Step Caddy child carrier. The best child carrier for preschoolers. Step Caddy is a piggyback Carrier.
Step Caddy child carrier. The best child carrier for preschoolers. Step Caddy is a piggyback Carrier.
Discover Step Caddy: a compact, lightweight child carrier. As seen on: AP, Morning News, ABC, Peacock, Fox News, BCS News and SI
Discover Step Caddy: a compact, lightweight child carrier. As seen on: AP, Morning News, ABC, Peacock, Fox News, BCS News and SI

The Ultimate Toddler Carrier for Big Adventures

Looking for a carrier for toddlers that actually works for bigger kids? Step Caddy is a front-facing toddler and preschool carrier built for Movement, Comfort, and Connection. Whether you're hiking trails, navigating crowded festivals, or just heading to the park, this toddler carrier is designed to keep you and your child happy. Its unique design creates a totally weightless carrying experience. It is perfect for hikes, festivals, theme parks, travel, and family outings.

Bay Area Parents' Magazine - 'Editor's Pick'

Why Step Caddy Is the Best Carrier for Toddlers

Step Caddy child carrier featuring an ergonomic design for preschoolers. Lightweight and convenient for parents.

No back pain

Ergonomic waistbelt + stirrups for proper posture, shifts weight directly to hips

Front-facing for better bonding

Front-facing piggyback position for engagement, interaction and special moments

Folds small to go anywhere

Fits in a backpack, trunk or carry-on

Step Caddy child carrier featuring an ergonomic design for preschoolers. Lightweight and convenient for parents.

Unparalleled convenience

Quick on/off, freedom and magnetic auto-locking buckles

Step Caddy child carrier featuring an ergonomic design for preschoolers. Lightweight and convenient for parents.

Ideal for ages 2–5 years

Perfect for big toddler and as a preschool carrier

Listen and Learn About Step Caddy

The Ultimate Preschool Carrier

Step Caddy is a lightweight Child Carrier Backpack built for bigger kids who still love to ride but want to walk too. Most preschool carriers are just toddler carriers made bigger. They don’t work well for taller, heavier, or more active kids. Step Caddy does. It is a front facing carrier that lets your child stand upright, sends their weight directly to your hips - not your back - and keeps you balanced and pain-free on any outing.

The Step Caddy child carrier is designed for larger, heavier, more active children.

Discover Step Caddy: a compact, lightweight child carrier with hip-lock straps, 1680D ballistic nylon, and magnetic locking buckles.  
Step Caddy toddler carrier for outdoor adventures with kids, perfect for hiking and family outings.

Eliminate Back Pain

From day one, Step Caddy was designed with the primary goal: to eliminate back strain while carrying bigger kids. While many toddler carriers claim comfort, most still place the child's weight high on your torso, forcing your spine to compensate and your posture to suffer. Step Caddy takes a smarter approach, positioning your child in a natural standing stance shifting all the child's weight directly to your hips. This frees your back of strain, improves your posture, and gives you greater balance and mobility on any terrain.

Child Carriers That Can Save Your Spine (2025)

Customer: "I was absolutely blown away with how light my kid felt when I was carrying him."

XRay of Adult Male Spine.
Discover Step Caddy: a compact, lightweight child carrier what prevents back pain.  
Step Caddy toddler carrier for outdoor adventures with kids, perfect for hiking and family outings.

Unrivalled Ease-of-Use

The piggyback standing position is a game changer because it is easy for your child to mount and dismount without fuss or the need for any additional supervision. Step Caddy's piggyback position, thoughtful ergonomic designs, patented waistbelt with stirrups, and the new magnetic self-locating and auto-locking buckles deliver safety, comfort, and unparalleled convenience.

Customer: "It features some very cool buckles to attach the shoulder straps which make putting it on a simple task."

Shared Adventures and Special Moments

Front facing carriers, especially Piggyback carriers, turn every walk into an adventure by giving your child the same view that you have. Traditional carriers keep them stuck behind your back, Step Caddy lets them see, hear, experience everything, and engage with you. Whether you're exploring a trail, wandering through a market, or navigating a crowded festival, your child stays connected, curious and chatty.

