighter and considerably less expensive than Deuter. The volume of 34 liters is almost double of 18 liters in the Deuter model.
Please see this great and very useful video by Osprey:
I hope this Osprey Poco Premium review has been useful to you. You may compare this model with Deuter, both are great but this time my choice would definitely be for the Osprey pack.
My general view of this pack:
Thank you for reading. Any questions, comments? I shall be happy to hear from you. There is a comment box below. Have a nice day.
Hello Jovo,
This is a very informative article. The Osprey Poco looks like an excellent choice for someone with a child to carry on a hike or excursion. I see from the specs that the maximum weight for a child is around 40 pounds. My question is, how does this work for smaller children? Does it offer enough support for the little ones? Bigger kids can take a little more jostling, but the small ones need more support.
Please let me know your thoughts.
On another note, I saw your picture of the summit of Kreuzspitze. It looks very beautiful!
Sincerely,
Xin
Hi Xin, thank you for visiting my post. Generally it is advised to use this kid’s carrier for kids who are able to sit normally. The carrier is nicely done to support the child from every side, including from the front area in the chest region. Thank you.
This is absolutely, positively the most interesting traveling backpack that I have ever seen. I’m sure that it is intended for outdoor use, but I’m wondering if I could use it for everyday, around the town use? My wife is always st the mall, dragging myself and my 1 yr old daughter along with her. This would help!
Hi Christian, I agree with what you say, I only regret I have no small kids any longer to use this great tool. Surely you can use it for any kind of walk. I am sure in the city you would be doing fine with it.