Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Kinderpack Versus Tula: A Photo Comparison

 Kinderpack Versus Tula
 
      People often ask the question, "Kinderpack or Tula"?  That is a hard question to answer.  Some people prefer the Kinderpack while others prefer the Tula.  I prefer them both!  They are both great but different.  Below is a photo comparison and a few of the differences between the two carriers.  My daughter is 22 months old, 32" tall and about 25 lbs.
 
Standard Kinderpack 
      The standard Kinderpack fit us great for a very long time.  As you can see from the pictures, it is no longer knee to knee but is plenty tall.  She can comfortably get her arms our which is how she prefers to ride. 
 
 
 
Toddler Kinderpack
      The toddler Kinderpack is almost perfect for her.  It is slightly big on the width knee to knee but is comfortable.  You can see that her arms are out but up on my back.  She can't quite rest them out and at her side as she can in the standard.  This is still a better fit than the standard.

 
 
 
Standard Tula
      The Standard Tula fits similar to the standard Kinderpack. High enough on her back but no longer knee to knee.
 
Toddler Tula
      The toddler Tula, like the toddler Kinderpack, is slightly wide on the knee but comfortable.  While it seems higher on the back, it is easier for her to get her arms out than in the toddler Kinderpack.  The body of the Tula is shaped differently and thinner than the Kinderpack.  I believe this design is what allows her to get her arms out easier.  Although it is not pictured, her arms are able to rest at her side in the toddler Tula.

 
      There are some basic differences in the two carriers.  The arm padding in the Tula is narrower than the Kinderpack.  While it is narrower, I find it just as thick.  I prefer the Tula arm padding.  There is also see a noticable difference in the legs out padding.  You can see in the pictures that the Tula leg padding is much more substantial.  This doesn't seem to make a difference in comfort.  Both carriers have perfect fit adjusters (pfa's).  This feature allows you to get more of a custom fit and also makes it easier to share the carriers with someone of a different size.    
 
       The Tula does have a small pocket under the body along the waist strap.  I have never used it.  It may come in more handy for someone who uses front carriers which I rarely do.  The Kinderpack waist band buckles in the middle and allows you to tighten on both sides of the clip while the Tula clip is on one side of the waist band.  I like both styles.  The Kinderpack under arm webbing can be tightened on either side of the clip as well.  The Tula webbing can only be tightened one way and there is no clip under the arm.  I am finding this a big plus on the Tula side for me as I hate the clip or webbing under my arms.  This does pose a problem for someone who wants to be able to do hip carriers in the Tula.  Since the straps do not come unclipped you cannot hip carry.  The kinderpack straps do unclip therefore allowing a hip carry.

 
      Which do I prefer? Both!  I find myself wearing the toddler Tula most days but I still love my Kinderpack. They are both great high quality carriers.  I recommend trying them both if you are able.  If you are local, its you lucky day as we have both carriers in our lending library and available at our monthly meeting for comparison. 
 
 


4 comments:

  1. Great comparison, thanks for writing this up! Just wanted to add that my 18mo old is also 32" and 25# but can definitely still fit in the Standard KP. This comes as no surprise, as she has some pretty short legs!

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  2. Thank you for the comparison! I'm thinking of upgrading from the Ergo to one of these toddler carriers at some point. This was really helpful!

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  3. Thanks for the comparison! I'm definitely leaning toward the KP, now I just have to decide standard or toddler. I know he would be more comfy with arms out-he's 26lbs & 33in-but I think a bigger size might be better. So hard to decide!!

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