The LittleLife Cross Country S4 has been designed for use over a longer duration than other LittleLife carriers like the Ranger S2, so I found it comfortable to use on long outings. There are plenty of different products to suit different budgets and needs, so it's worth thinking about the type of walking you'll be doing. Do you want a lightweight system? One with plenty of storage? Or is comfort your biggest priority? If you've got the cash, we think the best hiking baby carrier is the Osprey Poco Plus, offering excellent quality and sturdiness, but for an all-rounder at a great price, you can't go wrong with the LittleLife Voyager S5.

Anatomically shaped child seat and soft face protection pad which is removable and washable (very sensible) I feel a lot of affection towards this carrier. We’ve walked a lot of miles and had a lot of fun with it! It’s enabled us to make some happy memories in places beyond the reach of the littlest legs in our family. I’m super pleased with how well it has held up, and would say that the Freedom S4 is a durable carrier which will last a lot of use. Read next: The best umbrella strollers for easy travel and storage Is the LittleLife Cross Country S4 easy to clean? As for the child seat, my daughter was comfortable and relaxed in the carrier the entire ride but found it more comfortable to hold onto the shoulder stabiliser straps than to leave her arms dangling. She rested her head against the drool pad on a number of occasions, but didn’t actually fall asleep in the carrier (although given time, I think she would have). The foot stirrups offered some support, although her feet did slip out a couple of times. What's the LittleLife Cross Country S4 like to use day-to-day? It sits midway in terms of weight, so isn’t the lightest option in the LittleLife catalogue, but alongside the Freedom S4 and Voyager S5, it allows for a greater adult fit (from 5’2” to 6’4”) and comes with more accessories, including the stirrups, sun shade and rear view mirror.

What is the Best Child Backpack Carrier for long hikes?

Read next: The best baby carriers: soft-structured carriers, wraps and slings How easy is the LittleLife Cross Country S4 to assemble? A rear view mirror that's on a cord. I found this very useful for seeing what was going on. A useful visual distraction for them as well. Husband carrying our 16-month-old in the LittleLife Cross Country S4 on a nature walk How we tested the LittleLife Cross Country S4 The carrier on its own weights 2.4 kg and can take a child up to the weight of 20kg (the carrier may take that amount of weight, but of course you may not!) Our children are always happy to go up in the Freedom S4, sometimes even just for fun at home, and I take that as a good sign that they find it comfortable.

We also own a Deuter Kid Comfort Active SL, and I’ve written a comparison of the two carriers if that would be helpful to you. Why did we choose the LittleLife Freedom S4? We were able to try this carrier out with both the LittleLife sunshade and rain cover, and transported it in the car boot of our small Ford Fiesta for days out. LittleLife Cross Country S4 with sunshade and rain cover attached Does the LittleLife Cross Country S4 fold down for storage or travel?

Recommended for children from the age of 6 months to 3 years. We found the carrier was getting small before our little one was 3, but this was mainly due that he was getting a lot heavier and we wanted to encourage him walking from a young age and not get used to the free ride!