I purchased my bush baby carrier last April as we were planning a trip to the western United States and knew we would be doing a lot of walking in places unsuitable for a buggy. I wanted a baby back pack which would be comfortable to wear without putting undue strain on my back (or rather my husband’s back)! And would give my then 15 month old good support. We looked at several models prior to making our purchase namely the mothercare (much cheaper) back pack, which we found very uncomfortable as the straps dug in, even when tried out in the shop. We also looked at the similarly priced Kelty, which we felt was good but did not give the child enough support as there are no foot stirrups and the seat is no where near as deep as the bush baby. In addition a friend let us try her bush baby carrier for a weekend and we fell in love with it. I would strongly suggest that if you are considering buying any baby carrier you ask if the shop will allow you to return it if after a few tries you find it uncomfortable.
Having decided that we wanted to buy a bush baby premier ACS child carrier (to give it its full name) I checked for the best price and as always got John Lewis to match it! However the price of £129.99 seemed the same for all stockists.
What you get for your money ***************************
The bush baby ACS stands for adjustable comfort back system and comfort is certainly what you get! Unlike most other carriers the bush baby can be easily adjusted to fit most adults from 5 ‘ 2 TO 6’ 2. To adjust you simply pull the Velcro strip at the back of the carrier, which pulls the padded spine of the carrier ergonomically into your back. We have found this really important as I am 5 ‘ 3 and my husband 6 ‘ 2.
The carrier is made of 600-denier cordura fabric on a lightweight aluminium frame. The child sits in a fully adjustable seat within the frame, which is really well padded and has a similarly well-padded safety harness. The harness is fixed at 2 points to the back of the carrier and fastens at the front with a plastic clasp, this prevents the child from falling out if you need to bend forwards to tie a shoe lace for example .One of my favourite features is the little velour padded pillow at the front of the seat. My little lad often falls asleep on long walks and his head falls forwards. With this carrier he rests his cheek on the pillow and looks really well supported! There are 2 stirrups made of strong webbing. These enable an older child to support their legs. The stirrups can be detached.
The most important part of a baby carrier (after the Childs comfort) is how comfortable it is to carry, especially on long walks! The bush baby has the best padding of any carrier I have seen. The shoulder straps are very padded and wide. They can be shortened or lengthened as required. There is a wide padded hip belt, which again is fully adjustable there is also a chest strap to add to the comfort for the wearer. The carrier has a thickly padded lumber cushion. The shoulder straps have air mesh fabric to help keep the wearer cool.
At the back of the carrier are 2 deep, zipped pockets. The main one has a 25-litre capacity and stores the (included) sunshade. The main compartment is big enough to take extra rain gear for my 6-year-old, sandwiches and flask. It has elastic holders inside to keep bottles upright. The second smaller pocket is great for a map, wipes and nappies. Both pockets can be zipped open fully to make access really easy. At the sides of the carrier are 2 mesh pockets, which are great to store water bottles.
The bush baby premier comes complete with a sunshade, which attaches to the carrier simply and securely by placing the plastic poles into the holes provided. I love the way the sunshade can be stored in the pocket when not needed. I’m sure I would have lost it by now without this feature! We used the carrier in Arizona and the sunshade gave my son wonderful protection for his head by giving him total shade, although I still used a hat and sunscreen!
The carrier has a grab handle at the back to make picking up easy. The pros ********
As you probably have gathered I am really happy with my carrier. It has so much to recommend it! The padding and ease of adjustment made this carrier really comfortable for both my husband and myself.
My son was 15 months old when we bought this carrier and loved it right from the start. Now at 2, he likes to walk but still needs to be carried on long walks. The foot stirrups give his legs and hips really good support. The seat area is well enclosed to give all round protection from the elements, and supports him well when he sleeps.
The carrier has a wide base to enable it to stand-alone. Although it is possible to get my son into the carrier alone (when he cooperates)! It is much easier when 2 adults are available, one to help lift the carrier up and get it into the correct position. It is unsafe to leave a child unsupported in any back pack and the bush baby is no exception.
The fabric is really easy to wipe clean and dries quickly when it gets wet, which it often has!
The carrier can be pressed flat when not in use or for travelling. We taped ours up when we flew to the states and it travelled well.
…. And the cons ***************
Well not many really! The carrier is only available in a boring royal blue, I wish there were other colours available, but this is only a very minor gripe! It does have a picture of a bush baby in silver with bush baby written in red!
It would have been good if a rain cover had been included in the price. It is possible to purchase one separately at a cost of £23.95! I think having paid nearly £130 this should be included.
The straps fasten at the front and my 2 year old is working on how to get them undone! As the plastic clasp simply needs to be pressed to release it I don’t think it will take him much longer to figure it out! I see that the carrier has been recently updated and the straps now fasten at the back, so this is no longer a problem.
The overall verdict ***************** I think my 2 year old would give his Pac Pac 5 stars, except when he wants to walk when it becomes yuk, pac pac! This carrier is not cheap but if like us you do a lot of walking with a small child then I would really recommend it.
The bush baby premier is recommended for children from 6 months-4 years or a maximum weight of 20 kg.
This product has not yet been reviewed. 
