How big is a capybara, really?

The single most common thing people write to us about is not colour, or stitching, or shipping. It is size. Specifically, that the bear they ordered turned out smaller than the one in their head.

That is not really their fault. Plush toys photograph badly. Put a 30 cm bear alone on a white background and it could be 10 cm or a metre. There is nothing in the frame to argue with.

So here are the numbers

The mini bear is 15 cm (5.9 in), which is roughly a large orange. The jointed bear is 30 cm (12 in) standing and about 23 cm (9 in) sitting, which is roughly a 1.5 litre bottle. Those are the only two sizes we make.

Bears are measured standing, from the feet to the top of the head, with the capybara hood on. The hood adds a couple of centimetres and we would rather include it than surprise you.

Which one do people keep?

The jointed bear, by a wide margin. It is big enough to hug properly and small enough to live on a desk. The mini bear is what people buy for a bag strap, and then buy again for someone else two weeks later.

A note on the outfits

Hoodies are cut for one size or the other, so check which fit you are buying. A 15 cm hood will not stretch onto a 30 cm bear, and a 30 cm hood on a mini bear looks like a dressing gown.

Everything is drawn to scale on the size guide, next to an object you already own.