Just pondering on a Friday.

Have you ever wondered why quality products are harder to come by now? It's because we have slowly become used to shopping online and getting cheaper versions of products, whether it be a fake LV handbag, or a replica Gucci watch, we're not stopping to think about the consequences of our economy and the fact that if this behaviour continues, we will end up a country who no longer produce high quality goods as they are no longer in demand. This would make us a country without ethics or morals, and we'll sink deeper into third-world like circumstances.

By saving a few dollars now, we are contributing to Australia becoming a nation that accepts unsafe products, unethical behaviour and worst of all, closure of businesses all over the country, making everyone jobless and no longer living in  the land of opportunity. 

So what got me started on this topic today? Well, I went shopping for furniture & homewares with my fiance the other day, just for fun. We decided, as it was such a lovely day, to go for a drive to Richmond and South Yarra and check out Matt Blatt, ClickOn Furniture and the like.

Like with food products, we have vowed to never again regard price as our main factor in purchasing, as we saw the extra quality and ethical manufacture we could get for just a few dollars more. We saw how unique and high-end they were, and we were also contributing to Australias economy, to legitimate sellers who pay their taxes and employ people locally, to provide great customer service and hands-on advice.

Our hope is for people to do their research just as we always do when purchasing products, as the fear that our lovely country is declining due to cheap imports is real. You can get just about anything on Ebay from overseas sellers, and this means that Australian business suffers. For only a little bit more, you can support ethical Australian based brands, who work hard to create high-end products, and work tirelessly to make them to perfection for you, and this also means you keep the money in Australia, and employees employed.

Obviously, most things are imported, but there's an ethical way to go about it. That is, with the manufacturing process to be strict and meet certain standards, and for the product to be legitimately created from start to finish by the importer purchasing it, and not just made with cheap fabrics etc. There are alot of copycat manufacturers in China, but there are the hard-to-find ones that are legitimately genuine, and refuse to counterfeit, and who will manufacture high-end goods to the highest standards (ie: legs won't get wonky on tables after only a few weeks etc).

Do you often find yourself saying 'it wasn't this bad when l was younger....'? That's simply because we didn't have the internet. We all know that. And whilst the internet is bloody awesome, it can be the sole destroyer of the Australian economy. Well, that, and the people who take advantage of it in the wrong way with unethical practices, like importing low quality, or fake goods from China, among other things.

We ourselves are very vocal about the amount of bad quality baby beanbags there are out there. Why? Because, we spent the best part of 2 years seeking advice on testing procedures for our Baby Bean Bag, before we would even consider releasing it to the market for use by babies. We were the first to launch it, and were ethical then, and remain ethical now, even after many have attempted to compete with cheaper made ones. The laboratory tests were not mandatory, and still aren't, so other sellers don't have theirs tested. They save thousands of dollars in that way, but at what cost to all the innocent babies out there?

Of all things, we don't believe in making anything for baby use, without some sort of testing involved for it to be deemed perfectly safe for use by babies.

We are very sceptical about releasing our testing procedures online, as these unethical sellers will just copy it and say they also meet the same standards. We show our reports at trade shows and if you visit us in person.  

Here's why you pay more for a Chibebe Snuggle Pod:

- Chibebe Snuggle Pods are laboratory tested. This is done by scientists, y'all! They test for heaps of things, including safe fabric content, wear and tear, etc etc. We have these tests conducted on a consistent basis. We have tried to set a standard for others to go by, but they prefer to sell them without being tested by a third party, so they cut costs there.

- Our fabrics are designed by us, and are made exclusively for us, in colors that we specifically choose etc. This ain't cheap. No-one will make 10mt for you in your own design. You have to make ALOT more than that! That's why the others on the market also don't feature their name on their designs.....they save money by using available fabrics from the Chinese markets. 

- We don't just want to sell baby beanbags and be done with it. Your baby deserves more than that! So we design and manufacture accessories for it. We have heaps of seat colors to choose from, and we have rockers and also blankets that we invented, and have registered to our brand for our baby beanbags. We are creators.

