Very Quick
"Hand washing is the only way to clean this toy, which is fine, however, once you hand wash it you will notice the white is not really as white anymore because of the, what I assume are flexible metal pieces or plastic pieces inside the wings - they leave "strips" of dingy coloring."
"One of the upper wings has a flap with what seems like eyeball holes for your child to look through and when you Lift the flap it is a plastic mirror that seems very durable."
"It is amazing to me how many features have been packed into this firefly: different colors, textures, a mirror, a squeaker, a teether and crinkly wings, not to mention a handy clip to attach him to almost anything (playmat, stroller, bouncer chair, diaper bag)."
"The wings are made of crinkly fabric, and it comes with an internal rattle, a squeaker on one wing, a mirror on another wing, and two plastic rings on the bottom so your baby can yank on the butterfly and gnaw on the rings to his heart's content."
"Now, he'll occasionally put a wing into his mouth, too (he's starting to explore things with his mouth)-- but, the rings and pocketed plastic piece are too hard I think for him to derive much chewing satisfaction at this point since he has no teeth."
"The eyes are cloth which is great and the red teething medallion tucked into the pocket is large enough so as not to pose a choking hazard to a child and is soft enough to make their gums feel better while they're teething."
"When the baby starts teething, there is a teether inside a pocket on one of the wings for her to chew on, even though the whole toy can be chewed on for teething purposes."
Lamaze Freddie The Firefly (Click to Compare Deals)
Quick
"She is now 6 months old and it is still a pretty big toy when it is on her in her car seat, but she loves the crinkle sounds it's wings make, loves chewing on the antennae and the rings (mainly the white one)... Hand washing is the only way to clean this toy, which is fine, however, once you hand wash it you will notice the white is not really as white anymore because of the, what I assume are flexible metal pieces or plastic pieces inside the wings - they leave "strips" of dingy coloring... Lamaze Captain Calamari has been laying around for as long as Freddie # 1 and is just now receiving a tiny bit of interest (nominal), Lamaze Tug & Play Knot - having some success after a few months of dangling in front of her, and Lamaze Flutterbug - well, she is getting a little bitty bit of interest in this one when nothing else is around."
"One of the upper wings has a flap with what seems like eyeball holes for your child to look through and when you Lift the flap it is a plastic mirror that seems very durable... There is a pocket in one of the bottom wings that holds a tethered teething ring in it... There are 3 little flaps of fabric on the inside of the top right wing that are all just different textured flaps."
"* Little did I know when ordering Freddie (with some misgivings that a plush toy would cost around eleven dollars) that he would become an indispensable part of our world... She started out really liking his black and white side, but now also enjoys his colorful one. It is amazing to me how many features have been packed into this firefly: different colors, textures, a mirror, a squeaker, a teether and crinkly wings, not to mention a handy clip to attach him to almost anything (playmat, stroller, bouncer chair, diaper bag)."
"The back of the butterfly is in graphic blacks and whites, which really worked for my 2 month old (at the time) since he was mesmerized by the black and white patterns until he got old enough and his vision improved enough to appreciate bright colors too... The wings are made of crinkly fabric, and it comes with an internal rattle, a squeaker on one wing, a mirror on another wing, and two plastic rings on the bottom so your baby can yank on the butterfly and gnaw on the rings to his heart's content. Somewhat negatives: The hook is pretty thick and sturdy (which is a good thing) but it makes the toy not all that "Take Along" as the hook makes it nearly impossible to hang it on the carseat handle..."
"But, aside from those drawbacks (which are likely more a function of where he is developmentally), my baby's firefly is easy to bring along and can keep him occupied through a long meal or drive... Now, he'll occasionally put a wing into his mouth, too (he's starting to explore things with his mouth)-- but, the rings and pocketed plastic piece are too hard I think for him to derive much chewing satisfaction at this point since he has no teeth. I like the white hanging ring at the top of the toy-- it's big enough in circumference that I can hang it from the carrying handle on his car seat or on the other thick bars on his stroller without having to use a separate link."
"I then examined the wings and discovered 4 strips of stiff plastic with sharp edges that can poke through the material on the wings and would seriously hurt a child's gums... The outside coating of the mirror is soft and can easily be peeled off and I wouldn't want a child sucking on it or chewing it, especially a child who's teething. The eyes are cloth which is great and the red teething medallion tucked into the pocket is large enough so as not to pose a choking hazard to a child and is soft enough to make their gums feel better while they're teething."
"As the baby gets older and starts reaching for things, the crinkly wings are really fun to play with... When the baby starts teething, there is a teether inside a pocket on one of the wings for her to chew on, even though the whole toy can be chewed on for teething purposes... Another wing has a squeaky ball that you can press to get the baby's attention when she's crying."
Less Quick
"She is now 6 months old and it is still a pretty big toy when it is on her in her car seat, but she loves the crinkle sounds it's wings make, loves chewing on the antennae and the rings (mainly the white one). She has not gotten into the squeaky on the wing and not so much so with the ladybug bite plate, Just loves gnawing on the head, wings and white clip... Hand washing is the only way to clean this toy, which is fine, however, once you hand wash it you will notice the white is not really as white anymore because of the, what I assume are flexible metal pieces or plastic pieces inside the wings - they leave "strips" of dingy coloring... So, Freddie #2 arrives and as I am cutting the little plastic tag strip to remove him from the cardboard, once free, I notice a pretty significant sized hole where the plastic strip had been - which was close to the seam on Freddie's head... Also, we paid about $ 3 more for Freddie #2 for some reason, although both were purchased on Amazon within months of each other. Bottom line, Freddie the Firefly has been an amazing toy for our daughter and I highly recommend him - since others have failed. Lamaze Captain Calamari has been laying around for as long as Freddie # 1 and is just now receiving a tiny bit of interest (nominal), Lamaze Tug & Play Knot - having some success after a few months of dangling in front of her, and Lamaze Flutterbug - well, she is getting a little bitty bit of interest in this one when nothing else is around."
