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Where do you even start?

Which is the best brand of chewelry? Where do we start?!

We have been in this game since 2010 and in that time we have seen the market grow and become saturated with a huge variety of options, ranging in style, price, and even the material they are made from. It can be overwhelming to sift through it all and make the right choice for you or the chewer in your life. Chewellery can also be known as sensory chews, sensory chewing aids, and it can be spelled the American and UK ways: chewlry, chewellery or chewelry!

We will take each main brand in turn and go over the pros and cons of each, and look at what you need to consider when choosing the right product for you.

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Ark Therapeutic

Started in 2000 by a husband and wife team – Debbie a speech and language therapist frustrated with the lack of oral motor tools, and her engineering husband – they set out to solve this problem and created a range of innovative oral motor tools. They then branched into the chewelry market around 2015. As this article is focused on which is the best brand of chewelry, we will focus on that part of their range.

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Ark Therapeutic Summary

A fantastic organization that has complete control over its supply chain because they make their products in-house. Made and designed by knowledgeable individuals. Good if you like change and newness as Ark frequently releases new designs. If you prefer to find something that works for you and stick with it, then that’s less important. If you loath a certain colour but need it in their XXT strength and that’s the colour it comes in, then that’s could be really frustrating. Great for children who will be attracted to certain types of shapes and themed chews  like basketball, soccer or animals. Less suitable for the adult chewer who wants to be more discreet. A variety of strengths are available and shapes to meet a range of oral seeking needs.

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Kids Companion

Another brand, based in North America where the product was born from a mother’s desire to help her child. Pierrette d’Entremont noticed her middle child chewing on shirts, fingers, and the inside of her cheeks and it was distressing. Pierrette studied human kinetics at the University of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada but is also a jeweler and Accredited Jewelry Professional. Having seen her child benefit from soothing with a clay necklace, the first kids companion was developed and launched by her after years of research and sourcing.  This has later developed into an additional range SentioCHEWS inspired by the frustrations of aggressive chewers of the world. Kids Companion use thermoplastic elastomers which they claim are more durable than generic silicone but do also break in time. The products are made in Canada with materials sourced in the USA. But is this the the best brand of chewelry?

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Kids Companion Summary

A thoughtful company with well thought out designs. Sticklers for safety, and quite right too!  A different feel due to the raw materials used being TPE which some chewers will love and others will hate. Clever little fidget inserted into their heart design. Whilst the range is bright and colourful, as the name suggests ‘kids companion’ the designs are aimed at children and don’t cater for the adult market or those that require something more discreet.

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Chewbuddy

Chewbuddy is made in the UK and is a very popular choice. The stickman is well known and many enjoy the reach the arms and legs provide, plus it has some texture too for additional input. They also have a range of other shapes as well as differing strengths and textures. They come in bright colours and usually with a lanyard.

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Silicone Chewies (non branded)

As stated at the beginning, there are lots now on the market since we developed ours in 2010.  This makes working out which is the best brand of chewelry a real challenge.

Silicone is a fantastic material and it’s feel can be affected by it’s shore strength, meaning it is versatile in terms of strength and bounce back. But not all silicone chewies are the same. So you do have to be careful when selecting.  Below are a few key tips on what to look for with silicone chewies:

• Price – you get what you pay for. It costs a company to make the moulds, test them, tweak them and produce them, and have them tested to the various global standards.
• A brand name – not just a generic on amazon.
• A proper website and a way of contacting the company
• A registered company and address
• It should be food or medical grade, lead, latex, phthalate, and PVC-free (as should all chewies!)

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So which is THE best Chewellery brand then?

You are not going to like the answer, but the truth is, it really depends on a variety of factors. The right chew is a deeply personal and individual thing. You may have to try several before settling on the one that best meets your unique needs. Or, you may have different styles and strengths for a range of scenarios.

A mistake that many people make is that if they chew hard and break chewies they look for something harder but this could actually not be the right way to go. Sometimes how hard someone chews is as a result of not getting the sensory feedback they need and so they chew harder to try and satisfy that need but the chewellery they are using cannot provide that feedback because it is too tough. So, sometimes a softer chew is the answer, and the need can be met with a less intense chew.

You can get more information and top tips here on how to prolong the life of a chewie.

We would always recommend talking to someone who is experienced in chewing. They can look at what you currently chew and ask a few important questions to really work out what will best meet your needs. Any reputable brand should be able to help you with this.

The best brand of chewelry for you will be down to your own personal preferences as well as weighing up the cost benefits – all chewellery will eventually break and need to be replaced so you have to hit that sweet spot of meeting your needs and your budget.

It is also worth taking some time if you have not already to explore and understand why we chew.

If you need to chat to someone about your chewing needs then you can get in touch with us below. We would love to hear from you and are always happy to help.