Stuffed Animals

Giving your plushie a name is the first step in creating its identity. Whether you are a child or an adult, naming your stuffed animal will help you develop a deeper connection with your stuffed friend. Some teddy bears and stuffed animals come with preValentine’s heart on its belly-given names. Though these names often suit these plushies well, they are rarely unique and don’t allow for much imagination. Its time to find a name for your plushie yourself!

Choosing a name for a stuffed animal is not always an easy task. Research shows that the most common name for a stuffed animal is simply “bear”. While this is of course partly due to the bear being the most popular type of plushie, a little inspiration won’t hurt. To help with naming your plushie, we’ve listed some practical and inspiring tips for you.

• Why it’s important to name your plushie
• How do you find the most suitable name for your plushie?
• Names for male plushies
• Names for female plushies
• Names for teddy bears

Stimulate creativity: name your own plushie

To truly stimulate your creativity, create a feeling of ownership and build a thoughtful relationship with your plushie, the plushie’s name should come from you. Dwelling in fantasy and imagination will help you continue to develop your brain and has a positive effect on your mental health. The best way to indulge in this little fantasy is by befriending a character of your own imagination – which is one of the reasons why some of the best plushies you can buy are not based on popular film and TV characters.

From a Name to a Character

Think of any common name; take the name Alexander, for example. Chances are, you probably know someone named Alexander, right? When you think of the name, you think of the person. This is often paired with either positive or negative emotions, based on how you relate to the individual you are thinking off. You might even attribute the characteristics of the person you know to the name itself. The same goes for plushies: what does a name feel like, and what characteristics do you attribute to it? In this way, your stuffed animal’s name will contribute greatly to its personality.

How do you find the most suitable name for your plushie?

Stuffed animals often have simple, one-syllable names. They range from the cute and cuddly to the odd and wonderful. Here are some tips on how to name your stuffed animals, with some great examples from within the the plushie community itself.

1. Base its Name on its Species

Most plushies in the world own their name to the (plushie) species they belong to. Classic names for teddy bears are Bear, Teddy, Ted or even Roosevelt. Simple, easy to remember and very much to the point. If you wish to be a little bit more creative, use the species as its last name, and add a matching first name to give it a stronger sense of identity. Great examples from the plushie community are Giles Bear, Bonnie Bunny and Mannie the Manatee, who were named after their species, but were granted cute first names as well.

2. Use a Play on Words

Another great way to name a stuffed animal based on its species is by using a play on words. Combine or alter the name species to come up with something new. Great examples from the community are Mika Coonington, a classy British raccoon; Giraffina, a sweet little giraffe; Miss Tipsy Cat Bose, an experienced traveling cat; or Rossofante, Instagram’s cutest red elephant. Another funny plushie name using a play on words is Gustav von Schnabel, which belongs to a cute travelling duck.

3. Base its Name on its Appearance

Does your stuffed animal have pink fur, scruffy hair, or an extremely long tail? Your stuffed friend’s defining feature can easily be used to define its name. Examples of plushies named after their specific features are Pinchie the Lobster, scruffy looking pup Scruff Cotterill and Snowy Bear, named after her white fur.

4. Base its Name on its Theme

Does your stuffed animal come with a Christmas hat, a Valentine’s heart on its belly, or a pirate-like eye patch? Its name will almost write itself! One of the Instaplushie’s frequent contributors is a little yellow shark named Sharka the Pineapple Shark, who carries around a pineapple all day long. In case your plushie functions as your loyal travel partner, a more suitable name might be related to its lifestyle choice: from Fluffy, “the Bite-Sized Backpacker” to Steve der Reisebär and Goggles and Talulu McTravel, there are dozens of plushies on the open road.

5. Name it after a Popular Character

Does your plushie belong to a species which has a famous character connected to it? Honor them by naming your plushie after them. There are plenty of teddy bears – and other stuffed animals – named Winnie, after Winnie-the-Pooh. Other cool examples are Monsieur Renard, who’s name resembles that of the mischievous medieval character Reynard the Fox, or Private Penguin, who’s name equals that of the short and chubby penguin from Madagascar.

