Hackerlily · The Toddler Edit

Walk one minute. Carry the next.

The HipSurfer is the doctor-approved hip carrier built for the up-and-down toddler stage. A hip seat carrier and bum bag in one that takes your toddler's weight off your arms and back, on in about 15 seconds.

Shop the HipSurferSee it in action
★ 4.95/5 20,000+ happy customers globally /Doctor approved /Multi-award winning
HipSurfer at the airport
4.95/5 average ratingDoctor approvedAusMumpreneur AwardBounty Editors' ChoiceSGS safety certified 4.95/5 average ratingDoctor approvedAusMumpreneur AwardBounty Editors' ChoiceSGS safety certified
The up-and-down stage

They want up. Then down. Then up again.

A toddler gets a hundred short carries a day. They want to walk, then they want carrying, then they spot a puddle and want down again. Doing that on one hip wrecks your arm, your wrist and your lower back, and a full strappy carrier is too much faff for a 90-second carry. This is exactly where a hip carrier for toddlers earns its place.

The fix

A seat on your hip, ready in seconds.

The HipSurfer is a doctor-approved hip seat carrier and bum bag in one, built for toddlers. A wide, padded waistband redistributes your toddler's weight onto your hips instead of your arms, wrists and back. No shoulder straps. On in about 15 seconds and off just as fast, so the constant up-down-up of toddler life stops costing you your body.

A family of four walking outdoors in a sunny urban setting, each wearing a baby carrier. The image highlights the versatility of the baby carrier with four different babies and toddlers, including a front-facing carrier on the man, a side-mounted carrier on the toddler, a front-facing carrier on the woman, and a side-mounted carrier on the baby.
Doctor approved
No shoulder straps
On in ~15 seconds
0 to 3/4+ years
Built-in storage
5+ carry positions
Black vegan leather HipSurfer features diagram: non-slip seat pad, one buckle strap-free design that takes about 15 seconds to put on, toy loop and hidden bottle holder

MULTI-AWARD WINNING DESIGN

FUNCTIONAL + FASHIONABLE

The HipSurfer is your slimline, back-saving carrier with built-in storage that goes wherever parenting takes you. Comfort, style and function - all in one.

DOCTOR TESTIMONIALS

One carrier, every up and down

Where it earns its spot

Swipe through the real toddler moments the HipSurfer was built for.

Errands

Up for the aisle, down for the trolley

They want out, then they want carrying. On your hip in seconds, weight off your arm.

Daycare

The drop-off cling

A supported seat for the clingy handover, then straight back down. No buckle-wrestling.

The park

Tired legs on the walk back

When little legs give out, scoop them up without the dead-weight hip carry.

At home

The witching-hour hold

A ledge for cuddles and settling while you keep one hand free.

Days out

Up for the queue, down for the play

The short, repetitive carries are the ones that wreck you. This keeps them off your arms.

Whoever's fresh

Hand it to the grandparents

Adjusts to any body in seconds, so you can swap the carry without refitting straps.

Swipe to explore

In their words

Parents who stopped dreading the carry

★★★★★
Back saver

The only baby carrier I've used that doesn't hurt my back. An overwhelming sense of gratitude.

Lina · Verified buyer
★★★★★
Toddler stage

I bought the cheap hipseat and had instant regret. Then I got the HipSurfer. I just wish I got it earlier.

Jenni · Verified buyer
★★★★★
Relief

As soon as I tried it on for the first time, I felt a weight (literally haha) lifted.

Tara-Lee · Verified buyer

Swipe for more →

Why parents trust it

Proof, not promises

4.95/5
Average rating
20,000+
Happy customers globally
~15s
To put on
5+
Carry positions

As seen on 7NEWS · 9News · Kidspot · 9Honey · SmartCompany

Why not a full carrier or a pram?

Built for the up-and-down

HipSurfer
Traditional carrier
Setup time
~15 seconds
Full strap-in
Shoulder load
None
Shoulder straps
Quick up / down
Easy
Unstrap each time
Carry positions
5+
Usually 1-2
Built-in storage
Bum bag included
Separate bag
Works past toddlerhood
0 to 3/4+ years
Often outgrown early
HipSurfer Hip Carrier - Sand Velvet
Build your HipSurfer

HipSurfer Hip Carrier - Sand Velvet

★ 4.95/5 · 20,000+ happy customers · Doctor approved
$229.95
Colour HipSurfer Hip Carrier - Sand Velvet

Free shipping · 30-day returns · In stock, ships today

Doctor approved
No shoulder straps
On in ~15 seconds
0 to 3/4+ years
5+ carry positions
Built-in storage
Pick your colourway

Shop the range, add in two taps

Corduroy and vegan leather, built for the toddler years and everything after. Live stock, updated automatically.

