Customer Reviews

Kokopax Classic Carrier, Bubbles

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Little background: I am 5'2" and 110, my husband is 6'3" and just over 200 lb., and we both like this carrier, which is almost unheard of. Our son is just barely 6 mos. old, 18 lbs., and about 27 in.
PROS: MUCH more comfortable for both child and adult than other carriers (we owned several, and tried them all), as child's weight is more evenly distributed. 5 point harness keeps Houdinis where they should be. Child's arms and hands are free to move around. Good view of the world for little one. Easy in and out-- not a million straps and buckles, as with other carriers. Child can "support" their own weight w/ their feet on the frame of the carrier (watch the video-- you will see the baby "bouncing" with his feet on the carrier frame in one clip). So much more interesting and normal for baby than simply hanging from their crotch (again, as with other carriers). Able to take this many places where stroller is simply not realistic (like cobblestone streets, narrow aisles, or where navigating through crowds is difficult).
CONS: Not for smaller babies (<6 mos.). Child really does need to be at least 25 in. (and weight appropriate) and have excellent head/trunk control. Requires some upper-body strength to get it on as manufacturer suggests (should not be placed on an elevated surface to put on). I am a very athletic female and have no issues, but I question how well the "average" woman could do it without using an elevated surface (for my husband, this is a moot point-- no issues). Wish it was a little bit more adjustable-- there are three "snap" levels for lumbar support, but at the smallest setting, I still wish it would ride a little higher for me (I'm a mere 5'2"). Again, my husband has no issues-- he uses the tallest setting, and he is 6'3". No comfortable head position for child if they fall asleep in the carrier (this is true of all outward-facing carriers, but perhaps someday someone will rectify this?).

All in all, we like this carrier a lot. More expensive than most carriers, but often you get what you pay for. Nice fun prints too, but remember if you want your hubby to help carry baby, you might want a more neutral one (we have the brown "bubbles" and my Marine has yet to complain). Remember that regardless of how great the support is, carrying an extra 20-35 lbs. on your back is going to take a little more out of you, so people w/ extra large children (close to 30 lb. weight limit) shoudln't place their expectations on comfort too high. If you are extremely petite (under 5') or very lacking in upper body strength, this may not be the carrier for you, but it beats all the others we have owned and tried hands down!

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We bought this carrier a couple weeks ago and have used it several times. Overall we are happy with the carrier and will continue to use it, but we wanted you to know about a couple of issues that we have run into after our purchase. Our son is 1 year old and weighs 22 lbs. We have found 2 problems with this carrier that we are not too happy about after such a substantial purchase:

1. The carrier cuts into the underside of our little man's legs, and if he is in the carrier for more than 45 minutes, he gets very uncomfortable and lets us know. When we take him out of the carrier the underside of his legs (hamstring area# has been cut into #but not broken skin# by the edge of the carrier. Our son is not a chunky baby, he is actually quite thin and long, and I suspect this problem would be worse with heavier babies. Also, his little knees jam into our backs a lot of the time, but this just may be the way that he chooses to sit in the carrier.

2. The carrier does get pretty uncomfortable over extended periods #>1 hour), although the weight is pretty well distributed, I think that a strap across the front would make the carrier more comfortable.

Overall the carrier is well built, durable, and fashionable. These are just recommendations to check into prior to purchasing the carrier. Also as mentioned in another review, you do have to be pretty coordinated and have some upper body strength to get the carrier on by yourself. If you have the option I would definitely recommend trying it in the store before buying if you have the option.

We absolutely love this carrier. My son LOVES how high up on my back it places him and I love how easy it is to put him in and out of. Unlike other back carriers where it feels like a huge production to put the baby on backwards, this thing is just too easy. It's awesome and really adorable. My son is super heavy and most carriers just killed my back after only 15 minutes. This thing is so padded and ergonomic that I could easily wear him for over an hour. Get it, you won't regret it.

Oh and I had originally purchased the city carrier just to save some money. When I realized how much I liked it, I sent it back for the Classic carrier because I figured the fabric would be better and it is. The city version's fabric made weird squeaky noises when you walked which were kind of annoying. Also, the buckle placement seemed a little inconvenient and once I got the Classic version I was glad I did. It's definitely roomier (which is great for a big baby) and I like the fabric a lot better.

I have a 2 1/2 year old, a 17 month old, and am 24 weeks pregnant. My oldest son's preschool has a very narrow entrance so getting a stroller in is not an option. This lightweight baby carrier is not only stylish, but also has a very small footprint. So now morning management of my 17 month old is a breeze. If only I could figure out how to do drop-off with three children.

