About us & how we work

Why does this site exist?

If you look for information in Dutch about weighted stuffed animals, you mostly end up on the product pages of online shops. There are few good explanations of the stuffed animal itself, and what there is often focuses on the weighted blanket. As a result, questions go unanswered. Does it really help? How heavy can it be? From what age is it safe?

On this site, we answer those questions calmly and honestly, for readers all over Europe, in ten languages: Dutch, English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Polish and Finnish. We write for parents, for adults who are thinking about a weighted stuffed animal for themselves, for teachers and for people who work in care.

How does an article come about?

Every article starts with a question that people really ask. Then we read the sources: scientific studies, review studies and advice from organisations such as VeiligheidNL (the Dutch consumer safety institute), Kind en Gezin (the Flemish child and family agency), the Dutch care knowledge centre Vilans and professional associations of occupational therapists. We summarise what they say, in plain language and without making it sound better than it is. Below each article, you'll find the main sources we used.

Each article shows the date on which we last checked it. On that day, we went through the content and the sources. If new research comes out or advice changes, we update the article and add a new date.

Safety always comes first. That's why we repeat some rules in several places. For example, a weighted stuffed animal is not suitable for babies and toddlers, and whoever uses it must always be able to lift it and push it away themselves.

We don't give medical advice. Where it fits, we refer you to your GP, a psychologist or an occupational therapist. If it's about a child, you can also turn to your health visitor or child health clinic, your child's doctor, or the person at school who coordinates extra support.

How do we deal with research?

Research into weighted stuffed animals themselves is still at an early stage. The first study, with children at the dentist, showed a promising result: children with a weighted stuffed animal on their lap were calmer. Most of what we know comes from research into weighted blankets, which work on the same idea. Under such a blanket, many people feel calmer and say they sleep better.

That's why we write that a weighted stuffed animal ‘can help’ and that ‘many people’ find it calming. We value it when someone feels more at ease. At the same time, we don't promise anything we can't deliver: a weighted stuffed animal is a lovely source of support, not a medicine or a treatment.

Our partnership with Hugsback

We work with Hugsback, a Dutch brand that is all about weighted stuffed animals. If you'd like to try a weighted stuffed animal yourself, we're happy to refer you to them. Links to hugsback.com are marked as partner links.

The partnership doesn't change anything about our explanations. The safety rules on this site apply to every weighted stuffed animal. On pages where buying isn't appropriate, such as the pages about babies and about when it's better not to use a weighted stuffed animal, there is no Hugsback block. If you want to assess a weighted stuffed animal, use the checklist on Where can you buy a weighted stuffed animal?

Corrections and feedback

Have you spotted a mistake, an outdated source or something that isn't clear? Let us know via the contact page. We read every message and update an article if needed. After a correction to the content, the article gets a new check date.

We can't answer questions about your own health or your child's health. For those, it's better to turn to your GP or an occupational therapist.

Review by an occupational therapist

We would like an occupational therapist to review the articles about health and safety. This has not been arranged yet. As soon as an occupational therapist reviews them, we will say so with the articles, including their name and role.