- Our seats have padding in them, and are not made of that cheap, velvety, suede-y material.

- On the Snuggle Pod, underneath the seat, when you unzip it from the base, you will notice a white stretch fabric layer. Others use the same velvety fabric as they use for their seats This saves them money, as they buy one type of fabric and use it for as much as they can on their products, to save cost for buying a minimum amount of fabric for each individual part. We customise every part of the Snuggle Pod for the best quality and purposes.

- We emboss our buckles and zipper heads for maximum authenticity. 

- We invented the inner bag, specially shaped for the Chibebe baby bean bag. This is a registered design of ours, so you won't get it anywhere else (legally, that is). This enables you to fill the inner bag with beans, and place this bag inside the beanbag cover, and remove it whenever you want to, so that you can wash the cover, and store it etc. We sell extra inner bags for when you want to use it again. This is so that you can keep the Snuggle Pod for generations to come, with the ability to remove the beans without mess, in between generations!

- Our packaging is stunning. Simply perfect. You will love the way your purchase is presented, whether it is for yourself or as a gift.

- We include gift cards, and we even write your message on it if you request this at checkout!

Woah! When you look at it, you get MUCH more than you pay for! We're all about the experience you have with us, not the $$. Obviously.

What makes Chibebe baby beanbags so awesome?

Where do we start? Ok, so it is well documented that our beanbags are laboratory tested for use by babies, on a regular basis, Just just once. Other 'brands' might contain high levels of chemicals in their fabrics. They might also not be able to stand wear and tear due to split seams etc. You'll never know this until you buy one, because if they're not officially tested for it, you can't be sure. 

The seller might also not be aware of the exact standards required for this type of products, so if anything were to happen, we have no idea what you can do in this situation, as no insurance agency will touch anyone who sells products that don't meet standards, sell fake goods etc. They are potentially selling at a massive risk to children, and we cannot fathom how any parent could justify buying something for a few dollars less, when it comes to the health and safety of their child.

The seller says it is genuine Chibebe though...you say.

If the seller isn't listed on the Chibebe website, they're not a genuine seller. So always check to see if the seller is a genuine Chibebe one if you are unsure. Some might say it's flattering to be copied, but it's our case, it's not. It's serious stuff. It's a baby product.

If Chibebe weren't so awesome, ask yourself, 'if Chibebe weren't the best baby beanbag, why are there so many counterfeits out there?'. Only the best brands get copied.

These counterfeits don't include all the extras we do. The fabrics are bad quality, and they don't include the opening on the base of the beanbag cover, nor do they have the inner bag or padded seats etc. They just counterfeit the actual fabric design because of our famed Chibebe name and reputation. There are naughty, unethical Chinese factories that will make bad quality fabric replicas of our designs and try to pass it off as the real thing. Just like they do with LV and Gucci handbags. They do this because it is worth it for them to do so, as they know they will sell to those who don't realise they are counterfeits. Would YOU counterfeit something that wasn't the best of the best?

If it's not Chibebe (or Bambeano), it's not worth it.

The Snuggle Pod from Chibebe is built to last for generations. From the very beginning, they were created to be a family keepsake and to be used and passed down for generations to come. Our vision was to become a household name, and we have made that dream a reality.

We are so proud of the Snuggle Pod. We want every baby to be rested in a high quality baby beanbag, but some can't afford the Snuggle pod,  and that's why we created the Bambeano seat. It is exactly the same quality and high design approach as the Chibebe Snuggle Pod, but we don't make accessories for it. So we can sell them a little cheaper. Now, every baby can afford to have a laboratory tested, high-end baby bean bag, and not a nasty one. And best of all, you can mix 'n match any Bambeano seat with any Chibebe seat and accessory.

On a final note, ask anyone. Ask anyone who has seen a Chibebe vs a non-Chibebe baby beanbag seat. If they know their stuff, they will tell you that there is no comparison. We have no competitors. We have no bigger mission than the best the best for your child, so you don't have to worry about it.

Have a great day!

xo