Originally published July 8, 2021. Updated June 23, 2023 to reflect even better alternatives!
The Senser Play Kit from Lovevery, developed for 5-6 months old, was one of our favorite play kits.
We’ve amassed every single one of the famous Lovevery kits, and the toys from this one stand out to me as memorable, unique, and long-lasting.
The tissue box included in The Senser may be our all-time favorite Lovevery toy.
And that’s saying a lot because Lovevery has some incredible toys!
The Senser includes six toys and costs $80.
While I firmly stand behind the quality of the Lovevery play kits, you can’t help but wonder: could I recreate it for less on Amazon?
Interested in other age ranges? Check out other play kits in our Lovevery Amazon alternatives series!
Spinning Rainbow
The spinning rainbow is a beautiful, simple wooden toy that entertains your baby for months!
We loved displaying this one on shelves – it’s basically like home decor – and our son loved figuring out how to spin it and keep it spinning.
When we’d have other small kids over, this is the toy everyone gravitated to.
The best Amazon alternative for the Lovevery spinning rainbow is from Adena Montessori ($26.92).
I also like that the Amazon version has a mirror on the spinning drum – babies that age love mirrors!
Magic Tissue Box
One of our favorite Lovevery toys of all time is this magic tissue box.
Our kids loved playing with this when we got the box, and they love playing with it today. It is such a long-lasting toy, and it’s so well-crafted.
I don’t know if you’ve ever noticed that kids often like to play with water bottles and empty boxes more than their actual toys, and I think that’s why this one works so well.
It mimics a regular tissue box, something that kids may see their parents using.
I know my daughter loved pulling out tissues from our regular tissue boxes way back when, and when we got this one for my son, she had a blast with it.
Amazon has several different tissue box options for babies, though none have that classic Lovevery look.
The most similar option is the Preferred World of Eric Carle Tissue Box ($18.99).
Update: There have been some pretty negative reviews on the Eric Carle tissue box. Parents say it’s not built well, the lid comes off too easily, and the tissues inside fall apart or shrink when washed.
The only other comparable option I could find is from Taf Toys ($20.99), and it has much better reviews. It’s made of thick cardboard material, so the quality isn’t even half as good as the Lovevery version, but I believe this is the best alternative.
Organic Cotton Rainbow Ball
When I got this play kit for my son, the rainbow ball was a little different.
They’ve tweaked this particular part of the kit, but it’s still the same concept – a ball-shaped object designed to build dexterity and coordination.
Finding an Amazon alternative for this one was easy, though it was a little more expensive than I expected.
The HABA rainbow fabric ball ($19.99) is very similar to the Lovevery version, and it has different textures on the sections, which I think is lovely!
Update: This is still the very best alternative!
‘Parts of Me’ Book
The Lovevery books are pretty amazing. They all feature real images of babies and toddlers doing real-life things, like going to bed, going to the doctor, and baking muffins.
They also feature diverse babies, which can be surprisingly hard to find.
The books often feature minimal words and vibrant, colorful images of babies in these younger play kits, and this particular book focuses on body parts.
I did find a similar option on Amazon called “All About Me,” ($6.99) which features surprise flaps.
Update: I still think All About Me! is the best alternative, but I did find another option worth looking at called “My First Body.”
The only drawback in my opinion is it’s a little too detailed for this age range. I like the simplicity of the Lovevery version much better!
Play Socks
The play socks from Lovevery were a lot of fun – I remember watching my little guy reach for his feet as he tried to discern what was making the rattling sound!
Update: The play socks have had a design update that I love! The socks we have include little bells on the end, but I imagine that over time, the little bells may unravel or detach from the sock. The new design is much more secure.
There are a ton of foot rattles on Amazon, and many of them come in these big packs.
If you only need one pair, the best buy is from Infantino ($6.68), and they feature adorable zebra and tiger faces as the rattle.
Update: The foot rattle socks from Infantino are still the best Amazon alternative!
Tummy Time Wobbler
The tummy time wobbler is a fun toy to entertain your baby as they lengthen their tummy time.
My son would often get frustrated with tummy time, but little toys like these would buy me some extra time.
There are many wobblers available on Amazon, but my pick for this particular alternative is the Hape Penguin Musical Wobbler ($12.99).
While it does feature a sound when the baby plays with it (no batteries needed), I still think it has the same developmental effect as the Lovevery version.
It’s also my understanding that Hape manufactures the Lovevery wooden toys, so it’s only fitting for this alternative to make the list.
Update: The Hape wobbler isn’t going anywhere as the favorite – it has thousands of 5-star reviews! – but another good option is from Shumee. It’s not as colorful but it’s more simplistic in design like the Lovevery version.
Lovevery vs. Amazon Price Comparison for “The Senser”
Here are the updated prices for the new Lovevery Amazon alternatives I found:
- Spinning rainbow: $17.95
- Tissue box: $20.99
- Rainbow ball: $19.99
- Body parts book: $6.99
- Rattle socks: $6.68
- Wobbler toy: $12.99
The total cost for The Senser play kit alternatives is $85.59, or $5.59 more than the Lovevery play kit.
The Lovevery play kit is clearly the better deal – not only is it a better price, but the toy quality is unmatched.
The tissue box from Lovevery is solid wood with organic tissues that you can wash – the best alternative on Amazon is a thick cardboard material.
The play kit also comes with the Play Guide, which includes ideas for playing with the toys, tips on developmental milestones, and even some play ideas that don’t necessarily use items from the kit.
I loved reading through the Play Guide and finding new ways to use the toys that I hadn’t previously thought of.
Conclusion
Buying alternative items on Amazon is more expensive. Plus, you lose the cohesive, aesthetically pleasing look of the Lovevery toys.
That said, if you only want one or two of the toys, you can save some money by going to Amazon instead.
The only caveat there is the Lovevery toys retain their value, and you can sell them when you’re done on a site like Mercari or Facebook marketplace.
Update: I’ve done this and have been able to recoup about 50-60% of the price I paid on Lovevery toys!
Whether this served as a confirmation that the Lovevery kits are indeed worth it, or you’re interested in a toy or two, I hope this article helps you find what you need!
