Lovevery Play Kits Review: Modern Toys For Modern Children

I have tried so many different brain development toys throughout the years and most of them are difficult to figure out. At least from a parental perspective! I had high hopes that this product line would be non-toxic (a big one for me) and easy to set up and use. And I was not disappointed.

The first product I tested out (actually my infant did) was The Play Gym. I can tell you that I was a bit taken aback by the price tag when I saw it. But, I figured it was worth a shot to see just how good this one might be compared to others I’ve tried in the past.

This product didn’t take me too long to set up, which was fairly easy and straightforward. Once I set it up, my 4 week old daughter began to cry upon initially being laid down on it. However, she calmed right down once she began to notice the bright colors all around her. The crinkly sounds the mat makes and the textures seemed to help too.

This mat has a mirror built in that kept her pretty occupied during the testing. And I love the fact that I could slide contrast cards in and out of the mat. Plus, I can print my own images to change things up as she ages, which I thought was a pretty cool idea.

My only complaint is that it doesn’t store that nicely, from my experience.

The instructions say that the parts should break down easily to be rolled into the mat for easy storage. But, I don’t want to have to break it down every time we’re not using it. So, it would be great if they could come up with some sort of foldable storage option to keep it out of the way but create less assembly each time we want to use it.

Overall, she played with the mat for about 10 consecutive minutes the first time we tried it. She has continued to like the mat each time we put her on it and finds new fun things to keep her occupied.

The bigger bonus is that the mat comes with a cotton cover that can be used to make the play mat into a tent. So, I can potentially continue to use this for her after she reaches 1 year of age in a different form. While this mat is more expensive than I’m used to, I feel that it’s well worth the money, as long as it holds up.

The other item we decided to try was geared more towards my 22 month old. However, I also have a 4 year old that I thought might get some enjoyment out of The Play Kit also. Each play kit they offer is geared towards a specific age range within 3 months. Since my daughter is 22 months, they recommended The Companion Play Kit.

When the kit showed up, everything was well marked, clear, and easy to understand. The kit came with 8 different activities and an associated play guide to help me figure it out. This was a breath of fresh air compared to most other toys I’ve tried that take an advanced degree to decipher.

My 4 year old really enjoyed unboxing everything and putting the toys together for his sisters. Since this was his favorite part of the whole process, the kit really only kept his attention for about 15 minutes or so. After he figured out how everything worked, he was bored and moved on to some of his other toys.

I would love it if the company could start adding in some more advanced options for slightly older children, like my son.

My daughter, on the other hand, was quite intrigued by the whole kit. She liked helping with the unboxing process and watching her older brother put everything together. But, the real fun for her started once everything was assembled and ready to go. The bright colors kept her captivated and the simple tasks kept her engaged.

Ultimately, she played with the kit for about 45 minutes the first time. And, it was mostly through self-guided exploration, which was fantastic for me. I really liked that the toys were simple, easy, engaging, and didn’t require batteries. I can see my kids playing with this kit for quite some time, of their own accord.

Lovevery started out their mission in the attempt to create high-quality, long-lasting products for babies and young children. They also started out of the gate working diligently on getting their company to a net zero carbon emissions state.

In order to do that, Lovevery has been consistently tracking every aspect of their supply chain. They are doing this by working with their suppliers to:

• Use renewable energy whenever and as often as possible
• Reduce transportation emissions
• Offset the carbon usage as a last resort

In this same vein, they have engaged in some partnerships to help assist the growing epidemic of climate change and increasing carbon footprints. These partnerships currently include:

• Climate Collaborative
• SME Climate Hub
• Alliance for Climate Education (ACE)
• Idaho Green Power Program
• Solar4RSchools

While this company is based out of Boise, Idaho, their products are all manufactured out of a plant in Ningbo, China. The brand states they chose this facility because they are one of the largest producers of sustainably-harvested wood toys and organic cotton balls in the world.

The brand claims that it regularly runs its products through third party lab testing for quality. However, I was unable to find any of these test reports on their website. It would help if the brand would post these for each product tested for the consumer to see. But, what the brand says they test all coatings and product materials for are:

• Heavy Metals
• Phthalates
• Dangerous Chemicals

All of the wood used in their products is FSC certified and their cotton products use 100% organic cotton. Their inks are soy based and their paint and finishes are non-toxic and water-based. They also use bio-based plastics in some products. But no matter which plastic they are using, all of them are BPA and phthalate free.

Overall, the products used to create their finished line, their manufacturing facility, and their continued work to create a net zero product are all great contributions to their quality. 

While they are a Certified B Corporation, there is a little less transparency than I’d like to see regarding the certifications held by their suppliers and the manufacturing plant for quality and ethical treatment. This is one area I feel they could work on to instill even higher trust by parents in their product line.

When it comes down to how much a product costs versus how much its worth, Lovevery comes in pretty spot on. Of course their products have a slightly higher price tag than a lot of parents may be used to seeing. But, the quality of the products they produce seem to be well worth the price.

Plus, the materials they use and the development that goes into them are well above average. So, if you’re considering a new type of brain stimulating system for your baby or toddler, I would highly suggest giving them a try.

If you sign up for the Lovevery email list, you are bound to get a discount code off your first order. Plus, if you prepay for one of their The Play Kits through their subscription service, you’ll get 10% off also.