The Snuggle Pod is a baby bean bag that every baby should own! Not only is it the ideal seat for use from birth, but it's also designed to, and reported by carers to prevent Reflux and Flat Head in babies, as well as help Bubs with Hip Dysplasia rest easier!

It got us thinking that we should take some time to tell you our story and share some useful info on where we're at now! We really should be doing this annually, because we're always up to something!

OUR BEGINNING!

Waaaaay back circa 2006, Chibebe founder, Paulitta, wanted to launch this cute little bean bag for babies in Australia. But, being a bean bag for babies, she wanted to be sure she met all the standards required for it before she did so. This wasn't easy, because it was a product that was never heard of before, so getting help from the relevant authorities to understand the standards required was not easy. Despite everyone around her telling her to 'just launch it already!', because they knew what an amazing product it was, she refused. She just knew that it couldn't be that easy to launch a product for newborns, as she lived in a country that held high standards for things like this, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if she didn't do due diligence to be sure, so she persevered.

In fact, it took her a good two years(!) before the powers that be came to the conclusion that her baby bean bag product should meet the basic bean bag standards already in place for adult bean bags. 

Then BAM! Australias original baby bean bag was finally launched to the Australian public! A huge sorry to the then 2 year old Bubs that had missed out on owing their very own while all this research was taking place!

But now, what to call the 'little bean bag that could'? It went from GPO (short for 'Go Play Outside', because that's what parents used too say to kids back in the day), but as this baby bean bag got more popular, it just wasn't right. It was then rebranded to 'Retro Owl'.......like, really? There might have been one or two other names, before settling on The Slumber Pod. 

And that's where the journey truly began for Chibebe®.

(above) The original Green Polka design with black buckle (it's now white with embossed logo). Notice the 'floppy' fabric, which is not water resistant like it is now. It also did not come with an inner bag, so the filling would be inserted into the cover itself, making the cover hard to wash and store away. Wow, how far we've come!

OUR MIDDLE

CHOOSING OUR "BABYS" NAME

Well, a few years go by and the "Slumber Pod" has taken off! So much so that we were finding it hard to keep up, which is never a bad thing! It got so popular that we found that alot of parents were enquiring about using the Pod replace a cot, because Bub wouldn't want to rest anywhere else!

Obviously, the Pod is a baby seat, not a bed, so we changed the name from Slumber Pod, to Snuggle Pod, to avoid confusion. 

The Snuggle Pod is raved about for it's comfort for babies, so you might find that it's the only place they want to be. If you have a hard time getting Bub to sleep in their cot, check out this Snuggle Pod trick. 

ACCESSORISE, BABY!

We then decided to launch some exclusive accessories for the Snuggle Pod! 

First came the Pod Rocker®, which is designed perfectly for the Snuggle Pod to sit in and be rocked. It seemed that before the rocker came along, new parents would have a Snuggle Pod AND a bouncer, but once the Pod Rocker came along, there was no need for the bouncer, and thus, Bub could remain in their Pod while being rocked, so they got the best of both worlds; a comfy little seat AND rocking motion. It also freed up space as the Pod + Rocker combo is a neat little package that you can set up anywhere, making it basically a single item, and not two.

And theeeeeen, we launched the Pod Warmer®, which is a blanket attachment for the Snuggle Pod, which eliminates the need for a loose blanket, which can be dangerous for Bub for obvious reasons. The Pod Warmer is a bit of a genius product and we're still quite chuffed about it to this day. It took a long time to develop this blanket, as we wanted it to be easy to attach and remove, without having to disturb Bub while they rest in the Snuggle Pod. We also wanted it to be extendable, so as Bub gets a little bigger, the top would unfold to extend it, to continue keeping Bub warm. So we created a special baby seat with an additional zipper on it. So you use this baby seat instead of our usual one, and simply zip the blanket attachment on and off it as required. When you order the Pod Warmer, you get the baby seat with it, so you're good to go!

We also developed the 'inner bag' for the Snuggle Pod. This is a liner that is shaped to fit perfectly inside the Pod. This inner bag holds the bean filling, and you then place the inner bag inside the Snuggle Pod cover. This means you can easily remove the filling anytime, for washing of the cover, or storage of the cover. No mess, mate!

REPORTED BENEFITS

The Snuggle Pod has always been a baby bean bag designed for use by ALL babies, but obviously its structure allowed us to design it to potentially have benefits for Bubs, like preventing reflux and flat head. 

As feedback from our customers flowed in, we would hear how the Pod was doing just that! Reviews were popping up everywhere, crediting the Snuggle Pod for preventing flat head, and reducing flat spots on bubs head, thanks to the moldable surface that molds to the babys head rather than force it flat. The reviews from parents of reflux Bubs showed that when they place Bub in the Pod after feeding, it prevented reflux from occurring, or at least, it was relieved, thanks to the inclined positioning.

Coping with Laryngomalacia®, who provide information and support to parents of babies who have airway disorders, recommend the Snuggle Pod to help them breathe easier. 

The nature of Chibebe is all about caring for the comfort of all babies from the day they're born. It's a baby seat, made especially for the precious little bundles that come along and just want to be safe and sound in this big new world. Every baby should have a Snuggle Pod. They deserve it!

And the best part? Babies don't lie, and parents are a loyal sort who won't lie if their baby isn't happy with a product, so when you scroll through our Insta and FB feeds, and the gallery on our website, remember, there is no better review than one from a happy baby, because they can't fake it.

OUR NOW

We launched on MYER Market in late 2018, which is a big deal because if you know MYER, you know you have to be kind of amazing to work with them *blushing*. This means that those who want a Snuggle Pod, but wish to earn MYER One points while shopping, get to have both!

We then launched on the Catch website in early 2019! Catch is Australias largest marketplace, and they also have great member deals, so it was a no-brainer for us to partner with them. 

We always have new adventures on the horizon, and we hope to share them with you soon!

In the meantime, if your Bub, or a loved ones Bub hasn't yet got their very own Snuggle Pod, grab your fave design now! We're so confident that you'll love it, that we offer a 30 day, no questions asked money back guarantee. 

But we kinda know you won't return it.

We're serious. Bub won't be happy if you take their Pod away.

SHOP NOW