When my daughter was about four months old, I purchased the Haba Dragon's Egg from Oompa.com. It was $9.99 and I couldn't resist. The picture showed a fabric egg with sections of different blue fabric, triangular yellow fabric along the seams, and a cute little smiling dragon sticking out.
The dragon's egg itself is 6" x 4.5". When I received the egg, I noticed that it was even cuter than in the picture. On one side, the egg has blue fabrics, while it has different green fabrics on the other. The triangle edge fabric is actually a pale orange. There is a light green zipper that goes around the entire length of the egg. At the end of the egg, where the zipper begins and ends, are two green fabric straps of about 1 1/2" in length each. They have velcro on the end. This is so you can attach the egg to a car seat, stroller, etc. To unzip the egg, you pull a small (about 1/2") round fabric tab. The inside of the egg is lined with yellow fabric.
Inside the egg is a little dragon. I will call it "her" since it seems like she is wearing a little green A-line fabric dress. The dragon has green terry-like fabric face and hands, with embroidered blue eyes and mouth. The pointy fabric nose is hot pink. There is also light pink zig-zagging fabric on the top of the dragon's head. She has a solid green dress, as I mentioned earlier, polka dot green tale, and big squishy dark and light green feet. What is a nice touch is that her dress is lined underneath with light polka dot green fabric, matching the tale. Also, the bottom of the dragon under the dress is light pink terry, while the short little legs are hot pink. The dragon is 4.5" tall.
Though my daughter couldn't grasp the concept of zipping and unzipping the egg at only four or so months of age, she really enjoyed me unzipping the egg partially, reaching in and having the dragon stick her head out, and then unzipping it all the way. She also loved squeezing the egg, for it makes a crinkly sound when handled. Plus, for some reason, she loved to wear the unzipped egg as a hat! Of course, this was when she was a bit older at around six months or so. In addition, she loved handling the little dragon, for it seemed to be the perfect size for her little hands. The little dragon made its way into her mouth many times while she was teething, for I suspect that the soft yet firm texture soothed her gums.
Now, onto the issues. The number one issue, that I think is significant, is that there is a part of this toy that can be hazardous. During a trip to my daughter's doctor, and while attempting to soothe my daughter, I unzipped the dragon's egg. The fabric tab came off right in my hand. Let me stress that this came off EASILY. You see, the tab is only attached to the zipper by a very small piece of fabric. This scared me. Had my daughter unzipped it herself, this piece could have come off and she could've immediately shoved it into her mouth. As anyone with small children can attest to, children can be FAST. They see something on the floor, and before you know it they are picking it up and trying to shove it into their mouths. I instantly placed the fabric tab in my pocket and sighed with relief that I was the one that had pulled it off.
This problem was an issue on several levels. First, the obvious choking hazard. Secondly, now that the tab broke off, there was no easy way to zip and unzip the egg. I have to pinch the zipper head and pull it, and it is not easy. Thirdly, this tab broke off after only a few months of use. This doesn't speak well for the manufacturing. As a Haba toy, I expected much more. Haba is a German company, but this toy was manufactured in China.
I also want to note that ease (or lack there of) of cleaning this toy. This toy is not meant to be machine washed. It is meant to be cleaned with a damp cloth. Well, I tried that, but after my daughter had teethed on it, it didn't suffice. So, I threw caution to the wind and threw it in the wash. The machine washing didn't damage it, but the fabric remained stained. It appears to be a cotton fabric, and does not clean well. This is certainly a consideration with a toy for young babies.
If I had to rate this toy based on cuteness, or the enjoyment my daughter derived from it, I would give it a 5. However, based on safety, craftmanship, and ease of cleaning, I would give it a 1. To me, safety trumps all else, so I can only give this a 1 overall. If they change the design of the zipper tab to make it safer, I would give it a 4. Anyone who has this toy should keep a careful eye on that zipper tab. My suggestion is that at the first sign of wear, just cut the thing off. Better safe than sorry.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 9.99 Type of Toy: Baby Toy
Age Range of Child: 0 to 12 Months
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