6. Get inspired by Cultural Heritage

Do you live in an exotic location, or a city with a rather cool sounding name? Or does your cultural background provide you with pleasant sounding words? Within the plushie community, Waikiki Bunny is named after a popular neighborhood of Honolulu, Hawaii. It has quite a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Otter Ohana‘s name equally inspired by the culture of Hawaii. Another beautiful example is teddy Hope her nickname ‘the Honey Grove Bear‘, who lives in Honey Grove, Texas… and we all know what bears like!

7. Use a Word or Name from a Different Language

Use an online translator to translate the name of your stuffed animal’s species or defining feature into a different language, and see if anything cool comes up. Did you known the German word for “bear” is “bär”? Both Bäri Bear and Bärchi derived their names from the German term. Another cool duo whose names are German are Maus and Elefant. In the Dutch Harry Potter books, Hagrid’s three headed dog goes by the incredible cute nickname of Pluisje, meaning Fluffy. Of course, there’s also inspiration to be found in the Latin language. Gato, for example, means “cat” in Spanish, Portuguese and Galician.

8. Name it after a Friend or Family Member

It might seem odd to some to name a plushie after a loved one, but it happens quite often! The names of our friends and family members often have a positive feel to them, due to our personal connection to the people who embody those names. If you have friends in Thailand, it’s worth checking what nicknames they go by: you’ll find a wealth of cute official nicknames in Thailand for sure! Some of our Thai friends have truly adorable names, such as Freshy, Kiwi, Omsin, Oki and Tiger!

9. Use an Alliteration

Do you have multiple stuffed animals that require names? Try matching them up using alliterations. Famous characters with alliterating names are Huey, Dewey and Louie, and Ed, Edd and Eddy. Within the plushie community, you’ll run into the adorable hamster family of Flinki, Flora and Fluxie. Sounds like a perfect match, doesn’t it?

10. Choose the Name of Someone Famous

Fame is the name of the game! Name your plushie after a famous individual. Whether it’s an actor, scientist or singer, it doesn’t matter! From Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt to Napoleon Bonaparte, granting your plushie the name of someone famous will automatically attribute some of that stardom to your stuffed animal. In addition, it will give your plushie a slightly pre-defined character. A great example of a famous plushie named after a scientist is the fluffy bunny Feigenbaum.

11. Circumvent Expectations by Choosing an off-beat Name

Nobody says your plushie’s name always has to be logical and on point! Don’t let your imagination be curbed by social constructions. Your stuffed animal’s name is your choice. Just ask Bear the Elephant or Chickens the Bunny; they can tell you a thing or two about unique names!

Examples of Stuffed Animal Names

Names for male plushies

Is your plushie a boy? There are plenty of options out there to choose from, but here are some names to get you inspired!

« ‹ of 2 › »

Names for female plushies

Is your plushie a girl? Make sure she gets a name worthy of her cute and cuddly nature – unless, of course, she’s a true rebel, like Rey from the Star Wars franchise!

Names for teddy bears

What’s a good name for a teddy bear? Here are some great examples from the plushie community and beyond! Of course, many of these names are suitable for non-bear plushies as well.

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Pick a Name that Suits Your Plushie Best

Write down some ideas for names and go through your list with a friend or family member. Which name suits your plushie the best? Sometimes, the answer will come to you right away and sometimes it will require some time to come to a good decision. In the end, no choice is a bad one: if you realize you don’t really like the name you picked, or you’ve come up with a better one, it’s never too late to change it!

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Since the origin of the teddy bear in 1902, a variety of plushies has been created resembling anything from legendary creatures to pop culture characters and from fruits and vegetables to planets and airplanes. If you are planning on buying a stuffed animal, it can be difficult to choose which of all the many fluffy creatures you should buy. When you have to buy the plushie as a gift, it can become even more difficult to choose. Which stuffed animals would be the best one to get?

Research to find the best stuffed animals

To find out which type of stuffed animal is the most popular, Dutch content creation company PPJR Productions conducted an independent online research for The Bite-Sized Backpacker and The Instaplushies to find out which plushies are the most wanted. The research utilized a dataset of 174,382 “plushie” and “stuffed animal” related search terms used in online search engines, amounting to approximately 2,098,010 active monthly searches by users in the United States. It was determined that 526,580 of those monthly searchers actively sought out specific types of stuffed animals, such as a monkey, giraffe or elephant. These searches were grouped per plushie type, resulting in a list featuring the 150 most sought-after stuffed animals.

This list does not include popular plushies targeted by name, such as Mickey Mouse, Pikachu, or Marvel characters.

