Plumpy Hajime Polar Bear Plushie

Holy beans, do I LOVE this guy!! I am an admitted forever-kid kind of person. I still love games, toys and stuffed animals. I know I always will! That said I did get this smooshy mooshy bear for a medical purpose and since I know my reasons are due to ailments that are shared by many I figured I could share my findings... FOR SCIENCE! (and for other people with back pain)

So, yes, I have a bad back. It can go out just about anywhere - between my shoulders, under my rib cage but my most sensitive and injury prone area is my lower back. I really did a number on it and though I don't have sciatica any more, I did and it was excruciating. Although my disc hasn't slipped completely in a few years, it has in the past and that was almost unbearable. Mostly now it's aches and pains and the occasional "out of whack" and pinching of nerves without actually being so bad as slipping a disc.

I do a million and one things to mitigate and to prevent the worst case scenarios, and one of guerrilla-backfare tactics is to sleep with a pillow under my knee. I am a side sleeper and the pillow helps keep my hips and lower back more aligned and supported, because when I am not aligned and supported I have been known to literally throw my back out while sleeping. I did say "backfare tactics" and I meant it. My dear boyfriend likes to tease me that I am the only person who he knows that can mess up their back while sleeping and gash darn it! I am GOOD at it!

Comfort Level:
Off the charts! The combo of the filling and the stretchy velour-like fabric makes the bear feel like he is filled with cotton candy memory foam. The fabric is so, so soft and smooth. Also something to note is that since the bear seems to be tailor made for kiddies, there are hard nose or eyes, it is all embroidered on - paw pads, sleeping eyes, mouth and then here is the softy velour nose, too. Safe and SOFT! :-)

Quality:
I cannot say how this product will last with time and I have yet to wash or clean it, but I always update my reviews when I have news to share. That said, this guy gives every appearance that he is well made. The product is made in China and I wasn't all that impressed with the other items (aside from the other super soft plushies they had), but the polar bear appears well made. The pattern is good - it matches the images exactly. There is no badly cut piece or messed up sewing leaving my polar bear looking weird or wonky. The fabric feels of good quality. The seams look well constructed and sturdily sewn aside from the right flank, which appears to be where the bear was hand-sewn shut. This seam is a little more iffy but it's certainly not a shoddy seam. I can just tell it was where the bear was sewn shut after stuffing and you can see because the velour fabric is so smooth and short in pile. I will update if anything goes wrong - as though I am not a child toting my bear about, he will be used nightly to support my back - so I expect him to take some wear and tear over time.

Functionality:
Oh, he is perfect for my back! He is just big enough to have his rump go under my thigh while his noggin supports my arm and his nose rests in front of my chest. Again, he is soft yet springy and amazingly supportive. Literally he is so soft and plush and the springiness of the filling makes it feel like you are resting on a cloud or maybe a marshmallow. But it is dreamy, either way, and the comfort this bear provides my back, hips and my torso that rests on him, too - it really helps me nod off. Furthermore, when sitting up in bed, reading, watching TV or puttering on the computer, I have found he works GREAT under my knees to keep me aligned and supported in that position, as well.

Bottom line:
Amazingly wonderful product. I am already in love with him. I already dragged him to a family and friends holiday weekend sleepover. I made everyone hug him and they all loved him, too. Again, he is a good quality item and seems a good value - especially if you use him as a supportive body pillow! :-)

The rumors are true! This is a very good bear! I saw all the hype about this bear, and I thought, "this is a cute bear. It's good for sleeping? I will try this bear and see!" And it's true! They are a very squishy pillow in the shape of a bear! This sleepy bear offers some great support for sleeping. I found the bear to be very comfortable to sleep with, and I got a good night's sleep! It's not quite body pillow size, but offers excellent arm support. I was surprised at the difference the pillow made.

The bear does arrive in a little condensed cube and needs some time to take shape. I helped fluff up the bear by hand, but they were still a little wrinkly. I think some time in the dryer might fluff out the bear some more, but even so it was super soft and comfortable! It really helped a lot with my shoulder pain and supported my wrist to keep it from pinching and having my hand go numb. Despite being a big bear it never felt bulky or difficult to sleep with.

Overall, I was surprised and impressed by this bear! It's a very good bear! If you need a soft bear to sleep with and support your arms and shoulders, this is it! You should get this sleeping bear!

Possibly one of MY favorite stuffed animals! I use him as a pillow at times or when I sleep, I cuddle him close. The main reason I made this purchase was that I had been trying to find something super soft and sturdy to rest my hand on! The material used is very different for a stuffed animal, it feels like some sort of super soft velvet. No matter what I do to this little bear, he always reverts back to his original form. Really cute on my made bed also, especially with the cute little shirt!

Great find and worth waiting the extra time for.
I think this would also be perfect for a small child as there is no “fur” to be eaten and all his feature (eyes and mouth) are stitched on.

Got this as a birthday gift or my 6 year old. She loves it and sleeps with it as a pillow now. It is very snuggly and cuddly. It appears well made. Will look into getting another one for my younger kiddo.

So soft and squishy. I ordered this for my toddlers teepee and he loves cuddling with it. My daughter loves it too and lays on it like a pillow. I was a little worried because of how it came packaged but when I opened it, it was fine and was able to regain its shape.