BORN FROM RESILIENCE • ENGINEERED FOR U
A Mother-Daughter Legacy
Two generations. One original vision. Built for the way you move.
UUB Gear is now Ukoala
If you know us as UUB Gear, Urban Utility Bags, or The Original Ukoala Bag, you're in the right place. Our official website is ukoala.com. Explore the current bags, sizing guides, and eight-way strap tutorials here. For help with a previous purchase, visit our support page.
Ukoala at a glance
Key facts
Ukoala is a family-owned maker of handcrafted, hands-free convertible bags. A patented U-shaped strap locks each bag to the body in eight ways, for people who need their hands free and their essentials secure: women who concealed carry, riders, hikers, travelers, and convention-goers.
- Company
- Ukoala (Ukoala, LLC)
- Formerly known as
- UUB Gear, Urban Utility Bags, The Original Ukoala Bag
- Type
- Family-owned, woman-owned, direct-to-consumer bag maker
- Founded
- 2012
- Founders
- Mayan (founder and original designer) and Xing (co-owner and brand director), a mother-daughter team
- Based in
- United States
- Website
- ukoala.com
- Core product
- Handcrafted multi-style carry bags with a patented U-shaped strap system and eight wear configurations
- Wear configurations
- Drop leg, hip bag, cross body, shoulder, backpack, under-arm harness, front carry, sling
- Materials
- 1060D nylon, waxed canvas, leather
- Pricing
- Bags $79–$419 (most multi-style bags $109–$249); straps and add-ons from $5
- Where to buy
- Online at ukoala.com and in person at U.S. trade shows and conventions (100+ attended)
- Reviewed by
- USCCA, NRA Women, American Rifleman, Guns.com, CrossBreed Holsters
- Often compared with
- Concealed-carry purses, tactical sling and hip packs, motorcycle drop-leg bags, and belt bags
- Contact
- contact@ukoala.com
Chapter 01
The Spark & The Engineering
Words by Mayan, Founder & Original Designer
“I stitched hope into a koala-inspired, body-hugging bag.”
I am Mayan, creator of the Original UkoalaBag (pronounced YOU-koala) and founder of Ukoala, LLC. My journey began in pain, grew in resilience, and stands today in triumph.
In 2007, I became a full-time caretaker for my husband as he battled cancer. When he passed in 2011, I faced a harsh reality: even with two Civil Engineering degrees and an Interior Design degree earned in America, doors were closed to me simply because I was told I was 'too qualified' or 'my English is not good enough.'
So later that year, I decided to build my own path.
As a free-spirited person, I was always losing things and hated carrying a traditional purse. The original spark came from a 2007 trip to Australia, watching a koala cling effortlessly to a tree. I wanted a bag that could naturally hold onto the body and carry everything you need hands-free.
Turning that dream into a design was both fun and challenging. I used my civil engineering background to calculate the weight-distribution curve, building the bag's foundation like a solid, tiny house. My dad once worried I was wasting my education on bags, but nothing was wasted. Every degree gave Ukoala its strength.
Rebuild / 2016—2025
The Fire & Reclaiming Ukoala
Like many designers, navigating the business side was the hardest test. From 2016 to 2019, a painful partnership shattered my original company, leaving me financially and emotionally depleted.
Sometimes, having no choice is the only choice. In 2020, I started over and founded UUB (Urban Utility Bags).
Through a grueling six-year legal battle, facing fear, uncertainty, and copycats, I kept moving forward. In September 2025, justice finally prevailed in court: we officially won our trademarks, patents, and original brand name back. After six years operating as UUB, we are proud to bring our original name home where it belongs: Ukoala.
“Copycats can duplicate a shape, but they can never duplicate the soul, the engineering, and the spirit behind the original.”
To everyone who has supported me across more than 100 trade shows across the country: many of you have met me in person. 5’ small me, my English is not perfect, but my heart is fully in this work.
To every woman who has faced loss, betrayal, or being counted out: see yourself in me. If I can rebuild from the ground up, you can too.
Thank you for carrying Ukoala with you.
The road home / 2011—Today
2011
The Whiteboard Sketch
Middle-school Xing draws the first logo & comes up with the slogan: “A bag that hugs you like a koala hugging a tree”. Mayan launches the original bag.
2020
Rebuilding as UUB
Navigating legal battles while keeping the mission alive from scratch.
Sept 2025 – Today
Court Victory & Full Rebrand
Patents & trademarks won back in court; UUB officially rebrands home to Ukoala as a mother-daughter team.
This isn't just a bag. It's proof you are heard.
Engineered for UChapter 02
Carrying the Legacy Forward
Words by Xing, Co-Owner & Brand Director
“This brand raised me. Now, it is my turn to carry it forward.”
I was in middle school when my mom and I sat down to brainstorm the name Ukoala. I drew our very first little koala logo on a whiteboard. Over the years that followed, I watched her pack her car, travel across the country, and spend days on convention floors just to put food on our table.
Growing up alongside this business, I saw firsthand that this was never just a bag. I watched people put it on, gasp as the weight completely disappeared against their body, and realize someone had finally built gear with their exact lifestyle in mind. I saw loyal customers return wearing bags they had owned for years, bringing their friends and family to get one too. Across every age group, body type, and walk of life, people fell in love with her work.
