While shopping for weighted stuffed animals, experts recommend considering the following factors.
Weight: Most weighted stuffed animals are between one pound and 5 pounds. Adults can choose a weight based on personal preference, but if you’re shopping for kids, select a weight that they can easily pick up and carry independently, says Schneeberg. Weighted stuffed animals typically weigh less than weighted blankets — which start around five pounds and can go up to 40 pounds or more — and are smaller.
Fabric type: People tend to hold their weighted stuffed animals close to their bodies, so prioritize buying options made from fabric that’s soft and non-irritating against the skin, says Dr. Alex Dimitriu, a board-certified psychiatrist and sleep medicine specialist and founder of Menlo Park Psychiatry & Sleep Medicine. The material should also be breathable so it doesn’t make you too warm, especially while you’re sleeping, he says.
Easy to clean: Because weighted stuffed animals are designed with something to make them heavy like fabric or beads, many are not machine-washable and cannot be fully submerged in water. You should be able to spot-clean them, so be sure to read product descriptions to learn how. Some weighted stuffed animals are designed with removable covers you can throw in the wash.
Heatable or freezable: Some weighted stuffed animals double as heating or cooling pads to be extra soothing. In that case, either the stuffed animal or a removable piece can be put in the microwave or freezer. But be aware that weighted stuffed animals won’t necessarily retain those temperatures for long periods of time, says Schneeberg.
Return policy: Weighted stuffed animals make a great gift for yourself or loved ones, but there’s always a chance you’ll need to make a return or exchange. Make sure you’re aware of the brand’s return policy before you checkout.
All of the weighted stuffed animals I recommend below come in multiple styles, so if you’re looking for something specific, like a certain color or character, be sure to browse the full selections on brands' websites.
Warmies offers dozens of weighted stuffed animals in various sizes, weights, styles and characters, so you're guaranteed to find something for the child in your life, regardless of their age or preferences. The brand sells a weighted sloth, bear, lion and shark, for example, plus animal wraps and pairs of hugging animals. Each stuffed animal is filled with flaxseed and dried lavender to promote relaxation, according to the brand. You can also place them in the microwave and freezer.
Warmies sent Bianca Alvarez, NBC Select associate reporter, its Dumpling and Sloth Junior stuffies, which she gave her young siblings. Warmies' Sloth Junior is one of the brand's smaller stuffed animals, and Alvarez says it doesn't take up much room in their beds, making it a great addition to bedtime. Her 12-year-old sister claimed the dumpling, which she lays with while doing homework or studying. "It really makes stressful situations that much calmer for her, and allows her to easily transition into going to bed," says Alvarez.
Weight:Model dependent | Dimensions: Model dependent
Warmies offers weighted stuffed animals in a variety of sizes and styles, all of which are heatable and freezable.Courtesy Zoe Malin
Bearaby’s weighted stuffed animals are filled with terraclay, a biodegradable material, and covered in a soft cotton knit fabric. They’re available in seven characters: Elli Elephant, Remi Rabbit, Benji Bear, Daisy Dino, Darcy Dog, Suzy Sloth and Cody Cow. Each weighted stuffed animal has large, plush, extra heavy paws that you can squeeze like a stress ball. They’re also machine-washable and come packed inside a canvas bag.
Bearaby sent Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager, one of its weighted stuffed animals to try earlier this year and she fell in love with it immediately. “I sleep with Cody Cow every night, and when I take naps on the couch, I bring him to the living room from my bedroom,” she says. “He’s the perfect size to wrap my arms around and he makes me feel calmer because the weight against my chest feels like a hug.” Rodriguez also appreciates that the weighted stuffed animal is on the firmer side so it supports her head it she rests against it.
Weight:3.5 lbs. | Dimensions:16.75x8.75 in.
