When I saw this thing at the Kids Expo recently, I thought "Hey, that's pretty cool looking." But I didn't really focus on it, or stick around for the full pitch. I was focused on my minion duties, though I did check out the display and brochure in the media room. Unbeknownst to me, DadLabs later talked them out of one for me and only asked that I tell them what I thought about it. Awesome! Definitely an excellent surprise! So here's my review of the PiggybackRider.

In house testing:
Out of the bag, the strap configuration on the "dad harness" is jumbled and confusing. After several reviews of the instruction booklet, a few flips and twists of the straps, I had a matching harness to the drawing. Ok, no sweat, that will probably get clearer and quicker with repeated use. (It did.)

TheBoy's harness went on easily and adjustment was simple. He was very excited about the idea. My shoulder pads were positioned a bit funky due to the way they were folded in the package. Again, no biggie, I'll try to repack without folding them like that. We get him clipped in and on the bar, no problem. My old skater knees weren't particularly happy about standing up with an extra 35 pounds, but that's on me. We go trotting around the house and he seems to dig it. I feel pretty secure with him there and he's hanging on well. But after only one lap, "Daddy, I'm scared. I want down." Uh oh. Hmm… Ok. Maybe that'll change with an outdoor test later in the week. (He's never really had a problem being on my shoulders.)

Outdoor test in the back yard:
Both of us very excited (again). Much more fun this time, and he liked being able to reach the leaves on the tree. But with a tiny back yard, just a few minutes of wandering covered every inch several times, and he just got bored (so did I). But he didn't say he was scared this time.

A REAL test was required, a full on outing. To the ZOO!

We costumed up for the annual zoo trick or treating party. TheBoy was a witch. So HisMother dressed as his black cat, and I of course, dressed as TheWitch'sBroom! (Though with my straw feet, I was often mistaken as a scarecrow.)

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My lil' witch saddled up at the car and we were off! (We purposefully left the stroller in the car. If he didn't ride, he was walkin'! This also forced me to test the rider fully, without an option for wimpin' out.) :unsure:

The place was PACKED. Only a few steps in the gate and I was being asked about the PiggybackRider. "That's very cool," was the common verbiage. 15 minutes in and I was starting to feel the extra pounds in my shoulders, but not my back or legs, and he was still quite content to ride. He understood to always hang on, but was able to hang on with one hand and carry his caldron for candy in the other.

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'Twas a pretty big and tightly packed crowd, but having him up top meant we were able to move at an adult pace around and through most of the other families(using strollers and wagons). This was important not knowing how long I was gonna be able to handle lugging him. About a half hour in, my shoulders needed a rest, and he was ready to walk himself. With the immediate weight loss, I was almost rejuvenated, though perhaps a bit sore in the shoulders. Figured I was REALLY gonna feel that later.

Deeper into the route around the zoo, the crowd thinned out and we even paused for some dancing.

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We continued on and he was content to keep walking. I felt I really needed to test the rider (and myself) a bit more, so when we caught up to a bottleneck and the crowd got thick again, we stepped aside and made him saddle up. He whined that he didn't want to and gave us some fuss, but the grumbling ceased immediately once I stood up and he was a full head above everyone else. More "Look at that! That's too cool!" comments were in order and I chatted with a few parents as we plodded along another 20 minutes.

Finally out to the car, he put his head next to mine and said, "Look Daddy! We have two heads!" We showed HisMother this pose and she got THE pic of the night. We had a blast, and it shows.

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So, all in all… We really dig thePiggybackRider! :cheer: Everyone I spoke with in depth (maybe 4 moms and 2 dads) around the zoo, was a bit surprised at the $80 price tag. :blink: Perhaps a bit high, particularly for someone who will only use it occasionally, like me. But anyone who hikes regularly (or used to, but quit because their children are just too small for the trail), will LOVE this thing. I can see us using it for various outdoor festivals where you have to park pretty far out and then walk into the venue to find a spot to crash, and definitely at the state fair. Any event/activity where you walk around with the family for a couple hours, and the wee one starts to get tired out, or requires you to bring a stroller(or perhaps a younger sibling now occupies the stroller).

It certainly requires a bit of fitness. You need to be able to squat, or kneel on one knee, and stand up with the extra weight. My skater knees moaned a bit each time, but standing up next to the car, or a bench for a bit more stability eased this process for me. I was a bit contorted clipping him in when I did it myself, but it was easy with help from HisMother(or a piggybacker who's paying better attention). Once we were up, we were moving, no problem. Even did some dancin' and twirlin' along the way. And MUCH to my surprise, my shoulders were just fine the next morning.

