HABAusa.com Makes Shopping Easier Than Ever {HABA Doll and Horse}

Because of how much my kiddos thirst for knowledge, I strive to make each new toy that comes into our house a learning opportunity.  Whether it be empathy and understanding or science and problem solving, I find myself turning to HABA toys again and again.

With heirloom quality toys that capture the true essence of childhood, you really can’t go wrong with anything in their extensive line.  But, until now, shopping for HABA toys in the US has always meant second-party sites that may or may not have what I’m looking for or foreign sites that don’t ship to the US.  For this reason, I was thrilled to hear that HABA just debuted their brand new consumer ecommerce and information site at www.HABAusa.com.


HABAusa.com_Home_page
Not only does the site give detailed product descriptions and ways to purchase both online and off, it also makes it easier than ever to find the HABA product that is perfect for everyone on your list.  Whether you search by category, age range, awards received, price, or manufacturer, everything is neatly organized and easy to navigate.  Once you find what you’re looking for you can see product overviews, specs and details including materials used, as well as reviews from other users that help you choose the right products.

One thing that I loved immediately upon searching is that products are smartly categorized by age.  Instead of simply using the recommendations listed on the packaging, each product is instead placed into multiple age ranges where applicable.  Because of this smart grouping of ages, it means I don’t have to click between three different categories to find products for older kids for fear of not seeing the perfect item that just happens to have an 18 month+ recommendation.  As someone that shops online regularly, this smart categorization is a very big deal to me.  Seeing all age appropriate items in one place sure beats clicking back and forth and makes it easier for aunts, uncles and grandparents to easily find the perfect gift without feeling like they are on a scavenger hunt.  

But, beyond great search functions and detailed descriptions, I love that HABA has built in a ton of educational resources for shopping as well.  With how-to and informative videos, blog posts and articles, and tons of product line information, there are resources for even the most clueless shoppers to make a truly informed decision. 

And, speaking of decisions, I recently had a very tough one on my hands when I was handed a list of the new HABA releases.  Luckily, the HABAusa.com site came in very handy and I was able to check out each item thoroughly before selecting a favorite. 

Or, should I say “favorites”, because there was no way I could narrow my list down to one.

Luckily, starting my shopping was simple since both of my children are doll crazy and I merely needed to click on Dolls & Accessories to reveal everything they could ever want as far as toys.  As proof of that, I didn’t make it further than the third item on the list before I knew I had found what I was looking for.


HABA horse
When a recent field trip to a petting zoo and a walk through Central Park in NYC ignited a love of horses {or “neighs”, depending on which child you ask}, our world has been consumed with learning all we can about these amazing animals.  Seeing the brand new American Indian Horse Lanu on the HABA site felt like fate, and I quickly added it to my wishlist.  When I saw the American Indian Doll Sihu right beside Lanu, I knew they couldn’t be separated from each other and would need to find a good home together.


HABA doll
Thank goodness I have a good home to give them because when our new HABA friend arrived on our doorstep with a baby in a papoose and her own trusty stead, the kiddos were smitten.  And, as much as I had fallen for them by simply searching online, nothing prepared me for how gorgeous Sihu and Lanu were in person. 


HABA doll and horse
You know how some dolls just have a spark of personality that makes it so you cannot take your eyes off them?  Well, Sihu definitely has that.  The detail in Sihu’s eyes is absolutely stunning and surprisingly lifelike – especially when you consider they were created with needle and thread!  Add in her adorable outfit, accessories, and her teeny infant {which the kiddos named Dusty} in the baby papoose and it's no surprise they ran to her and didn’t put her down.

HABA doll collageBut, when they saw Sihu had brought her own horse, Lanu, the excitement was borderline chaos as they rushed to gallop the pair around the house, neighing and laughing together.  It wasn’t a few minutes before they started with the questions about their new friends, and I saw this as a great opportunity to have a hands-on approach to learning about horses and the American Indian culture. 


Haba Horse collage
We started by learning how Sihu cares for Lanu; what kind of things she feeds it, how she rides it using a few simple commands, and all about the amazing bond they share.  This was a great way to teach about how people used to get around by horses before there were cars, and talk about how it was the main form of transportation for centuries. 

The kiddos took everything to heart and they have made sure to help Sihu take care of Lanu by feeding her little HABA carrots and “hay” we made from rolled paper bags.  They repurposed an old soft bristle baby brush to groom Lanu daily, they take care when putting on her saddle and bridle, and they even created her a barn out of a play puppy kennel.


