Ula and Mike's Story - Founders and Owners of Tula
"The story of Tula begins with two people from distant worlds. I was born and raised in Poland. My husband Mike (Chi at the time) was born in Vietnam. Twenty years later we would start our new life together.
We met in college in the United States. With contrasting personalities, we had very little in common at first. The law of opposites seemed to connect us. I was outgoing and had my mind set on what I wanted to do after graduation. My husband was more reserved and loved traveling. Even though we had many differences, we were both spontaneous, worked hard, had fun, and traveled. A lot.
We visited Poland to see my family and a few times took the opportunity to backpack through Europe. On a few occasions we were lucky enough to tag along with Mike’s parents to visit his relatives in Vietnam. We saw amazing places and met incredible people and these great memories will always be a part of us. We were bitten by the insatiable travel bug. We wanted more.
With a one-way ticket to Peru and no itinerary, we wanted to see how other Americans were living. On this trip we traveled off the tourist path to truly experience the South American culture. In many of the places we've traveled, we were impressed by women carrying their little ones in colorful wraps while working in fields, crafting goods, or taking care of their homes. Both mother and baby were content being snuggled closely to one another while life’s work continued.
We travelled through Bolivia, Uruguay and Argentina and after two adventurous months, we were prepared to fly to Brazil for our final stop. Then, while sitting in café in Buenos Aires with a huge appetite for comfort food, we realized that our family of two would be growing :)
When our daughter was born we wore her in a sling. We experienced how convenient babywearing was and how much it benefits both parent and baby. A few years later our son was born and we discovered the ease of ergonomic carriers. They were just as comfortable while being more father-friendly. We have tried many different carriers and never found one that completely satisfied us, so we had our Ba Noi (Vietnamese for Grandma) sew us one to our specifications. It was close to perfect.
At first we made carriers for friends and family. But whenever we traveled, strangers would inquire about our carriers. And that was just what I needed to finally focus my energy and passion.
Wishing you the best on your parenting journey and lots of babywearing memories."
Ula & Mike
About Tula Carriers
TULA Ergonomic Carrier is a soft structured carrier designed to support bond between a child and an active parent. The panel of the carrier was designed to hug around the child’s back and to provide support for the child’s developing spine. Soft structured Tula carrier offers the convenience of buckles yet is vastly different from framed backpacks as it holds the baby securely against the wearer's body. Unlike framed backpacks, Tula carrier is suitable from birth (if used with an infant insert) through toddlerhood and provides the benefits of body-to-body contact for the baby. Tula Baby Carrier is an ultimate baby carrier. You will not need anything else, as you can use this from birth all the way till at least 4 year old. Tula Carrier is compatible with the Tula Infant Insert and with the Tula “Free to Grow” toddler extensions. Tula Infant Insert allows wearing infants from 3.5 kg. The Tula "Free to Grow" extensions attach to the panel of the carrier and allow you to comfortably wear your older children. The unique construction of Tula carriers reduces the weight from the shoulders and distributes it to the hip area of the parent. Tula Ergonomic Baby Carrier uses only 100% cotton and complies with the European Norm EN 13209- 2:2006.
Tula Baby Carrier is hand made in our own factory in Poland. We do not outsource manufacturing of the products, therefore we have a full control on the quality of everything we make. We do not use assembly lines! Each product is truly made by hand by one person from the beginning to the end. Our seamstresses are getting paid hourly, as we want them to work relaxed and we want to prevent defected products, which could occur with time pressure.
Each carrier is inspected by our quality assurance manager before packing in the box and shipping.
It is one of the simplest carriers in the market. We want everyone to intuitively be able to put the carrier on and enjoy the benefits of wearing a baby.
Benefits of Tula Carriers:
• Front and back carry
• From 7kg - 23kg
• Can be used for newborns (3.5 kg +) if used with the Tula Infant Insert
• Easy to use. Fast to put on and take off
• Tula Carrier complies with the European Safety Norm EN 13209- 2:2006
• Business Member of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance (BCIA)
• High quality, 100% cotton with Öko-Tex Standard 100 certificate
• Highest quality Duraflex buckles and YKK snap buttons
• Pocket on the hip belt for additional storage
• Hood to support baby’s head while asleep, to protect from sun or wind, and to allow for comfortable breastfeeding
• Additional padding in shoulder straps and child's leg area for extra comfort
• Three section hip belt that contours around waist
• Machine Washable
• Made and Design in EU in a our Tulas own manufacturing facility
Product measurements:
• Panel: 39 cm tall & 37 cm wide
• Hip belt: 12 cm length
• Weight of the carrier 0.80 kg
Each carrier comes with:
• Removable, regulated hood
• Instruction brochure
Tulas philosophy:
"We love baby wearing and all it has to offer. It’s practical for the parent, it has amazing benefits for the baby and it feels so good to have your baby snuggle in close! Babywearing isn't a trend, it is also not a skill you need to learn. Every parent should follow his natural instincts.
We do not support criticism and looking down for parents for the type of a wrap or carrier they chose to use. We believe that every parent tries to make the best decision and the best choice for his baby." - Ula and Mike
