Introducing the Tula carriers
Tula carriers have been loved for a long time. They are one of the brands that parents come to our sling library looking for. That is why they have earned such a large role in our online rental sling library and our retail stock.
Did you know that Tula wearers have secret code words to identify themselves to each other? On seeing someone wearing a Tula the secret greeting is “Tula in the wild” to which the accepted response is “Caw caw!” (Now, I have never actually heard anyone shout “Tula in the Wild!” so you may find that yelling this results in rather confused parents and funny looks!)
Tula carriers: features and functionality
- They have a supportive structured waistband and heavily padded shoulder straps.
- Made from cotton canvas, which is sturdy but breathable.
- Available in a Coast version that has a mesh panel for extra cooling effect on your baby's back.
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Rucksack style straps, joined by a chest strap..
- Built-in chest strap slides up and down a webbing rail on the shoulder straps.
- Perfect fit adjusters to get a more snug fit and avoid baby flopping backwards.
Tula have a huge following because they come in so many pretty patterns, wrap conversion exclusives and limited edition designs. Tula do pretty, boy do they do pretty! However, they also do straight-forward, urban, classic and chic. Really, when it comes to designs, Tula have it covered. I wouldn’t suggest judging a book by its cover, however, people do like choice. The Tula you choose and use everyday may really reflect your personality!
Here’s a few of the Standard Baby and Toddler Tulas we have in our rental library.
Tula designs
Choosing the right size Tula carrier
With three sizes to choose from: baby, toddler and preschool, it can be tricky to know what size to look at. These Tulas are not adjustable, so getting the right size is essential. If you pick a carrier that is too large it will be very uncomfortable for your baby or child.
Newborn
None of these Tula carriers are ideal for newborn babies. The Tula Explore or the Tula Free-to-Grow are adjustable and can fit most babies from birth.
If you already have a Tula baby carrier you can use the infant insert to make it safe for smaller babies. However, these can be tricky to use to get a safe position.
The following videos show how to use the Tula infant insert.
Assembling the Tula infant insert
Using the Tula infant insert
Babies from 4 months to 2 years
The Tula Baby carrier fits well without an insert from between 4 and 6 months. Once the panel does not extend past the baby’s knee pits, and once the panel comes no higher than the top of their neck.
This carrier usually fits well until at least 2 years.
If you would prefer an adjustable carrier that can be used from birth to toddler then a Tula Explore or Tula Free-to-Grow may be better options. These can be adjusted to fit from knee to knee, whereas the Tula Baby carrier has a fixed width.
Toddler: from 2 years*
Sizing by age is a tricky business as children can be at all different sizes at all different ages! So when is a toddler likely to fit well into a toddler Tula? The Toddler Tula has a very wide panel. In order to fit the Toddler Tula comfortably your child needs to fit comfortably lengthwise into 2-3 year sized trousers. This ensures that the panel will not overextend their knees.
We have fitted the Toddler Tula comfortably for children up to 6 years old.
Preschool and beyond: taller and older children
For much taller or older children the Tula preschool carrier may be an excellent option. We would say that this fits best once your child fits 4-5 years trouser size. Some 3 year olds will have long enough legs, whilst others will find it too wide.
We would suggest hiring a Toddler Tula and a Preschool Tula carrier to check which is the right size. We will offer a hire one get one free so you can try both for the price of one hire if you get in touch via phone, email or Facebook message.
Choosing the right size Tula carrier
- Do you have broad or narrow shoulders?
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For very petite people it can be difficult to get a good fit in the Tula, especially the Toddler size. This is because, where the panel is significantly wider than your shoulders, bringing the shoulder straps closer together to put them on your shoulders means that the top of the panel forms a "U" shape,
This may not give enough support at the top of your child's back, this will feel like the weight pulls on your shoulders or that baby pulls away from you. Petite people may find carriers that are less wide at the top of the panel, have shorter padded strap length, or the ability to be worn in a crossed strap style provide a better fit. - Tulas have long webbing on the straps and fit larger bodied people well. We have not encountered parents for whom the Tula is too straps are too short.
Tips and Tricks
Fastening and adjusting the chest strap
Baby, Toddler and Preschool Tulas have rucksack style straps. Some people find it tricky to get this fastened or positioned comfortably. Often people will find that they are most comfortable with the strap level with their shoulder blades.
This video shows 3 different techniques for fastening the chest strap
Tightening Tula straps in a back carry
Tightening the straps in a back carry requires pulling backwards. This can be an awkward movement to do with enough strength to tighten all of the slack out.
This video shows how you can use your elbow to more easily tighten backwards.
Perfect fit adjusters
These are little webbing adjuster where the shoulder strap meets the panel. They shorten the top of the straps bringing the top of the panel closer to your body. This allows you to get a better fit and reduces flopping when the top of the panel isn’t supportive enough for your baby.
They can make a huge difference to the comfort and fit of the carrier. In a front carry they are easy enough to adjust yourself once your child is in. However in a back carry people usually need someone else to do them once the child is on their back. As long as you don’t alter them, they should be in the correct set up for you for the next time if you are the only person using the carrier.
Find out more about how perfect fit adjusters help through our Instagram tip post
How can I try a Tula carrier?
We have the Baby, Toddler and Preschool Tula carriers available to hire in both standard and coast (cool version) in a range of patterns. Simply search for the size of Tula you need to see all currently available Tulas in our sling library.
We offer both ‘Try before you buy’ and payment plans on Tula carriers in our shop.
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