Sand Velvet
$229.95
Sand Vegan Leather
$229.95
Pink + Red Corduroy
$172.00 $229.95
Black Vegan Leather (Black Zip)
$229.95
Taupe Vegan Leather
$172.00 $229.95
Tan Vegan Leather
$172.00 $229.95

Swipe the range →

Free shipping and 30-day returns. All colourways and bundles updated live.

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Laura Campbell · Founder, Hackerlily
A note from the founder

"I built the HipSurfer because I needed it. My toddler wanted up, then down, then up again all day, and my back was done. This is the seat on your hip that saves your arms."

Laura Campbell · Founder, Hackerlily

Up, down, sorted.

The hip carrier you'll reach for a hundred times a day, from the trolley to the park to the couch.

Shop the HipSurfer

Doctor approved · Free shipping · 30-day happiness guarantee

Blog posts

Parent carrying a toddler on the hip using the Sand Velvet HipSurfer hip seat carrier

Carrying a Baby or Toddler When You Have Arthritis or Sore Joints

Parenting with arthritis, hypermobility or chronic joint pain means every carry costs you something. Here is how to make carrying more manageable, what to change first, and why I built the HipSurfer in the first place.

September 23, 2026 — Laura Campbell
Road Trips With a Baby or Toddler: How to Survive the Drive and the Stops

Road Trips With a Baby or Toddler: How to Survive the Drive and the Stops

Long drives with small kids are less about the driving and more about the stops. Here is how to plan a road trip with a baby or toddler, what to pack within reach, and how to handle the rest stop shuffle without wrecking your back.

September 19, 2026 — Laura Campbell
Parent cuddling a newborn upright in the Sand Velvet HipSurfer hip seat carrier

Why Does My Baby Want to Be Held Upright After Every Feed?

If your baby screams the moment you lay them down after a feed, you are not imagining it. Here is why so many babies want to stay upright after eating, how long the upright stretch usually needs to be, and how to hold them without your arms giving out.

September 16, 2026 — Laura Campbell
Fair questions

Hip carriers, answered

What is the best hip carrier for toddlers?
The HipSurfer is a hip seat carrier and bum bag in one, built for the up-and-down toddler stage. It gives your toddler a supported seat on your hip and goes on in about 15 seconds, so you can lift and lower them dozens of times a day without a full carrier setup. One arm supports your child; it is not hands-free.
What is a hip seat carrier?
A hip seat carrier is a padded, structured seat that sits on a wide waistband around your hips. Your child sits on the seat with their weight spread across your hips instead of loaded on one arm. The HipSurfer adds built-in storage, so it doubles as a bum bag.
Is a hip seat good for a toddler?
Yes. The toddler stage is all stop-start carrying, and a hip seat suits it because it is fast on and off and takes the weight off your arms and back. It is ideal for the walk-one-minute, carry-the-next rhythm.
What age and weight is a hip carrier for?
The HipSurfer suits babies with head and trunk control through to bigger kids, up to 25kg. The comfort sweet spot for longer toddler carries sits around 15 to 20kg.
Hip seat vs baby carrier: which is better for a toddler?
For frequent, short up-and-down carries, a hip seat is quicker and less faff. For long, settled, hands-free carries a soft structured carrier still wins. Many parents own both and reach for the hip seat day to day.
Can a hip carrier replace the pram for a toddler?
For shorter outings, stairs, crowds and pram-refusal days, many parents use the HipSurfer instead of the pram. For long distances a pram still helps, and the hip seat rides along for the carries.
Does a hip carrier help with back and arm strain from carrying a toddler?
It is designed to redistribute your toddler's weight through a wide, padded waistband and onto your hips, which helps reduce strain on your arms, wrists and back and makes carrying feel easier. It supports more comfortable carrying rather than treating any condition.
How fast does the HipSurfer go on?
About 15 seconds. There are no shoulder straps to thread, so it is fast on and off for the constant pick-ups and put-downs of toddler life.
Is the HipSurfer hands-free?
No. One arm always stays around your toddler. It takes the weight off your body so carrying feels easier, but it does not replace your arm.
Can grandparents and partners use the same hip carrier?
Yes. You adjust the waistband rather than re-rigging straps, so the same HipSurfer shares easily between parents, grandparents and carers.
Are the HipSurfer covers washable?
Yes. The covers are washable and interchangeable, so toddler messes are not a crisis. Wipe it, wash the cover, keep going.