27 months of babywearing and still counting.
As a matter of fact, we just recently got a Toddler Tula because Ava already outgrew our much-loved Ergo Sport.
Finally, after much thought, we have come down to our final stash of baby carriers. And I will save that topic for another post. Let me first share with you the differences I have observed between a Toddler Tula and an Ergo Sport. These are definitely noteworthy.
For reference, Ava is 27 months old, approximately weighs 30lbs. with a height of 90cm.
Availability
Ergo carriers are available in stores like SM's Baby Company as well as Rustan's, making it more convenient to buy. Tula carriers, on the other hand is not yet available in the local market except for online shops or mommy groups that buys, sells or trades Tula carriers. The only trusted seller I know is CEO Emporium* which I highly recommend because Candy (owner) is very accommodating especially to an eager Mama like me. ;)
Price
An Ergo Sport costs 115USD (5,000Php+) while the Toddler Tula is 169USD (7,500Php+).
Availability
Ergo carriers are available in stores like SM's Baby Company as well as Rustan's, making it more convenient to buy. Tula carriers, on the other hand is not yet available in the local market except for online shops or mommy groups that buys, sells or trades Tula carriers. The only trusted seller I know is CEO Emporium* which I highly recommend because Candy (owner) is very accommodating especially to an eager Mama like me. ;)
Price
An Ergo Sport costs 115USD (5,000Php+) while the Toddler Tula is 169USD (7,500Php+).
Size
As you can see, there is a huge difference between the two. Tula Toddler's panel is about 2" wider (on both sides) than Ergo's and another 2" higher on top.
Straps and Buckles
The shoulder straps of Tula are almost the same with Ergo - the width, thickness of padding, placement of straps, adjustments and all. As for the waistband, buckles and straps are essentially the same as well. The width is where the noticeable difference is, Tula's waistband is almost 2" wider. The width of Tula's waistband is more consistent. Ergo's waistband is wider at the front and a lot thinner on the sides up to the back.
Hood
Placement of hood is totally different between the two. Tula's hood pouch is located along the waistband while Ergo's pouch is on the top part of the back panel. I find Ergo's placement more ergonomic especially when I am already wearing Ava because i can easily tuck the hood. With Tula, I find it hard to reach the pouch because it's already below her bum where I can't see it. The hood attachment is also different, Ergo uses snaps in different rise settings while Tula uses an elastic band with an adjustable hook. Ergo's snaps are better for me because I can just snap the hood in place. With the Tula's hood, the fabric extends up to the elastics looped end making it a little harder to grab.
Action Shots
Since Tula's back panel is higher, Ava is snug and comfy inside. This also adds up to the distribution of the weight especially on my shoulders. With Ergo's size and form in relation to Ava's current built, the weight goes down directly. Unlike with Tula, since the panel and the straps are wider, the weight distributes to the sides as well.
Straps and Buckles
The shoulder straps of Tula are almost the same with Ergo - the width, thickness of padding, placement of straps, adjustments and all. As for the waistband, buckles and straps are essentially the same as well. The width is where the noticeable difference is, Tula's waistband is almost 2" wider. The width of Tula's waistband is more consistent. Ergo's waistband is wider at the front and a lot thinner on the sides up to the back.
Hood
Placement of hood is totally different between the two. Tula's hood pouch is located along the waistband while Ergo's pouch is on the top part of the back panel. I find Ergo's placement more ergonomic especially when I am already wearing Ava because i can easily tuck the hood. With Tula, I find it hard to reach the pouch because it's already below her bum where I can't see it. The hood attachment is also different, Ergo uses snaps in different rise settings while Tula uses an elastic band with an adjustable hook. Ergo's snaps are better for me because I can just snap the hood in place. With the Tula's hood, the fabric extends up to the elastics looped end making it a little harder to grab.
Action Shots
Just this photo alone shows the huge difference between the two. The Tula Toddler comfortably snugs Ava towards my body, The back panel's width allows her to be in a seated "M" position and the padded edge of the panel ends just right under her knees. Unlike with Ergo, I know Ava is no longer comfortable in it because the edges leave red marks on her thighs after wearing. And since both her legs are almost dragging down, I can feel more weight on my shoulders and back. The form of the waistband also makes a lot of difference. Since Ergo's thinner on the sides, the waistband becomes diggy at the back after a while. But with Tula, the consistent width helps in the distribution of weight from front to back.
As I have mentioned earlier, between the two waistbands, Tula's width wins over the Ergo Sport. As seen here, the straps of the Ergo were already digging my sides.
Tula Toddler obviously won us over. If you're a family of babywearers, I suggest transitioning from a baby carrier to a toddler carrier. While it may not seem necessary since toddlers love to walk, I still find having a toddler carrier handy. Since Ava walks most of the time that we're out, we just opt to bring the Tula Toddler instead of the stroller.
I'm so happy doing this comparison because we really felt the huge difference of the two. Just in case you just stumbled upon my post while researching about these two carriers, I hope I've helped you somehow and gave the answers to some of your questions. Let me know! :)
*CEO Emporium | 0917 538 6531
Tula Toddler obviously won us over. If you're a family of babywearers, I suggest transitioning from a baby carrier to a toddler carrier. While it may not seem necessary since toddlers love to walk, I still find having a toddler carrier handy. Since Ava walks most of the time that we're out, we just opt to bring the Tula Toddler instead of the stroller.
I'm so happy doing this comparison because we really felt the huge difference of the two. Just in case you just stumbled upon my post while researching about these two carriers, I hope I've helped you somehow and gave the answers to some of your questions. Let me know! :)
*CEO Emporium | 0917 538 6531
Both :)
ReplyDeleteTrue! :) But Tula definitely one-upped Ergo on the toddler size. :)
DeleteHi Arvi, this is very helpful for me, I am on a dilemma on handling a toddler when we are outdoor. To start with, I did not use a carrier, any kind when my son was younger, due to lack of knowledge on gears and stuffs, however, I am considering to buy one, because my kid loves to run around the mall or any open space (which I think is normal, but a little stressful on my part) everytime we go out. So I need to carry him, to refrain from shouting and chasing him. You think, if I get a Tula toddler carrier, he won't be resistant? Since it would be new to him. I don't have any mommy friends who are into baby wearing, so I hope you could help me decide. This will be very useful to us. Thanks in advance. God bless. - Rin
ReplyDeleteHi Rin!
DeleteI would suggest for you to join Filipino Association of Babywearers or Babywearing Philippines on Facebook. :) But to answer your question, if you're really interested you can try out the carrier first prior to buying one just to get a feel of it. You can join those groups I've mentioned above and they sometimes facilitate meetups which is a good chance for you to try on carriers. If you're particular into trying a Tula, there's also another group in Facebook called Rent-a-Tula Ph where you can basically rent a Tula for a certain period of time.
Hope that helps! :)
Thanks for sharing mommy. It is really helpful esp when i am planning to get a tula toddler for my 3.5yr old baby. ❤️
ReplyDelete