When I was younger I loved to take a hot water bottle to bed with me when it was cold but then as a present I got bought a Beddy Bear as an alternative, to start with I was a little dubious as to whether this would be as good as a hot water bottle, that was several years ago and I have not used a hot water bottle since.

What is A Beddy Bear
Basically it is a teddy bear which instead of being filled with the usual soft stuffing it is filled with 100% natural wheat, the bears main body is filled with the wheat and its arms, legs and head are filled with the usual stuffing. A Beddy bear can be used as either an alternative to a hot water bottle or as a cold pack depending on your needs.

An Alternative to a Hot Water Bottle - You simply place the bear into the microwave for about 2 minutes and then remove. The wheat inside the bears body will have heated up making the bear hot, ready to snuggle up with to keep you warm.

As a Cold Pack - To use the bear as a cold pack you put the bear into a bag (I assume to stop the fur icing up) and place it into the freezer for a little while. When removed the wheat inside will be cold and the bear is ready to place on the area where you need the cold pack.

I personally have never used my Beddy bear as a cold pack but I assume it would be ideal for injuries such as sprains. I always use my Beddy bear in the microwave I was very surprised at how long it stayed hot, I warm mine up in the microwave and leave it in the bed for a little while and the bed it lovely and warm when I get in it and the Beddy bear itself is still warm for me to put my feet on. After I have heated the Beddy bear up I find that it stays hot for several hours, if it begins to feel like it is cooling slightly I shift the wheat about a little bit inside as the wheat on the outside tends to cool quicker so moving it about a bit brings the hotter wheat from the middle to the outside meaning that Beddy bear stays warm for even longer.

Personally I think a Beddy Bear is much safer than a hot water bottle. A hot water bottle is ultimately a rubber bottle filled with boiling water, with a hot water bottle there is always that risk that the rubber bottle may get a leak or bust spilling the boiling water over you, also because the hot water bottle is filled with boiling water it is very hot, too hot to touch for a little while even with a cover on it so again there is the risk of burning yourself. With a Beddy Bear, yes the wheat does get quite hot but it cannot leak and spill over you like boiling water and it is not a hot as boiling water. A Beddy Bear heats up enough to keep you nice and warm but not too hot so that it will burn you skin.

Beddy Bears come in many different colours and shapes, they come in a variety of difference animals aswell, I have the originally brown teddy bear, it has an oval badge sewn in the middle of its tummy with the words Beddy Bear Microwave me stitched in the middle of the badge. The fur is lovely and soft making it ideal to cuddle up with on cold winter nights

A Beddy Bear would be ideal for children, it is something they could cuddle up to in bed when its cold without the worry of them burning themselves on a hot water bottle. Also when Beddy Bear is not being used it looks just like a normal teddy bear and can be sat on the bed or self. If you want the Beddy Bear to be slightly cooler for children you can simply put it I the microwave for less time.

One thing with the Beddy Bear is do not put it in the microwave for any longer than a couple of minuets, it does not make it hotter it just burns the wheat inside and smells horrible. Once the wheat is burnt it will smell nasty every time you heat it up!!!!!

The cost of a Beddy Bear depends on where it is purchased from, as I said mine was a present but I think it cost around £10, however they can be bought cheaper if you shop around. Although this is more expensive then the traditional hot water bottle, it does last a lot longer as I have found in the past that hot water bottles start to leak around the top.

Advantages
Easy to use
Can be used hot or cold
Safer than a hot water bottle as not danger of getting burnt
Suitable for children
Long lasting

Disadvantages
None