Which stuffed animals are the most popular?

Unsurprisingly, the classic teddy bear is still the most popular stuffed animal. Online, 23.48% of all searches for specific plushies asking specifically for a bear. This figure does not include pandas, koalas or polar bears. Mankind’s domestic friends take the other two top spots: dog plushies and cat plushies respectively make up for 9.21% and 6.76% of all searches. The list continues with bunny plushies (3.39%), elephant plushies (3.20%) and non-specific monkey plushies (2.74%). This last category excludes all specific monkey searches, such as gorillas and orangutans. After the monkeys we see two mythological creatures, namely the unicorn plushies (2.68%) and dragon plushies (2.33%). The top 10 is rounded off by panda plushies (2.10%) and fox plushies (1.90%).

The Top 10 Most Popular Stuffed Animals

In list form, the top 10 best plushies for enhancing your life are:

Buy one of the best Top 10-plushies

It can be hard to find the best plushie for your child, friend, or partner, or even for yourself. Whether you buy the stuffed animal for a birthday, for Christmas, for Valentine’s Day, or for a different special occasion, there are many types of stuffed animals out there, and it’s not an easy choice to decide which one you’ll get. Based on the Top 10 most popular stuffed animals, we’ve selected the best plushies you can buy!

Plushie Facts: a Cuddly Infographic

The research revealed many wonderful details about popular stuffed animals, strange favorites and the popularity of several unique plushie designs. Did you know pets – such as our very own cats and dogs – are just as popular as plushies as they are in real life? Find out everything about the plushie research in our beautiful infographic!

The Top 30 Most Popular Stuffed Animals

Rounding out the Top 30 plushies are recognizable animals such as the tiger, giraffe, penguin and the lion, as well as the sloth, which was popularized as a plushie over the course of the last decade. A few legendary creatures appear, such as the monster (which included ghosts, demons, skeletons and other creepy creatures), the alien and the long extinct dinosaur. In terms of domesticated animals, the horse takes the top spot after the top 10.

In list form, positions 11 to 30 are taken by the following stuffed animals:

Buy one of the best Top 30-plushies

Not everyone is satisfied with buying a teddy bear, or a plushie elephant. The Top 30 highly diversifies your choices, yet still offers some amazing stuffed animal designs. Based on the Top 30 most popular stuffed animals, we’ve selected the best plushies you can buy on Amazon.com. From plushie horses to plushies cows, these are some of the best options out there.

The Complete Top 150 Stuffed Animals

Dipping below 1,00% of all searches, the sheep plushie at position 26 still receives 4,860 searches every month. Within the top 50 we also see some of the more obscure plushies popping up, such as the food-and-drinks plushies (including, among others, the beer plushie and the sushi roll plushie), the plushies shaped like a body part and the caterpillar, the platypus, and of course: the leopard plushie!

Going for the full top 100 stuffed animals, the list continues with non-specific bird plushies and bats. Here, the avocado plushie shines at number 59, which had a large enough amount of monthly searches to be separated from the “Foods and drinks” category at number 31. The avocado plushie became popular as a result of the large growth in avocado consumption since the 2000s. Consumption tripled, and the plushie thrived.

Other notable mentions within the top 100 are the classic zebra plushies, and alternative soft toys such as robots, blobfish, jellyfish, isopods and microbes. The snow men plushies at number 68 mainly earned their position thanks to Disney’s happy-go-lucky snowman Olaf from the Frozen franchise.

After the chipmunk plushies in position 100, the results showed another 50 plushie types which are frequently searched for, earning them an honorable mention on this list. The percentages here range from 0.05% to less than 0.01% which translates to roughly 310 to 10 monthly searches.

In this final list, we find many unique entries, such as pangolins, axolotls, quokkas, ants, moths, and creepy-looking anglerfish. Inspired by nature, plants, trees, flowers, and planets also appear. The inanimate objects at number 105 include U.F.Os, emojis, guns, and cable cars.

Buy the best plushies

If the Top 10 stuffed animals and the Top 30 stuffed animals didn’t satisfy you, and you want to buy a truly special stuffed animal, you’ve come to the right place!

From the oddly shaped food plushies and celestial plushies to tiny woodland critters and giant mammals, in this section, we’ve collected some of the very best alternatives for buying unique stuffed animals!

