REVIEW: Doodle Darlings

Background

Doodle Darlings are a new series of plush animals targeted primarily towards children, but collectors will enjoy them as well. Artist Megan Kochanski states that “a simple doodle for my darling little girl brought Doodle Darlings to life”. Currently there are four different animal characters: Snap Dragon – a dinosaur; Laurie – a lion; Bramble – a bunny; Honey Suckle – a horse. There are also 100% organic cotton onesies featuring illustrated versions of all of the characters available.

The Facts  

Doodle Darlings
Series: Doodle Darlings
Manufacturer: Doodle Darlings
Artist: Megan Kochanski
Material: Plush
Dimensions: From 6" to 8" tall
Designs: Snap Dragon (Dinosaur), Laurie (Lion), Bramble (Bunny), and Honey Suckle (Horse)

Tag

The tags on the Doodle Darlings line are very simple. One one side, they have the Doodle Darlings logo. On the other side, they have the name of the character. Since these are definitely marketed towards youngsters...those tags will probably be cut off by mom or dad as soon as they get them.

Our Opinion

I always test out plush toys with my son. While he's only 16 months old, he has a good grasp of what he likes in a stuffed animal. He likes to grab all four Doodle Darlings and throw them up in the air...and then bury his face in them.

I think I know why. It's because they are super soft. The stuffing is on the softer side, but it's the plush material that makes these very soft. The stitching on these is fine. I didn't see many stray strings and now open seams.

I like the characters chosen and the fact that they look like the doodles. But I think the illustrated character should be on the swing tag. It would give me a connection to the Doodle.

As far as a favorite Doodle Darling, I'm going with Honey Suckle the horse. There are three people in my house, and each one of us chose a different favorite.

They sell for $8.88 each, which is about what I would have expected for factory produced plushies of this size. And 10% of your purchase will be donated to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Overall, I think the Doodle Darlings can go in one of two directions. If they want to simply keep it for the kid, what they are doing is great. But if they want to appeal to the collector community, I think pushing the artist (Megan Kochanski) and the doodles behind the characters is important.

You can pick one up at the following:

DoodleDarlings.com: $8.88 ea. (Onesies - $17.00 ea.)

Doodle Darlings Grades

Plush Quality: 8/10
Stitching: 8/10
Material: 9/10
Softness: 8/10
Packaging/Tag: 4/10
Cuteness: 8/10
Fun Factor: 8/10
Value: 9/10