The newest product in the shop is a weighted lap bear. It is a soft brown bear, filled so that it weighs about 2.5 kg, and it is made to sit across a lap rather than be carried about.
The weight is spread through the body and the limbs instead of pooling in the base. That matters more than it sounds. A bear with all its weight in the bottom slides off the moment someone shifts position. This one drapes and stays where it is put.
Why weight, and where it sits
Pressure across the lap is a form of proprioceptive input. Proprioception is the body's sense of pressure, position and where its limbs are in space. Some people actively seek that input out — they lean into cushions, sit under heavy blankets, or ask to be squashed. A weighted object is one way of getting that input while sitting still.
We are careful not to promise what any object will do for any one person. What we can tell you is what it is: 2.5 kg of even pressure, in a shape that stays put.
Where people use it
Homework time, the couch in the evening, and the car are the three that come up most often. It is also worth saying that it is a bear first and a weighted object second. Left on a bed or a sofa it reads as a toy, which matters to plenty of teenagers and adults who would rather not have visible equipment in the lounge room.
At 45 cm long and 55 cm wide it fills an adult lap properly, so it suits older children, teenagers and adults as much as younger children.
The details
- Approximately 2.5 kg
- 45 cm long, 55 cm wide
- Soft plush outer, weighted filling
- Colour: brown
- Surface wash only — do not machine wash or tumble dry
Who it is not right for
It is not suitable for babies or toddlers. It is also not suitable for anyone who could not move it or lift it off themselves. Weight should always be something the person can take away without help.
Buying with NDIS funds
Weighted products need written NDIA approval before NDIS funds can be used towards them. That is a rule about weighted items generally rather than this product in particular, and it is worth sorting out first if you are planning to claim.
The weighted lap bear is $99.99. Free tracked shipping across Australia.
