What to look for when choosing a teddy bear

The world of teddy bears is one which offers plenty of different styles, sizes, shapes, materials and colours. You may be wondering, given all this variety, where to start! Well, this brief outline will give you some pointers on what to look for when you are deciding to dip your toe into the wonderful world of teddies. Have a quick read of our guide and then you should be all set to explore what we have to offer and pick up a new furry friend for yourself or someone special.

Is it going to be safe?

Safety is of course an important theme to begin with. Something that might be worth thinking about in terms of safety is who you are buying the teddy for. If, for instance, you are looking for a teddy bear for a child, then there are some extra considerations and precautions to make. Not all teddy bears are safe and suitable for children. This is usually because there may be some parts to the teddy bear, such as buttons on outfits, which could be dangerous choking hazards if they come loose. For new born babies and toddlers, it is sensible therefore to go for a teddy which the brand makes clear is safe for that age range. This will mean that the teddy does not have any parts to its design or its outfit which could come loose or be swallowed.

These parts might also include eyes which have been glued in place rather than sewn. If a teddy bear comes with speakers or batteries, then this might also be a danger for babies and toddlers, as the batteries might end up getting pulled out and therefore becoming a choking risk. If you are buying your teddy for a baby or young child, you should also stick to the teddies which have shorter hair. Longer hair creates a greater risk of choking if the hair is pulled out.

In addition you may find that certain teddy bear designs say that they are not suitable for a younger age range, even though they seem not to have any parts to them that could cause a danger to babies or young children. In this case, it will usually be that the teddy bear is a collector's item, and it perhaps has multiple joints which could potentially be broken if the owner is not very careful with the teddy. For this reason, some more complex collector's designs will not be appropriate for younger children and babies not because they would be unsafe for the children, but because it may be unsafe for the teddy! However, if you are an adult purchasing a teddy for your own collection or as a gift to a partner or spouse then you won't need to worry about these issues. With that said, you should still make sure that whichever teddy you have your eye on has the 'CE' marker on its label to make sure that the product has passed the European Common Area safety standards.

How cuddly is it?

This might sound like a silly thing to be ticking off the list at first, as there is a good deal of subjectivity which goes into the rating of cuddliness! However, this is an important thing to think about if you are buying a teddy for a child. Studies have shown that teddy bears are useful transitional objects which can help reduce stress in children by acting as a means of emotional support. The soft feeling of the fur will be a crucial factor in the overall comforting nature of the teddy. Teddies have also been shown to help children who are suffering from separation anxiety when their mothers head off to work or have to leave them at preschool.

In these sorts of scenarios, a teddy is a reassuring presence. So, part of your consideration when it comes to teddies for babies and young children ought to be softness, cuddliness and warmth of character. Ask yourself whether you think that the teddy is going to offer that soft and gentle assurance that can be so helpful for a baby or a toddler. You might want to check if the teddy bear brand in question - whether it be Charlie Bears, Steiff, or any of the other great teddy bear creators - has a line designed specifically for babies. If they do, then these bears will have been specially made so that they are just the right softness to be hugged.

Will it be long lasting?

One of the things that we love about teddy bears, especially when it comes to teddies for kids, is that their owners go on a journey with them through life. A teddy in this way becomes so much more than simply a soft toy. It instead becomes a reassuring reminder of familiarity, a companion through good times and challenges, and a little bit of personal history, representing so many sweet memories from times past. For all this to work, you have to get yourself a teddy which is going to be able to last.

This is where it is a good idea to go with a well respected name in the industry such as Steiff, Merrythought or, from the modern era, Charlie Bears. At a bit of extra expense, you might get decades time out of your bear, and it may even become a family bear which can be passed on to new members of the family when they come!

As well as thinking about the construction of the bear, you might also think about whether it is going to be washable. If this is a teddy bear for a baby, then it is only realistically going to last if you can wash the odd food spill here and there from the bear's fur. A good quality bear should be a friend for life, and you should certainly be able to meet a good few friends in our collection at Foxy Lots.