Give them a hug and tell them a story when you’re far from home!

The Original BedBug is a plush, cuddly toy that you can personalize with voice messages- two greetings and a short story. I received an original BedBug at no cost to me so I could try to break it. I mean, so I could evaluate it and tell you, in my totally honest opinion and in my own words, whether it would make a good toy for your kiddos. The toy is for ages 3 and up, and it has a small recording box inside a velcro pocket in the belly. A lot of toys that have an audio box in them end up not being too cuddly- when you squeeze them the hard edges of the plastic box are right there. But even after hugging on the Original BedBug in every imaginable position, it still feels soft and cuddly to me.

The chance to record three greetings in your own voice- including a favorite story- makes this a perfect toy for kids who have parents that travel for work, or for children who have more than one home. With this toy, they can always take their other parent home with them at night, and give the leg a little squeeze any time they feel lonely for mom or dad. In addition to being adorable and snuggly, the plush body is well constructed. The legs are firmly attached to the body, and the velcro on the recorder pocket is sewn down firmly, with no loose ends.

I also give this one 5 stars for minimal packaging. The box you see in my photos is exactly how your Original BedBug will arrive. No pliers, screwdriver, or jaws of life required in order to get it out of the box… just open the flap and start recording you messages. Recording or re-recording your messages is easy to do. You just pull the recorder out of the pocket, turn the switch to the “on” position, and slide back the protective cover from the buttons. You press the button for the greeting you want to record, and the record button. Talk while the light is red, and then push the record button again when you’re done. Nothing could be easier! (It’s certainly easier than trying to synch playlists from my computer to my phone, I can tell you that.) Then, since the packaging is so simple, you just slide your bug back into the box, and wrap it up, for an adorable, snuggly, cuddly, personalized gift.