Customer: "He was so happy riding on my back, his mood rebounced and he got all chatty all the way to the car."

Lightweight. Durable. Packs Small

A critical feature of the Step Caddy toddler carrier is that it packs up small so it can be taken anywhere, even just in case. It is engineered to be supportive and firm where needed, comfortable with four layers of foam, and also to strategically fold so it can pack up small. Small enough to throw into your bag, trunk, or carry-on.

Customer: "It is still pretty small and I shove it at the bottom of my backpack."

Best Toddler Carrier for Hiking

Step Caddy is built for adventure. It is made of incredibly durable materials (1680D ballistic nylon) to withstand outdoor life. The 4 internal foam layers, combined with the child feeling weightless to you, means you can carry for hours without stress or regret. The piggyback standing position makes it easy for them get on and off, combining walking, running, exploring with carrying in a seamless hassle free way.
Step Caddy is simply the BEST child carrier for hiking (and traveling, and festivals. and just running errands)!

Customer: "I can't say enough good things about this product, makes hikes and walks so much more fun for them!"

Dad carrying kid with a Step Caddy child carrier, on a hike, walking towards a mountain range.

Inventing the Front Facing Carrier

Hi, I’m Nick Fishwick - a dad, an engineer, and the creator of Step Caddy. Is this the best front facing carrier for outdoor fun? In my completely unbiased opinion… yes!

Back in 2014, my twins were 5. They were still little, but heavy - and they’d long outgrown the bulky framed carrier long before. I needed something that packed down small but took their weight off my arms, shoulders, and back. So I built a prototype (that’s it in the photo), and they loved it.

After a long break and years of design, testing, camping, hiking, and parenting in the wild, Step Caddy is ready. It’s the most portable, packable toddler carrier / preschool carrier there is. If your kids need a lift - at the trailhead, the theme park, or just at the end of a long day, this toddler carrier has your back.

Step Caddy prototype child carrier with the inventor and his kids having fun in front of the Golden Gate Bridge.
Step Caddy child carrier. The best child carrier for preschoolers. Step Caddy is a piggyback Carrier.
Ergonomic preschool child carrier, with hip-lock straps and magnetic locking buckles. magnetic buckle toddler backpack.
Discover Step Caddy: a compact, lightweight child carrier for outdoor adventures with kids, the perfect toddler carrier for hiking and family outings.

Questions You Have Right Now

What Ages Can You Use Step Caddy?

Sling Carriers are for babies. The big Framed carriers are excellent for young toddlers who spend a lot of time watching and sleeping.
But when your kid gets more active, more energetic, more adventurous then the Standing Carrier is what you need. Step Caddy works best for kids aged 2-years-old up to 5-years-old, or up to 50 lbs.

How is Step Caddy different from Other Carriers?

In every way.
Step Caddy represents a new way of thinking about the Preschool Carrier. It has a unique design that is based on biomechanics research, with a focus on supporting the needs of older, more active toddlers and preschoolers (ages 2-5). This Child Backpack Carrier keeps parents comfortable, mobile, well-balanced, and pain-free.

1) Saves Your Back: The Step Caddy utilizes a special, patented load-bearing waistbelt. Combined with the piggyback rider standing position, it completely eliminates strain from the adult's back. 

2) Greater balance, stability, and mobility: The higher the center of mass of the child, the more unstable the platform; you instinctively know this from carrying a child on your shoulders. Step Caddy transfers the weight directly to the hips; the child's center of mass is very close to the adult's, hence giving the adult normal levels of balance, stability, mobility, and improved posture on any terrain.

3) Exceptional Ease of Use: By positioning your child in a natural standing "piggyback" stance, the weight is transferred to the hips, making it easier for them to stand up when they have climbed on.