One final entry: the shrimp plushie!

The final bonus entry on this list is the shrimp plushie, with 0.00002% of the total amount of targeted searches. That translates to roughly 10 monthly searches. The “top 150” might make for a nice round number, but why would we only leave out the little guys?

151. Shrimp

This concludes our list of the “Top 151” most popular stuffed animals. Because we love supporting the little guys, we’ll wrap up by saying: if you truly want to be unique, buy a shrimp plushie!

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Find out everything you ever wanted to know about plushies!

• About stuffed animals
• Types of stuffed animals
• Terms for stuffed animals

• Materials used to produce stuffed animals
• Machine washing stuffed animals

• The benefits of stuffed animals
• Adult and stuffed animals

• The most popular plushies
• The most famous stuffed animal in the world

What are stuffed animals?

A stuffed animal is a soft toy made out fabrics such as plush or cloth, which is filled with synthetic fiber, cotton, straw or wood wool. In some cases, the stuffed animals are filled with more coarse materials such as plastic pellets or beans. Stuffed animals distinguish themselves from other toys by their cuddly nature; they are often soft and have exaggerated features such as large eyes and short limbs to make them look more appealing.

Stuffed animals are most often shaped like animals, and they find their origin in late 19^th-centrury Germany. Nowadays, both children and adults often own multiple plushies.

What types of stuffed animals are there?

Stuffed animals come in all shapes and sizes. They are usually classified based on their appearance, as they tend to be shaped like well-known creatures or objects. The most common stuffed animal is the bear: known as “teddy bears”, these plushie bears range in design from brown bears and panda bears to koala bears and gummy bears. Though they come in the form of tiny key chains as well as giant teddy bears the size of large armchairs, they are generally about 20 centimeters high.

Aside from the teddy bear, common stuffed animals are dogs and cats, or easily recognizable animals such as the inhabitants of the African savannah: the giraffe, the lion, or the elephant.

Though the term “stuffed animal” indicates all plushies resemble animals, this is untrue. While most of them do resemble real animals, many of them are shaped in different ways. Common plushie variations are ones that are shaped like spirits or mythological creatures, or fictional characters from books, films, and pop culture franchises. In addition, there are plushies that resemble real individuals, such as Ernesto “Che” Guevara and Rosie O’Donnell, and there are plushies shaped like foods, plants, body parts, landmarks, and inanimate objects, ranging from croissants and sushi rolls to vehicles and mobile phones.

What other terms for “stuffed animal” are there?

Stuffed animals go by many names around the world. The most popular term aside from “stuffed animal” is “plushie”. The soft nature of the word “plushie” is considered to relate well to the gentle, cuddly nature of the toys and was adapted by the plushie community on Instagram as their main handle. The word “plush” comes from the French word “peluché”, meaning “fluff” or “plush”..

Other common terms are “stuffed toy”, “plush toy”, “stuffy” or “teddy bear”. In the United Kingdom and Australia they are often called “soft toys” or “cuddly toys”.

What materials are used to produce stuffed animals?

One of the key aspects of what makes stuffed animals so attractive is that they are flexible and soft. Together with their often cute and exaggerated features, this makes them very suitable as objects of comfort. The softness of a stuffed animal largely depends on the materials used to make it. Most plushies are made from soft fabrics on the outside, to give make them gentle to touch. The fabrics used are similar those used in the production of clothing.

Just how malleable a stuffed animal is depends on its insides. Cotton and wood wool are two of the most common types of stuffing, as the are soft, natural materials. Stuffed animals containing wool can be bend thousands of times before they ever start losing form. The problem with wool, however, is that the material can’t be machine washed or dried without losing its form. Good quality cotton on the other hand will have been preshrunk before used as a stuffing, which is why plushies made with cotton are more easy to wash. Plushies filled with polyester fiberfill are also very common, as polyester is relatively cheap and won’t cause allergic reactions.

Stuffed animals which are firmer and heavier are usually made with foam, or with mohair fiber – the same material used to create the world’s first teddy bears. Other types of stuffing are bamboo fiber, corn fiber, and plastic, foam, steel or glass pellets. Plushies filled with pellets are extremely malleable and are held into shape only by their coating. Pellet-filled stuffed animals are not intended for children under the age of 3, as they contain small parts.

Finally, homemade plushies are often filled with fabric scraps or felt.

