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By Generously sized soft structured baby carrier, available in Baby and Toddler sizes. Ideal for 3 months+. Huge range of designs. Will carry up to 60lbs (27kg) of child comfortably!
Tula carriers mean business. Their signature soft structured carriers are generously sized, have firmly padded waistbands and some of the most thickly padded shoulder straps of any baby carrier. They come in Baby and Toddler size and are supportive enough to carry a small horse.
Okay, I exaggerate.
But their Toddler carriers (for 25-60lbs children) are one of my top recommendations for parents who want to carry big toddlers, preschoolers and beyond. I have carried a 5-year-old in one quite happily.
TULA BABY CARRIER
The Baby size version of the Tula can be used from 15-45lbs. In theory, they can be used from birth (7lb) if you use the additional infant insert, but it’s a lot of additional bulk to add to an already robust carrier. So it wouldn’t be my first choice for a newborn. We only really started using ours once Joey was about 5 months old, and he’s pretty average size.
The curved body panel is 15.5″ (40cm) tall, 15″ (38cm) wide at the base of the panel and 17” (43cm) wide at the top of the panel: I find that taller parents with longer babies find it a particularly good fit.
TULA TODDLER CARRIER
The Toddler Tula measures approximately 17.5” (44cm) tall, 18.5” (47cm) inches wide at the base, and 20” (51cm) wide at the top of the panel. If your toddler or preschooler is outgrowing your Ergobaby, Manduca or other buckled carrier then this is likely to be a great option.
The waistband on both models extends from 27″ (69cm) at its smallest to an impressive 56″ (142cm). Larger wearers will get a comfy fit without the carrier digging in.
It has ‘perfect fit adjusters’ on the shoulders so petite wearers can get the carrier high and tight enough for a comfy back carry. But realistically if you’re a UK size 8 or under, or under 5’2″ (158cm), it may be a bit on the big side.
Can you cross the shoulder straps on a Tula? Sadly not, which for me is the biggest downside. It’s worn rucksack style only, which is fine, but it would be nicer to have the option. You can only tighten the shoulder straps in one direction, but few people find that very problematic unless they have limited shoulder/wrist mobility.
MORE TULA CARRIER FEATURES
Tula carriers come with a removable hood and a pocket on the waistband. The latter is just about big enough for your smartphone.
They also have lovely squishy leg padding. For baby, that is. If you’re anything like me you’ll have developed your own squishy leg padding since becoming a parent!
Tulas come in a massive range of designs, some with very limited runs making them highly sought after. Tula also release limited edition ‘wrap conversions,’ made from woven wrap fabrics instead of the usual cotton twill. These tend to start at a couple of hundred dollars and may incur customs taxes if bought from the US.
These can go for silly money. I saw a nearly-new model made from handwoven wrap sell in the US last week for over $2,000 – eep! Thankfully standard Tulas are available from £109.90 (Baby size) or £129.90 (Toddler size).
UPDATE: The adjustable, insert-free Tula Free-To-Grow carrier was released in 2017.
