Melissa and Doug review: Full Guide For Plushies Lover
If you are a plushies lover, you might have heard of Melissa & Doug, a brand that creates high-quality and lifelike plushies for children and adults alike. But who are Melissa and Doug, and how did they start their toy empire? In this article, we will review the history, mission, and products of this amazing brand, and show you why Melissa & Doug plushies are worth your attention.
What kind of brand is Melissa and Doug?
Melissa and Doug is a famous toy brand that has strived for over 30 years. Started in 1988, with a sincere heart to make meaningful toys that would inspire hands-on, open-ended play. Melissa and Doug provide products from classic wooden toys to realistic pretend play sets. The toys of this brand are interactive, fun to play, and well-crafted.
In Melissa and Doug's creed, it is their mission to ignite the imagination and a sense of wonder in all children so they can establish a sense of passion and purpose, and of course, improvement of hands-on ability. Just like described in Melissa and Doug's marketing slogan "The best play, discovery, and creation simply begins with imagination."
Another concept that makes up the brand of Melissa and Doug is the keyword "Kid-Powered." It is a contrasting idea to the phrase "battery-powered." The play and the fun doesn't come with a screen. The toys come from the children's heads and are inspired by them. Nowadays, in a world full of advanced technologies and electronic devices, a brand willing to bring back the nature of fun and joy through toys is rare and should be appreciated.
Product features of Melissa and Doug
Melissa & Doug's signature on every product is a commitment to the highest quality standards. Let's take a look at the features of their products.
Target users
Melissa and Doug target preschool children as primary customers. It has a detailed age category to manage its products, not only for fun but also for children's safety. You can see from the screenshot from their website that there are toys for babies under 12 months old. There are toys for toddlers from 1-2 years old and 2-3 years old. And there are toys for children from 3 years and above which can be considered preschool toys.
Sustainably made toys
Melissa and Doug is a brand that produces eco-friendly and sustainable toys. Their website states that they utilize natural and renewable materials like wood and paper. Additionally, they have partnered with One Tree Planted to plant 10 million trees by 2030. Their sustainable packaging and carbon-neutral operations are also noteworthy.
Open-ended play
- Imaginative：Kids create the action in open-ended play and the possibilities are endless
- Kid-powered：Kind of play that doesn't come with a screen. No electronic devices
- Skill building：Creative thinking, problem-solving, social-emotional skills
Hands-on design
The brand designs every toy at its specific office, then makes prototypes by hand until they get it just right.
Are Melissa and Doug toys safe?
Are Melissa and Doug's products safe? The author bought some toys covering different age periods. Let's find out together.
First of all, are Melissa and Doug's toys nontoxic? Although without proper and precise measurements, the author measures toxicity roughly. Firstly, all the toys bought from Melissa and Doug don't have any smells when unpacked. Secondly, after physical contact with the author's sensitive skin, no allergies of any kind appeared. So it is mostly certain that Melissa and Doug's toys are nontoxic.
Where to buy Melissa And Doug toys？
The brand currently collaborates with Wholesales if you want to buy Melissa and Doug toys in retail stores. If you go there, you can find their products. A more convenient way of purchasing Melissa and Doug toys is to buy them online on their official website if you live in the U.S. rather than in Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico. Orders with a subtotal of $89 can get free shipping as well!
Where Are Melissa And Doug Toys Made？
Melissa and Doug originates from the USA, with most of its production occurring in China and India. Nonetheless, the company has a few factories situated within the USA.
Are There Any Alternatives to Melissa And Doug Stuffed Animals?
If you are looking for the best stuffed animals, you should definitely visit PlushThis. PlushThis is one of the best stuffed toy brand that combines AI and human creativity to produce unique and stunning designs of plushies. YYou can choose from our gothic stuffed animals or emo plushies and more styles. PlushThis plushies are not only beautiful, but also durable and comfortable. They are made of high-quality materials that are soft and safe for children and adults alike. PlushThis plushies are the perfect gifts for yourself or your loved ones. They will bring joy and warmth to your life. Don’t miss this opportunity to get your own PlushThis plushies today!
What do consumers say about Melissa and Doug?
