Which cuddly toy makes sense?
28.1.2019
Translation: machine translated
The choice of cuddly toys is huge. One can light up, the other makes noises, the third can be operated with an app and then there is often the all-rounder. But what can the five most popular animals really do?
In my search for a suitable sleeping aid for my little one, I ventured into the cuddly toy department. We already have enough normal cuddly toys at home. Although they are cuddly and cute, they only help my baby to fall asleep to a limited extent. So my only condition was: The cuddly toy should have at least one sound function.
I now put five of our favourite cuddly toys with an integrated sound function on my imaginary "must buy" list and rated them based on ten factors. What can they do, what can't they do? Which one makes sense and which one is a waste? What special features do they have and do they have a right to exist on my list? After the detailed analyses of the individual cuddly toys, you will find all the evaluation criteria presented again in a table for a better overview. At the end is my conclusion, where you can find out which cuddly toy I have chosen.
My ten evaluation criteria
- Sounds (noise, music, melodies)
- Light (night light, projector)
- On/off mode (on/off option, CrySensor)
- App
- Volume (can be adjusted)
- Cosiness factor (size, cosiness)
- Hygiene (washing, cleaning)
- Battery
- Price / performance
- Extras
The five cuddly toys in detail
Cuddly toy #1 [[image:18562747,18562753]]
The music-making bear from Moulin Roty is the simplest of the five cuddly toys and is more of a music box. When you pull out the bear's tail, a melody plays. It does not have a light or app function, nor can the volume be adjusted. The music plays until the tail cord is completely retracted. Only when it is pulled out again does the melody light up the room again. There's not much for your child to discover. Although the bear is cuddly and easy for children's hands to grasp thanks to the thin limbs, the design of the bear is debatable. As you can remove the music box, this cuddly toy is machine washable at 30°. Compared to the functions of the other animals, the price is too high in my opinion. For this reason, I am removing this cuddly toy from my "must buy" list.
Cuddly toy #2 [[image:18562746,18562752]]
The hum of Whisbear's bear is less a hum than a white noise. It is intended to resemble the sound of the womb and calm the baby accordingly. The animal does not have a light or app function. A short press switches the noise on or off. A long press can make it louder or quieter. The cuddly toy hums for 40 minutes and then goes into sleep mode. As soon as the baby cries in the night, the CrySensor is activated. This means that the Whisbear sounds again for a further 20 minutes. I think the design of the bear is really cute. There are magnets sewn into the legs to attach it to the cot, for example. Rustling ears and legs as well as soft, colourful fabrics make the bear a real cuddly friend. The only problem: according to the manufacturer, it is not washable. However, as the battery compartment (3x AAA batteries) can be removed, I would wash it anyway. With the risk that the rustling material might suffer a little. Despite this shortcoming, the cuddly toy from Whisbear convinces me due to its function, the high-quality material and the CrySensor. The price is therefore justified for me and it remains on my "must buy" list.
Cuddly toy #3 [[image:18562749,18562750]]
The Ewan Deluxe dreaming sheep is our bestseller. It is priced in the same segment as Whisbear, but has more features. In addition to four soothing sounds, which are combined with heart sounds, a soothing pink light can also be switched on at the same time. Unfortunately, light alone does not work. Pressing the box once makes the set sound and the switched-on light audible and visible for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, both switch off. If you press and hold the box for three seconds, the CrySensor is activated. This means that as soon as the baby cries, the selected sound is switched on for 20 minutes. It then goes into stand-by mode. After four hours of silence, Ewan switches off completely. You can only choose the volume between loud and quiet. The cuddly cuddly toy can be washed at 30° after removing the battery compartment (3x AA batteries). Due to the good price/performance ratio, I'm keeping the Ewan on my "must buy" list.
Cuddly toy #4 [[image:18562748,18562754]]
The glowing lamb from Skiphop has a cute, colourful starry sky projector. Simply press the button once and the automatically changing colours (red, green, blue) and projection start. Press the button again to hear four melodies. The third press switches the animal off. If you don't do this, it switches itself off after 20 minutes. Personally, there are three things that bother me about this cuddly toy: firstly, the night light can be switched on either individually or together with the sounds, but the sounds without the light do not work. Secondly, the four melodies cannot be played individually. The four consecutive sounds always follow. For my needs, they are a bit fast and seem restless. Thirdly, the volume cannot be adjusted. Instead, the rear part of the lamb has small beads and soft fabrics, which encourages cuddling. The projection is built into the bottom front. If the baby's head falls on it, it lands rather hard. The soft pouch, which can be pulled over the tummy, does dampen the light, but hardly makes for a softer landing. What's more, the cuddly toy is unfortunately not washable. As children's animals can often get dirty, this is a big minus point for me. The "Hug Me" night light is the cheapest model of all five cuddly toys. However, due to the many negative aspects, it is worth investing in a more expensive cuddly toy for me. Therefore a no-go for me and off the "must buy" list.
