Wow! Stuff Care Bears Cheer Bear Palm Puppetronic Review
DISCLOSURE -THIS ITEM WAS GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW. ALL THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS ARE THE REVIEWER’S OWN.
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
I’m an 80’s girl so Care Bears were a huge part of my childhood. I have loved seeing them make a huge come back over the years, and they are still a huge fixture in my home. My original Cheer Bear has pride of place on my bed!
Imagine my joy at being able to review Cheer Bear 2026, with the bells and whistles, courtesy of Wow Stuff.
If you are unfamiliar with the Care Bears, they originate from the popular cartoon and movie from the 1980’s. They are a group of colourful little bears who live amongst the clouds in Care-A-Lot. They spread cheer, kindness and love with their unique little symbols on their tummies, and have their famous “Care Bear Stare!” to spread their love around.
On opening the box my initial thoughts are that this bear is really cute and good quality. I did wonder whether you would lose the cuddle factor with this kind of toy but that wasn’t the case. The material is so soft and only a small part of the toy is solid, so you still get a good snuggle. Despite the name, this isn’t a puppet in the traditional sense as the mouth and eye movements are much more sophisticated (hence the term “puppetronic”).
The controls for the various actions are in the back of the toy via an opening, and whilst I was able to operate them without issue, I would say they would be much easier for smaller hands. I have to mention that I appreciated the lack of any sort of annoying Velcro covering at the back; the opening was there to place your hand in easily at any time, but the sides squeezed back together afterwards leaving only a small gap.
The controls allow you to make Cheer Bear blink, open and close her mouth, move her head and (the finale) light up her tummy. The mouth control was a little stiffer so very young kids may struggle slightly or need to be told not to be too rough- a good reason why the age recommendation is 6 plus.
The battery compartment is a little fiddly to get at, but once the batteries are in play can start.
The bear is pretty light in weight and a good size to rest on your knee or one hand, whilst operating the control with the other like you would any other puppet. Obviously this isn’t a normal puppet, as it can talk! It has a sweet little voice full of positive messages and has plenty of things to say that you would only hear from Cheer Bear (over 40 phrases). When you tap the head sensor you get a few little extras such as an eye blink to show that she is responding to you directly. It is perfect for imaginative play.
The real winning feature for me is the light up Care Bear Stare- but you should turn off the lights for the full effect!
The recommended retail price of £29.99 is more than reasonable as you have a toy that cuddles, moves with handheld controls, lights up and talks. There is so much play and entertainment value in a little bear.
Three of the most popular bears are available in this range, with Funshine (yellow) and Grumpy Bear (blue) finishing the trio. According to the product information, you can unlock character interactions if you collect the three, and having three children myself this would be just lovely for Christmas.
At the risk of getting nostalgic, I love what Care Bears represent and think you can’t go wrong having one of these in your little one’s arms at Christmas. Particularly one that has so many amazing features which take this beyond a toy to cuddle and love- she’s a little companion with so many play features.
Rating: 5/5 stars
RRP £29.99
You can purchase this product here; https://www.amazon.co.uk/WOW-STUFF-Care-Bear/dp/B0GPXPD939?th=1