The Journey of The Culla Maxx

2016 – The Idea Takes Shape

The Cocoon Tent began as part of an ambitious vision in 2016. Alongside its external housing, the Duo, and the modular companion, the Core, the idea was to create a fully integrated camping system: the Clan Set. The goal was to design a modular ecosystem where components worked seamlessly together, providing campers with ultimate flexibility, comfort, and adaptability.

Drawing inspiration from the premium insulation and comfort offered by the Loj and Tri, the concept for the Cocoon evolved into a solution that extended those same benefits to any dome tent a customer chose. This innovation ensured that campers could enjoy Crua’s signature temperature regulation and sound dampening, no matter their setup. The Cocoon was the first step in making insulated camping accessible beyond Crua's own tent lineup, revolutionizing the way people approached outdoor comfort.

2017 – The First Prototype and a Groundbreaking Launch

When the first Cocoon prototype arrived at our office, excitement was through the roof. Seeing the vision take shape and holding the very first tent of its kind was nothing short of amazing. The Cocoon represented a leap forward in camping comfort, and its arrival sparked a wave of new ideas and plans for the future.

Later that year, the Cocoon launched on Kickstarter alongside the Core and Duo as part of the Clan Set, marking the beginning of a modular camping revolution. The response from our community was overwhelming, and with this successful launch, the road ahead for the Culla Series was paved, setting the foundation for innovation and expansion in the years to come.

2018 – Listening to Families: The Duo Maxx and Cocoon Maxx Take Shape

Community feedback highlighted an important gap—the Duo didn’t cater to families. This insight sparked discussions about creating the Duo Maxx, a larger 3-person version of the tent, to better meet the needs of families and groups. Naturally, this also meant reimagining the Cocoon to match the new size and functionality, leading to the design of the Cocoon Maxx—a spacious 3-person insulated dome tent.

These developments brought fresh design considerations into play, ensuring that the same comfort and thermal regulation the Cocoon was known for could scale seamlessly to accommodate more campers. It was an exciting step forward in expanding the modular capabilities of the Clan Set.

2019 – The Cocoon Maxx Launch and the Birth of the Culla

The Cocoon Maxx made its debut in 2019, launching alongside its housing tent, the Duo Maxx. Demand skyrocketed, and things got a little hectic as we worked hard to keep up with the overwhelming response. The Cocoon Maxx quickly surpassed its smaller counterpart in popularity, solidifying its place as a staple for family and group camping.

Later that year, the team revisited the product's identity and explored a new naming convention to better reflect its purpose. This led to the name we know today—the Culla. Inspired by the Irish word for sleep, Codladh, the Culla became a phonetic nod to Crua’s Irish roots, symbolizing restful and cozy nights outdoors.

2021 – A Vibrant New Look and Exciting Expansions

In 2021, the Culla Maxx got a stylish update as part of Crua’s rebranding. The dark orange accents were swapped out for a more vibrant and eye-catching tone. This change wasn’t driven by customer feedback this time—it came straight from the team, who felt the refreshed color better matched Crua’s bold and evolving brand identity.

That same year, the Culla Series expanded to meet even more camping needs. The launch of the Culla Solo offered a compact, insulated option for solo adventurers, while the Culla Family provided spacious comfort for larger groups. The Hammock Culla also was introduced to accompany the record breaking Koala. These additions cemented the Culla as the go-to insulated tent solution for every type of camper, from lone explorers to big families.

2022 – Expanding the Culla Series with the Haul and Crucoon

In 2022, the Culla Series grew even further with two exciting additions: the Culla Haul and the Crucoon.

The Culla Haul was designed specifically for our rooftop tent lineup, bringing the same premium airbeam structure and thermal insulation as its predecessors to rooftop camping enthusiasts. It carried forward the proven comfort and versatility of the series, making it a perfect companion for elevated adventures.

Meanwhile, the Crucoon launched on Kickstarter as a more lightweight version of the Culla Maxx. Featuring graphene-infused insulation, it provided excellent thermal performance while reducing overall weight, making it an innovative and accessible solution for campers seeking portability without sacrificing comfort.

Both products reinforced Crua’s commitment to evolving the Culla Series to meet the diverse needs of campers everywhere.

2023 – Design Upgrades for the Culla and Culla Maxx

In 2023, the Culla and Culla Maxx underwent significant design improvements based on valuable user feedback. Customers highlighted challenges with PSI issues and setup, leading to some key updates:

• Single Airbeam Design: The Culla series was re-engineered with a simplified single airbeam structure, reducing complexity and improving ease of setup.

• Single Inflation Point: A single inflation point was introduced, streamlining the setup process and making it faster and more intuitive.

• PSI Regulation Valve: To prevent over-inflation, a PSI regulation valve was added to the airbeams, eliminating the risk of beams popping.

• Enhanced Safety Features: Ventilation was redesigned to ensure vents couldn’t be fully sealed, addressing potential safety concerns for campers who might forget to leave them open.

• Dual Doors: A second door was added to the Culla to improve compatibility with other brand tents, increasing its versatility and appeal to a wider audience.

These thoughtful changes not only addressed customer concerns but also elevated the functionality and safety of the Culla series, ensuring it remained the industry standard for insulated tent solutions.

2024 – Making the Culla More Accessible

Throughout the years, feedback on the Culla Series has been overwhelmingly positive, with most updates focused on revisiting designs across the series to improve functionality and compatibility. However, in 2024, one glaring issue became impossible to ignore: the price point.

As highlighted in our Duo Maxx story, the Culla’s cost made it inaccessible to many campers. After conducting drastic price testing and gathering insights from user feedback questionnaires in the latter half of the year, it became clear—the Culla was simply too expensive.

In November 2024, we finally hit our Eureka moment. Through extensive redesign and crucial changes with our factory partnerships, we streamlined the Culla to reduce weight and cost, without compromising on the premium insulation and comfort that define the series. This breakthrough ensures that the Culla remains true to its reputation while becoming far more accessible to campers around the world.

2025 – Launching the New Culla Maxx

The new version of the Culla Maxx is complete and en route to our warehouse, with some exciting tweaks to its look and design. The updated product will officially hit our website in March 2025, and while I can’t reveal all the details just yet, you’ll have to stay tuned to see the full story unfold.

What I can share is this: through careful redesign and strategic factory adjustments, we’ve managed to shave a whopping $250 off the 2024 pricing, bringing the Culla Maxx to a healthy $299.99.

And, as highlighted in our Duo Maxx story, Crua is fully committed to going PFAS-free across all of our products. The new Culla Maxx proudly follows that principle, ensuring it not only delivers premium comfort and insulation but also aligns with our dedication to sustainability and safety.

The Future of the Culla

What’s next for the Culla Series? One of Crua’s biggest challenges has always been adapting the static design of the Culla to fit every dome tent within its size range. It’s a puzzle we’ve been working on tirelessly for the past four years, and we’re thrilled to say—we think we’ve finally cracked it!

While we can’t share all the details just yet, stay tuned because all will be revealed later this year. Trust us, it’ll be worth the wait. 😉