How to Buy a Safe Stuffed Toy for Your Baby (and Have Peace of Mind)

Beware of the used stuff toy.

Remember that episode in House where germ-laden stuffed toys were the cause of a series of baby sickness in the hospital?  

Beware of the dangerous stuffed toy.

But, fret not.  It's still OK to buy your favorite cuddly teddy bear or cutest stuffed penguin and be safe from harm.  How to choose the perfect stuffed toy?

1.  Never buy a used stuffed toy.   

That rare vintage Smurfs stuffed toy or limited edition Raggedy Ann or the last existing Dora the Explorer doll on earth may look tempting--but only if it's going to go to your shelves collection.  If baby is going to play with the stuffed toy, ideally you should buy them new.  Remember, you have no idea where the used stuffed animal came from or what it's been through, so instead of taking chances, just buy a brand new toy your baby can form lasting memories with.


2. Don't just go after looks.  It may be the most adorable thing in the whole wide world, but don't just plotz with glee yet.  Never buy a stuffed toy just because you like the way it'd look in your baby's arms or in your baby's room.  Even if it's the coolest character from the latest Disney or Pixar movie, ask the store clerk if that toy is suitable for your kid's age.

3. Check age recommendations.  This is important because sometimes we assume it's just a lousy stuffed animal, so it's automatically okay for my baby.  But that kind of belief is far from the truth.  That's why toy manufacturers place age recommendations on their products, and that's why you should go by them.

4.  Inspect the toy carefully.   Particularly the seams, the eyes, nose, and any other attached parts.  Check for fine workmanship.  Gently tug the parts to see if they will come off easily.  Remember, babies and kids are notorious tuggers and pullers.  A poorly-sewn stuffed toy might easily come apart.  Not cute at all.  

5. Opt for hypo-allergenic.  Even if your precious baby is not susceptible to asthma, it's still a good idea to give him or her a hypo-allergenic stuffed animal just to be on the safe side.  Remember that babies and kids like to cuddle their beloved toys all day, or even sleep beside them, so you really can't go wrong with hypo-allergenic.

6. Check for wires.  Yes, some toys have wires in them to help the parts keep their shape, such as ears or tails.  Wires like these can poke out of their casing and pose danger to your baby and kids.  So it's probably a good idea to just stick with the pure stuffed toys, with no wires at all.

7. Make sure it is washable..   Yeah, that House episode again.  Everytime toddlers picks up their favorite stuffed animal, they're actually exposing themselves to a host of germs and microbes.  So now we know that the thick fur and down of stuffed toys are a veritable breeding ground for these bad bacteria, even those nasty dust mites, we'll be more encouraged to wash them more often.  So buy a stuffed toy that's okay to wash, whether by hand or machine.  

Some stuffed toys however are surface-wash-only, while others have electronics embedded in them, so check the manufacturer's warnings and recommendations on how to clean the stuffed toy.

How do you safely wash your kid's stuffed toy?   

1. Place the toy inside an old pillowcase and knot it tightly.  
2.Wash on gentlest cycle.
3. Rinse twice.  
4. On the final rinse, you might like to add a cup of vinegar, to effectively get rid of all soap residue (Don't worry, it won't smell funny when it dries).  
5. Air-dry, or much better, dry under the sun.
6. Use a gentle brush to restore the fluff.