Step Caddy FAQ: Your Questions About the Toddler Carrier Answered

Once your child is over two, they're more energetic, more independent, and yes - heavier. By this stage, most kids have outgrown the big framed carriers due to size, weight, or sheer activity level. But even energetic and adventurous children 2,3,4 and 5 still get tired before we do. They have little legs, and smaller batteries that need recharging.

That is why we designed the Step Caddy. The key design features needed for kids in that age band (2-5) are very different from younger ages.

• Kids are Heavier - Kids at these ages can weigh 50lbs. Step Caddy has a specialized load bearing waist belt that transfers ALL the child's weight to your hips, the area of your body designed to bear weight. No weight on your back, shoulders or arms.
• Kids are Larger - as kids get taller when carrying you need their center of mass a close to yours as possible, not up around your shoulders. Step Caddy lowers the center and mass, and the load transfer point, creating a weightless carrying experience, with greater mobility, stability and balance for the parent.
• Kids are Active - kids in this age group are participating in your day out and having an adventure of their own. So mounting and dismounting the carrier must be easy, quick, convenient, safe and not requiring additional supervision or aerobics. Step Caddy achieves all these things with the Piggyback style carrying, the built-in stirrups, the kids harness, the magnetic self-locking buckles and the thoughtful ergonomic design decisions.

The Step Caddy child carrier is specifically designed for children aged 2 to 5 years old. That is the rambunctious, energetic toddler, the preschooler, and the kindergarten child. At these ages, kids are larger and heavier, but still like and need to be carried sometimes, especially on a great day out or even just for the last mile or two. 

The Step Caddy child carrier is great for:

• Outdoor adventures like hiking, 
• Attending a Concert, 
• Visiting the Zoo, 
• Attending a Sports Event,
• Spending time at the Beach,
• Traveling and Airports, or 
• Simply enjoying long days out.

The Step Caddy Child Carrier makes all these activities easier, more fun, more intimate, less stressful, and less painful because it is specifically designed for them, but also designed for you.

Checkout our activities page: ACTIVITIES

Checkout our Articles page: ARTICLES

Absolutely. Please follow the Quick Start Guide, or watch the helpful Set Up Instructions video above. Basically, wear it like a backpack. A few points to keep in mind:

1- The Belt should sit over your hips. If you feel the belt is above your hips, close to your ribs, or it covers your belly button, then you are wearing it too high. Lower the Belt so that it wraps over your iliac crest hip bone, this is where it is designed to sit, or maximum comfort for you, and the most optimal weight transference to your hips.

2- The sternum strap is optional. If you are using the strap slide it up high, around the bottom of the Yolk shoulder pads.

3- Make sure the Belt is pulled tight around your waist. A loose belt cannot properly perform weight transfer.

4- Pull those Hip-Lock straps tight. You will find a strap on the left and right hand side, above our hip. These straps will CURVE the belt over your iliac crest bone, shaping the belt specifically to you. This special feature of Step Caddy greatly increases the efficient weight transfer to your hips.

5- The Yolk should rest comfortably at the nape of your neck. Do not pull that back strap too hard.

The Hip Lock strap is a new invention by the Step Caddy Team. You will find one strap on each side of the belt approximately by your hip bone (iliac crest). By pulling the Hip Lock straps tight, the Belt changes its shape; it bends/curves over the top of your hip bone. This does three things:

1- Greatly increases the efficiency of weight transference of the child to your hips, which in turn means less weight on your back and shoulders. A correctly worn Step Caddy makes the child feel weightless as all the weight is transferred to the hips.

2- It pulls the rear of the belt into the small of your back, preventing the belt from bending away from the wearer, which would impede proper weight transfer, and could become uncomfortable.

3- It shapes the belt to your specific shape, increases comfort.

Step Caddy is designed for kids aged 2 and above. It is recommended for kids up to 50 lbs (and tested to 100 lbs). Most carriers available for older toddlers at this age range switch to a sling-style or harness based design, placing all the child's weight on your shoulders and, worse, your back. As the child gets heavier, proper weight transfer becomes even more critical not less. That's where the Step Caddy toddler carrier changes everything - a purpose-built solution with an ingenious design for unparalleled ease of use and packability that also moves all the child's weight away from your back and directly onto your hips. Giving you hours of pain-free carrying when needed and an easy footprint to pack away when not.

Step Caddy was designed specifically for the older more agile, more engaged toddler and preschooler: ages 2 to 5 years old. When they get to two years old, the usage patterns for carriers change. Step Caddy is designed for that seismic shift. While other carriers are great for younger kids, and others for lighter kids, Step Caddy is designed for more energetic, heavier, preschooler that still needs to be carried occasionally or just at the end of busy day.

Step Caddy has a unique set of features. Step Caddy is the only child carrier that combines:

+ a load-bearing waist belt with builtin stirrups,

+ a light and small form factor for packability, and

+ the convenience of the piggyback standing position

We accept major credit cards such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover or direct payments through PayPal or ApplePay.

We will ship everywhere in the USA. We ship free for all orders over $150 destined for the continental USA.

All orders are shipped via UPS or USPS. Please allow 2 business days for orders to be processed after your purchase is complete.

We typically ship orders in 2 business days after they are placed. When your order ships, you will receive an email with a USPS tracking link. Please allow 24 hours for the link to activate.

Yes of course. If Step Caddy does not work for you, you can return it. Just make sure you do so within 30 days and it is not damaged, spoiled or soiled.