A weighted stuffed animal as a gift: what should you look out for?

You often give a weighted stuffed animal with a warm intention: you want to give someone something that can offer calm or comfort. A soft, reassuring weight to hold can be a very personal gift. Because it is different from an ordinary cuddly toy, it is worth thinking about a few questions first. That way you make it a gift that really fits.

Who is a weighted stuffed animal a good gift for?

A weighted stuffed animal can suit children aged 3 and over, teenagers, adults and older people. The condition is always that the person receiving it can easily lift it and push it away themselves. A child who loves cuddly toys and likes to hold something on the sofa may find a weighted plush wonderful. A teenager or adult who finds it hard to unwind in the evening can use it on the sofa or while reading. Someone who is coming to terms with a loss may also find it comforting to hold something. You can read more about comfort after a loss in a weighted stuffed animal in times of grief.

With older people, it is worth thinking carefully about strength and skin. Can grandma or grandad easily lift the stuffed animal off their lap themselves? Is their skin fragile, or do they have heart or lung problems? Then a light stuffed animal is a better choice, and if in doubt, talk to their GP. You can read more about this in a weighted stuffed animal for older people. If someone lives in a care home, talk to the care team first. There, a weighted aid can fall under the rules on restrictive measures (in the Netherlands: the Wet zorg en dwang, the Dutch law on care and coercion). Rules differ from country to country, so the care team is the right place to ask.

Who is it better to choose a different gift for?

A weighted stuffed animal is not a gift for a baby or toddler. Under the toy safety rules, stuffed animals filled with pellets or beads are not meant for children under 36 months. For babies, there is another rule as well: weighted products do not belong on or near a sleeping baby. Kind en Gezin, the Flemish child and family agency, and VeiligheidNL, the Dutch consumer safety institute, advise against cuddly toys in the cot; at most, a small comforter cloth is fine. So a weighted stuffed animal is not a good idea as a gift for a newborn either.

Also think for a moment about the people around the person receiving it. If the stuffed animal goes to a family with a baby or toddler, it must stay out of their reach. The weight can be too heavy for a small child, and if a seam breaks, the filling can come out. You can read from what age a weighted stuffed animal is fine in from what age a weighted stuffed animal is suitable.

There are also people who are better off asking for advice first. With breathing, heart or circulation problems, sleep apnoea, epilepsy, low muscle strength, fragile skin or reduced alertness, a weighted stuffed animal is not automatically a good idea. If you know that someone has one of these, it is better to give something else, or to talk it through first.

How do you give it without it feeling like a message?

A gift can say something without you meaning it to. ‘Here, for your stress’ or ‘maybe this will help you calm down a bit’ can come across as hurtful. Especially with teenagers and adults, a stuffed animal with a message can feel as if someone has noticed something about you that you would rather keep private. So simply give it as something soft and cosy, for example for the sofa or for reading. That way the other person can find out for themselves whether it is something for them.

Keep to what a stuffed animal can give: something soft, a pleasant weight and a moment of calm. Research into weighted stuffed animals is still at an early stage, and a stuffed animal is not a treatment. So do not say that it helps against anxiety, insomnia or a diagnosis. If the other person does not like it, that is fine too. Not everyone likes pressure on their body. In a Swedish study in nursing homes, more than a third of the older people stopped using a weighted blanket because it felt uncomfortable.

With adults and older people, dignity also plays a part. Choose a shape that suits their age. For an older person or a teenager, a calm, simple shape may be nicer than a childlike animal. You can read more about this in which shape to choose.

Which weight and which shape should you choose?

You do not need a fixed formula. A good rule of thumb for a gift: choose the lightest weight that still feels pleasant. The person receiving it must always be able to lift the stuffed animal and push it away themselves. If you are unsure between two weights, choose the lighter one. You can find more background in how heavy a weighted stuffed animal should be.

If you are giving it to a child, let the child help choose if possible, or ask the parents what the child likes. A stuffed animal that a child likes the look of is more likely to be used. Also think about practical things: is the stuffed animal washable or does it have a removable cover, and how strong do the seams feel?

What explanation should you include?

A weighted stuffed animal should come with a short explanation, because it is different from an ordinary cuddly toy. That way the person receiving it can start using it pleasantly and safely straight away. Keep the care label and the instructions, or write the main points on a nice card. For a child, write it for the parents. You could, for example, include these guidelines:

• Not suitable for babies and toddlers; keep out of their reach.
• With children, not in bed during night-time sleep; take it away when the child is asleep.
• You must always be able to lift it and push it away yourself.
• Do not put it on the face, head or neck.
• Check the seams and filling regularly; if it is damaged, stop using it.
• Do not heat it in the microwave or on the radiator, unless the manufacturer allows it.

With children, also keep this in mind: supervise, and stop if your child does not like it, even if they show this without words. Never use the stuffed animal as a punishment or to keep a child still. You can find all the rules in one place under safety.

What if the person does not use it?

That can happen, and it is not a problem at all. Some people find the weight too heavy or too warm, or simply do not like cuddly toys. Feel free to ask after a few weeks how they are getting on with it, without any pressure. If it is not being used, check whether it can still be exchanged or returned, or just let it be. You can find more tips on choosing under Choosing & using.