A huge thank you from the Cretin family to the Lifshitz brothers! We are stoked! B)

For more information or to get yours, visit www.thepiggybackrider.com
Tell 'em Concretin Nik sent ya! (Actually no, don't do that. They'll say, "Who the hell is that?" Just tell 'em you saw it at DadLabs.) B)

How heavy is TheBoy?
How much longer do you think he'd be able to ride in it?
How much smaller does it go?

I don't think $80 is out of bounds at all. People buy specialty stroller for $30 more than that all the time just for running or specialized terrain.

We've got at least one backpack carrier. Maybe just the one. I think the other is still in my dreams. I took Duncan to ball games in it before his brother joined us.


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I remember having one on my REI baby wish list back in 2008. Taking a look now, there's a whole category that goes from $90 to almost $300.

Now, realize I hate the one we have. My MiL saw it on the REI wish list so bought something on eBay that looked similar to her. It's awful, but did it's job a few times. Not anywhere near as much had it been one that cost the same (it didn't cost less than the one on our wish list), but that we'd done the research on.

One feature I'd really want is a waist belt. Having done some semi-serious day trip hikes, I don't think I'd consider anything that wasn't equipped. When I took Duncan to the ball game, I hiked him about 6 blocks across town and up the stadium steps. Concentrating the weight up top would get very old very quick.

You said he needed to hold on. Does it have a harness for TheBoy? Ours has a 5-point harness. It's the worst 5-point I've dealt with, but it made him very secure.

I should let you borrow ours sometime. I put it on more like a backpack. As long as I can one-arm the kid, I can strap him on while standing up. I don't think I could get Duncan in it anymore, but I'm sure Tristan would fit, so if you want to borrow him for a while, too... :blink:

Good questions!

TheBoy weighs almost 40lbs. The backpacks where he sits IN them aren't really practical anymore. The generic one we have, he's way too big for, and he'd squirm way too much. Plus, getting it on & off and him in & out, as toddlers will want to do, would be a major pain. This is still a bit of a process(I think mostly because of my knees), but it's much easier and everyone keeps their harness on.

I think TheBoy will be able to ride this at least until he's 5 or 6. But considering how thick he is now, I don't believe that my narrow arse will be able to carry him any longer than that.

A three year old can grasp the concept and understand to hold on, but might get a lil' bit scared because perhaps it's not sitting and being "held" as much as up on your shoulders. I wouldn't go any younger than that. TheBoy is almost 4 (January) and he's got it no problem.

Is $80 reasonable? Fair enough. I suppose you're right, it is a specialty item, and even with just occasional use, will we get $80 worth of use out of it. (Also to be fair, I didn't pay for it.) I guess when you see the thing, it appears to be "just" some padded shoulder straps, connected to a metal bar. Maybe it just doesn't LOOK like you're getting enough physical material, like you would with a $100-$300 backpack with a more rigid frame. (See the bottom right corner image of their website.) Though it definitely seems to be well put together and I do understand that R&D isn't cheap nor easy.

The PiggybackRider does not have a waist belt, but doesn't really need one. The riders weight/center of gravity is stabilized by their own legs, unlike the "backpack" rigs you need the waist belt for stability. You can adjust the bar the kid stands on, and even set it lower than your butt if you wanted (or if the kid was really tall). I set it about at my waist. His weight keeps him on it pretty securely and it does have grip tape. His weight is definitely on my shoulders, but in a comfortable way. I'll be sure to bring it with me for another Columbus play date sometime.

To me, it's simply the better alternative to sitting a kid on your shoulders or a traditional piggyback ride (arms around neck, you holding the legs around your waist). This is MUCH more comfy, my hands are free, and I can move my head. TheBoy is more comfy and isn't kicking me in the chest or clawing at my face. Chatting with him is also much easier.

The 'rider harness' seems really just to keep him from flipping off backwards if he wasn't hanging on. (But if he's leaning forward, he'd be fine and could have his hands free. But I think it's just instinctual really to hold on when you're being toted.) If for some reason he were to let go AND hop off the bar with me standing, he'd be hanging by his armpits, and the chest strap on my harness would be choking me. But I don't see that happening honestly. This video on their site shows the kid harness well. It also shows much older (though very slender) kids on Dad's back, note the bar being much lower too.
Piggyback Rider Review Video

This thing looks pretty cool but considering my little man is only 1, do any of you guys had any experience with one designed for younger kids, and have any recommendations/warnings? My wife and I loved to hike pre-baby, and haven't set foot on a trail since having him.

Nick -

Awesome review and a candid description.
Love the idea of a Witch and the broom. Any other ideas? Sounds like a video to me...