Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether
by Vulli
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List Price: Our Price: $15.25 You Save: $9.75 (39%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $12.95 (click here) Category: Baby Product See more product details |
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Baby Products Reviews of Vulli Sophie the Giraffe Teether
Customer Review: well worth the price, but one small concern
Summary: 4 Stars
My initial thought was that it seems like an overpriced dog toy, but I was proven wrong. It really is great! I was hesitant to buy it because of the price, but I'm pretty sure this is the only teether we will ever need. It's well worth it to me to buy one good quality one rather than buying multiple cheap, plastic ones. Like others have said, it is the perfect size and shape for little hands to grab, and it's wonderful for teething (I'll admit, I even tested it out by gnawing on a leg and I can see why a baby would like it so much). Our 6 month old has been enjoying Sophie daily for the past 2 months. If we surround her with toys, she almost always goes straight for Sophie. It's the perfect toy to keep in the diaper bag, and I love that it's small and quiet so it can keep her occupied in waiting rooms, etc. without being obnoxious. We really love Sophie!
The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I am slightly concerned about the length of the legs. I have heard my daughter gag a little and looked over to see her with Sophie's leg halfway down her throat, so I never leave her unattended with it. I'm not trying to scare anyone, and she gags herself with her own hands too, so maybe I just have a weird child. But regardless I never leave her alone with Sophie, even if I am just going to the bathroom. I don't give it to her in the car either since I can't see what she's doing with her every second. But as long as I am right there with her, which I am 99% of the time, this is the perfect toy and worth every dollar. This will probably be something I buy for friends' baby showers in the future.
Customer Review: A conspiracy in the making
Summary: 1 Stars
I find it alarming just how many parents are praising this thing. As a parent, you want to protect your children. When learning about all the protective measures this toy takes, most parents would be on board. But I know better. I did a little under-the-microscope research and have reached some alarming conclusions about this toy.
First of all, the name "Sophie" (a nickname for "Sophia") is of Greek origin. A little known fact is that the ancient Greeks oftentimes ate their young for food or sacrificed them to their many gods. Giving a baby toy a name that descends from a line of baby-eaters is puzzling.
Even more puzzling is the deliberate use of a giraffe. There are no records of a giraffe appearing in Greece in the wild. How then are we supposed to believe that this thing can be both Greek AND a giraffe if the combination is simply not possible?
This choice of species is even more alarming to anybody who has read the Greek epic "The Odyssey". At one point in the story, Odysseus and his crew arrive on the shores of Africa and encounter none other than a giraffe. The giraffe was seen as a demonically tainted horse and struck fear into the hearts of Odysseus and his men.
Still not convinced? Look at the gallery of customer-submitted pictures. The majority of these photos feature a baby masticating the face of their Sophie toy. A cute gesture, or the only defense a baby has against the demonic animal? Think what you believe, but my research points towards the latter option.
Customer Review: Not Sure Why Such a Big Fuss Over This Toy...
Summary: 2 Stars
Okay, so after hearing so much about cute lil Sophie the Giraffe I started to look more into getting one for Abby. Now that she has two teeth coming in I am desperate for anything to help her...for teething toys she will like. When I came across Sophie on sale I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and get one. I have heard so many moms rave about this little Giraffe and wanted to see what the big fuss was about for myself. Sophie arrived quickly...but a little dirty. A few scuffs/marks here and there so I cleaned it up and showed it to Abby. Since it was a new toy...especially one that made noise...it caught Abby's eye at first. She was interested to figure out what this toy was but had no interest in chewing on it. The first several times she did finally put it in her mouth she made a face as if the toy tasted horrible. After about five minutes all interest in Sophie was lost and really...Abby hasn't shown much interest in it since. We have tried really hard to introduce it to her several times, especially as a teether but she just doesn't care for it. The squeak sound makes me think of a dog toy and is too loud at times for Abby's liking and no matter what we do Abby continues to make a face as if the toy doesn't taste all that great...not a good thing when its supposed to be a teether. It does entertain her for a few minutes but definitely does not rank up there with her other teethers and favorite toys. For us...it was a waste of money. Maybe some babies love it but I do not see why the huge fuss over this toy...Customer Review: Squeaker broke after a few weeks, possibly dangerous
Summary: 2 Stars
Several of our friends had the Vulli, so we bought it for our son as soon as he started teething at 4.5 months. He loves to chew on Sophie - she's very flexible. Since he was an early teether he wasn't as coordinated as an older baby might be, but it was easy for him to find places to hold on to and chew on. We appreciated the natural rubber and food-grade dyes; we don't buy all-natural everything, but for something that's designed to be chewed on, it seemed the right decision.
We were happy with Sophie, but a few weeks after we bought it, the "squeaking" device inside the toy got dislodged. We can hear it rattling around in there, and Sophie no longer squeaks. This is not a big deal, except that I would not expect it from such an expensive toy! Additionally, we noticed that he started to gag when chewing on her. Sometimes it was just because of the excess saliva from chewing, but once or twice he had gotten one of her legs far enough in his throat to gag on it. Thankfully, it never got lodged in, but I can see where it could easily happen. Younger babies especially might not be able to dislodge it, and it would only take a few seconds of inattention for a baby to suffocate on it. Unlikely, but in my opinion, very possible.
Our son still likes Sophie, and we let him use it only when we're watching closely. Still, with these issues and at this price point -- I can't rate Sophie very highly. This was a very expensive teether/toy, and I expected much more from it.
Customer Review: Cute Rubber Giraffe Teether
Summary: 3 Stars
I can't speak for the baby on this one as she isn't born yet, so I don't know how satisfactory this product is as a teether but as a parent, I really like its shape, color contrast and simplicity. It squeaks when you squeeze it so it functions as a basic toy as well as a teether with contrasting surfaces for sensitive gums without being too hard or too soft. And the giraffe's spots seem like an easy contrast for a baby to recognize. Its bigger than I thought it would be but now that I think about it, this is probably a good thing because it will be easier for her to hold onto the giraffe and harder to lose.
The only thing I'm not crazy about is the initial smell, which I'm hoping will fade in time. The packaging suggests wiping with a warm rag and not rinsing or sanitizing heavily, which I'm not sure how I feel about yet. The reviews for this products were very positive and its been on the market for a long time so I've got a lot of faith that this will be a good teether and toy for my daughter.
In ordering from Amazon, Sophie the Giraffe arrived within a week, in clean original packaging and in perfect condition so I have no complaints about that. I know its available from other retailers (I believe she's sold at Babies R Us too) but I ordered through Amazon because I was ordering other products for the nursery that were not available anywhere else and figured Amazon would be more reliable for such a popular product- guess I was right!