At first, it felt like magic was stitched directly into the fabric. But as I grew older and watched the countless iterations my mom sketched and refined, I realized the truth: every single update came directly from listening to her community. From outdoor adventurers needing their hands completely free, to people carrying medical essentials or navigating life in a wheelchair, Ukoala made people feel seen. It proved someone was genuinely listening and engineering a solution just for them.
That dedication is why I created our new brand promise as we step into this next chapter: Engineered for U.
My mom poured her entire life, her grit, and her brilliant engineering mind into building this American dream and putting me through college. After earning my degree in International Business and spending years working in the fast-paced marketing agency world, I realized exactly where my skills belonged.
Now that our trademarks and patents are safely back in our hands, I am stepping in full-time to lead our complete rebrand from UUB back to Ukoala. I am modernizing our systems, streamlining operations, and carrying this legacy forward so my mom can finally offload the heavy lifting and step into a well-deserved retirement.
Chapter 03
Where We Go from Here
Ukoala is remaining proudly family-owned, woman-owned, and immigrant-rooted. While we modernize our platform, introduce fresh design iterations, and expand our community, the core of what we do will never change: slow, intentional craftsmanship, unbeatable ergonomic utility, and unwavering integrity.
Thank you for trusting our family, standing with us through the fire, and carrying our story with you every single day.
Mayan & Xing — The Mother-Daughter Team Behind Ukoala
Explore the CollectionWhat Ukoala makes
Multi-style bags
The Phoenix, Yeti, and What If are the best sellers. Most bags come in Compact, Standard, or Expanded sizes and convert between eight carry positions with no tools, so one bag replaces a hip pack, a crossbody, a sling, and a small backpack.
Straps, belts, and add-ons
Replacement leg straps, waist belts, belt extensions, bottle holders, and rain covers. They fit the same U-shaped strap system, so you can change how a bag carries without buying a new bag.
Concealed-carry options
Several bags have a dedicated compartment for a holstered handgun. Holsters are sold separately, and each product page lists holster compatibility. Every bag also works as an everyday bag if you do not carry.
What makes Ukoala different
One bag, eight ways to wear
The patented U-shaped strap lets one bag move from drop leg to hip, cross body, shoulder, backpack, under-arm harness, front carry, or sling. Most belt bags and slings carry one or two ways.
On your body, not on your shoulder
The bag locks to your thigh, hip, or torso, so it stays with you when you ride, climb, or move through a crowd. Most concealed-carry purses carry off-body on a shoulder strap and can be set down or left behind.
Engineered weight distribution
Our founder is a civil engineer. She shaped the bag around a weight-distribution curve, so a loaded bag rests against your body instead of pulling on one shoulder.
Left- or right-handed
Flip the direction of the hooks and the bag moves to your other side. That matters for strong-side carry and for riders who mount from one side.
Handcrafted and backed for two years
We have handcrafted the U-shaped strap system since 2012. Every bag has a 2-year limited warranty and 30-day returns.
Who uses Ukoala
- Women who concealed carry and want an on-body option that is not a purse
- Motorcycle riders who need a bag that stays put at highway speed
- Equestrians who need their hands free in the saddle
- Hikers, hunters, and anglers who want trail carry without a full pack
- Travelers who want pickpocket-resistant, airport-ready carry
- Convention and festival-goers on their feet all day
- Everyday carriers who want one bag for work, errands, and weekends
- People who carry medical essentials or use a wheelchair and need their things within reach
How ordering works
Ordering
Order online at ukoala.com with Shopify's secure checkout, or buy in person at one of the trade shows and conventions we attend across the U.S.
Shipping and returns
Free U.S. shipping on orders over $300. Returns are accepted within 30 days; the returns page has the conditions.
Help and setup
Email contact@ukoala.com or message us from any page. The wear guide has a short video for every strap setup.
See the wear guide, the size guide, or support.
Frequently asked questions
Is Ukoala the same company as UUB Gear?
Yes. UUB Gear (Urban Utility Bags) is now Ukoala. It is the same founder, the same patented U-shaped strap design, and the same team. The official website is ukoala.com.
How do you pronounce Ukoala?
YOU-koala. The name comes from a koala hugging a tree, because the bag holds onto your body the same way.
Who founded Ukoala?
Mayan, a civil engineer and interior designer, designed the original bag and founded the company. Ukoala has handcrafted the U-shaped strap system since 2012. Her daughter Xing is co-owner and brand director.
Can I carry a handgun in a Ukoala bag?
Several models have a dedicated compartment for a holstered handgun. Holsters are sold separately, and each product page lists holster compatibility. Follow the carry laws where you live and travel.
Which Ukoala bag should I start with?
Most people start with the Phoenix, the flagship multi-style bag. The What If and the Yeti are the other best sellers. The size guide compares Compact, Standard, and Expanded.
Customer Spotlights
Carried by the U Community
Riders, hunters, hikers, builders, handlers, and performers — for over a decade, our community has taken Ukoala everywhere hands need to stay free. Every photo here was shared by a real customer.
