Hugimals Weighted Stuffed Animal for Kids and Adults to Lower Stress - Charlie Soothing Plush Puppy

This product could be SO amazing, but I feel like there are some issues here that just aren't being addressed. I almost never write reviews, and especially not of this length, but I'm so frustrated by how good this COULD be, that I'm going to go all in.In every online retail review of this product--where everyone is raving about it--they talk about a major selling point: the fact that the insert can be removed and the Hugimal can be washed. For me, this was the clincher, since obviously this is not an inexpensive purchase. What the reviews do not talk about (ever) is how difficult this is to accomplish. Their website shows you a few pictures, and there's even a video. But guess what? The video is sped up, so you don't get to see the process from start to finish in real time. And believe me, I think there's something a little sly about this. YES! You can remove the insert. You can wash the Hugimal. It's not even TOO terribly challenging to get the insert out. (It's a struggle, yes, but if you turn the limbs mostly inside out after feeling for the buttons, it can be done with a reasonable amount of struggle.) But getting it back in is a nightmare. And I've tried on three different Hugimals, all with the same results. The problem is many-fold:1. The velcro is only on the side. This means you have to try to get to the limbs on the opposite side of the body and turn those inside out. You ALSO have to make sure somehow that the insert doesn't get twisted in the wrong direction when trying to button it. And the elastic bands that go around the buttons are SO TINY and with such little stretch that it's a herculean effort just to somehow reach in there, get the strap, wrap it around the tiny button--all the while your hand is getting the crap scratched out of it by the velcro. (You can't use a glove, either, because you need to feel for those itty bitty little stretchy bands. Meanwhile, your hand is also being compressed by the stuffing that is in the Hugimal already. And that's just the limbs. These are still possible to do, with MUCH EFFORT, but then you get to the head.2. The head is where I fail every single time. You can't turn the head inside out. And there's a decent amount of stuffing in there, so you can barely reach for those TINY straps, and then once you have them in your hand, good luck getting both sides buttoned up. I have yet to be successful. And when I reached out to the company (they never responded via their website, only when I posted a question on Amazon), they didn't really address the issue. Like, is there a specific ORDER you need to do this in? Does the head come first? I want video. Real-time video. I want to see how these people are doing it.That means I would only very rarely want to wash this thing--which means that while it is technically washable, it's not something you can easily throw into the wash and be done with in five minutes once it's dry.3. There is a product out there called "Warmkins." They make a Monkey and a Giraffe. They are slightly weighted, and they are filled with a removable corn filling insert that you can use to heat or chill the item. They don't feel as good in the arms as the Hugimals, without a doubt. But where they excel is in the genius of their design. They aren't using that abominable velcro (which will eventually lose its effectiveness, and which you can FEEL running down the side of the animal when you're holding it). Instead, they use a sturdy zipper, which is then amply covered by the stuffed animal's fur. You don't at all feel the zipper, in other words. And that zipper will survive any number of times you want to get in and out of the product. ALSO, they put the zipper on the back. Imagine if the entry point to the Hugimal were on the back instead of the side! How much easier might it be then to get the insert back in, without having to cross over limbs. No twisting, no blindly feeling around in the animal trying to tell if the insert is upright and the buttons are oriented properly. No scratchiness, providing they covered over the zipper with ample fur. Then this might be a 10-star product, because everything else about this is heavenly. I would buy every version and give them as gifts to people. Instead, it's close...but the selling point of a washable product is....not untrue, certainly. Just...not at all a simple process, like all the YouTube reviews of this product make it out to be. Or all the articles that state the product is washable (yay!) but then you can tell they have never, not once, actually tried to wash the thing. That's my two cents. Sure, buy this. But be prepared on wash day to sweat and curse and doctor your abraded skin. After which, you'll likely start considering it to be mainly spot-clean.

This weighted plush is absolutely adorable, and perfectly weighted. I ordered myself the elephant, to help me sleep and relax easier. My child kept wanting to hold it, and asked if they could have one. I told them, they could write it on their Christmas list. I ordered a 3rd as well for my other child, who I asked to try holding my elephant.. When they did, their face lit up, and they asked if it was theirs. They both proceeded to take turns walking around with the elephant, so I ordered them each one (the puppy and cat.) They arrived very quickly, and look just like they are pictured. I took each out of the box, and the plastic bags to look them over, and feel them to make sure the quality was good. I didn’t snap a picture of them, before placing them with the other gifts, needing to be wrapped. I am so pleased with this brand so far, and am hoping they will be useful relaxation tools for my children, for many years! The price is a little much for a plush for most people, if you understand that weighted plush serve a purpose, and when it is a very good quality product, compared to similar products, even the CAD price is fair. I think these are amazing Christmas gifts for everybody ❤️

Bought this for my granddaughter while she was attending a summer camp. She just loves it and sleeps with it every night since.

love a little expensive but i think these are worth it a investment but they will last a long time

I saw these on Instagram and was going through a difficult time. I figured Charlie would be a good cuddle companion when I had the blues and felt like a good cry. He’s just the right weight.