There are many reasons why we love plush toys, right? First, you can hug it! Second, it has a cute shape and appearance. Third, we could play with this toy as our imaginary friends or play role play with them. Also, many adults use plush toys as decoration. Hence, it is very obvious that plush toys demand is growing. Why does this toy get so much love from us? Mostly because the plush toy factory uses good quality stuffed toy materials. In this article, we will talk about various materials that are used in the stuffed toys.
Contents
What is a Stuffed Toy?
Before we talk a lot about the toy materials, it is better to talk about the description of the stuffed toy first.
Stuffed Toy Definition
A stuffed toy basically is a toy made from fabric that is stuffed with stuffing materials. This toy comes in different sizes and shapes. Animal stuffed toys are probably the most popular stuffed toys.
Other shapes like cartoon characters are also popular among their fans. Custom stuffed toys often become the most requested item on special occasions like concerts, political campaigns or artist fans meeting.
Stuffed Toy Part
Based on the definition of stuffed toy above, there are two parts of stuffed toy at least, outer layer and stuffing inside. The outer layer is a shell that shapes the toys. It is made from soft fabrics like Minky, Fleece or Cotton.
The outer layer material could be combined with two or more fabrics, like Minky and Fleece or Minky and Faux Fur to show more realistic accents. The stuffing inside is thick and fluff materials that are stuffed into the shell (outer layer).
Stuffed Toy Materials
After we know about the stuffed toy description, now we talk about the materials that built the toys.
Outer Layer
Like it said before, that outer layer is a shell that shapes the stuffed toys. That is why it needs strong but also soft materials at once. There are many choices for outer layer materials for stuffed toys. Minky fabric which has soft texture and stretchy materials could be the best choice for stuffed toys.
Fleece fabrics are also good materials for stuffed toys, it has a soft texture like Minky fabric, but its lighter and more durable and also breathable. Fleece materials suitable for stuffed toys that are played outside by children. Cotton materials could be a choice for those who want to make stuffed toys from natural materials. Cotton texture isn’t as soft as Minky or Fleece, but it is enough to make good stuffed toys.
Another natural material choice is wool. This fabric comes from sheep fur that is cut at certain times then manufactures it into thread and fabric. The wool texture is soft and fluffy, but sometimes it’s too thick and lacks stretching. But many people love it because it’s soft and huggable.
Inside Layer or Stuffing
Next material to make cute stuffed toys is stuffing. The materials that could be used inside the toys are natural and synthetic. Natural stuffing is more environmentally friendly and safer for children. The first choice for natural stuffing is bamboo fiber stuffing. This stuffed material comes from a bamboo plant that is manufactured into soft fiber. Another stuffed toy material that is also natural stuffing is cotton. These materials come from cotton plants that are manufactured into fiber.
We also can use wool as stuffing material because it is soft and fluffy, but it cannot be washed in the machine without making it lose its fluffiness. Synthetic materials could be a choice for stuffing materials.
Synthetic materials are considered cheaper but sometimes they’re more durable than natural ones. Polyester stuffing is the most popular synthetic stuffing material. This material is made from plastic, ethylene glycol and other chemical substances. Good quality polyester produces fluffy filling for stuffed toys.
Conclusion
Toy factories and toy makers could choose various stuffed toy materials which are available in the market as they need. Sometimes they use different materials for the same shaped stuffed toys. It is because consumer preferences differ from one to another.
One consumer love to play with Minky stuffed toys, but another likes to play with cotton stuffed toys. Maybe one consumer doesn’t have a problem with polyester stuffing, but another consumer prefers wool because they are allergic to polyester. Materials combined also become common practice on stuffed toy making to fulfill consumer taste. BuyChinaToys is a stuffed and plush toy manufacturer based in China. They produce good quality, cute and safe toys for children. They also use good materials for their toys. Besides that, their toy process making is supervised by experts and through a series of quality control procedures, from material aselection to distribution process.