"When my firstborn son hit the teething age I was determined not to fall for the Sophie hype. I seemed to notice every Manhattan baby in their posh ergonomic stroller riding through the streets of NYC while chomping on Sophie the Giraffe. I would groan whenever I saw Sophie in the hands of yet another babe as I was sure she was just an overpriced baby fashion accessory and I thus, became the quintessential Sophie hater. To me, Sophie resembled an overpriced puppy dog toy with a bad paint job that was more suitable for a 7 lb Pomeranian dog as opposed to my baby. And whenever I heard babies pass by me on the street while squeezing Sophie to make her squeak she only seemed to be that much more of a glorified puppy dog toy scam that was aimed at self conscious striving yuppie urban parents. Thus, I suffered without Sophie at my disposal as my son slurped on other teething toys with little relief when he suffered through his uncomfortable teething phases. Fast forward another few years and I was still quite anti-Sophie when my second child was born. But her teething was so bad that I was determined to give anything a try to provide her with relief - including the hated and possibly over hyped Sophie. In fact, I distinctly remember grumbling to myself as I was purchasing her on amazon with the thought that I was spending over $20 (and about $19 too much) on what was tantamount to a squeaky looking plastic toy teether more suitable for the canine species. Yet, I will fully admit that my cynicism about Sophie started to wane the moment that Sophie arrived looking cheerful in her pleasantly designed packaging. And once I took her out of her peppy package and ran my fingers over her spots and looked closely at her little face that smiled right back at me, I thought to myself ....well, she is actually ... (dare I say it)....cute! Then I handed Sophie to my teething daughter for the true test of her value and lo and behold my daughter took one look at Sophie's face and giggled, then licked her horns and promptly started chomping on her head. And once my baby daughter figured out that Sophie not only felt good on her gums but also squeaked, she was truly in love with her. Since then my daughter has spent countless hours gnawing on Sophie and squeezing her to make her squeak. She started referring to Sophie as 'E' and would scream and motion for her whenever she saw Sophie sitting on the shelf at home. I must mention though that the only reason that I am not giving Sophie 5 stars is because my daughter once managed to get one of Sophie's legs stuffed down towards her throat and she gagged pretty violently. After that, I never left Sophie alone with my daughter at all, Instead, after this happened, I was even more careful to only give Sophie to her when I was holding my daughter or playing close attention to my daughter as she used Sophie for teething, to ensure that my daughter didn't push Sophie's legs down her throat. Since I never really left my daughter as an infant alone with toys anyways, it wasn't that big of a deal for me and it didn't keep her from using Sophie frequently. So, the moral of the story is that the infamous Sophie the Giraffe teether has won over another hardened skeptic. I tried to resist her but her powers are too strong and although you may try to resist her too, before you know it Sophie's magical powers will be causing you to shell out $20 so that your child too can join the other cool kids at the playground and carry Sophie around as the fashionable must have baby/pseudo dog toy, teether that she is. In all seriousness, I would definitely buy Sophie again as a gift for another expecting mom and I have had no problems with her spots coming off despite the amount of teething that my daughter used her for. I would, however, recommend getting a Sophie 'leash' because babies love to throw Sophie like a launched missile out of their strollers and you will be cursing yourself for not buying her a leash to secure her to your stroller when you lose her on a walk and then have to spend yet another $20 for a replacement Sophie! You can find a Sophie leash here TutimNYC Pacifier Clip Toy Sitter Teether Keeper for Vulli Sophie the Giraffe - Pink Waves ..or at a website with the name Betsy, minus the B. With that said, happy teething!"
