A lovey is a security blanket for a person of any age. For babies, though, a lovey is particularly important as something to snuggle up to, provide comfort, and help with sleep routines. For some babies, they will be so attached to their lovey they keep it in their possession into adulthood as a precious item of sentimentality.
If you are looking for the best baby lovey, you’ve come to the right place. We have looked at 7 of the best loveys currently available to buy, looking at all their key features such as safety, durability, theme, presentation, and material. With that information and more, you’ll be best placed to choose the highest quality lovey for your baby.
Read on for all 7 detailed lovey reviews, as well as a handy buying guide and FAQs:
Other features: no shedding/ pilling; BPA free; phthalate-free; packed in a gift box; animal pattern
The super-cute Pro Goleem Fox security blanket is designed to keep the baby snuggled and comforted with safe and healthy materials. Parents will love that the product is machine washable for easy hygiene. For safety, the soft polyester material (Minky fabric) is also non-shedding, phthalate and BPA-free. This means your baby can mouth and squeeze at the product without you having to worry about any nasty debris causing problems.
You can compare the Pro Goleem fox security blanket with leading competitor Mary Meyer Little Knottie fox lovey. The Mary Meyer does have tactile material types and a bright appearance, but the Pro Goleem’s overall bright orange color could be easier for babies to see and identify in their earliest months. The Pro Goleem is much more silky, soft, and light too, which could be preferable to you if you want your baby to be able to hold the product easily.
More features: subtle leopard print, naptime favorite
If you want a lovey that feels more like a small blanket than a toy, this Little Giraffe blanky is a lovely pick. It measures 14 x 14 inches, which is big enough to snuggle but small enough to tuck into a diaper bag. The subtle silver leopard print suits any nursery and makes it an easy gift when you don’t know the baby’s sex.
Other features: organic; 3″ diameter bee; chemical-free; safe for teethers; animal pattern
The Burt’s Bees Baby lovey is a bee-themed security blanket designed to be soft, tactile, and comforting for babies to snuggle with, hold and squeeze. The cute design works well with all kinds of nursery designs, with the soft yellow and stripy bee catching babies’ attention during those early months. Parents will particularly love the safe materials the lovey is made from. Its soft velour is chemical-free and 100% organic, with the bee’s polyester fill, is completely trapped inside the well-finished plush. This makes it entirely safe for teething babies and easy to maintain when it gets grubby, with machine washing suitability for the entire item.
This plush lovey from Burt’s Bees is perfect for younger babies. It’s only 12 x 12 inches and so is less of a blanket and more of a toy for very small babies to grab and play with. The velour feel is particularly soft and snuggly to touch with the knotted corners providing great comfort for mouthing babies who have teeth coming through.
Other features: suitable from birth; cold wash only; hang to dry; designed in UK; animal pattern
The Jellycat Bashful beige bunny soother is a gorgeous lovey designed to relax and comfort babies as they grow. It’s suitable for use as soon as the baby is born and measures 13.6 x 13.6 inches in total. Parents will love that the 100% polyester product is washable (cold water only), which is especially handy when a baby is teething, and the tactile and soft ears and corners of the blanket get plenty of use.
The bashful beige bunny from Jellycat can be compared to premium products, as it is considered budget lovey within this price range. The main difference is the material, which is 100% polyester. More expensive products might be made from something like cotton, or they might be finished with a more durable seam. In reality, that could mean you simply need to be prepared to buy another lovey in the future, sooner than you might with a product that is of a higher grade.
Other features: 12 engaging tags; pacifier tag; 3 soothing textures; innovative loop
Looking for a super-tactile lovey for your baby? This product is a fantastic choice. The Baby Sense security blanket includes a pacifier tag, three soft and interesting textures, and no less than 12 tags for the baby to play with and mouth. The innovative loops are perfect for hanging from a cot or buggy, so the blankie is less likely to get lost. The soft materials of minky fleece, cotton, and satin are also very comforting and inviting for the baby, who will love exploring the 10 x 10 inches blankie.
