Heat pack soft toys

Heat pack soft toys

Tummy ache, cold feet, a bump from falling down the stairs, or simply an evening when sleep will not come. A heat pack soft toy is the same answer to all of it: a cuddly toy with a removable cushion you warm up, which then gives off its heat slowly. And because it sits inside a soft toy rather than a hot water bottle, a child will actually hold on to it.

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How does it work?

There is a zip in the animal's tummy, and behind it a cushion filled with cherry or grape stones. You take the cushion out, warm it, and slide it back in. The heat then fades gradually, which is kinder than a hot water bottle that is too hot at first and cold soon after.

It works the other way round too: put the cushion in the freezer and you have a cold pack. Good for a knock, a bump or a fever — and far easier to give a child than a bag of frozen peas, because it is soft and does not feel hard against the skin.

Warming it: the oven, not the microwave

This is where we deliberately differ from what you will read elsewhere. Senger gives two methods, but every one of our product pages names only the oven, and there is a reason for that.

In the oven: 3 to 5 minutes at 75 degrees. That is a low temperature over a generous time, so the cushion warms through evenly. It is very hard to get wrong.

Senger does permit the microwave — at most 600 watts, half a minute to one minute at the very most. The trouble is that a microwave heats unevenly: the outside feels hand-warm while a hot core sits inside. With stone fillings there is something else the manufacturer points out itself: heat them too long or too strongly and the cushion can scorch, or even catch fire. At our own nurseries we therefore do not use a microwave, and that is the advice we give here.

After warming, always feel for yourself whether the cushion is not too hot before giving it to your child — the inside of your forearm tells you sooner than the palm of your hand. Let the cushion cool down completely before warming it again.

From what age?

Senger gives one firm limit: not suitable for premature babies or children under two months, because of the risk of overheating. That is the manufacturer's instruction and we follow it.

Beyond that, the common guidance is to keep a baby's cot empty. What you can do is use the cushion to warm the bed beforehand and take it out again. Give a warmed toy under supervision — on your lap during tummy ache is where it works best. For the point at which something may go in the cot, follow the advice of your child health clinic or doctor; that is the source to go by.

Washing: not in the machine

Getting this wrong costs you the toy. These animals are filled with pure new wool, and wool shrinks and felts in a machine. Hand wash at 30 degrees, or lift a mark out locally with lukewarm water. Always take the stone cushion out first: wet stones will go mouldy. Then let the toy dry thoroughly and completely.

What to look for

• Large or small. The small models are roughly 20 to 45 cm and easy for young children to handle — the otter is 34 cm, the rabbit 29 cm. The large ones run from 46 to 80 cm; they hold their heat longer and suit older children who lie against them.
• Shape. A long animal such as the dolphin or the whale lies across a child's tummy; a broader one such as the goose or the seagull is more something to lean against.
• Material. Organic cotton with a filling of pure new wool lasts longer than a synthetic toy, and wool regulates moisture and temperature naturally.
• A spare cushion. If the stone cushion goes missing or wears out, there is also a loose cherry stone cushion of 20 × 15 cm.

Which animals there are

Every heat pack toy in this category comes from Senger Naturwelt: handmade in Germany since 1985, from organic cotton with a filling of pure new wool, and with a removable stone cushion behind a zip in the tummy.

You will find the otter, the seal, the seagull, the goose, the dolphin, the whale, the deer, the rabbit, the sheep, the cow, the dog, the camel and the elephant — most in a small and a large size, some in several colours.

Have a look at our other soft toys as well, the comforters for the very smallest, and the heartbeat soft toys with sound.

Why it works

What a heat pack toy does that a hot water bottle does not is that a child holds on to it. A hot water bottle gets pushed away; an otter does not. The same goes for the other direction: a child will lie on a bump with the cushion from the freezer, because it is soft rather than hard and icy.

Then there is the weight. A filled stone cushion is noticeably heavier than an ordinary soft toy, and that steady weight on the tummy or on a lap helps with unsettledness — with stomach ache, but just as much with tension and with difficulty saying goodbye.

Frequently asked questions

How do I warm it up?

Take the cushion out of the animal's tummy through the zip — only the cushion is warmed, never the toy itself. Then 3 to 5 minutes in the oven at 75 degrees. Always check it is not too hot before giving it to your child.

Can it go in the microwave?

Senger permits it at a maximum of 600 watts for half a minute to one minute, but we advise against it. A microwave heats unevenly, so a hot core can form while the outside feels hand-warm, and stones heated too strongly can scorch. The oven at 75 degrees is more predictable.

Can it be used for cooling?

Yes. Put the cushion in the freezer for a cooling effect on a bump, a knock or a fever.

From what age is it suitable?

Senger states: not for premature babies or children under two months, because of the risk of overheating. Beyond that, keep a baby's cot empty and give a warmed toy under supervision. When in doubt, follow the advice of your child health clinic or doctor.

Can the toy go in the washing machine?

No. Because of the new wool it can shrink or felt. Hand wash it at 30 degrees or lift a mark out locally with lukewarm water, and always take the stone cushion out first.

How long does the heat last?

That depends on the size of the cushion and how long you warmed it; a large cushion holds its heat longer than a small one. Let the cushion cool down completely before warming it again.

What is inside the cushion?

Cherry or grape stones, behind a zip in the animal's tummy. The loose cherry stone cushion is filled with cherry stones.

Does warming wear the cushion out?

With normal use a cushion lasts for years. What ruins it is warming it too long or too hot — that scorches the stones — and damp. Keep to the time and the temperature and keep the cushion dry.