Thule Sapling Backpack Review

Thule, a Swedish company, was created in 1942 by a group of people passionate about living an active life to the fullest. Whether you're in the city or the great outdoors, Thule designs and makes functional, safe, and stylish gear for transporting everything you need. The company is well-known for its bike racks, cargo carriers and baskets, strollers, baby backpacks for carrying children, luggage, and more.

Performance Comparison

Parent Comfort

Compared to top-ranked baby backpack carriers, Thule Sapling's score in parent comfort isn't outstanding, but it's above average.

Finding a comfortable fit wasn't immediate — while testing, it took us some time and multiple adjustments. But, once we dialed in the fit, the pack felt comfortable, even when carrying a heavier (31-pound) child. The Sapling lacks lumbar padding and ventilation. After experiencing such deluxe support and ventilation on other contenders, like the Osprey Poco, we couldn't help but wish this pack offered the same.

This backpack accommodates various torso lengths (x-small to large). The structured padding on the waist strap is adjustable through Velcro, and the load lifters connect to each shoulder, bringing the backpack's weight closer to the wearer.

The sternum strap can slide up or down, depending on your needs and preference, and you can further customize the pack's fit thanks to the hip belt's padding that's adjustable via Velcro.

Child Comfort

The Thule Sapling offers a few features that heighten comfort for a child, but, at large, this pack doesn't impress like some top-notch contender.

The majority of the child cockpit is mesh, providing increased airflow and ventilation for the child, which comes in handy, especially on hot days. We think the cockpit could use more padding in certain areas, though, particularly the hard plastic frame behind the child's head, which didn't leave us feeling great.

The straps on the harness aren't exceptionally plush but cozy enough for most needs. We appreciate the cockpit's dual-access entry and how effortlessly the cockpit opens, providing access and visibility to the child's harness when loading and unloading your little passenger. The ErgoRide seat has larger leg holes, and you don't have to remove your child's shoes to get their legs through, which is a small perk.

The Thule Sapling doesn't come with stirrups. Our heavier and taller tester appeared comfortable while riding in the carrier. Still, we think foot stirrups help with circulation and provide a place to rest legs and feet, especially on longer hikes or while the child is napping.

Ease of Use

Regardless of where and how you roam with your baby, we believe a top-notch product should be functional and easy to use, and a baby-carrying pack is no exception. Although no contender ranks high in this test metric, the Thule Sapling is better than most, but a handful of products surpass it by a hair.

The quality of Thule Sapling is noticeable, and it will likely offer potential years of use. The Thule Sapling we purchased and tested is black and teal color. Logistically speaking, the light color may show dirt and grime (think muddy shoes or blowouts) over time, but the ErgoRide seat and drool pad are removable and machine washable. Since kids can be messy, this may be an attractive perk.

The torso adjustment is a Velcro panel that you remove and place where needed. It takes a bit of effort to remove and adjust the Velcro panel, a task that requires two hands and is noisy (increasing the chances of waking a sleeping child). But, it's a straightforward system, and we could easily see the torso size labels, which we appreciated.

Reaching the kickstand posed no problem; however, it does not provide an audible “click” sound when opening or closing the kickstand. We prefer packs that make a loud sound as it offers reassurance before removing the carrier. Also, the backpack is steady when standing on the ground.

Storage

The Thule Sapling offers a spacious 22L gear compartment under the child's seat; it is a stretch to reach this area while wearing the pack. The hip belt has two pockets (one on each side) with a zipper closure which adds peace of mind that essential items, like keys or a phone, are secure. Besides that, there are no other storage options — not even an open mesh pocket to quickly stash items. Therefore, the lack of storage keeps the Thule Sapling from contending with top-notch backpacks.

The Thule Sapling has a removable UPF 50+ canopy that offers overhead and side sun protection, and you can fold and store it when not in use. The canopy includes illustrated directions on how to fold the sunshade, and it took us a few times to master it. To install the sunshade, slide the two posts into slots on the backside of the child cockpit and attach the Velcro for added security.

The Thule Sapling has no water bottle storage, but it does have a hydration-compatible design (reservoir sold separately) with a drink tube exit port in the gear compartment.

Should You Buy the Thule Sapling?

The Thule Sapling is certainly a cool-looking baby backpack with some standout features, such as a mesh child cockpit for increased ventilation to keep your child cool on warmer days. But, it's expensive, and for its cost, we would expect the Mercedes of baby backpacks, providing all the desirable features and then some. However, it doesn't deliver everything, or even what some less expensive award-winners offer. Therefore, we think this pack is worth passing on unless you're set on having those standout features.

What Other Baby Backpacks Should You Consider?

The Kelty Journey PerfectFIT Elite is a higher-ranking option with a more well-rounded performance. It's more comfortable for the parent and child, and its excellent storage makes it versatile for any adventure or activity.

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