The product can be compared to plushie loveys, including a stuffed toy at the top and then a blanket on the bottom. Instead, the Baby Sense is designed to be even more tactile, with multiple tags and textures for the baby to explore. If you want your babies lovey to encourage exploration, this product is a better choice than a plushie lovey.
Other features: plush bunny head; newborn to toddler; no shedding or pilling; ready-made gift package
This pink bunny security blanket pairs a cuddly plush bunny head with a soft 16 x 16 inch blanket. The fabric is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and the lovey goes in the washing machine on a low setting.
It arrives in a ready-made gift package, so it makes an easy baby shower present for a family expecting a girl. It suits newborns through the toddler years and can become a familiar comfort object that helps a little one settle back to sleep wherever she is.
Other features: Labrador puppy head; no shedding or pilling; gift-ready packaging
This Pro Goleem security blanket pairs a cuddly Labrador puppy head with a 16 x 16 inch blanket, sized for a baby to cuddle. The fabric is certified to OEKO-TEX Standard 100, and the maker says it does not shed or pill, which matters for a toy that ends up in a baby’s mouth.
The warm brown puppy design is a little less whimsical than unicorns or pastel bunnies, so it suits a baby boy and fits nicely in a pet-themed or neutral nursery. It machine washes on a low setting and comes in ready-made gift packaging, which makes it a practical choice for a baby shower.
If you’re wondering how to choose the best security blanket for your baby, this guide will help you. We’ve looked at all the different aspects of these products and how they differ, highlighting what you need to look out for. With this information, you can feel assured you’re picking the very best lovey out for your baby.
Babies need a massive 14-17 hours of sleep in the first three months, then the amount slowly decreases. Infant sleep Trusted Source Infant sleep and its relation with cognition and growth: a narrative review | NCBI Infant sleep development is a highly dynamic process occurring in parallel to and in interaction with cognitive and physical growth. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov plays an important role in the development of babies’ cognition, physical growth, and multiple other essential development factors.
Loveys play an important role because they provide warmth and comfort to babies who want to snuggle, suckle, and who might need familiar materials, smell, or colors to settle.
Sensory play and touch are integral to normal development as a baby develops. Some studies Trusted Source The importance of touch in development | NCBI Developmental delay is common in children deprived of normal sensory stimulation – for example, in premature neonates and some institutionalized children. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov have shown that without touch and normal sensory stimulation, babies can experience a developmental delay. While loveys are not the entirety of the necessary sensory play and touch babies need, they can help. The soft textures and details for exploring, such as taglets, can help babies to explore touch safely.
Lastly, loveys can be great for teething babies. If they have details like tied knot corners, babies, who tend to start teething around 6 months Trusted Source Baby teething symptoms | NHS Teething symptoms, including when babies get their teeth, what order they appear in, and how to make teething easier. www.nhs.uk , they can be a great comfort for children who are experiencing the frustration and pain associated with this normal part of growing.
To help you choose the very best lovey for your baby, take a look at all these important factors, including materials, texture, and durability, to help you understand what to consider as you browse:
Products like the Bashful Beige Bunny soother are made from polyester. This is a very affordable material, and this particular product is labeled as safe under European toy standards. However, some people don’t like polyester because of the chemicals that it releases, such as phthalates. If this is something that you want to avoid, look for BPA and phthalate-free products, like the Pro Goleem Fox, which is polyester but has these specifications. Alternatively, avoid polyester and look for products like the Burt’s Bees Baby Bee lovey, all-cotton outer.
Some loveys have a silky frame, which can be extra soft and appealing for babies to touch, while others, like the Little Giraffe Luxe Snow Leopard blanky, rely on a super soft surface. You will also see materials like cotton, minky, towel, and satin listed as descriptions for the softness of the product. Usually, the materials all tend to feel the same if they are fluffy or fleecy, and it is, in fact, the durability, which we mention below, that influences how soft it stays.
