Kelty’s slogan is “Go Anywhere” and they have been helping people and parents do just that since 1952. Among their product offerings is the Kelty Kids line devoted to making outdoor life accessible to families. In addition to strollers, child carriers, and diaper bags, they also produce front carriers for infants. The Kelty Wallaby was redesigned for 2008, so we decided to try out the latest model with one of our parent testers and her baby daughter.

Kelty KIDS Wallaby
Manufacturer: Kelty
Model Year: 2008
MSRP: $60.00

Family Friendly
Rating:

Specifications
Carries newborns 8-25 lbs.
Made from 100% cotton
Weight of carrier: 1lb. 3oz.

Features
JPMA (Juvenile Products Manufacturer’s Association) certified
Padded adjustable child’s seat
Baby can be worn facing inward or outward
Small zippered storage pocket in front of carrier.
Padded shoulder straps & waist belt.
Kelty’s Lifetime Warranty against defects in materials or workmanship.
Comes in four different colors: Blueberry, Black, Grape & Cherry

Testing Conditions 
Our mom tester wore the Wallaby with her three month old baby (facing outward) over a period of three weeks. It was used around the house to keep baby close, and on walks with her big sister in tow.  

Assembly/Preparing for Use
The Wallaby is already assembled so there is nothing to put together, just straps to adjust. The manufacturer recommends attaching and adjusting all the appropriate straps while wearing the carrier WITHOUT the baby in it. Then, you should place the infant to your chest and slide him or her into the carrier (from the top). They suggest loosening the black side-release buckles temporarily to allow for easier insertion. All straps should be re-tightened and adjusted to fit baby and parent comfortably before heading out.

Ease of use
Since the Wallaby is designed to load the baby from the top (there is no side entry feature), placing the baby into the carrier in the way the manufacturer suggests is not easy. Since our mom’s baby liked to stiffen her legs (to practice standing up!), this made it that much harder to get the baby’s legs into the leg holes. Once you get the baby into place, it’s simply a matter of tightening and adjusting the straps and off you go. Getting baby out of the carrier can be awkward as well, especially if he or she is sleeping.

Although the manual for this carrier shows an illustration of a parent inserting a child while holding him face to face, our mom tester had to lift the child up over her head in order to place baby in feet first as instructed. This can be pretty tricky and you want to make sure there is nothing overhead that might bump baby’s head in the process. We recommend sitting on a sofa, chair or bed while loading baby so that lifting him/her up over your head is not a problem. We also found that loosening all the straps and buckles first and then tightening everything up once baby is on board works the best.

Comfort for Child/Parent
The Wallaby is very comfortable to wear. The back support is located more towards the upper back which provides for less strain in the neck and shoulder area as well as support for the entire back. The cotton fabric is soft, yet the carrier itself is extremely sturdy. If having a baby hasn’t cramped your personal style, you’ll love that this carrier comes in four fruity colors colors: Blueberry, Black, Grape, and Cherry. Your baby will be comfortable and cool in this carrier as the leg and arm openings are a bit larger than in other brands allowing for more air flow. The sturdy design of the carrier provides a “seat” for baby creating a secure feeling for whomever is wearing the carrier. Our favorite aspect of this carrier was the comfort factor. Quite simply, it didn’t hurt to carry the baby around for any length of time.

Portability
This carrier is essentially designed in one piece. Only the waist belt disconnects on one side giving the Wallaby a unique distinction among baby carriers - you will never leave the house with only one half of your baby carrier and have to turn around and drive home to retrieve the missing piece (not that we’ve ever done that). Having said that, the Wallaby is still rather bulky and does not have any magical ability to fold down into the size of a coin purse (but what baby carrier does?).

Storage
There is a small zippered pocket on the front of the carrier which is very convenient for carrying keys or a pacifier for any excursion out of the house and into the light of day. We found it to be helpful to keep a small washcloth in the pocket for unexpected spit up. Most other front baby carrier models do not have any additional storage so this is a nice feature.

Safety
As with most front baby carriers, you should wear your baby facing inward until he or she has full neck support. The Wallaby is recommended for babies weighing between 8 and 25 lbs. Leg openings should be adjusted to the smallest size possible for young babies and make sure to check all straps and buckles to be sure they are attached and properly adjusted before  each use. The manufacturer recommends that you do not bend at the waist while wearing baby. Instead you should bend at the knees to prevent baby from leaning out of carrier.

Cleanability
This carrier can be machine washed separately with mild powder detergent in cold water on the gentle cycle, and set out to drip dry. 

Pros
This carrier is ridiculously affordable and is manufactured by Kelty, a highly respected company, which has been making outdoor gear for over 50 years. The thick padded straps which criss-cross the back provide cushy comfort and support. We liked the little storage pocket on the front and the fact that it comes in a variety of bright colors.

Cons
There is no baby height adjustment on the Wallaby which means that you cannot adjust it for your baby’s particular height and it cannot be adjusted as your baby grows. Our mom tester found that her baby sat very deep into the Wallaby as compared to being much higher and closer to her face with other front carriers. As a result, the baby’s head was down at chest level (our baby tester in this case was 23” tall at the time). Inserting the baby can be difficult and removing the baby is also awkward making it nearly impossible to successfully transport a sleeping baby from carrier to bed.

Comparable Models/Brands
We would compare the Wallaby most closely to the Baby Bjorn Active Carrier. Both the Wallaby and the Baby Bjorn have great back and neck support for the parent and the option to carry the baby facing inward and outward. The Wallaby is the best option economically as it will run you $60 compared to $119.95 for the Baby Bjorn Active model, but the Wallaby comes up short when you compare ease of use and adjustability for baby.

Categories: Front Baby Carriers, Gear Reviews
Tags: baby gear review, front baby carrier, infant carrier, kelty