At a glance:
Make way for Gertie the Good Goose – one of the most adorable teethers on the market. Our mum loved Gertie’s cute look, and how easy he was to find in the car seat or pushchair. Be warned – you can’t sterilise or clean Gertie with alcohol-based wipes as his colours will run.
What they say:
“Gertie the Good Goose came to life as The Original Toy Corp. recognised the need for 100% safe, all-natural baby toys. Gertie has been expertly sized to fit perfectly in babies' hands and to soothe tender gums. Your baby's teething phase may be a long, and potentially difficult, time to manage. Gertie can lend her feet, her tail feathers, and her beak to your baby for pain relief and often even giggles. Gertie has a lovely quack (more of a squeak) that your baby will soon identify as their special toy's magical sound. She is soft to the touch, has a slight vanilla scent, and has contrasting colours for a quick and easy visual focus. Gertie is soft and light, and the simple contours make her incredibly easy for your baby to grasp and manipulate freely. Guard your Gertie carefully; other babies will attempt to snatch her from her proud little owner.”
Tested by mum Charlotte Sibson for the Mother & Baby Awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I think Gertie is easily held by little hands, either by the neck or the feet, and is visually appealing to babies. Gertie has a 'face', which always appeals to my little one, and makes noises - a bonus for any baby! It looks different to other teethers on the market and is big enough to easily find in a pushchair or car seat.
How did the product make your life easier?
We've had Gertie for about a week and my daughter loved her straight away! She giggles and gurlges with Gertie all the time. Because Gertie has a face and eyes she seems to connect with it a lot more than generic shaped teethers, and she actively reaches for her all the time. It is perfect for her to hold in her little hands - mainly around Gertie's neck, and she loves a good chomp on Gertie's beak and feet. The little squeak Gertie makes really gets my little girl's attention. She has struggled with teething pain these last few days and this really seems to be helping her!
Would you choose this product to win?
I like that Gertie has a little squeak, which is really good at attracting your little one’s attention. My daughter loves to play hide and seek with Gertie, so it acts as both a teether and a toy in one. The beak is excellent for the front teeth and babies can fit Gertie's feet in their mouths to help with teething pain from the back teeth as well.
What changes would you make to the product?
The instructions are to wipe Gertie with a damp cloth and not submerge in water or wipe with an alcohol-based wipe, as it will cause the vegetable paint to run. I would prefer to be able to wipe Gertie with a sterilised wipe, as toys are often dropped on floors whilst we are out and about and I like to make sure her chewable toys are clean.
Tested by mum Amy Attfield for the Mother & Baby Awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Yes! Gertie is great for babies to play with and chew. It is small enough to fit in my little boy’s baby bag and keeps him entertained for a while. It is very durable and easy to clean with a sterilised wipe, and is ergonomically correct, so is easy for my son to pick up and hold.
How did this product make your life easier?
Gertie makes my life easier as my son loves to put everything in his mouth due to teething, and it puts my mind at rest knowing that Gertie is 100% safe for him to chew without the worry of him gnawing through the toy. The fact that it is made from all natural materials makes me very happy, as I know some plastics can be hazardous.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose Gertie above other products because of the natural materials used to make it, as well as knowing it is 100% safe for my son to chew. The vanilla scent is also very appealing rather than the normal rubbery scent some other teethers can have. My son does favour his Sophie the Giraffe, but I think that is more due to the fact he has had it since birth and we only received Gertie a couple of weeks ago.
What changes would you make to this product?
If there were one thing I could change, it would be that Gertie had a few extra areas to chew, as my son only chews its beak or feet. If the wings were set away from the body or if the feet were separated it would give babies the extra options for more chewable and squeak-able areas, and therefore keep them entertained for longer.
Tested my mum Gina Ward for the Mother & Baby Awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would recommend this product mainly because of its high quality of materials and finish. The product has a tactile feel, and smells pleasant with the vegetable based paints giving reassurance of safety. The smooth surface is easy to keep clean with a quick wipe, plus, it looks really cute!
