Opening

Hard on one side, soft on the other. The ring is wood and the ears are cotton gauze, so the same object gives a baby something firm to bite against and something light to hold and flap. The ring is sized for a small hand to close all the way around, which is the difference between a toy that gets picked up and one that gets pushed off the tray.

It is small and light enough to live in a changing bag or a coat pocket, and it goes in the pram without adding weight to anything.

What you get

One teething ring in the design you select. Sold as a single piece — the designs in the gallery are the range to choose from.

Product details

• Format: wooden ring with cotton gauze ears stitched to it
• Ring: wood, unpainted on the biting surface
• Ears: cotton gauze, plain or printed
• Not in the design: no rattle, no clip, no cord, nothing detachable
• Weight: approximately 40g
• Plain designs: White, Grey, Grey Blue, Blush Pink, Dusty Pink, Purple, Light Blue, Pea Green, Khaki, Dark Khaki, Brown, Mustard, Brick Red
• Printed designs: Rainbow, Little Rainbow, Ditsy Floral, Pink Floral, Blossom, Daisy, Dandelion, Vine, Cactus, Lemon, Black Cherry, Leopard, Little Bear, Star and Moon

Fabric and safety

This is the section to read on this one rather than the one to skip.

• Inspect the wood before every use. A teether is used precisely when a baby is biting hard, and wood that has cracked or gone rough along the grain is a splinter risk. Retire it rather than sanding it.
• Check where the ears meet the ring. Fabric stitched to a hard component should not shift or show gapping stitches. If it does, stop using it.
• Never attach it to a cord, a clip or a chain. Nothing about this is designed to hang, and adding length is what turns a small object into a hazard.
• It comes out of the cot. Like anything else loose, it belongs to supervised, waking use.

Wood behaves differently from a silicone teether, and the trade is worth knowing. It does not go tacky or hold odour the way silicone can, but it cannot be boiled, sterilised or put through a dishwasher, and it must never be soaked. Water swells the grain and lifts it, and lifted grain on a teether is exactly the rough surface you do not want.

Size guide

Fit notes

The ring is the part that has to suit the hand, not the ears. A baby holds the wood and waves the fabric, so the useful window starts when they can close a fist around a ring.

Gauze ears soften and crinkle further with use, and the printed designs are cut from a continuous roll, so pattern placement shifts between pieces.

Styling

The plain shades sit alongside the comforters if you are putting a set together — Khaki, Dark Khaki, Grey and Brown are the quiet ones. Cactus, Lemon, Black Cherry and Leopard have the most character and read better as a standalone gift.

Care

Wipe the ring with a damp cloth and dry it straight away. Hand wash the ears in cool water, keeping the wood out of it as far as possible, and dry flat. Do not machine wash, soak, sterilise or use a dishwasher. Do not use oils or polishes on the biting surface.

What is not included

The ring is supplied on its own. No clip, chain or dummy holder is included, and none should be added. Clothing, comforters, toys and anything else in the photographs are styling only.