Is it a cushion? Is it a toy? No, it’s a Kumo Friend, made from the softest organic cotton, bamboo and kapok in Miami by eco-friendly company Jaya Loves Tekeko.
The cushion/toy hybrids come in six impossible-to-resist designs inspired by Japanese illustration, all as characterful as each other. With my love of all things wise and feathered I expected to go for Owlie, but it’s the pleasingly rotund orange form of Professor Acorn that is now gracing the chair in the nursery.
The website describes them as ‘like hugging a cloud’ and it’s true that I find it hard to pass without giving him a squeeze. The perfect toddler companion or a quirky decor detail for a child’s room, Kumo Friends have impeccable eco credentials. Not only are the materials used all organic, but the dyes are water-based and even the packaging is recycled and biodegradable.
This sort of quality doesn’t come cheap – $62, plus $16 shipping to the UK, but a portion of proceeds go to environmental organisation Planting Peace, so you can’t accuse them of costing the earth. Check out the gorgeous Peace blanket and Panda babygro while you’re there.
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