Vaude Shuttle Premium Child Carrier

I ordered three child carriers to try. The Vaude Shuttle Premium, the Vaude Shuttle Comfort, and the Deuter Kid Comfort II. I tested all three with a walk around the block carrying my 28 pound 2.5 year old and my husband did the same. I'm 5'2 and 170 lbs and my husband is 6'0 and 270 lbs. At first the Deuter seemed to be the clear winner. I liked the open pocket system and especially liked the pockets for my son on the Deuter. The Vaude has more storage and all of the pockets are a zip-shut system in case of a quick bit of rain I suppose. Then we tried out the Vaude carriers. I am worried that the Shuttle Premium pack will be more hot for my son to ride in since it is black and the wist strap is very thickly padded. I was also extremely disappointed that the water bottle pocket clearly shown in the picture is not included in the pack we received and I don't know how to complain to Sierra about it. From our standpoint, the Vaude packs are more comfortable to carry. For me, the hip strap is more padded and more comfortable and for my husband who is a big man, the sternum strap can be adjusted low enough and the shoulder straps are long enough. The Deuter was not as comfortable for him being a big person. Regarding the Vaude packs, we like that the Premium has the integrated sun shade and the extra waist belt if we put our 1 year old in it instead. Reviews on the Shuttle Comfort indicated that without a waist strap a child could fall out. For our older child I don't think this is really a concern but I ordered the one with the waist strap so when I put the pack on my myself I just don't have to worry about it. Both the Shuttle Premium and the Deuter have a removable pillow type rest for the child and I think this is a must. Both brands of packs are easy to adjust once you read the instructions. I would give the Shuttle Premium five stars if it had a water bottle holder for the child as pictured and if it had the capability for a hydration pack for the adult. I would give the Dueter five stars (it does have a hydration pocket for an adult) if it were as comfortable to carry as the Vaude and included the sun shield like the Vaude Shuttle Premium. I'll update the post if I can after we take our vacation in August and do a little day hiking. If you don't mind black, I would recommend spending the extra $20 or so and getting the Premium. All three packs are rated for the same load....I think 35-40 pounds of child and gear.

Very comfortable & Sturdy