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Tula Half Buckle Carriers – now available in cotton canvas!

The Tula Half Buckle Carriers are coming to Carry Me Away!  I’m super excited about these because the half buckle carrier offers awesome comfort and adjustability that can be hard to find in a full buckle carrier.

What Is a Half Buckle Carrier?

Good question!  A half buckle carrier is a cross between a meh dai carrier and a standard buckle carrier.  It’s called a half buckle because it has the padded waistband and padded straps that a buckle carrier has, but the shoulder straps end in wide, wrap style fabric that gets wrapped around the baby and tied with a knot.  This is compared to a full buckle carrier where the straps end in a length of webbing that buckles on to the front panel of the carrier.

Here’s a quick picture of the front, back and side of Tula Half Buckle (in Sleepy Dust).

Tula Half Buckle Carrier

For comparison, here’s a shot of the standard Tula Full Buckle Carrier.  You can see that the standard buckle carrier has a connector strap on the back and webbing at the end of the straps connects the straps to the front panel of the carrier.

 

What are the benefits of Half Buckle Carrier vs. a Full Buckle Carrier?

Tula Standard Buckle-Carrier

  1. Adjustability.  The tie straps make the half buckle carrier almost infinitely adjustable so you can get a perfect fit.  This is especially great for petite wearers who find that they can’t get the straps on a full buckle carrier tight enough.
  2. No digging buckles or webbing!  One of the biggest complaints with full buckle carriers is wearers finding that the webbing and or buckles dig into the side of their body.  The half buckle carrier eliminates this issue by eliminating the buckles on the side of the carrier altogether.  The fabric is soft and can be adjusted to be wider or narrower as the wearer prefers.
  3. Extra support for baby’s bum.  Bringing the straps around and under baby’s bum feels just like a hug!  It can also provide some extra back stability for tiny newborns and some additional lift for heavier toddlers.
  4. Straps crossed on your back are super comfortable and mean no dealing with the connector strap.  The *other* biggest complaint we get about full buckle carriers is that it can be hard to find the right spot for the connector strap or to get it on by yourself.  Half buckles straps cross on your back, which makes it easier to put on and get comfy in.  Most people also love the comfort and weight distribution of crossed straps.
  5. Hip carry!  The tie straps on the Tula half buckle let you do a hip carry if you are so inclined. Full buckle carriers with fixed straps (like the Tula standard carriers) don’t offer this option.
  6. Perfect combination of modern convenience and natural feel.  A half buckle takes great features from buckle carriers that offer great support/convenience and combine it with the more natural feel of a meh dai or wrap carrier.

Are there any downsides to a Half Buckle Carrier?

Tula Half Buckle in Discover and Sleepy DustThe main downside to a half buckle carrier is the longer straps. In the beginning, it can be a challenge not to let them drag on the ground, and wearers are concerned about them getting dirty.  I’ve actually been shocked that my straps really don’t get all that dirty, but not everyone loves the longer straps.  They can also just be intimidating and make someone not want to try the carrier.

The half buckle takes maybe 30 seconds longer to put on vs. a full buckle carrier, so there’s that, too.

Lastly, anyone with difficulty tying knots may prefer a buckle carrier since this carrier does require tying and untying a square knot to use it.

 

Additional features of the Tula Half Buckle Carrier

The Tula Half Buckle Carrier includes some of the great features of Tula’s other adjustable infant carriers (the FTG and the Explore) so it’s got adjustments to change both the height and width of the panel.  This means you can use this carrier from birth (7lbs) without an infant insert.  Always a good thing!  The wrapped straps make this an especially lovely carrier for infants because they add extra snuggle and back support even for the littlest ones.

The Tula Half Buckle also offers extra leg padding at the leg openings to ensure a cushy ride for your little one.

Tula Half Buckle in Sleepy Dust

Dimensions of the Tula Half Buckle Carrier

  • Seat panel width is adjustable from 5″ – 15″
  • Height of the panel is adjustable from 11″ – 17″ tall.
  • Shoulder straps are 80″ – 20″ of padded shoulder straps and 60″ of tie straps.
  • Hip Belt is 5″ tall and 27″ wide. Additional webbing extends approximately 30” (total waistband length is ~ 57” long).
  • Weight of the carrier: 1.8 lbs.

Tula Half Buckle Cotton Canvas Prints

There are four prints releasing on Friday, November 16, with more to follow!

The prints are:

Sleepy Dust: off-white triangles on grey

Play – little white hearts on mustard

Mint Chip – chips on mint green

Discover -tiny gray stars on black.

The all-new cotton canvas Tula Half Buckle prints will be available ONLY at specialty retailers (that’s us!) through January 2019.

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