Find out what our parent testers thought of Halilit Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals.
Tested by mum Brandi Jones for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I would definitely recommend Halilit Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals to other mums. This musical toy is adorable, its bright colours and choice of 3 designs are all fantastic. I really love all of the music clips (which is rare in baby toys), and I found them quite unique to other toys on the market. My 10-week-old girls were captivated by the light and were even able to pull the string to play more tunes. It's the first toy I've seen my babies interact with so it's a winner for me. Not only did the babies love it, but my 2-year-old also couldn't get enough of it.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The Halilit Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals entertained all 3 of my girls and I enjoyed watching them interact with it and listening to the music. It has a velcro strap to hang it from anywhere in reach and it's very well made. With the different options (soothing, play, light), the toy can be used during day and night. The night music and light is perfect for putting to bed with your baby.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
My only suggestion would be to add a proper white noise tune as I know most babies seem to respond best to this. Although it does have the heartbeat and nature sounds, I think a lot of people like the static white noise to send babies off to sleep and this seemed to be the only thing missing from this product.
Tested by mum Lisa Rumford for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
Halilit Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals had 2 modes for day and night which I liked although the day mode only had short melody lengths and my babies are too small to activate it themselves. The night mode was brilliant as my little boy loved the light and heart beat mode. My little girl liked the water mode. You can remove the light and music section so the toy can be cuddles and it can be hooked on a playgym or cot.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
Help soothe my newborn twins with night time melodies and the light and during the day soothed them if they were unsettled.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I think Halilit Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals is quite expensive for what it is and I am not sure I would pay £28.99 for it.
Tested by mum Erica Maddocks for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
It looks great with easy controls. However, the volume is too high even on the low setting. One of the calming noises has what sounds like a child moaning. To be honest it freaked me out the first time I heard it. The light is also very bright. It’s a shame because it has a great design in bold colours.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
I think it’s a case of each to their own with this item. Some babies may find the item calming but we have never had any success with items like these. Just a plain old mobile does the trick at a fraction of the cost.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
Lower the volume, make the light dimmer and change the sounds.
Tested by mum Lucy Evans for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I was very curious when this product arrived. Having a three-month-old child, sleep is a premium, so I was very pleased with the results after using. The product is a lovely design in the mould of an owl, with superb colours. It was very simple to use, and really did help settle my little one at bedtime. Its soft features and easy to use touch button makes it suitable for use by the child, and the music/sounds last long enough to settle the child to sleep.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The Taf Toys owl helped by settling my little one to sleep while I was busy putting my other older child to bed. Its soothing heartbeat sound worked perfectly allowing my little one to drift off to sleep on her own.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
Unfortunately, my husband and I found that the one music setting with a child voice attached was a little bit strange and I think the product would not suffer and still be very good if this was removed.
Tested by mum Candice Sharp for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
The Taf Toys Musical Sleepy Pals make a perfect addition to any nursery. I received the Owl to test, however there are other characters which are also very cute. The velcro fastening allows you to hang it from the cot and the musical string allows baby to activate it once they start reaching for things. It plays two pieces of music and also has soothing noises and a night light. It is soft to the touch and easily transportable.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It gives my daughter something to focus on and keep her entertained. My boys love turning on the music for her as it’s very easy to use. They even figured out how to change modes without me even showing them.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would like more of a variety of musical tunes that last a bit longer like the sound mode does.
Tested by mum Helen Robinson for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I would recommend this product to any new mum as it really is great. I loved it from the second it arrived, the features really surprised me and the design is lovely. I really like the fact that it will grow with my child and can be used in a number of different ways. The different tunes are great for different stages of growth, my newborn likes the heartbeat sound and settles well when this is played to him.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
This product really helps to settle my newborn, the heartbeat noise is great and the light is handy for night feeds. I love that this toy will grow with my baby, my 3 year old has shown an interest and has been playing with the baby with it. The light will make a great nightlight once the baby is older and I believe the sounds will continue to soothe him as he grows. I love how it can be attached to the side of the cot, this will be handy once baby is older.
Tested by mum Sarah Franklin for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This is a great comforter and I would thoroughly recommend this to any new mummy. The features on it are very good, the fact that you have 3 different settings are great. It really helps settle my little one when going to sleep. The instructions are easy to use and all 3 designs are lovely. As she gets older I also think she will enjoy playing with it, with the different things she can press and pull. A great product!
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
This comforter has made bedtimes much easier. I have used this on my second child who is a good sleeper, it has definitely helped establish a good bedtime routine. The night light is also a great feature for me as a parent waking in the night for feeds, meaning not having to turn the main light on. Fabulous product!
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The only thing I would change about this product is how bright the light is when it is on the night sounds, I think it could be softer as it does seem bright when trying to put little one down. The price is a little on the high side and if I was looking for a product of this calibre I wouldn't necessarily would have chosen it due to the price, but now knowing how good it has been I would thoroughly recommend it.
Tested by mum Ashleigh Kirkpatrick for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I loved that this product was completely soft. A lot of mobiles and musical toys are hard plastic that could potentially hurt a child if it fell or got pulled off a cot. This felt totally safe to have in a newborn’s cot. I liked that there were a choice of melodies and sounds and that they were different from any other musical toy I've seen. Great sound quality. Attached to cot easily and the nightlight was a perfect brightness.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The soothing nature sounds really settled my daughter as did the heartbeat sounds. Saved a lot of time me nursing her to sleep.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would have liked the melodies to play a bit longer before switching off.
Tested by mum Heidi Burrett for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This toy was easy to set up and has various options. It has a day time / night time option as well as a quieter or louder volume choice. My little boy loves the heartbeat and the animals sounds, and the 15 minute automatic shut off is an excellent addition. Lovely unisex design. We did not find out the sex of our baby and I think this is a lovely gift for someone who is not finding out the sex of their baby. It can be attached to the cot or played with independently and it has a nightlight. My only criticism is that white light is not particularly good for settling and promoting a good sleep. I would still recommend it though.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
I can leave this product on knowing I won’t kill the batteries or that it will be operating all night as it has an automatic shut off. This means that once he is asleep I do not need to disturb him having to go back into his room to turn the toy off.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would change the colour of the light to something softer so it is not white light. Blue light is excellent for restful sleep.