Quick answer
Besides weighted stuffed animal, you will often see weighted plush (also weighted plushie), weighted teddy or weighted toy. In Dutch, it is usually called a verzwaringsknuffel, and you also see verzwaarde knuffel and, in Flanders, gewichtsknuffel. In German, you will come across Gewichtskuscheltier or Kuscheltier mit Gewicht. Be careful with the Dutch knuffel met gewicht: it often means a birth weight teddy that weighs as much as a newborn baby.
In this article
Looking for information, or reading packaging or instructions in another language? Then you will come across different words for the same lovely, heavy stuffed animal. Here you will find the main English names at a glance, what it is called in Dutch and German, and a few words that look similar but mean something else.
What else is a weighted stuffed animal called in English?
The most common terms are:
- weighted stuffed animal: a stuffed animal with extra weight. The only study on weighted stuffed animals that we found, an American conference poster from 2025 about children at the dentist's, also uses this term in its title.
- weighted plush or weighted plushie: a weighted stuffed animal made of plush fabric.
- weighted teddy or weighted teddy bear: a teddy bear with extra weight.
- weighted toy: a broader term that is also used for other weighted toys.
Online, these names are often followed by words that show what someone wants the stuffed animal for, such as for anxiety or for adults.
How do you find good information about weighted stuffed animals?
If you search online, you will mostly find product pages and blogs. They often tell enthusiastic stories about calm, sleep or less tension. They can be nice to read, but it is smart to check what such a promise is based on. The English-language pages we looked at did not mention any study on weighted stuffed animals themselves. They relied on research into weighted blankets or on deep pressure in general, and often gave no source.
A blanket of 6 to 8 kg over your whole body is something different from a stuffed animal of 1 or 2 kg on your lap. You can read what research shows and what people experience in do weighted stuffed animals really help.
What is a weighted stuffed animal called in Dutch and German?
In the Netherlands and Flanders, verzwaringsknuffel is the most common name (from verzwaring, ‘added weight’, and knuffel, ‘cuddly toy’). You also hear:
- verzwaarde knuffel (‘weighted cuddly toy’)
- zware knuffel (‘heavy cuddly toy’)
- zwaarte knuffel (‘heaviness cuddly toy’)
- gewichtsknuffel or gewicht knuffel (‘weight cuddly toy’), which you hear a little more often in Flanders
In German, you will come across Gewichtskuscheltier (‘weight cuddly toy’) and Kuscheltier mit Gewicht (‘cuddly toy with weight’).
Broader Dutch words are used as well: kalmerende knuffel (calming stuffed animal), rustgevende knuffel (soothing stuffed animal), therapeutische knuffel (therapeutic stuffed animal) and sensorische knuffel (sensory stuffed animal). They can refer to a stuffed animal with weight, but also to one with a heartbeat, a breathing movement or warmth. You can read about the different types in calming stuffed animals. You can find out exactly what a weighted stuffed animal is in what is a weighted stuffed animal.
Which related terms will you come across?
In texts about weighted stuffed animals, you often see terms for other weighted aids and for the idea behind them. An overview, with the Dutch words you may see on Dutch-language pages:
| English | Dutch | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| weighted blanket | verzwaringsdeken, also gewichtsdeken | a blanket with weight, usually much heavier than a stuffed animal |
| weighted lap pad | verzwaard schootkussen | a flat cushion with weight to put on your lap |
| weighted vest | verzwaringsvest | a vest with weight, mainly studied in children |
| deep pressure, deep touch pressure | diepe druk | firm, even pressure on the body, like a firm hug |
| sensory processing | prikkelverwerking | how your brain deals with what you see, hear and feel |
| transitional object, comfort object | overgangsobject, troostobject | a familiar object, such as a cuddly toy or comfort blanket, that reassures a child |
Each of these aids feels different and suits different moments. You hold a stuffed animal, put a pillow on your lap and wear a vest. You can read about the differences in weighted stuffed animal, pillow or vest. You can read more about the idea of deep pressure in deep pressure.
Where can you find more explanations of terms?
Our glossary explains the words you come across on this site, briefly and in plain language. Want to start at the beginning? Then have a look at the basics.
Frequently asked questions
What other names are there for a weighted stuffed animal?
The most common names are weighted stuffed animal and weighted plush. You also see weighted plushie, weighted teddy or weighted toy. If you are looking for information or research, weighted stuffed animal often gives the most targeted results.
What does weighted plushie mean?
A plushie is a stuffed animal made of soft plush fabric. Weighted means that extra weight has been added. So a weighted plushie is a weighted plush stuffed animal, exactly what is called a verzwaringsknuffel in Dutch.
What is a weighted stuffed animal called in Dutch and German?
In Dutch, it is usually called a verzwaringsknuffel. In Flanders, you sometimes hear gewichtsknuffel or gewicht knuffel. In German, you will see Gewichtskuscheltier or Kuscheltier mit Gewicht. With the Dutch knuffel met gewicht, do check the context, because that can also be a birth weight teddy that weighs as much as a baby at birth.