Cheeky Chompers designed the award-winning Neckerchew which you may have seen on Dragon’s Den. They have a new creation, the Comfortchew; read on to find out what we think.

What is a Comfortchew? A soft, soothing, stimulating blankie which has all the essentials together – a comforter, a teether, tags and the softness of a teddy – all things which babies love. It also has a loop which can be fastened to baby’s wrist, cot, car seat or buggy – handy as I know H often threw things onto the floor and I often wished I had a way of fastening things to the buggy when we were out.

I also love that there are two designs – and both are unisex – none of this blue for boys and pink for girls thing is going on here. There are also two Neckerchew (a dribble bib and chewy teether combined in one) designs available which co-ordinate with these.

Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning, Julie and Amy who founded Cheeky Chompers appeared on Dragon’s Den – but didn’t secure investment. Fortunately us parents saw sense in what they made, and they’ve since smashed sales targets!

I love the functionality of the Comfortchew – the teether is a brilliant idea, as we only really used the refrigerated hippo style ones with H, and had nothing we could take out with us. I would have definitely used this, had it been around.

So how much does a Comfortchew cost? It isn’t cheap with a rrp of £17.95, but considering what I’d pay for the separate parts, it doesn’t seem an unreasonable amount. The Comfortchew is machine washable at 40 degrees, BPA and phthalates free, and 100% safe to chew on – and it’s made in the UK too. When I buy something for a newborn, I like to make sure there’s plenty of use for it – while clothes are great they have such a short time they can be used – and I would say this would last a good couple of years thanks to the different uses it has.

Julie and Amy answered some questions about their business, as we wondered when you can consider it a business and not a hobby. Fortunately they knew they wanted Cheeky Chompers to be a business and saw the gap in the market. When they showcased the bib at The Baby Show and got some brilliant feedback, they realised they had something worth pursuing.

As far as anyone who might try to copy what Cheeky Chompers are doing, the products are unique and the first of their kind so it would be noticeable. The idea has been patented, so should help deter any imitations. They also want to develop a strong brand identity so that parents can trust and come back, knowing what they’re getting – they’re not going to be chasing after copycats so it takes over their lives!

Advice to mums thinking about going into business, and getting the work-life balance is a struggle, especially when you’re running your own business. Most of the time they conduct their business when the kids are in bed!  Also, don’t feel guilty when you’re taking time away from the kids to work. Having office space helps too, as you’re doing business things when you’re in the office. They both spend three days in the office which gets much more done. Also, having family members and friends who don’t mind babysitting is key, so that you can focus on your work!

You can buy the Comfortchew direct from the Cheeky Chompers website over here

We were sent the Comfortchew for the purpose of review, all opinions are our own.