Playing with HABA horse and doll
But, as much fun as they have caring for Lanu, they love playing with the trio even more.  Lanu is great fun because she has corduroy hooves with flat bases that allow her to stand steadily on her own and thus can be ridden by all sorts of plush animal friends and dolls.  Then, since Sihu has a weighted seat that allows her to sit on her own, she is actually able to ride her horse without assistance, which makes for even more exciting play. 

Add in a bit of imagination, a little craftiness, and a whole lot of learning opportunities and you have yourselves a classic toy that will always be a reminder of the joys of childhood.  All this fun we’ve been having has sent me back to the HABAusa site many times, and in my searches I have found the perfect complements to our new trio of friends and a great way to make the set feel brand new all over again. 

If you were to take a look at my growing HABA wishlist you would see more HABA dolls and some new doll and horse accessories, as well as an amazing collection of educational gifts for
Horse accessoriesthe holidays and beyond.  Not only am I having a blast shopping for all the kids on my list, I’m also patting myself on the back for being nearly done with my holiday shopping without having to hear even one Christmas carol.  If there was a Shopper of the Year award, I’m certain that I would win it this year now that I’ve got HABA in my corner!

And Now For the Giveaway!


One lucky Rave and Review reader will win the HABA Lanu Horse or the HABA Sihu Doll!

To Enter: Visit the HABAusa.com site and tell me what you think, what you learned, or your favorite product!

And, as always, there are extra entries available! {Please leave a separate comment for each completed}

2 Extra Entries – Post on your Facebook wall about this amazing giveaway {HABA doll or HABA horse giveaway http://t.co/OjAD4Dv8} and tag HABAusa and Rave & Review

2 Extra Entries {per method} – Follow Rave & Review! Subscribe by RSS feed, Subscribe by email, become a fan of R&R on Facebook or add R&R to your blogroll or sidebar {code in sidebar}.

1 Extra Entry – Leave a review of a HABA product you've played with on the new HABA site

1 Extra Entry {daily} – Twitter.  Retweet this tweet after following @HABA_USA and @RaveAndReview

2 Extra Entries – Blogger Bonus. Blog about this giveaway
linking back to this post and leave an address where
I can find your writeup

1 Extra Entry – Comment love. Enter any of my other giveaways and/or comment on any non-giveaway post! 

1
Extra Entry – Pin or Like this post {use the buttons
at the bottom of post to make it super easy! Can be
done once per article}

On
September 25th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn by Random.org,
announced here and notified via email. Winner
will have 48 hours to contact me or a new
winner will be chosen.  US only.

Winner, winner!  This giveaway is now closed.  Thank you to all who entered and congrats to: #199 Angela Neynaber said…

I subscribe to Rave and Review by email.

Leanne Signature 2A big thank you to HABA for providing the doll and horse to facilitate this review as well as a giveaway to our fabulous readers. All opinions are 100% ours and no form of monetary compensation was received in exchange for this Rave Review.

237 thoughts on “HABAusa.com Makes Shopping Easier Than Ever {HABA Doll and Horse}”

  8. I learned that at the core of their corporate philosophy are children . they emphasize Quality
    They want their customers to be satisfied. This is why they put a lot of emphasis on outstanding quality of both products and services.

  20. carpenter pixie walker wagon is also fab,,,,,,,,,i just realized i did the same entry as the one above so I redid
    debbie jackson,
    djackson1958 at hotmail dot com

  68. I learned that safety is very important to this company. “Our toys meet and often exceed the ASTM mechanical specifications required by the CPSIA in the USA. In addition, our items are additionally tested to meet the stringent European requirements for toy safety.”
    This is very important to me as well.
    Thanks for the great giveaway!

  88. MANDATORY ENTRY: My favorite HABA product is their “Paulina Plush Horse.” I think Paulina is absolutely adorable!
    kimbuckjr

  97. I think my favorite right now is the shopping net vegetable bag. We’ve been frequenting the farmer’s markets and it’s a great way for the kids to pretend play this at home!

  137. I love their store, they have such great products. My daughter would love the MOOVER Doll Pram Red
    alsatia23 at hotmail dot com

  202. love the haba site and products i really like the birthday muffins and all the pretend food that looks so realistic and not the normal food that you would think but unique like sausage and pasta

  203. I love these dolls, my favorite is Guardian Angel Tine Pure Nature – Organic Soft Toy & honestly all the horses, their faces are adorable

  237. I didn’t know what you meant by this one “Leave a review of a HABA product you’ve played with on the new HABA site” I’ve never had one of these toys and don’t have a blog.

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