Comparing Hemp, Linen, and Cotton Baby Carriers


Hemp, Linen, cotton, oh my! Just like we strive to have multiple carrier designs for your different needs and preferences, we also offer many different textile options for you.

Do you live in a warm climate? Are you searching for a super lightweight carrier? Maybe you're especially keen on the look and feel of you baby carrier? Read on to understand each of Baby Tula's material options so you can find the carrier that best works for you.

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Our main materials are:
1. Cotton
2. Linen
3. Hemp
4. Nylon Ripstop
5. Polyester Mesh
6. Luxurious blends

Each of these material options have unique characteristics that help you meet the demands of parenting. Let's explore all of the interesting facts.

All Cotton Collection 

Tula Explore Play and Explore Sleepy Dust
Cotton might be one of the materials you are most familiar with. Soft cotton is a versatile fabric especially suited to printing all of the fun variety prints that we are known for. The material is easy to clean and machine washable, making it great to use for the messy jobs of parenthood.

Essential details about our cotton fabric: it's soft, breathable, all-natural, and Oeko Tex 100 certified - verifying the fabric has been tested for harmful substances. 

We offer the most variety of carrier styles in all cotton material, including our Explore, Free-To-Grow, Standard, Toddler, Preschool, Half Buckle, and Mini Toy carriers.

Find out what carrier is best for you. 

Linen Collection 

Tula Linen Ash Free-to-Grow and Explore

A collection that quickly rose in popularity very quickly. And we understand why. Our Linen fabric is made from a unique 52% linen and 48% cotton blend woven into a classic herringbone pattern. While linen is a summer staple, the sophisticated 2-tone weave of Tula Linen makes it a fashionable choice year-round.

What do we love about Linen: It's naturally breathable and temperature-regulating, linen has been a warm weather favorite globally for thousands of years. Linen comes from the flax plant, a low water, nearly zero waste crop. The beautiful, classic fabric that flax produces is also biodegradable.

The addition of cotton to our Tula Linen collection adds a soft, right-out-of-the-box hand feel and makes it less prone to the wrinkles people associate with it.
Tula Linen Seafoam Free-to-Grow
Tula is not short on weather-versatile options, but the linen collection has been popular for those seeking a less sporty aesthetic made from natural fibers. The collection is inspired by light, airy colors found in nature and is available in our Explore, Free-To-Grow, mini, and Toddler Carrier options.

Hemp CollectionCloseup flat lay of hemp carriers. Image of caregiver wearing Tula Hemp Obsidian

Our Tula Hemp fabric is exceptionally soft while also being a naturally strong and durable material. Made from 55% Hemp and 45% Organic Cotton it is one of our more sustainable materials because the production process of the fabric does not need as much water as other materials do. Hemp is also temperature regulating.

You may notice that Linen and Hemp share similar properties that make them both fantastic for babywearing. They both have anti-bacterial properties, are strong, durable, biodegradable, and temperature regulating.

Rolled fabric swatched of Tula Linen and Tula Hemp

So why choose one over the other? While both have sustainability perks, industrial hemp has unique farming benefits for the planet. For example, it can play a starring role in crop rotation, helping contaminated soil! 


There is also an aesthetic difference between our hemp and linen. You will notice that Tula Hemp comes in saturated earthy colors, and in our first collection, Agate even has a "print" with its beautiful stripes.

This is not your average hemp! We worked to find hemp material that was incredibly soft right out of the box and not rough or scratchy. Our Hemp collection is available in Explore and Free-To-Grow carrier styles.

Curious what real moms had to say about our Hemp carrier? Watch when they get to try Tula Hemp for the very first time.


Ripstop in the Lite Collection
Tula Lite
When looking for something strong enough to hold weight but light and packable enough to hide in a small pocket, we looked to the material used for parachutes! Ripstop is a woven, durable, lightweight nylon material that can easily fold and pack up small. The compact features of this material allow for our Tula Lite carrier to be an excellent option for traveling or to have on hand as a second carrier option. Nylon ripstop is also great for its quick drying and strength.

Watch how the Tula Lite carrier made with ripstop materials folds away.




Coast Mesh Collection 

Mesh, made of 100% polyester fabric, is a key feature on our Tula's Coast carriers. Mesh is a popular option because of the breathability and added airflow it can provide. Mesh is used on the center panel, hood, and interior of our arm straps of every Tula Coast carrier. The other portion of the carrier is made with printed cotton or the woven material used in our Signature collection. The mesh on all Tula carriers is comfortable on the skin and perfect for you and your baby.

Tula Coast carriers are made in our Explore baby carrier, Free-To-Grow baby carrier, Standard carrier, and Toddler carrier.

You might be wondering which carrier is best for warm weather. You can read our babywearing tips and which carriers do best in the heat in our blog: "The Best Tula for Summer." 

Luxurious blends in the Signature Collection 
Baby Tula Signature Woven Carriers
Our Signature Collection includes products that are woven from different luxurious blends of material in addition to 100% cotton fabric. Some of these blends include viscose, merino wool, silk, linen, prima cotton, and more! These blends are used to: give the material a unique look, make it especially supportive or soft for you and baby, and overall highlight the features that make each fabric special.

We source this material from other babywearing brands, artisan makers, and textile weavers who carefully select these materials resulting in limited edition, high-quality baby carriers.
So when you're looking for your perfect carrier, you will want to consider the carrier style and design that best suits you and what material is best for you. Picking the right size carrier in a print or color that you love AND in a type of material that feels perfect for you is the secret to a successful babywearing experience. Because when you love your carrier, you'll enjoy carrying your baby more.

Take a look at our new releases and see which carrier catches your eye. 

source: https://www.mdpi.com/690634
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