"Let me start with the fact that i always pay full price and no one has asked me for this review, i just thought this one needed one and you and your little bundle of joy would really appreciate it... There are features that you may not realize this toy has so I will try to break them down for you 1 by 1... The legs are tied in knots to create a hard feeling against the soft body (even though they are fabric) giving your little one a new sensation... One of the upper wings has a flap with what seems like eyeball holes for your child to look through and when you Lift the flap it is a plastic mirror that seems very durable... There is a pocket in one of the bottom wings that holds a tethered teething ring in it... There are 3 little flaps of fabric on the inside of the top right wing that are all just different textured flaps. Obviously they didn't have to add that but there fact that they did speaks volumes about the integrity and quality this company stands behind."
"* Little did I know when ordering Freddie (with some misgivings that a plush toy would cost around eleven dollars) that he would become an indispensable part of our world. I read all the rave reviews, thought they were probably a little over the top, but figured I'd give him a shot. Since our baby has been two weeks old she has been captivated by Freddie. She started out really liking his black and white side, but now also enjoys his colorful one. It is amazing to me how many features have been packed into this firefly: different colors, textures, a mirror, a squeaker, a teether and crinkly wings, not to mention a handy clip to attach him to almost anything (playmat, stroller, bouncer chair, diaper bag)... That being said, I've read several reviews stating that Freddie has survived the washing machine AND dryer, so maybe washing by hand isn't an absolute must... I've even ordered a back up Freddie so he can be in the car with us at all times."
"* I bought this when my son was two months old, based on "Top Ten Best Toys for Infants" lists, and I can really see why this is consistently at the top of those lists! This toy is large, about a foot long, and is made of a multitude of different brightly colored and textured fabrics for sensory play. The back of the butterfly is in graphic blacks and whites, which really worked for my 2 month old (at the time) since he was mesmerized by the black and white patterns until he got old enough and his vision improved enough to appreciate bright colors too... The wings are made of crinkly fabric, and it comes with an internal rattle, a squeaker on one wing, a mirror on another wing, and two plastic rings on the bottom so your baby can yank on the butterfly and gnaw on the rings to his heart's content. Somewhat negatives: The hook is pretty thick and sturdy (which is a good thing) but it makes the toy not all that "Take Along" as the hook makes it nearly impossible to hang it on the carseat handle..... Also the toy is a bit heavy and large so you DO have to hang it on something so the baby can play with it, so pairing it with a play-yard of some kind with an overhead arch is almost required... Now my son is six months old, and he still gets hours of playtime out of this butterfly."
"* My 5 month old really likes this toy. He's not strong enough to squeeze the "squeaker" on it yet (but I can use it to distract him just fine)... But, aside from those drawbacks (which are likely more a function of where he is developmentally), my baby's firefly is easy to bring along and can keep him occupied through a long meal or drive. Starting at 4 mos old (when we purchased it), my baby was mostly able to just shake the toy and crinkle the firefly's wings for the sound it made. Now, he'll occasionally put a wing into his mouth, too (he's starting to explore things with his mouth)-- but, the rings and pocketed plastic piece are too hard I think for him to derive much chewing satisfaction at this point since he has no teeth. I like the white hanging ring at the top of the toy-- it's big enough in circumference that I can hang it from the carrying handle on his car seat or on the other thick bars on his stroller without having to use a separate link... I'm pretty confident the firefly will become more exciting for my baby once he gets a little more dexterous."
"* I love this toy but it isn't safe for a child who puts everything in it's mouth...... I then examined the wings and discovered 4 strips of stiff plastic with sharp edges that can poke through the material on the wings and would seriously hurt a child's gums... I then stitched around the flap that goes over the mirror because the mirror isn't soft and wouldn't be comfortable if the child bit down on it... The outside coating of the mirror is soft and can easily be peeled off and I wouldn't want a child sucking on it or chewing it, especially a child who's teething. The eyes are cloth which is great and the red teething medallion tucked into the pocket is large enough so as not to pose a choking hazard to a child and is soft enough to make their gums feel better while they're teething... I left the rings at the base of the firefly intact since, although they're not as soft as the teething ring, they can't pose a problem to a child... The colors are phenomenal, the expression on the firefly is delightful and I really love this toy and my nephew, which is why I made these adjustments."
"The back of the toy has bold black and white stripes that stimulate a newborn's vision. As the baby gets older and starts reaching for things, the crinkly wings are really fun to play with... When the baby starts teething, there is a teether inside a pocket on one of the wings for her to chew on, even though the whole toy can be chewed on for teething purposes. My baby likes to chew on the ring hanging from the bottom as well. When baby learns about peek-a-boo, there's a little mirror behind a flap on another one of the wings. Another wing has a squeaky ball that you can press to get the baby's attention when she's crying... It keeps her busy in a long car ride, especially if I make the firefly "fly" around."
