Barney And Bella

Hi, I’m Kirsty. I decided to create my own range of baby products and accessories in 2020. I was pregnant, looking after a toddler through lockdown whilst miserable in my job and frustrated by a lack of high-quality, hand-made baby toys and accessories I could also trust to be safe. Everything seemed to be made with plastic, or to be disposable. Even muslins were coated in a plastic spray to make them ‘stain resistant’. Half of every ‘organic baby’ site had products that I just wasn’t sure about. I wanted to give my babies safe, luxury baby clothes, toys and homeware that also looked great. A chat with friends and family revealed others desperately wanted the same. And so, Barney and Bella (named after my two Cavachon’s – my first two babies – was born). Inspired by my own children’s favourite characters, colours and textures, designed in-house and manufactured with love. ABOUT OUR RANGE Developing CE certified baby products that are safe, affordable, and pretty is not easy. We’ve had to work hard, repeatedly rejecting products that were expensive to develop on the grounds of quality control. CE and UKCA testing are vital to ensure your baby’s safety isn’t compromised by loose bits that can be swallowed, weak bits that can cause injury or the size and length of parts to ensure they are not a choking hazard. To pass, you go through hundreds of tests, checking mechanical, functional and chemical safety. Many handmade toys in the UK are NOT tested; always make sure you can see a CE or UKCA mark before you buy! It’s hard work, but when it comes to the safety of our children it’s not something I was willing to compromise on! My mantra is if I wouldn’t give it to my own baby, who you can often see in our literature and on Instagram, I wouldn’t want you to give it to yours. The-end-result is a growing capsule collection including new prints, rompers, beautiful swaddle blankets and muslins and soft toys in our own bespoke characters.