Laura Westerman is an editor, writer and Deputy Head of Editorial Content at Mumsnet, and mum to a one-year-old. 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! Again, as you have come to expect from Littlelife, assembly takes mere moments. Online tutorials and instructions are handy if you want a bit of extra information and the in-box instructions can be followed with ease. Chances are you won’t need either but it’s nice to have the option. 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.

I was given both a rain cover and sunshade to test alongside the carrier. Both attach to the carrier frame using tent-like poles and provide adequate coverage no matter the weather. The sunshade didn’t quite tension out evenly when attached to the frame due to the angle of the poles. While it didn’t affect UV protection, I would have preferred an integrated sunshade to make life easier.While stains are fairly inconspicuous thanks to the grey fabric colour, you can easily spot clean the Cross Country S4. Handily, the face pad - which is Velcroed to the carrier and the part you'll most likely want to clean regularly - can be removed for machine washing. Is the LittleLife Cross Country S4 good value for money? No. The LittleLife Cross Country S4 can’t be folded down, but it can be flattened slightly for storage or transporting in your car boot. While I would have liked to see this carrier available in the blue colourway seen on other LittleLife carriers to give buyers more than one colour option, the overall design is in a neutral grey that will appeal to most families. What’s the difference between the LittleLife Cross Country S3 and S4? The Cross Country S4 is the ideal choice for those who require a great all-rounded child carrier with more than enough features to keep you and your child happy throughout the day.

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!) Read next: The best umbrella strollers for easy travel and storage Is the LittleLife Cross Country S4 easy to clean? It must be comfortable for my son as he fell asleep half way through the walk", KJonah, Simply Hike customer Details Attribute 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? Anatomically shaped child seat and soft face protection pad which is removable and washable (very sensible)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. One feature I really like is the removable pillow which is a comfy pad attached with velcro just where your child tends to fall asleep. I think this really helps to keep them comfortable. It does tend to get slobbered on (hence removable!) so you can wash it from time to time if you want.