A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas

[goddessofpeep]

I Know a lot of people here are buying toys for kids this year.  It looks like Bunchems(those little plastic burrs that are new this year) are something to avoid.  They get stuck in hair something fierce(being artificial burrs it's pretty much their job to do that).

An article with pictures of some of the many children who had problems:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/stephaniemcneal/bunchems-hair-woes#.st5WGPKNV

Most of the kids ended up losing most or all of their hair to these things.

I read all the amazon reviews.  They also stick to carpets, blankets, and pets.  One unfortunate person claims to have gotten drunk and made underpants out of them.  That did not end well.  If you are buying for a household that has children with long hair in it(any children at all, even if this is meant for a child who doesn't), you'll probably want to rethink Bunchems.

[moving to The Toy Box ~ Kiwi]

[kakenterprise]

This is the first time I've heard of this toy.  I'm really surprised it's a top Christmas toy.
I'd never buy this for a kid after reading that.  Still some of those kids look like they rolled around in those things.  I can understand getting 1-5 in your hair but one of those kids looked like she put all of them in her hair.

[True]

Theyre on my sons wishlist lol, but i dont think we have to worry about the hair issues, Beside that I think they look fun.

[Ponyfan]

Thanks for posting. I'd seen Bunchems in advertisements before but didn't realize they could get caught in a child's hair. I won't be buying this toy.

Ponyfan

[brightberry]

Yikes!

[wystearya]

Yikes!

My thoughts exactly.  I thought they looked cute, but I will be sure to avoid these for my fiance's girls!

[kaoskat]

Yikes! That looks like a nightmare!

[Squirrelypaws]

Wow, those do look like a nightmare! It takes me ten minutes to get a single burr out of my dog's fur, I can't imagine what multiple ones in a kid's long hair would be like!

One unfortunate person claims to have gotten drunk and made underpants out of them.  That did not end well.

Is it sad that I *really* want to read this review?

[wystearya]

Wow, those do look like a nightmare! It takes me ten minutes to get a single burr out of my dog's fur, I can't imagine what multiple ones in a kid's long hair would be like!

Yeah... I feel bad for any pets that get into these things too.  I hate to think not only of fur, but if they got eaten.   :/

I know from experience that kids are not always the best at putting things away..   (To put it mildly! )

[Ponyfan]

The first thing I thought of when I read that Bunchems get caught in hair was about those Snack Time Cabbage Patch Kids that were recalled because hair could get caught in them and be pulled inside the doll. I think Bunchems should also be recalled.


Ponyfan

[gemini_pony]

The first thing I thought of when I read that Bunchems get caught in hair was about those Snack Time Cabbage Patch Kids that were recalled because hair could get caught in them and be pulled inside the doll. I think Bunchems should also be recalled.


Ponyfan

I agree recall them! Plus I can only imaging the danger posed to pets!!

[goddessofpeep]

I read through all the amazon reviews, and many of the parents went into great detail about what happened.  Some of the kids made very bad mistakes(one girl dumped them on the floor and rolled around in them).  Some didn't think things through like the child who made jewelry that wasn't for the hair, but it got caught anyway when she was wearing it.  Others got them in their hair accidentally by brushing up against them unintentionally.  Another child had them thrown at her and they stuck.  Basically what seems to be happening is a child gets some of these in their hair, starts to panic and tries to get them out.  This makes them really dig into the hair, and well the pictures show the results.  A few people were able to get them out of the hair, but only after several hours of work, and lots of products to grease down the hair.  I'm assuming the ones who were successful A) didn't have a lot of burrs, and B) the child didn't mat them in as much. 

These are basically artificial burrs.  The real thing's purpose is to stick to animal fur and not let go.  It's no wonder these things are a nightmare for anyone with long hair.  The hair thing won't kill anybody, but I wouldn't call them safe for small children with long hair.  I have long hair, and even as an adult, I've gotten things snagged in it by accident.

[Taxel]

Why would anyone ever think that's a good idea for a kid's toy?! Like I get the initial "oh this could be fun" thought (because the idea is a fun one) but wow, did no one think this through?! Did they not test it? Even if all kids were bald those look like a serious health hazard for pets, who listen to "don't put it in your hair" even less... Not to mention carpet, blankets, clothes... god those are a nightmare.

[jrr74]

My daughter had the misfortune of getting several of them clumped together in her long hair.  After about 10-15 minutes of fussing with them, I decided to cut them out.  And no, I did not buy them...they belonged to a friend. 

[Wardah]

I think these seem like something neat as long as they are used properly and kept out of hair (playdoh in hair can also be a nightmare). These parents probably just gave the kid the box and said "have fun" when really they need to explain to not use them anywhere near hair and especially not to make jewelry. Sadly they will probably end up recalled because people don't have common sense.