The Galt Toys Ambi Toys Twin Rattle is designed to entertain little ones, but what did our parent testers think?
Tested by mum Sophia Procter for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I have always loved simple, functional products and the Ambi rattle is exactly that. A very cute, brightly coloured toy that is intriguing and entertaining, which definitely helps aid hand to eye coordination too. It’s a smart little toy that has a sensitive little rattle sound and was thoroughly enjoyed by my son.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The colourful Ambi rattle is the perfect size for taking out with you on the move, or for playing with in the house. It therefore makes life easier through its convenience and flexibility. It’s also hard wearing, so no matter how many times it’s dropped on the floor, it won’t break! It's also very affordable, and that's a bonus.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The Galt Toys Ambi Toys Twin Rattle rattle itself is very subtle, and while it’s great to have a toy that isn’t too noisy, it mostly sounds like something’s broken and rattling inside! Also, it can be quite a hard object, so if baby accidently smacks it on themselves, there can be tears – I discovered earlier this week. However, these are just small nags, as it’s a brilliant item.
Tested by mum Rebecca Biggins for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
The Twin Rattle is a nice little toy that kept my son amused for a few minutes. It's not really very beautiful, nor is it a rattle (it feels to me that the beads were put in as a last-minute design decision), as the mechanical noise of the suns turning around each other is louder than whatever's inside. That said, slightly older children may enjoy this toy and be amazed by the suns moving around without seeming to have anything holding them together. This was slightly wasted on my 6-month-old!
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The rattle makes my life harder, if anything, as my son can only hold onto it for so long (it's not very ergonomic) and then drops it wherever is handy, which means I spend my time picking it up!
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I don't really like this product - it's not well designed for little hands, it doesn't rattle and isn't very appealing to look at.
Tested by mum Faye Jones for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
The only thing that I would recommend about this is the bright yellow colour, unfortunately, they don’t fit well in baby’s hand and within two minutes she was bored. The Galt Toys Ambi Toys Twin Rattles weren’t overly engaging and the face on them was a bit scary. The product looked old-fashioned and uninteresting.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
Unfortunately this product didn’t make my life any easier as my daughter wasn’t engaged in the product for any significant amount of time and seemed to keep dropping it due to the slippery nature of the plastic. I didn’t like the face on this product as it seemed a little scary. The product wasn’t innovative and all that it did was rattle.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would make the product more innovative and easy to use for a baby, and perhaps made it so it had something else to make it interesting with colours or different textures to keep a baby more engaged for longer. I would also make the plastic less slippery so she didn’t keep dropping it.
Tested by mum Carly Pearson for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This product is bright and colourful and has a simple, but clever design which allows baby to hold one of the sunshine shaped discs whilst the other rotates around it. The Galt Toys Ambi Toys Twin Rattle toy also contains a small rattle. It does provide value for money at only £4.99 but I wouldn't be in a rush to buy one as my little one quickly got tired of it. I think this was because the toy didn't provide much in the respect of sensory experiences for her (it's made out of yellow plastic), nor was the rattle very loud or effective. Once the initial novelty had worn off, she didn't really return to it again.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The product is small and lightweight, making it easy to transport if you need a little toy to entertain your little one whilst out and about.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would make it easier to get the rattle to work - you have to shake it quite hard to get any sound out of it and even then it is quite quiet! Also, if some different textures could be incorporated perhaps babies would be more interested in playing with it.
Tested by mum Laura Mcclure for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
This toy doesn’t look very appealing to me although the smiley suns are eye-catching. However my 6 month old is fascinated by the Galt Toys Ambi Toys Twin Rattle and often makes a grab for it when it's on her playmat. It's great quality and built to last. Nevertheless, I was disappointed by the 'rattle'. It doesn't make a traditional rattle sound but it's a 'new' sound to catch my baby's attention.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It's entertaining for my baby. She enjoys twisting the sun shapes and listening to the noise that they make as they turn. It can be wiped clean and stores away easily, taking up very little room in the toy box.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would give the product a new name so that those who purchase it aren't disappointed with the 'rattle'. The toy makes an interesting sound but just not what you're expecting.
Tested by mum Kelly Moore for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
The faces and colour of the rattle (yellow) caught my baby’s attention. It is quite small so can slip into a bag if leaving the house. It isn't easy to use and the two 'cog shaped' pieces move out of the baby’s hands as soon as they get hold of it. She needed constant help with it. It is called a rattle but doesn't actually rattle very loudly.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It didn't as my baby needed constant help using it.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
It needs to have a different textured surface to make it easier to grip hold of. The rattle needs to be louder.
Tested by mum Fleur Bryant for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
It is a good size and therefore easy to chuck in a bag to use as entertainment in a restaurant etc. The toy is robust and looks like it could stand being dropped multiple times from a highchair. It is relatively easy to keep clean. Good colours too.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It is useful to have a product that entertains little ones at a restaurant etc. However, I think it could be better. All the adults that have tried it have loved it as a thing to fiddle with whilst 'thinking', however my 7 month old has struggled to use it in the way it is intended.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
It is a good basic rattle but I think needs a bit of a re-think to make it stand out from the crowd and get babies really interested in it.