Overall, Melissa and Doug's toys and pretend-to-play props are outstanding. However, things are a little different on the Internet. On review websites like Trustpilot and Sitejabber, Melissa and Doug only have ratings, respectively, 2.3 and 2.5 out of 5 stars. Below are some low-rating reviews.
Yet despite the low rating, most consumers complained about the poor customer service and the negative communication after purchase. Still, few comments were complaining about the products' quality. In conclusion, the products are still very recommended, although the service after purchasing should get improved.
Yet despite the low rating, most consumers complained about the poor customer service and the negative communication after purchase. Still, few comments were complaining about the products' quality. In conclusion, the products are still very recommended, although the service after purchasing should get improved.
The 5 Most Popular Plushies From Melissa And Doug
The author bought several products from Melissa and Doug, and after review, the author selected the five best plushies that are believed to be the most popular in 2023.
Farm Friends Hand Puppets
Here's the Farm Friends Hand Puppets! It's a bundle of stuffed animal sets that come in four pieces. Overall, the first impression of these four hand puppets is that they are all very cute and adorable. From the perspective of touching, all the four puppets are just suitable for adult hands to wear and take off. For kids, it would be pretty loose on their hands, so they are all convenient to wear and take off and are comfortable wearing. The four pieces allow you to role-play and act out scenes together with family. This is a very budget choice and the quality is way above the average.
Giraffe Giant Stuffed Animal
This Giraffe Giant Stuffed Animal is over 4 feet tall, which is about 1.21 meters tall. It precisely restores the ratio, body shape, and looking of the giraffe you would see in real-life Africa. The giraffe is so realistic, and the patterns on its body also look great. The fabric is also smooth all over the body. It has four slim and long legs but it still stands very steady. The reviewer even found out that kids(lighter than 30kg) can ride on it! (for review purposes, do not mimic). Anyway, this giraffe will be a great decoration or a good educational material if your children love African wildlife.
Lion Giant Stuffed Animal
This Lion Giant Stuffed Animal is realistic in a 5:1 life-like ratio to real lions in life. First of all, the fabric is not that smooth, but considering the length of the fur, it's understandable. Yet those fur and manes around its neck and on its body make it look majestic. Its gesture is also suitable for cuddling or as cushions. In general, if your kids is a fan of the kind of the jungle, and they reach the age to play with stuffed animals with such long fur and hair, then it should be a must-have in your house.
Baby Panda Stuffed Animal
Well, this Baby Panda Stuffed Animal is cute and funny for its looking. The most appealing and the very first impression of this product is its fabric. The fur on the fabric points in one direction which indicates the material of the fabric is top-tier level because that makes the fabric very smooth. The fact is that the panda is indeed very suitable for cuddling and hugging. You can never feel bored with this cute stuffed panda in your arms.
Disney Mickey Mouse & Friends Soft & Cuddly Hand Puppets
What a great collaboration with Disney. True though, this set with Disney Mickey Mouse & Friends Soft & Cuddly Hand Puppets is indeed an ACE card of Melissa and Doug. The four classic characters in puppet forms come in a set that fulfills kids' dream of playing Disney role play with their favorite characters. The best part about these products is that this collaboration comes with great designs. Quite a lot of time collaborations are just Disney selling their brands and IPs to companies and the details are awful. These four puppets are different. Every detail of these stuffed puppets is well controlled, which reveals Melissa and Doug's fine crafting of its toys. All in all, if your kids are fans of Disney, then these four are a must-buy for them, they probably can't wait to put on the show!
How to clean Melissa and Doug?
Just like normal stuffed animals, Melissa and Doug’s products do not require any extra complicated methods of cleaning, even though they are made of eco-friendly materials.
Summary
In conclusion, Melissa and Doug have been striving for more than 30 years to create eco-friendly, kid-powered, and open-ended toys for preschool children. However, if you are looking for more choices of plush toys, you should also visit PlushThis, where you can find the best quality and variety of stuffed animals in the market. Don’t miss this chance to get your perfect plush companion!
Reference
https://www.melissaanddoug.com/
https://www.trustpilot.com/review/www.melissaanddoug.com
https://www.sitejabber.com/reviews/melissaanddoug.com