"Yes, I am essentially writing a love letter to a rubber squeaky Giraffe. There are a few things my baby and I use everyday, and would be a little lost without. Sophie is one of those things. I am a new mom, and one of those people that has to read every review and weight out all of the pros and cons, so I knew what to expect from Sophie before we received her. The Cons: She is basically a dog toy. Some people were concerned she might be a choking hazard(?). The squeaker stops working if you get it wet. She smells like natural rubber. Some children are not interested in her. Sometimes the spots can start to wear off. She is not cheap. This toy has been on the market for over 50 years and is considered safe, so that addresses the possible choking hazard issue, and the other complaints are open to individual interpretation. Despite the price tag we decided to give Sophie a chance. I am so glad we did. So now here is the love letter part. Dear Sophie, We love you, you french vixen! The first day I took you out of the box and washed you(keeping a finger over the squeaker!), I found that you were constructed better than expected. Sturdy, durable, slightly textured, soft rubber. You are BPA, PVC, and Phthalate free. SAFE!!! Your spots and large eyes were very attractive! Your rubber smell was definitely noticeable, but it wasn't a bad smell, its kind of sweet. I actually liked it(the smell has faded)and my son seems to like it too. I showed you to my three month old, and gave you a squeak. The rest is history. His face lit up with immediate interest. His other teething toys are heavy, hard to hold onto, and frustrating because he can't get them all the way into his mouth for a really satisfying chew. You Sophie however, are light weight, flexible, and have a nice shape making you easy to hold on to. My son can chew on your soft legs and head for hours without hurting his sensitive little gums. He easily passes you from hand to hand, and actively works to pick you up once he has droped you. You are also the only toy he can squeak on his own, making you even more appealing. What's not to love? When my son is given a choice between toys you win out every time, and are never more than a few feet away. You are easy to clean(a wet cloth or wipe is all it takes), durable, and highly entertaining. On more than one occasion in public(several restaurants, 2 holidays at the in-laws, a movie theater, the Borders Cafe last night, ect., ect., ect.) a level ten melt down has been avoided by your sudden appearance and friendly squeak. In fact we just purchased a back up so you can be at home and in the diaper bag, because we would be in trouble if we lost you. Thanks for being so great Sophie, and looking forward to many more adventures together. <3 <3 <3"
"After 3 years of Sophie ownership, I finally feel pretty qualified to give an accurate review. Right out of the box I fell in love with it, but my son did not. I attribute this to him being a little too young (2 months old). When he hit the teething stage though, he wanted nothing but Sophie. She is very soft which I think helped contribute to his favoritism (along with the rewarding squeak she makes). She reminds me of the vintage toys of my mom's I used to play with when I was growing up. I read some reviews about people's children chewing right through this. Unless you have a little vampire, I can't see how this is possible. Granted, the material is thin but ours has held up all of this time. I also read a review about its legs being a choking hazard. As with any toy you need to always supervise your young child. There is no way your child is going to choke on this thing if you are there to supervise. The legs that stick out are attached to a GIANT body that you can pull away from your infant/toddler quickly and guess what? When you pull on the body, the legs come with it. My son is now over 3 years old and Sophie is still his favorite toy. She has enjoyed family vacations, joined us at the dinner table (putting in more than her share of high chair time), endured a hospital visit, gone to the beach, played in the sand, gone camping, to sleep-overs, is a must-have at bedtime and she is still going strong. Most of her spots have faded/disappeared now which is no wonder considering all she has been through and that the dye used is natural. She has payed for herself a million times over and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase her again. $18 is nothing compared to the excellent companionship she has given for years. One note of advice if you want the squeaker to last.....be very careful not to get water into the squeaker when you are cleaning it. If you do, let it dry thoroughly before letting your little one play with it. Ours still works, but I can see where the squeaker would get ruined if you get too much water in it. I guess your happiness with Sophie will depend on: 1) your expectations of it and 2) your child's feelings towards it. I can't guarantee that your child is going to take to Sophie like mine did. Because of all the hype with this toy, please do not expect it to be the be-all-end-all in children's playthings. Take it at face value. It's an adorable squeaky giraffe with a big smile on her face. Do not expect it to "babysit" your child or stun them with too many lights and loud noises. It doesn't require batteries, just imagination. Something kids today could probably use more of."
"Both my kids love Sophie my 6 month old daughter and my almost 4 year old son. It is so worth the money, with our next child we will buy another so they they have their own as well. Children love this toy and have for years. I wanted to address some of the things in other reviews though as well, specifically those that have given horrible reviews of Sophie. First off she is pricey for a few reasons. First off she is made in France and therefore has to be imported to the US for sale. Secondly since it is BPA free and made of natural rubber and food safe dye the cost of making the product so that it is safe for our little ones is higher. The other thing I wanted to address was those reviews talking about it being dangerous. You shouldn't be leaving a infant or a child under the age of 2 maybe even 3 unattended at any time no matter what they are playing with or what they are doing, your just asking for something potentially bad to happen if you do. I don't care if they are in a jumper, play pen or anything else infants and young toddlers should always be supervised. I don't think those reviews even took place because Sophie's legs are not long enough to do what the reviews state, gag a child maybe but they can gag on their own fingers, choke a child to turn blue no not at all. Also Sophie has been around for over forty years I had one as a child and so did my mother. If it was not safe for children to have the company would have been told that they could not sell them a long time ago. In fact it has only been recently that Sophie is even available in the states my mom got hers while her dad was stationed in France and my grandfather bought mine in France as well because she was not available in the states. As far as being a glorified dog toy. Far from it, yes it is made from rubber like a lot of dog toys but thats where the similarities end. Yes she has a squeaker but she is not the only baby toy that squeaks nor will she be the last. Babies are stimulated by the noise and love it, its enriches them. You can go to walmart or target go to the baby section and I can guarantee you that you will find toys the squeak. Yes, the paint does come off over time and that is because of the natural paint they use. I would rather the toy dull and know its safe for my children to chew on then have a toy comtaminated with lead that they are chewing on and you never knowing that lead is in said toy. Over all she is a great toy for any child and it will last for many years. My neice is using the one my brother bought my nephew ten years ago, they last and are well worth the cost despite what you may think."
