Tula Explore Carrier Review (2026): The All-Position Tula

Why you should trust this review

I bought the Tula Explore with my own money and carried my child in it for eight months, side by side with the Ergobaby Omni Breeze I already owned. Tula did not send me this carrier, and I have no affiliation with the brand. Having both carriers in daily rotation let me judge the Explore against the carrier most people consider the benchmark.

Babywearing is something you live with daily, so a ten minute trial tells you nothing. I wore the Explore on walks, around the house during fussy stretches, and on outings where I needed my hands free. I tracked how it actually held up and felt over months, including the parts that frustrated me, so this is the honest picture rather than a first impression.

How we evaluated

Over eight months I used the Explore in all four of its carry positions: front inward, front outward, hip, and back. I moved between them as my child grew and as different situations called for different holds, which is exactly how the seat adjustment is meant to be used.

I focused on the things that matter for a carrier you wear for long stretches. I checked whether the three position seat panel actually adapted across the weight range without an infant insert. I compared the lumbar belt and shoulder strap comfort directly against the Ergobaby on long carries. I noted how warm it got in summer heat, since fabric choice makes a real difference there, and I watched the cotton canvas for wear over months of use and washing.

Four carry positions and a seat that scales

The headline feature is the adjustable seat, and it works. The three position panel scales from a roughly seven pound newborn up to a forty five pound toddler with no separate infant insert required. That is a big practical win, because inserts are fiddly, easy to lose, and hot. Being able to dial the seat narrower for a newborn and wider for a toddler kept the carrier comfortable for my child as they grew.

Having all four positions in one carrier is genuinely useful. Front inward covered the newborn and sleepy stages, front outward let my curious baby face the world, hip worked for quick around the house carries, and back carry came into its own as my child got heavier. Not every carrier offers all four, and having them in one purchase meant I never needed a second carrier for a different stage.

Comfort and lumbar support on long carries

This is where I expected the Explore to fall behind the Ergobaby, and it largely held its own. The padded lumbar belt distributes weight across my hips rather than dumping it on my shoulders, and on longer carries it stayed comfortable in a way I would put in the same league as the Omni Breeze. For all day wearing, that lumbar support is what keeps your back from giving out.

The padded parallel shoulder straps were comfortable too, though parallel only means you cannot cross them the way some parents prefer. Over eight months I never finished a carry wishing I had reached for a different carrier on comfort grounds. That is high praise given how good the Ergobaby is, and it is the clearest sign Tula has narrowed the gap.

The honest tradeoffs versus Ergobaby

There are real places where the Ergobaby still edges ahead, and I will not pretend otherwise. The cotton canvas body runs warm. Above about 85F I noticed my child and I both got hotter than we would in the Ergobaby’s breathable mesh. If you live somewhere hot or babywear through summer, the canvas is the Explore’s biggest limitation. There is no mesh option in this carrier.

A few smaller things favor the Ergobaby too. Its hood tucks neatly into a dedicated pocket, while the Explore’s hood storage via shoulder snaps is less tidy and a little more fiddly. The Explore’s front outward position is narrower than the Ergobaby seat, and the body panel does not extend quite as high, so a tall toddler tops out of it a bit sooner. None of these are dealbreakers, but together they explain why the Ergobaby still holds a slight edge for me.

Durability, fabric, and the Tula pattern appeal

The 100 percent cotton canvas earned my trust over eight months. It held up to regular use and gentle cold machine washing without fraying, stretching out, or losing structure. Polish made construction has a reputation for quality, and nothing in my time with the Explore contradicted that. At 1.65 pounds it is light enough to stuff in a bag without thinking about it.

Then there is the reason a lot of parents choose Tula in the first place: the patterns. The Explore comes in solid colors plus a deep catalog of active prints, and that variety is a genuine brand strength. If you want a carrier that looks like something you chose rather than a generic gray slab, Tula gives you options the competition does not. It is a soft factor, but for many buyers it tips the decision.

Who should buy the Tula Explore?

Buy it if: you want one carrier that covers newborn through toddler in four positions with no insert to fuss with, and you value pattern variety. The comfortable lumbar belt makes it a strong choice for long carries, and the durable cotton canvas holds up well. If you love the Tula look and want all day comfort that rivals the Ergobaby, this is an easy recommendation.

Skip it if: you babywear in hot weather and need breathable mesh, since the cotton canvas runs warm above 85F. Skip it too if you have a tall toddler who needs a higher body panel, or if you specifically want crossable shoulder straps or the tidier hood storage that the Ergobaby provides.

The verdict

After eight months the Tula Explore has earned its place beside my Ergobaby Omni Breeze. The adjustable seat scales cleanly from newborn to toddler, the four positions cover every stage, the lumbar support keeps long carries comfortable, and the pattern selection is the cherry on top. Tula has genuinely closed the gap with the carrier everyone measures against.

The Ergobaby still holds a narrow lead, mainly because of its breathable mesh, tidier hood, and slightly more generous panel. If you babywear in heat, that matters. But for most parents who want a do everything carrier with real comfort and a look they actually like, the Explore is a carrier I am happy to recommend and one I reach for as often as my Ergobaby.