Baby Tula Coast Explore Baby Carrier Review

Baby Tula Coast Explore

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The Baby Tula Coast Explore is a standard style baby carrier. It is a six-in-one carrier with a variety of carry options and versatility. It is a good baby carrier that has some pros and cons, which we will dive further into.

How it Compares:

Testing and Research

The Baby Tula Coast Explore is one of fourteen top-rated baby carriers we purchased to test and compare. We tested and ranked each of the carriers on their usability, versatility, design quality, and comfort. The Coast Explore, though not the top scorer in our testing, is a good piece of baby gear with some things we especially liked, along with a few things we did not love.

Common Complaints

During our testing process, we read through the critical reviews of the Coast Explore and compared them to our own experience. The Coast Explore did not have a lot of complaints compared to some of the other carriers that we tested, but we did note our comparison results below:

Criticism	Our Experience
Not breathable	We do agree that the material is pretty thick and does not offer much ventilation
Carrier is bulky	We do agree that the carrier is a little bulky
Waist strap is uncomfortable	We felt the front of the strap was comfortable but the back portion was thinner and less supportive
Straps are too thick	The straps are a little thick and cumbersome

Related Reading: Boba Baby Carrier Classic Review

Usability

The Coast Explore had a pretty good overall usability score. It took us around seven minutes to set up the first time. The instruction manual is pretty good, with both written and illustrated directions. 

The seat adjustment does take a little getting used to. It involves button snaps that are underneath the material of the waistbelt. The buttons are not labeled themselves, so you have to refer to the instruction manual to make sure you are putting the snaps in the correct spots. This does make it a bit harder to make quick adjustments. 

There are only two sets of buckles for the Coast Explore – one behind the shoulder blades and a set for the waistband, which made for a lot less hassle. The straps are pretty easy to adjust. We do wish that you did not have to put baby into the carrier before putting on the shoulder straps and buckling them behind your shoulders. Having the baby in the carrier makes buckling the straps a little more complicated. 

Overall, the Coast Explore is a pretty user-friendly carrier. We do wish the seat adjustment snap process was a little clearer, but aside from that, the carrier is pretty easy to use. 

Here’s how the Coast ranked in our usability category:

Versatility

The Coast Explore scored well in the versatility category. Between its six carry position options, wide range of baby sizes (newborn to older toddler) and accommodating adult size adjustability, it was one of our highest scorers in versatility overall.

Here’s how the Coast Explore ranked in the versatility category:

The Coast Explore has multiple positions of holds it can accommodate. It offers seat adjustments for infant, baby, and toddler inward facing holds, forward facing position, and back carries for both babies and toddlers. No infant insert is needed. Though it does not offer a hip carry like some of our most versatile carriers, we do appreciate the position adjustability. 

The Coast Explore boasts that it can hold little ones from 7lbs to 45lbs, allowing them to use it as a newborn all the way through toddlerhood. We tested the carrier with an almost 30lb one-year-old and a 40lb four-year-old. The one-year-old did fit better than the four-year-old, but they both seemed comfortable while sitting in the carrier.

The carrier also offers good adult wearer versatility, fitting waists from 27 inches to 57 inches, allowing a good range for multiple wearers. However, it does not offer an option for any kind of waistband extender if a larger size were needed. 

Design Quality

The Coast Explore had a fairly average in the design quality category:

The carrier is made of machine-washable cotton. The material, though decently soft, is not very breathable and gets warm pretty quickly for babies and parents. There is a fairly large mesh panel on the front of the carrier that does provide some extra ventilation for baby, which is helpful. We wish there was more mesh on the carrier to allow some airflow for the adult wearer as well. 

We don’t feel like the carrier overall is bulky, but the padded shoulder straps are a little bit thick and cumbersome. They feel like they slide around the shoulders a little, which we did not really like. Since the shoulder straps are pre-attached, there is no option to cross them in the back to make them more snug fitting.  Though the padded shoulder straps are thickly padded, there is not a lumbar support piece on the waist strap.

The Coast Explore does include a removable hood and a small Velcroed pocket on the waistband that can store small items like a cell phone or snacks.

We felt that the Coast Explore was pretty secure and offered good stability. Baby’s arms can slide under the shoulder straps for extra stability. We never felt that baby was going to tip over or slide out of the carrier. Inward facing, she was snuggled close and outward facing she had the freedom to look around while still feeling secure. 

Comfort

We felt that the comfort of the Coast Explore was decent. The thickly padded shoulder straps, though cumbersome, are soft and felt good on the shoulders. There is not a lumbar support piece on the waistbelt, and we do prefer when there is one to help support the back.

The weight distribution was good and we didn’t notice any pulling on the shoulders. We did note that the waistband tends to push downward under baby’s weight in a front carry. Although this didn’t hurt the hips, it did tend to push down on your pants, so you’ll have to watch out for that. 

We did feel that the Coast Explore was more comfortable in the back carry than most of the other carriers that we tested. There was less pressure and our test subject’s weight didn’t push the waistband down as much as others while doing a back carry. 

Our child test subjects seemed comfortable in the carrier. Our one-year-old tester preferred facing outward to inward, but many children of that age likely would prefer to face outward. There did not seem to be any excess pressure on baby’s legs, and her legs did seem to stay in the hip healthy, ergonomic “M” position, which can help baby’s hip development.

Our four-year-old test subject was very comfortable in the Coast Explore. Though she is tall and starting to push the size limitations of the carrier, she did enjoy sitting in it and riding around. 

Should You Buy the Baby Tula Coast Explore?

The Baby Tula Coast Explore Baby Carrier is a solid piece of baby gear. It has some pros and cons, but overall is a good product. The carrier is not cheap, pricing out around $200, so parents will need to consider those pros and cons when deciding if this is the right carrier for you and your budget. 

We like the range of versatility that the Coast Explore offers. Though it did not have a perfect versatility score, it did very well compared to some of the other carriers we tested, with decent child size ranges, carry options, and adult size range.

The Coast Explore also has a variety of cute options and can be ordered in multiple colors and designs, from floral patterns to stripes to dinosaurs.

Though the Coast Explore is not the cheapest option and it has a few drawbacks, it is a solid baby carrier that will last your child from the newborn stage well into their toddlerhood. If you decide to purchase this carrier, we do think you will be happy with your decision.