The only material type that might make the lovey less soft is a smooth side. This means that there will be a difference in feel between the two sides, but this could be appealing to a baby as it helps them explore the difference in textures.
Some products can be thrown in the wash with other items, and they will wash out fine. However, some loveys, like the Little Giraffe Luxe Snow Leopard blanky, need to be cold washed, which can be an issue if you want to be able to wash the item on a hotter cycle. Note that water over 149 degrees Fahrenheit kills bacteria, so if you can’t wash your lovey at that temperature or above, and that is very important to you, you may want to move on to another product.
Another consideration to make is the way that the item washes out. Some customers reported that some of the loveys we listed did not feel as soft after washing. Your baby may not mind the change in texture (especially if they are attached), but it’s worth considering if you want it to stay softer for longer.
Products like the Carters Unicorn (see similar options on Amazon) and the John Deere Cow (see similar options on Amazon) are plushie loveys that are likely to catch a baby’s eye and appeal to them visually. Others, like the Little Giraffe Luxe blanky, are designed to be soft and snuggly alone, so feel is the most important aspect of products like that. If you want a product that encourages exploration, the Baby Sense security blanket (see similar options on Amazon) with taglets is ideal. It works particularly well for babies who are just starting to pull and touch.
Do keep in mind that plushie loveys tend to center the plushie in the middle, so the overall size is around that central soft toy. Those products tend to be more like toys than blankets.
The Little Giraffe Luxe Snow Leopard blanky is an excellent choice if you want something more like a blanket. Overall, though, comforters do tend to be anything between 10-16 inches squared and are not designed to be a blanket, as much as they are designed to be a comfortable snuggle pal for a baby.
The durability of a lovey is both the way it stands up to a baby playing with it and how it stands up to the washing machine. Any lovey should be designed well enough to withstand general play. However, some loveys, especially plushies, may come apart for more interaction like pulling and suckling. For that reason, if that is how you hope your baby will interact with the product, it is essential to check it is well made and has strong seams.
It is also important to be aware babies will naturally suck on any pointy edges like knots, unicorn horns, ears, or cow horns. With that in mind, the product has to be well made to withstand that happening without the stuffing coming out and causing a problem.
If you are giving the lovey as a gift, products like the Little Giraffe Snow Leopard, Burt’s Bee, and Jellycat Bunny are ideal for showers where the parents don’t yet know the sex of the baby. They also work with parents who express a more gender-neutral theme for child-raising overall.
In terms of your own baby, items that are brightly colored could be quite jarring if they don’t fit the theme of a nursery. You may not mind, but if you want everything matching, consider if items like the Pro Goleem Fox or John Deere Cow (see similar options on Amazon) are going to match your other items. If you are undecided on a nursery, as above, more neutral, cute items that will generally go in any baby nursery are a better idea.
Products like the Jellycat Bunny are exceptional value at a really great price, so if you do want a budget item, the lovey will be great short term but may need replacing at some point. However, if you do want to pay more, products like the Little Giraffe Luxe Snow Leopard blanky offer a more premium, super soft feel. A higher price often buys nicer finishing, so it is worth checking the care instructions to keep it looking good for longer.
Of all the security blankets for baby products we listed, we love the Best Lovey for Baby Boy – the John Deere Cow (see similar options on Amazon) lovey – the Editors Choice – Pro Goleem Fox, and the Best Budget product – Jellycat Bashful Bunny – the most.
The Jellycat Bunny is unbeatable for value at such a fantastic price, the Pro Goleem Fox is bright, well made, and tactile, and the John Deere (see similar options on Amazon) is really unique in how it looks, which makes it stand out as a fantastic gift, especially for baby boys.
Those are our favorites, but which is yours? Hopefully, our recommendations and buying guide have helped you feel confident in choosing the perfect product for your needs. With the best baby lovey, you can be sure that they will have a snuggle buddy for life, which is a truly fantastic gift.