Rebecca Rodriguez, NBC Select editorial projects manager, sleeps with Cody Cow every night and says he's the perfect size to hug.Courtesy Rebecca Rodriguez
Hugimals’ puppy is weighted with a removable pouch of non-toxic glass beads, so you can easily machine wash the plush cover as needed. Beyond Charlie the Puppy, Hugimals sells other weighted stuffed animals like Emory the Elephant, Quinn the Koala, Frankie the Cat and Sam the Sloth. The brand sent me the koala to test and I was impressed by its overall construction. It's plush enough to feel cozy, yet firm enough to sit up on its own. The fabric exterior is soft against my skin, too. At 4.5 pounds, I felt light pressure on my legs when I placed the weighted stuffed animal on my lap, but it's definitely manageable for kids to tote around.
Weight:4.5 lbs. | Dimensions:20x8x6 in.
The fabric exterior of Hugimals' Quinn the Koala stuffed animal is soft against my skin.Courtesy Zoe Malin
This puppy is designed to rest across your lap while you’re in bed, sitting in an office chair or laying on the couch. It’s filled with microbeads and covered in hypoallergenic polyester fabric. The stuffed animal’s outer cover and weighted insert are machine-washable.
The weight of this triceratops dinosaur is distributed across six zones, so it offers even pressure no matter how you hug or snuggle with it. The stuffed animal is filled with glass beads that don’t make any sound as they move, according to the brand.
Weight:5 lbs. | Dimensions: 25.2x7.87 in.
Best weighted stuffed animal alternative: Bearaby Hugget
Bearaby’s Hugget — a Select Wellness Award winner — is a great weighted stuffed animal alternative. I own one and hug it whenever I’m lounging on the couch, plus I keep it out in my living room at all times because its knot design doubles as a piece of home decor. The weighted pillow is made from Melofoam, a plant-based material, and is covered in an organic cotton fabric. Bearaby’s Huggets are approved by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA).
Weight:0.5, 1 or 3 lbs. | Dimensions:4 in. (small), 8 in. (medium) or 11 in. (large)
I keep Bearaby's Hugget out in my living room at all times because its knot design doubles as home decor.Courtesy Zoe Malin
“Weighted stuffed animals are a riff on weighted blankets,” says Schneeberg. They usually weigh between 1 pound and 5 pounds, and they can get their weight from materials like dried flaxseed, beads or layers of fabric.
Weighted stuffed animals are smaller than weighted blankets, so they cover less of the body and you can hold them on your lap or sleep with them (usually with your arms wrapped around them), experts say. While anyone can use a weighted stuffed animal, they’re geared toward children: Weighted blankets are often too large and heavy for kids to maneuver by themselves, while weighted stuffed animals are smaller, lighter and similar to other toys they may already have at home, says Dimitriu.
Like weighted blankets, the benefits of weighted stuffed animals center around deep pressure stimulation, which uses gentle pressure to induce feeling safe, cozy and calm. “They both provide pressure the same way a hug, massage or baby swaddle would,” says Schneeberg. And while people anecdotally say weighted blankets and weighted stuffed animals make them feel less anxious or stressed, as well as help them sleep, there’s no hard research supporting one or the other, says Dimitru. In the end, it’s a matter of comfort and personal preference. So if you’re curious about weighted stuffed animals, they’re worth a try.
When introducing weighted stuffed animals to children, be conscious of how you do it, says Schneeberg. If kids use weighted stuffed animals to help them fall asleep every night, for instance, they may become reliant on them at bedtime, otherwise known as a sleep onset association, she says. Kids want consistency with their bedtime routine, and a disruption like having their weighted stuffed animal taken away — if it gets lost or you can’t bring it on a trip, for example — may cause them to have trouble sleeping.
Yes, it’s safe for adults and kids to sleep with a weighted stuffed animal, as long as they can move it by themselves, experts say. For example, a child should be able to pick it up and carry it easily. One exception is babies younger than 1 year, who should have an empty crib. Do not put stuffed animals of any sort near them, says Schneeberg.
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