How did this product make your life easier?
It is a quality product that I feel confident leaving my little girl to chew away on when she is teething. There are lots of different sized bits to chew on and it has an appealing look with a small squeak when pressed, meaning my baby was immediately attracted to Gertie and didn't lose interest easily.
Would you choose this product to win?
The appearance of this teething toy looks a lot more appealing than the other market leaders. Its ergonomic design leads to a natural ease of use, and the orange bill and feet help baby to easily find the best, most chewable bits! The stand out features are the all-natural materials used to make it and the vegetable based paint which, given it is designed to be in my baby's mouth, greatly reassure me as a mum.
What changes would you make to this product?
It would be hard to improve on the design, as the simplicity of it is one of the most attractive features. It would be nice to have an anchor point somewhere on the body so I would be able to attach it to my pushchair, like a dummy style clip. This would prevent it being dropped on the dirty floor when out and about or it getting lost.
Tested by mum Alexandria Sideso-Felix for the Mother & Baby Awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
I would and have recommended the product to other mums, and genuinely believe it works wonders. Being a first-time mum, I often look to others for advice on how to help with teething pain. Since receiving this toy, I'm now giving advice to mothers of two and three regarding what is the best toy to be used for teething discomfort due to its success with my son.
How did this product make your life easier?
This product has my life easier as, from the moment I received it, my son fell in love with Gertie. It’s helped reduce and alleviate some teething discomfort where other toys didn’t. My son is able to handle the toy with one hand and use it however he wishes with no issues whatsoever, with the combination of soft and hard plastics enabling him to use the various textures as a form of relief from itchy gums.
Would you choose this product to win?
I would choose the product over others on the market, as I have not had such great success with others as I have had with Gertie. Having spent money on quite a few teething toys, I haven’t found any that my son uses more and can enjoy playing with as much as Gertie. The simple design and usability makes this toy a valuable purchase.
What changes would you make to this product?
I would love more variety in color, but the simplicity in design really cannot be faulted. Gertie could possibly include wings or arms made of the same material as the beak and feet, which would add more elements to the product that may be appreciated by the babies or toddlers.
Tested by mum Sonal Salim for the Mother & Baby Awards 2018:
Would you recommend this to other mums?
Certainly! Gertie is a friendly looking design that is simple in its features and looks and feels completely safe for a baby to use. My baby did not take to the usual teething rings and hard plastic toys for teething, but as soon as I gave him Gertie he put the beak straight into his mouth and was very happy to chew on it!
How did this product make your life easier?
Gertie the Goose soothes my baby when his gums are itching, and when he needs to alleviate any teething pain. He didn’t seem to want to other teething toys for long, but Gertie is a friendly looking teether that attracts my baby’s attention really well. When my baby’s gums are bothering him and as a mother there is little I can do to physically help, Gertie seems to come to the rescue! I almost gave up with other teethers and thought none suited my baby, but thankfully he has taken to Gertie, and it’s relieving to know that he feels comfortable using it.
Would you choose this product to win?
I’ve used hard plastic teething toys, gel rings that can be cooled in the fridge and toys made out of soft textiles as teething aides, but none seemed to keep my baby’s attention. Gertie, however, is very soft and smooth to the touch, and due to its simple design, my baby didn’t need any help in figuring out how to use her. The fact that Gertie has no separate parts makes her easier to hold, and impossible to pull apart by accident. Gertie has also been made with eco-friendly materials and vegetable colouring, neither of which would harm a baby. This is a very important feature for any child that uses the product, and to me, makes it a winner!
What changes would you make to this product?
Although the packaging states that she has a slight vanilla scent, I couldn’t quite smell it. Instead, Gertie has a rubbery smell to her, which sometimes transfers onto your hands. Perhaps the vanilla scent could be stronger, or it could be of a neutral scent. It would also be good if Gertie came in other contrasting colours, like blue and white or green and white, so that children can have a choice of colours that may be more appealing to them.