Cuddly toy #5 [[image:18562745,18562751]]
The intelligent sloth E-zzy from Whisbear is almost a jack of all trades. The fluffy cuddly toy can not only soothe the baby with its noise, but also monitor and analyse sleep. It also supports parents with advice. E-zzy is the first app-controlled sleep aid with IoT technology. With this cuddly toy, everything can be set via the app. However, you can also switch it on and off and adjust the volume without the app.
There are three soft soothing sounds to choose from: White noise, pink noise and ocean noise. The switch-on time, duration and volume can be programmed via the app. Switching the noise and the CrySensor on and off, as well as its sensitivity and switch-on time, can also be set via the app. If the baby cries, you will receive a notification on your smartphone thanks to the CryAlert function. This allows you to analyse the quality of your baby's sleep. The parent assistant is a guide, calendar for important baby appointments and baby book all in one.
The noise runs for 45 minutes as standard, after which it switches to sleep mode. The CrySensor ensures that the animal will continue to rustle for 45 minutes after the child cries out. If this is not the case, the E-zzy switches off automatically after three hours. Like the Whisbear bear, the sloth has magnets in its limbs that allow you to attach it securely to the cot. According to the manufacturer, the E-zzy is washable at 30° and runs on three rechargeable batteries. The price is logically rather high due to the technology used and the new launch on the market, but I think it is too high compared to the other five cuddly toys. The cuddly toy is aimed at app-savvy parents who like to engage with technology. As I don't like to carry my smartphone with me all the time and the programming via app (currently in English) is too tedious for me, it falls off the "must buy" list for me.
More information about the E-zzy: [[marketingpage:9971]]
An overview of the five cuddly toys
| Moulin Roty | Whisbear | Ewan | Skiphop | Whisbear E-zzy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noises | 1 melody | White noise | 4 soothing sounds combined with heartbeat tones | 4 melodies | 3 gentle intoxicating sounds |
| Light | No | No | Pink light can be switched on or off (only in combination with the sound) | Yes, starry sky projector | No |
| On/off mode | Pull out the cord, music ends after the cord is pulled in | Stand-by mode after 40 minutes, cry sensor (activated for a further 20 minutes), manual on/off mode | Normal mode (press once), stand-by mode after 20 minutes for light and sound, cry sensor mode (press for 3 seconds), manual on/off mode | Starry sky projector by pressing 1x, sounds by pressing 2x, switches off on the 3rd press. It switches off automatically after 20 minutes. | Can be operated with or without an app. Switch-on time and duration programmable via app. Switching the noise and cry sensor on and off as well as sensitivity and switch-on time can be set via the app. |
| App function | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Volume | Not adjustable | Adjustable by long press | Two levels (loud and quiet) | Not adjustable | Volume adjustable manually and via app. |
| Cuddle factor | Available | Available | Available | Available | Available |
| Hygiene | Washable at 30° (remove inner lining) | Not washable, interior can be removed | Washable at 30° (remove inner lining) | Not washable, interior cannot be removed | Washable at 30° (remove inner lining) |
| Battery | No | 3x AAA batteries (not included) | 3x AA batteries (not included) | 3x AA batteries (included) | 3x rechargeable AAA batteries (not included) |
| Price / performance | Rather too high compared to the functions | Medium | Medium | Deep | High |
| Extras | No | Rustling ears and legs, magnets in the feet for attachment | Velcro fastener on the tail for attachment | Soft pouch that can be pulled over the bear's tummy. | Monitoring and analysis of baby sleep, parent assistant (guide, calendar and baby book), SMART technology |
Conclusion
After the detailed evaluation of the five cuddly toys, two products are on my "must buy" list: The bear from Whisbear and the dream sheep from Ewan.
Since I brought the animals home for evaluation, the Whisbear has been in constant use in our home and works really well. The noise drowns out everyday noises or screaming noises from my big girl, making it easier for her to get to sleep. The CrySensor also works perfectly. We don't need any other melodies or noise. A separate night light serves as an additional light source. We can switch it on and adjust the brightness as required. We gave Ewan to our friends as a present and they are also delighted with the little animal. So both cuddly toys are probably a good choice. But what these little friends should not replace is love, closeness and security. Take enough time for your child despite the sleep aid.
Important to know before buying: Every baby reacts differently to lights and environmental noises. Your child may be overwhelmed by the additional influences rather than helped by them. In such cases, a normal soft toy, a music box or a dummy may be enough to soothe the child and help them to sleep. <p
I’m the cook, cleaner, police officer, nurse, entertainer, motivator, author, storyteller, coach, organiser, chauffeur, lawyer and judge. To put it simply, I’m a mum to a daughter and not just a (Content) Manager at the office but also at home.
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