Customer Reviews

Sherpani Rumba Superlight Baby Carrier

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned a number of baby carriers over the years. My favorite for babys is the Bjourn front carrier for around the house (you must stand and keep moving though or the kid will get bored and cry, but for chores it is the ultimate). The Bjourn carrier only is good up until about 25 pounds. Then you have to switch to a back carrier. I previously owned Keltys best model but it got lost in a move, so I decided to try the Sherpani Rumba. I like it even a little better than the Kelty, but they a nearly the same. The Kelty has a tubular frame that puts the kid a little further from your body. The Sherpani uses flat aluminum strips which keeps the load a little closer and better wearing. The overall padding, fit and finish is about the same. I can wear my 36 pound daughter for a few hours before it becomes a chore. As long as I keep moving she generally doesnt mind being in it. Another difference is the Kelty has foot stirrups. They are very poorly designed and dont stay on the kids feet. The Sherpani doesnt have these stirrups, and the kids dont seem to notice so I am not sure they are of any benefit.

I bought this carrier after trying on several different types in the store with my 20 pound baby (including Kelty, regular Rumba). This one was the most comfortable as it is light and seems to distribute weight nicely. My husband noticed that the other carriers seemed made for larger people (I am about 5'7") and indeed the others pulled more on my shoulders. The other carriers are also much heavier and they seem sturdier...however, the Rumba Superlight is sturdy enough without all the extra bulk. I think the other carriers would probably work okay after some adjusting but they are still heavier/bulkier and are more than what I need (I don't plan on going for hikes longer than a few hours). I have no problems getting the baby in and putting the pack on while sitting on the ground (you can do everything alone). It also distributes the weight so that my hips do more of the carrying instead of shoulders. It just feels natural and right. The baby loves it: being close to mom and being able to look around high up. On one recent hike he even feel asleep in it. You can make many adjustments to this carrier. When I first bought it I adjusted the seat so that the baby was as close to my back as possible and sitting at a height not too high to be wobbly and not too low to obstruct viewing. My husband also uses this carrier and it is very easy to adjust the shoulder and waist straps between our uses.

We recently purchased this backpack for a trip to Beijing, China with our 16 month old. My son loved being carried in it. He looked and seemed more comfortable than in other carriers we've had in the past. My husband even carried our son in this backpack up The Great Wall! I was also pleasantly surprised how much storage room was in the backpack. Plenty of room for extra clothes, blankets, toys, and our son's food for the day. Excellent quality for the price. I highly recommend this product.

I had seen the Sherpani Superlight on the trail a couple of times and knew a friend that had one that I had seen in a photo. The pack is attractive and fits comfortably. There is plenty of room to carry extra gear and has convenient pockets or carrying keys, chewies, etc.. The big disappointment came after a day hike when I finally realized that there was no padding in the waist belt. I found it very uncomfortable that the bar for the frame was resting right against my back without any kind of padding at all. I thought that I had missed a piece somewhere but after searching all of the info in the packaging (woefully unhelpful. No diagrams of any kind too describe what features should look like when used correctly.) I determined that it was simply a design oversight and I was forced to return the pack. I found a used Kelty Journey that has ample padding. I'm still not sure about that one, but I am not going to be using the Sherpani Superlight. Bummer.

I give this pack 5 stars because it does what it needs to do well. The harness and straps have kept my child comfortable and not cranky for hours in the pack. The harness system seems to keep her weight from well distributed. The other great thing about this pack is the foot straps -- although they are a bit of a pain and I don't use them for shorter excursions, they allow my daughter to use them for leverage to bounce/readjust a little bit -- between the foot straps and the harness I believe that is what keeps her from getting too uncomfortable sitting in the pack.

Wearing the pack:

There were no instructions on how to wear it and where it should sit, so after a lot of trial and error I found the most comfortable way to get it adjusted is the following:
> Put the kid in the pack and tighten it all up
> Get the pack up and on the shoulders -- since there is the 5 point harness you don't need to worry that the child will fall out if the pack goes a little sideways getting it on
> Tighten the shoulder straps really high
> Tighten the waist strap nice and tight and the shoulder strap clip
> Then, loosen the shoulder straps so no direct weight is on your shoulders (all on your hips)

Ultimately, the shoulder straps should be used to keep the pack in place, not to bear weight. With that adjustment you can go hours in the pack comfortably with a 30lb kid (at least the pack will be comfortable but I can't speak for your legs getting tired).


Now the cons you should know:

The biggest drawback I have found is there are no usable pockets or clips that I can reach with the backpack on. I would love to be able to have access to some snacks or water or a camera pocket without taking the pack off to get to the back pocket. This is probably something you lose with the lightweight version. The little pockets in the waist strap are all but useless except for maybe your keys or a super small camera, but even then it is hard to get things in and out of them with the straps cinched.

I have not tried other packs so I don't have a comparison. I don't plan to try any others after using this pack.

I love this carrier for one basic reason- it's lightweight!!! I can get it on easily when I am home alone. My husband sports in when we go on trails or to festivals in the city. I have loaned this to several friends and they have realized why this was my first choice. The five point harness is such a bonus for extra safety. We use the sunshade protection nearly every time we use this. I love that feature, happier kid= happier mom! :)