Is it possible to machine wash stuffed animals?

Most stuffed animals are produced with materials suitable for machine washing. Always use the gentlest cycle available on your washing machine, and preferably wash the stuffed animals inside a pillow cover or bed sheet. If the stuffed animal has holes in it, or shows any other sort of damage, it is recommended to wash it by hand to prevent further decline.

There are a few types of stuffed animals which are unsuitable for machine washing. Plushies using wool, mohair or foam as stuffing material should be washed by hand. Also make sure the stuffed animal doesn’t contain any additional materials such as leather or fur, as these materials are likely to get damaged when washed. Read the label on the stuffed animal to find out whether it is suitable for machine washing and drying. If the label has been cut off, opt for a safe, cold water hand wash, using a light detergent.

What are the benefits of stuffed animals?

Stuffed animals are exceptional toys: they offer comfort, feed the imagination and aid child development. For very young children, stuffed animals serve as objects of comfort. The toys make them feel safe and secure, and can be used to help them fall asleep. During daytime, the stuffed animals help them develop the children’s motor skills.

As children grow older their stuffed toys will help them develop their life skills. Through their toys, kids are taught simple words like “bear” and “dog”. They learn how to memorize names, and will eventually start to use their imagination to create characters around their stuffed animals. This leads to the further development of social skills, such as displaying love and expressing emotions.

Young adults and grown-ups often use stuffed animals as gifts or incentives, for example for Valentine’s Day. The toys can be used as objects of comfort during stressful periods, they can help teens and adults heal after going through a traumatic experience, or support them when they struggle with their health. Additionally, childhood toys can serve as a source of nostalgia or inspiration, and many adults choose to use a stuffed toy as a travel mascot.

Do adult sleep with stuffed animals as well?

Traditionally, stuffed animals are widely known as objects of comfort for children, as well as toys to be played with. However, research regarding the use of stuffed animals by Fairuz Gaibie, a clinical psychologist from Cape Town, has shown that when people cuddle soft and comforting objects, such as a stuffed animal, oxytocin is released; and this goes for both children and adults. Whether we keep our stuffed animals due to sentimental attachment, as an object of emotional comfort or to help us sleep, approximately 44% of all adults still own plushies. This number was prompted by a research conducted in the United Kingdom by Hotpoint, and though it is not possible to extrapolate this number worldwide, it does give a clear indication that many adults still value their stuffed friends.

Aside from the traditional use of stuffed animals, they are also sold as souvenirs, they are gifted as a sign of love, sympathy, or congratulations, and –  if they are lucky –  they get to travel around the world.

What are the most popular plushies?

To help you pick an awesome new friend, we’ve determined what the most popular plushies are at the moment. We composed a wonderful stuffed animal top 8 of plushies that you can order right now! These cuddly toys are of excellent quality and make for very nice gifts. Of course, you can also buy these plushies for yourself!

Every product purchased through this site will directly contribute to the welfare of wildcats and the preservation of their habitats. If you want, you can also take a look at some of our other top picks for buying stuffed animals!

Who is the most famous stuffed animal in the world?

The most famous stuffed animal in the world is Winnie-the-Pooh. Popularized by the books of A. A. Milne as well as the films by Walt Disney, Pooh was the favorite toy of Milne’s son Christopher Robin Milne. Winnie-the-Pooh was named after Winnie, a Canadian black bear living at London Zoo, who in turn was named after the city of Winnipeg, the hometown of the Canadian Lieutenant who purchased  Winnie from a hunter.

The rich imagination of Christopher Robin and his father led to the creation of a collection of short stories about the Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, Tigger and Christopher Robin – who was based on the real Christopher. The other supporting characters in Milne’s novel Winnie-the-Pooh (1926) were also based on stuffed toys owned by Milne’s son. The original toys owned have been on display in The New York Public Library since 1987.

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Sometimes, a simple stuffed animal just isn’t enough. Even if you’ve searched through the entire list of the most popular stuffed animals out there, you might still feel you haven’t exactly found what you’re looking for. To treat yourself, or that special someone you wish to surprise with a cuddly gift, you need to go bigger. So why not do so literally?