"I saw these a while back. I was looking for safe toys for my daughter, who at the time, was still baking in my wife's tummy. I remember looking at the pricey chew toy, wondering how I'd keep it from my dogs. Furthermore, I wondered what made it so special. Now that I have it, to be honest with you, I still don't completely know what makes it so special. It's a dog chew toy essentially. It's not quite the same material as you'll find most dog toys to be. In fact, I'm sure if I actually gave this to my dogs, it wouldn't last more than a minute or two at best. The other difference that I've noticed is the sensitivity of the squeaker in this thing. You can't hardly touch it without making it squeak. If dog toys were like that, my dogs wouldn't have them! If I had to guess, I'd say that's what makes this worth the price to so many people... For one, the sensitivity of the squeaker means that children can quickly learn that if they squeeze, it squeaks. That sounds obvious to adults, but to babies, they're new to this world and they're just soaking stuff up like a sponge. My daughter could squeak this thing at 2 months or so. That's pretty sensitive. She knows how to squeak it. That means learning has occurred, and that makes me happy. As to being soft, we've got several other baby toys but nothing is this soft. I think that's another thing that draws babies and toddlers to this toy. When you combine the softness of Sophie with the sensitivity of the squeaker, the truth is, you've got yourself a winner in the baby toy department. Oh yeah, and it's safe and non-toxic!? That should be a standard, but unfortunately it's not always the case. So I guess I really do like Sophie and I kind of understand why to some extent... The reason for 3 stars vice 4 or 5? Simple. I do like Sophie, and maybe I even love Sophie, but I just think Sophie is a little pricey for what she is, and as some other reviewers on here have made clear, every baby decides on their own which toys they like. So no baby toy will have perfect reviews, because how can you give a baby toy 5 stars if your baby doesn't like it? My baby likes it, and there is a good chance yours will too. It's possible they won't though, so factor that in before you make the purchase. Personally, I had a gift card to use, and I'd been thinking about this, but struggling with the high price for a chew toy concept. I splurged and I don't regret it. That's just my two cents."
"Amazon got me with this teether. I had bought something else and found a link to the most popular baby items on Amazon. Sophie was number 1 - I saw all the great reviews and decided to purchase (never having heard of this teether before). After using for 2 months (for my 5 month old) I have the following good and not so good comments. Starting with the good. The teether is made of nice rubber. I can see and hear my baby's satisfaction chewing it. It rubs nicely against his gums unlike any other teether we have. It also has a nice earthly smell and it's soft and easily compressible. It also has many different shapes, the tiny ears and horns, long neck and long legs are all great at fitting in my sons mouth in different ways so he can find what soothes him best. I like the squeak (some said it sounds like a dog toy), but it gets my sons attention and he seems surprised and happy whenever it squeaks. I also like that it is made out of safe materials (natural rubber and food grade paint). Now for the not so good. When washing sometimes I get water in the small hole in the back (and sometimes drool gets in there too). It does eventually air out but it has crossed my mind that maybe mold could grow? But I'm not sure and haven't noticed any funky smells yet. I found if I wash/rinse holding upright the water stays out of the hole and the squeak returns. In addition, some of the paint has started cracking on the tips of the ears and the feet. And my last complaint and one that makes me the most nervous is that the long legs are easily movable and it has crossed my mind that he could potentially stick one in his mouth too far and choke/gag. When this thought came to me I looked on Amazon at reviews and low and behold many have experienced this. Since then I only let him chew on the teether when I am right next to him or holding him in my lap. As scary as this is this is not a deal breaker for me since the unique rubber is so satisfying for my son to chew on, I just have to be diligent watching him. Hope this helps! All in all I recommend Sophie."
"Drool! Drool! And more Drool! You know what time it is? Time for teeth and more drool! At first sight I thought to myself that this giraffe looks irritating with the kind of face you just wanna punch. I guess that's exactly why our daughter 3.5 months with two front teeth loves Sophie! If you precious bundle of joy is experiencing the added irritation of getting their teeth then get them Sophie. I always read reviews before I order things from Amazon, and I read reviews that said things like "DOG TOY" "BAD SMELL" "DOTS COMING OFF" and a whole bunch of other stuff, and almost passed up on Sophie. NOT TRUE! Get Sophie! She's so cute and I no longer wanna punch her face in because she helps my daughter so much and now I see Sophie as a Saint! Saint Sophie! Sophie is in great shape! Not only is she slim and fit but she is also extremely easy for baby to hold! After taking Sophie out of her house...I mean box and washing her well my wife handed her to our daughter and right away she could hold Sophie and chomp on her neck like a vampire! Really! It was so spontaneous! It's like our daughter was pre programed to know exactly what Sophie was there for! Now she has moved on and taken more interest in gnawing on Sophie's legs, sometimes she even has fits about chewing on her snout! The best part about this is that she feels better when she's chewing on Sophie kind of like when a Lion is chewing on a giraffe in Africa. I wouldn't wait to get Sophie especially if your baby is irritated all the time because their teeth is starting to protrude. Next time your baby starts to cry and get fussy look at Sophies face and if you feel like punching her in the nose BUY Sophie! I would also recommend getting the Fisher Price Seahorse with the glowing belly!!"