4) Eco-Friendly Foams🌱: Algae-infused foam is a real innovation with practical, measurable benefits. Traditional foams rely heavily on petroleum-based polyols. Algae-infused foam replaces a portion of the polyols with algae-derived biomass, thereby reducing reliance on fossil fuels.  

5) Packs Up Small: so it can be taken anywhere, even just in case.Step Caddy is designed to fold up small. Small enough to throw into your bag, trunk, or carry-on.

Is Step Caddy better than a traditional carrier?

Step Caddy is a piggyback carrier, designed to make carrying your big toddler or preschooler as easy and as comfortable as possible.

  • As a child gets heavier it is vitally important to keep that weight away from your back, for your health and your comfort.
  • Also, kid are more active and need rides intermittently. They do not need to be trapped in a carrier. So ease of getting on/off is paramount.

But it is important to get the right carrier for your specific needs. There are many great child carriers available. In many aspects Step Caddy is better than a traditional carrier. Here is an article that explains why...

Standing Piggyback Carrier vs. Traditional Carriers: Which Is Best for Your Active Family?

Are Piggyback Carriers Safe?

Yes, Step Caddy piggyback carrier is VERY SAFE.

1) Stirrups are built into the load-bearing waist belt. These secure the feet, prevent unplanned dismounting due to slips. The stirrups grip the feet during transits and relax and cleverly release the feet when dismounting.

2) Child Safety Harness is worn by the child prevents them from falling.

3) Magnetic Self Locking Buckles immediately lock the safety harness to the yolk with no hassle. The harness attachment points are at chest level, forward of the shoulders so the parent can see buckles with ease without craning their neck.

4) Web Tunnels for the harness straps under the grip handles. These protects the hands of the smaller riders. See, we've thought of everything.

Do Kids Like Piggyback Carriers?

Kids love Step Caddy.

1) It is the freedom from an hassle free onboarding and dismounting.

2) It is the high vantage point, so that they can see everything, and not be staring at a forest of legs or your back.

3) It is the interaction and chatting that comes from the proximity created. Step Caddy creates special shared moments, turning a tired child into a chatty child.

What Type of child Carrier is the Step Caddy?

Step Caddy has a completely unique design. It is a child carrier innovation, and you will not find other carrier like it.
So it exists in multiple categories.
1) Toddler Carrier: Step Caddy is a toddler carrier because it is great for active older toddlers, say 2 years-old and up. If you have an older toddler who is active you will know they still have short little legs, and need carrying sometimes.
2) Preschool Carrier: Step Caddy is designed for larger kids, up to the age of 5 years-old or 50 lbs. This makes it ideal for preschool kids. At this age kids are very adventurous and enjoy outdoor hikes, but still need a ride at the end of a long day or in between bursts of frantic exploring.
3) Piggyback Carrier: Step Caddy is a piggyback carrier, the child rides on the adult's back in a standing posture. Much of the convenience and ease of use of the Step Caddy stems from the adoption of the standing piggyback position.
4) Soft Structured Carrier (SSCs): Step Caddy does not have an internal metal frame, like a big framed carrier. So it can be classified as a soft structured child carrier.
5) Child Carrier Backpack: Step Caddy is not a backpack. But it does put the child on your back. Most Backpack Carriers put your child in a sitting position which is bad for your back's health as it shifts the enter of mass to a position behind you. Step Caddy the child stands keeping the center of mass close to the adult's center of mass.
6) Front Facing Carrier: Step Caddy has the child facing forwards. But with the piggyback standing position the child is not staring into the adult's back. This creates a proximity and closeness between the parent and child, which leads to memorable interactions and special shared moments that you just don't get otherwise.

Here is an article that explains the various types of child carrier...
Is There A Child Carrier for 5 Year Olds?

100% satisfaction guaranteed badge with a yellow and red design

Try the Step Caddy Preschool Carrier Risk-Free

Try Step Caddy risk-free for 45 days.
If it’s not your kid’s favorite ride ever, return it hassle-free.

Dad carrying 4 year old son with a Step Caddy child carrier.

Parents Love Step Caddy - Here’s Why