Browse Amazon’s full range of giant plushies:

Giant Teddy Bears

Teddy bears offer comfort and love, and are always in for a good cuddle. They come in all shapes and sizes: from tiny keychain-versions to gigantic, life-sized teddy’s. The giant teddy bear is one of the greatest and most popular teddy bear-related inventions since the days of the Roosevelt teddy bear. There are now hundreds of types of big teddy bears out there. These big bears come in a variety of sizes and colors. Some are made to look extremely adorable, while others are designed to look just like real bears.

Life-sized teddy bears became very popular as Valentine’s Day gift and Christmas gifts, but also as birthday gifts for children. Additionally, the giant teddy bears also became very popular with adults, as the enormous critters are able to lighten up their rooms and bring some warmth into their houses. And yes, even adults like to snuggle up against a big teddy bear every once in a while to read a good book!

Buy the Most Popular Giant Teddy Bears

We’ve taken a good look at the wide range of giant teddy bears on Amazon, and here are our picks for the most popular ones out there: check out this wonderful selection of huge teddy’s!

Every product purchased through this site directly contributes to the welfare of wild cats and the preservation of their habitats. If you’re looking for something different, check out our top picks for buying stuffed animals!

Giant Stuffed Animals

Of course, the teddy bear isn’t the only stuffed animal who’s allowed to go big! There are plenty of giant stuffed animals out there as well. Currently, the most popular big stuffed animal types are the unicorn, the elephant, the giraffe and the dog. The popularity of huge stuffed elephants and large stuffed giraffes is perhaps unsurprising: it seems there’s just something special about being able to cuddle these gentle giants in your own home!

Other popular large stuffed animals are horses, monkeys, sloths, llamas, bunnies, cats, tigers, lions, dragons, pigs and wolves. One of our personal favorites, though, is naturally the giant leopard.

Buy the Most Popular Giant Stuffed Animals

Are you looking for a cuddly, big plushie yourself? You can buy some of the best giant stuffed animal on Amazon. We’ve selected some of the most popular big plushies out there, which you can gift to your partner, friend or child to lighten up their days. Of course, you can also buy one for that other special someone out there: why not buy a huge plushie for yourself?

The Biggest Teddy Bear in the World

There are giant teddy bears, and there are giant teddy bears. On 28 April 2019, the residents of the Mexican town of Xonacatlán entered the Guinness Book of World Records: for over three months, they had worked together on creating the biggest teddy bear in the world. To create the huge teddy, the same materials were used as for the production of regular store-bought stuffed animals. The result was a 19.41 meters long teddy bear by the name of Xonita, with an approximate volume of 451.48 m³. The enormous teddy bear is currently the largest teddy bear in the world, which makes it the largest stuffed animal in the world by default.

Xonita was created as part of a publicity drive to bring the town of Xonacatlán to the attention of tourists. The event during which the huge teddy bear was revealed coincided with the celebration of El Día Del Niño (Children’s Day). Xonita was displayed at the local stadium of Xonacatlán.

The World’s Largest Sock Monkey

Sock monkeys are made from socks, and are often fashioned in the likeness of a monkey. They are very popular folk art toys, and most often homemade. Usually, they are mid-sized stuffed toys. But have you ever wondered what would happen if you tried to make one out of 66 calf-length socks? Jody Lewis, from Bridgwater, United Kingdom, did just that!

Lewis spent a full week cutting up socks and stitching them back together. After a lot of hard work, she completed her work, setting the record for the creation of the worlds’ largest sock monkey! Stuffed with 15 kilogram of hollowfibre, her gigantic stuffed monkey was brought to life in February 2015.

“I’ve got a big list of things that I want to do in life and breaking a world record was one of them,” Lewis told the World Record Academy. That, she certainly did! Lewis’ monkey is currently still the record holder for being the largest sock monkey in the world. It is 3.19 meters tall and weights 16 kilograms.

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United by the Instagram account The Instaplushies, the Instagram plushie community counts roughly 20,000 accounts worldwide. Every day, thousands of stuffed animals use the platform to share their adventures with the world. Some travel the globe, others help their humans in the house, or serve as mascots for human programs or events, such as the space programme. But who are the most celebrated, most popular plushies out there? Which plushie accounts should you follow? We’ve constructed a small list, arranged by the amount of followers the accounts have.

The Llama

A jet setting llama, travelling the world, visiting the world’s most high-end travel destinations.

Instagram	@llamawithnodrama
Followers	127,000

Martin the Bear

Martin keeps a pilot as a pet, which allows him to see the world from above more than any other teddy bear!