We have the Ergo-baby but decided that our 5 month old wanted to see more of the world and less of my chest so this looked like a promising buy. The prints are absolutely adorable and most are unisex (we got the "sailor" print). The carrier comes packed in it's own fabric storage bag, good for keeping it clean once it doesn't get used anymore but superfluous for now. The back support, set at it's highest level, still seemed a little too low to provide any back support for me (I'm 5' 3") but my husband seemed perfectly comfortable w/ the support placement (he's 5' 5"). Our 5 month old is a little bit younger than the suggested 6 month age limit but since she is enclosed on all sides and secured in a 5 point harness, she is quite stable in the carrier. The shoulder straps are easily adjusted but the clip to secure the straps is placed a little too low for my liking. Every time I need to buckle or unbuckle the straps, I have to squeeze my hand down by her belly button to do so.
The carrier is comfortable to wear and my baby seems to enjoy the new forward facing view. She actually fell asleep in the carrier the other day! I also like the fact that I can carry things in front of me without my baby in the way. (We have a 2 yr old who needs to be picked up into shopping carts and car seats).
The storage pocket on the back is primarily filled w/ the remnants of the shoulder straps so space in there is very limited (I was able to squeeze a small wristlet into the pocket but not much else). I found a new place for my cell phone by hanging it from the Kokopax label on the shoulder strap (worked great!)
So, after trying the carrier at home, I decided to take it for a spin at Disneyland. It packed nicely into the back seat between the driver's seat & the infant car seat (I turned it upside down)and fit well in my stroller. We were doing well until we had to get on a ride...I was required to take my daughter OUT of the carrier on every single ride. This became quite cumbersome since I had to carry my 5 month old and my Kokopax and manage my 2 yr old on and off every single ride. So much for convenience! So, the moral of the story is: wear your Kokopax to the market, for a walk, to the airport but don't take it to Disneyland since it'll be more hassle than it's worth! I will be packing my Ergo-baby next time I head out to Disneyland.

Ever since my daughter was born we've used carriers, including a Kangaroo Korner pounch, a couple Bjorns and an Ergo, but now I'm pregnant again and front wearing isn't an option. I did some research and decided to give the Kokopax a try. Now I can finally run errands again as it just isn't practical to set up the whole stroller to run into the cleaners or the post office. I use this everyday and my daughter seems to enjoy it just as much as front wearing. Also my husband takes her on a short walk in it through the neighborhood several times a week. It's definitely not meant to carry all day or on hiking trips, but great for everyday use running errands or going shopping.

Love this product! Makes it so easy to go around the airport, around the city and even around the house =) My baby loves looking out and being able to see everything.

Worth every penny. It's super light, durable and fun! LOVE IT!

It took me a while to find this for my grandson. I used them all the time when my kids were little, and I don't know why they're not more common today. They're great because kids enjoy them, and they can go places that strollers can't do well, such as grassy fields or crowded areas. Good exercise too! This particular model is very well made and has straps for the child, which didn't exist way back when. I do think the straps are superfluous, as it's almost impossible for the child to climb out anyway, but I'm very glad to have this!

I used a carrier 28 years ago when my sons were little and I wanted one for my granddaughter. I saw a woman at the mall with her 5 month old son in the Kokopax carrier and I asked her about it. I was so glad I did. My granddaughter loves the carrier and I love not having to wheel a stroller around the mall. The Kokopax is so convenient. The lumbar support is a life saver for my back. And when we travel, the Kokopax takes up very little room in the car.

I use this carrier all the time with my daughter both in and out of the house. As other reviewers have mentioned the harness is a little tough to fasten and unfasten. My daughter is about average as far as chunkiness goes and she does have imprints from the leg openings when I take her out. Other than that it seems pretty comfortable for her. She loves the height, the view, and the easy reach of her favorite toy: my hair. This pack is reasonably comfortable for me. It distributes her weight (17 pounds) well and I rarely feel fatigued by it. I do not have a flat rear end and that seems to be a problem. If I adjust the pack so the support is across my hips the ends of the metal frame of the pack really dig in to my butt, however if I adjust the support to sit all the way at the lowest setting it only digs in a little bit and even then I can usually get it not to hurt. I also wish the kick stand opened out a little more to give better stability, but then again I've appreciated its current design when I've forgotten to retract the kick stand. Over all, this pack is very easy to use and very versatile.