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Pony Talk => Off Topic => Toy Box & Games Cupboard => Topic started by: goddessofpeep on November 22, 2015, 11:56:58 AM

Title: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: goddessofpeep on November 22, 2015, 11:56:58 AM
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]
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: kakenterprise on November 22, 2015, 01:37:06 PM
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.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: True on November 22, 2015, 01:53:01 PM
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.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Ponyfan on November 22, 2015, 03:05:27 PM
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
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: brightberry on November 22, 2015, 03:38:13 PM
Yikes!
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: wystearya on November 22, 2015, 05:03:18 PM
Quote from: brightberry on November 22, 2015, 03:38:13 PM
Yikes!

My thoughts exactly.  I thought they looked cute, but I will be sure to avoid these for my fiance's girls!
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: kaoskat on November 22, 2015, 05:23:00 PM
Yikes! That looks like a nightmare!
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Squirrelypaws on November 22, 2015, 05:31:45 PM
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!

Quote from: goddessofpeep on November 22, 2015, 11:56:58 AM
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? XD
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: wystearya on November 22, 2015, 05:35:06 PM
Quote from: GryffindorHermione on November 22, 2015, 05:31:45 PM
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! :P )
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Ponyfan on November 22, 2015, 06:25:53 PM
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
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: gemini_pony on November 22, 2015, 07:19:00 PM
Quote from: Ponyfan on November 22, 2015, 06:25:53 PM
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!!

Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: goddessofpeep on November 22, 2015, 08:47:27 PM
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.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Taxel on November 22, 2015, 09:25:03 PM
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.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: jrr74 on November 22, 2015, 09:32:15 PM
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. 
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Wardah on November 22, 2015, 10:20:40 PM
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.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Ponyfan on November 23, 2015, 07:56:40 AM
I still think these toys should be recalled. I know some parents don't supervise their children as they should but a toy like this that can become tangled in hair so easily should be recalled. I don't think every child that has had these stuck in their hair was using them improperly.  Most probably were but what about the kids that were just using them like they were supposed to and their hair got caught.

Ponyfan
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Wardah on November 23, 2015, 08:29:12 AM
Quote from: Ponyfan on November 23, 2015, 07:56:40 AM
I still think these toys should be recalled. I know some parents don't supervise their children as they should but a toy like this that can become tangled in hair so easily should be recalled. I don't think every child that has had these stuck in their hair was using them improperly.  Most probably were but what about the kids that were just using them like they were supposed to and their hair got caught.

Ponyfan

But plenty of kids played with them fine with no problems. All the horror stories I have heard involve someone either putting them on or near hair. You know the thing they say not to do with them? As for the possibility of them getting into long hair by accident it isn't hard to tie up hair. And most of the incidents also tend to involve younger kids so maybe the youngest recommended age should be higher. My sister got silly putty in her hair once and it was awful. She didn't get silly putty again until she was older.

Gum can be tangled in hair easily too. Should it be banned? Parents just need to be aware that they need to be careful.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Ponyfan on November 23, 2015, 09:01:12 AM
Those are all good points. I agree that how the toys are being used is important and that if kids are ignoring warnings on the box and putting them in their hair that's one thing, but still I'm not sure I like the idea of a toy that can get caught in hair so easily especially if it has to be removed through cutting the hair or using oil or some other kind of product to release them from hair.


Ponyfan
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying \"Bunchems\" this Christmas
Post by: Galactica on November 23, 2015, 10:59:01 AM
Quote from: Ponyfan on November 23, 2015, 07:56:40 AM
I still think these toys should be recalled. I know some parents don't supervise their children as they should but a toy like this that can become tangled in hair so easily should be recalled. I don't think every child that has had these stuck in their hair was using them improperly.  Most probably were but what about the kids that were just using them like they were supposed to and their hair got caught.

Ponyfan

Yes- but a hairbrush can be tangled in hair, and those aren't recalled.  I think they should just come with a warning maybe.

I remember my sister as a kid wound one of those round hairbrushes into her hair and it was seriously stuck.  Another time we made crowns of these hooked tree seeds and put them in our hair, also stuck.  It is impossible to predict what crazy thing a kid is going to stuff into their hair... 

Post Merge: November 23, 2015, 11:00:32 AM

Quote from: Wardah link=topic=374771.msg1480573#msg1480573


Gum can be tangled in hair easily too. Should it be banned? Parents just need to be aware that they need to be careful.

Haha, although I don't think the toys should be banned, I think gum probably should be, at least in schools and on buses.  Kids and their parents are not responsible enough... 
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: ringwraith10 on November 23, 2015, 01:40:25 PM
Quote from: Ponyfan on November 22, 2015, 06:25:53 PM
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 was totally going to mention those! I still have nightmares about those dolls.

Man, when I was a kid I had the longest hair of anyone I knew. I would have had those toys and they would have gotten stuck in my hair AND in my poodle's hair. :( Thanks for the warning! I've never heard of these, but I will definitely avoid them now.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Seachanger on November 23, 2015, 05:14:54 PM
We actually have a set of these. We have a shaggy rug and several got tangled in it. It was super easy to get them out. I just pulled them out, no damage on the rug at all. They're really not that bad. One got tangled in hair and it was easy to get out. You'd really have to get a lot of them in there and rub them around to get them stuck. I think probably not the best idea to give them to really young kids unsupervised.
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: sailorstitch on November 24, 2015, 02:20:36 PM
I bought a small set of these because I was curious about them. As a building toy they aren't bad, but I wasn't overly impressed. I was playing with them while I was watching tv. I was sitting in the recliner with a blanket on my lap. I dumped the Bunchems onto the blanket. The cat hair that was on the blanket is now stuck in the Bunchems! Well, I did buy the kit that lets me build a cat. LOL

sailorstitch
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying \"Bunchems\" this Christmas
Post by: NoPonySpecial on November 24, 2015, 04:45:12 PM
Quote from: Galactica on November 23, 2015, 10:59:01 AM

Yes- but a hairbrush can be tangled in hair, and those aren't recalled.  I think they should just come with a warning maybe.


I just read they are releasing them in the future with warning labels after the eruption of parent complaints. And they released a video tutorial on how to get them out of hair. (It was on one of those Buzzfeed sites.)
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: lovesbabysquirmy on November 25, 2015, 09:40:52 AM
I'm actually laughing really hard at this. 

One, we are all pony and doll collectors so we are used to untangling the abysmal hair of  rejected children's toys.  And two... if you get ANYTHING stuck in your hair, short of a hairbrush, that is what coconut oil is for...  The last time my child got a round brush in my hair, my husband spent 30 minutes gently unraveling me. 

Mostly what removal of these things requires is probably patience, which nobody seems to have anymore!

Sounds like a short parenting tutorial on hair and sticky substances is needed more so than a recall or a boycott.  Really...  I guess the "gum in the hair" isn't a rite of passage anymore?
Title: Re: A warning for anyone buying "Bunchems" this Christmas
Post by: Shadoweon on January 12, 2016, 06:03:36 PM
I saw the commercials for these during the holiday season and thought they were kind of dumb but harmless enough. I didn't know that they could get stuck in your hair like that but when you look at them up close they really are like plastic burrs.  That said,why the heck do they get so many stuck in their hair?

1 to even 5 is one thing but there's like 20-30!? Seems very intentional to me. I don't think they should take them off to market just because someone didn't listen to the label...
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