Instagram	@martin.thebear
Followers	13,800

Iggy the Piggy

Self-described as “cute, but naughty”, this relaxed Russian pig resides in Moscow.

Instagram	@iggypiggy
Followers	10,400

Chip the Bear

Chip’s fame extends beyond Instagram: he’s the star of the books Chip to the Rescue and Chip Goes to Art School.

Instagram	@chipinreallife
Followers	9,000

Flinki and Flora

Two hamsters, three hamsters, four, five, six hamsters! Flinki, Flora and family share their many adventures in Germany and beyond.

Instagram	@flinki.flora
Followers	7,800

Hope Friend

Hope, the ambassador of Honey Grove, is the creator of the popular tag #honeygroveteapartytuesday.

Instagram	@honeygrovebears
Followers	7,300

Miss Tipsy Cat Bose

This little cat has been travelling around the world for over 30 years, making her a senior citizen in the world of travel plushies.

Instagram	@travelswithmycat
Followers	7,200

The Lego Backpacker

Though not officially a plushie, the little guy is one of Instagram’s most avid toy travelers.

Instagram	@thelegobackpacker
Followers	22,100

Fluffy Nijdam

So proud to be able to put Fluffy himself on this list! Fluffy has allowed us to travel with him for quite a few years, which earned him the following description: “a small leopard in a big world: from undiscovered Europe to the volcanic valleys of Sumatra, Fluffy has been travelling around the world for over a decade.”

Instagram	@thebitesizedbackpacker
Followers	10,300

Private Penguin

Private is a true sushi connoisseur who would travel the whole world just to get his fins on some delicious salmon nigiri.

Instagram	@private.penguin
Followers	8,900

Au the Fox

Once this little fox sets out on an adventure, all his friends follow! Au happily shares his daily life with his followers, giving us some insight into what keeps a fox plushie occupied.

Instagram	@au_thefox
Followers	10,000

Horst the Unicorn

Unicorn Horst lives in Bremen with his mother Steffi. His German heritage makes him a descendant of the original teddy bear.

Instagram	@theadventuresofhorsttheunicorn
Followers	7,100

Konker the Hedgehog

This British critter loves the outdoors and frequently sits down to watch a good film.

Instagram	@konkerthehedgehog
Followers	6,100

What do you think, is anyone missing from this list? Let us know!

If you are wondering what type of plushie would make the perfect gift, read the results of our research detailing the 150 most popular stuffed animal types!

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  The Plushie of the Year 2020-2021

Move over, Mr. and Mrs. Universe; there’s a new champignon in town! From early-December 2020 until late-February 2021, stuffed animal enthusiasts could cast their vote for which celebrity plushie would become the Plushie of the Year. The contest was hosted by The Instaplushies, who aim to unite all plushies who share their adventures in online communities. Through Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter followers could cast their votes for their favorite stuffed animal. The Instagram “plushie community” counts over 20.000 accounts, and is still growing.

The Finalists

On February 19, 2021, the six finalists competing to become the stuffed animal of the year were announced: Austrian duck plushie Gustav von Schnabel, the ever-social Bear from the United Kingdom, banana-loving monkey plushie Lorenzo who currently resides in Paris, the celebrity plushie Fozzie Bear, the warm-blooded penguin plushie Mimi, and the globetrotting Kapten Fox. Each of these six enigmatic stuffed animals made it through the preliminaries with great ease, and beat out the competition in the semi-finals.

The Winner: Lorenzo the Great

One week after the final vote started, monkey Lorenzo came out on top as Plushie of the Year. Lorenzo was followed closely by Bear in second place and Gustav in third.

To celebrate Lorenzo’s win, we asked the adorable monkey king (and his humans) a few questions.

How did you feel about winning the Plushie of the Year contest?

I am going bananas with excitement from all the love and support I’ve received. It’s truly an honor to be representing the plushie community.

How long have you and your humans been active, taking pictures of you?

It all started in September 2019, when my humans were getting ready to move to my new home in Paris. They wanted to document my adventures for their family and friends back in America to see.

What inspires you when taking pictures?

I like to prove that plushies can do anything humans can do, but cuter!

Which of your own pictures is your favorite?

Ohhh, a hard question, I have so many great shots! But if I had to pick one, it would be the one of me hanging out and relaxing in the tree with my banana, on Île Saint-Marguerite off the Southern coast of France in the Mediterranean Sea.

What would be your Top 3 travel tips for other (plushie) travelers?

1. Belgium: they really do have the best waffles!
2. If there’s a boat ride tour take it! Even if it’s full of tourists, boat rides are an awesome way to take in the sites.
3. The best 360 view in Paris is the top of Sacré Cœur, and it’s cheaper than the Tour Eiffel.

What do you love most about the (Instagram) Plushie Community?

I love how positive, loving, supportive, and adorable everyone is.

Which other plushie accounts would you recommend?

• @gaga_monkeys_ – a cool family of diverse monkey mechanics with an affinity for Lady Gaga!
• @buster_the_stuffed_monkey – a monkey with great cinematography skills.
• @foxy.foxenberg – a foodie fox with a petite plushie bear companion.

More about Lorenzo

You can read more about Lorenzo on his very own profile page in The Plushie Community!

Members of The Plushie Community

Pops the Bear

Shocolaatje

Tedd

Enrico & Leopold

Shaw Bear

Miguelito the Sloth

Finbar the Bruce

Rescue Bear

Jonne

Summer Brown

Luna

Morton

Allekleurtje

Lorenzo

Fanti

Lambee

Lamy

Assi

Koalaroo Jones

The Tiny Cars

The Totorettes

Become a member of The Plushie Community

[contact-form-7 id=”44″ title=”The Bite-Sized Backpacker”]

On Instagram, there’s a niche for everyone. Some are funny or inspiring, others are odd and off-center. One of the most lovable, cuddly niches on Instagram is the plushie community. Much like the traveling gnome from 2001’s French film Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain, the accounts within the plushie community follow the quirky but wonderful trend of toys, trinkets and other objects to roam around the world, taking their owner’s place in every picture.

The ritual of Gnoming

Two of the first garden gnomes to have travelled were Harry and Charlie, who joined their human on a trip to the South Pole in 1977. In 1986, the Sydney Morning Herald documented what became known as the first incident of “gnoming”: stealing (or: borrowing) a garden gnome to take pictures of it around the world. The newspaper wrote about Bilbo, a garden gnome who has been traveling without its owner for several weeks.

Gnoming was further popularized in the 1990s, through the actions of le Front pour la Libération des Nains de Jardin (The Garden Gnome Liberation Front). The group “liberated” at least 150 garden gnomes, claiming that no human should ever own a gnome against his will.

Early birds Harry, Charlie and Bilbo were succeeded by Gnome Severson, who was stolen from a property in Redmond, Washington. Inspired by Amélie (in which the main character’s father stages a gnome’s globetrotting adventures), Severson was taken to travel California and Nevada. Severson became an instant celebrity when his abductors took a picture of him with Paris Hilton when running into the star at a gas station. The picture made it into People magazine and the gnomes story became news worldwide. It didn’t take long before other inanimate objects were granted a life on the road…

Travelling stuffed animals

While the hype of gnoming faded, the idea of traveling with an object remained popular. People came up with all sorts of variations, and it wasn’t long before the first touristic snapshots of stuffed animals appeared. As it is rather common to travel with a stuffed animal, the practice of taking pictures of one while on the road came natural. Travelers adapted the ritual for a variety of reasons. Some simply didn’t like taking pictures of themselves, others wanted to tell their stories through the perspective of a character of their own creation.

Plushies, and beyond!

Nowadays, there are traveling plushies in all shapes and sizes – from leopards and lions to monkeys and flamingoes, many stuffed animals lead a life of their own. Most of them are in some way connected to the plushie community, one of Instagram’s most lovable niches. Aside from plushies, there are many other traveling toys, stones and even carrots!

The Top Traveling Plushies to Follow

Check out some of the most famous plushies on Instagram, including the Llama With No Drama, Martin the Bear, Fluffy the Bite-Sized Backpacker, and Flinki and Flora.

Stuffed Animals: Related Articles

• 
  The Best Names for Stuffed Animals
• 
  The Top 150 Most Popular Stuffed Animals
• 
  Stuffed Animals: A Complete Guide
• 
  Giant Teddy Bears & Stuffed Animals
• 
  The Most Popular Plushies on Instagram
• 
  The Plushie of the Year 2020-2021