--------------UPDATE--------------
After using the Allerbling wristband for about six months, I'm disheartened to say that it has fallen short of our expectations. Unfortunately, the charms tend to break at the seams and fall off. This has happened three different times involving several charms and two wristbands. It's a hassle to keep exchanging the kit and it's equally annoying to have to replace the charms. Although the customer service I received from the company was very good, and they sent a whole new kit to replace the broken one, I most likely will not buy the Allerbling Wristband again. Perhaps when the design is improved, I might reconsider. As it stands now, I cannot continue to recommend the product based on it's current performance. Essentially, if you plan on using it only for a short duration, it could work for you. However, as a long term and permanent solution, it's unlikely that it will last. The Allerbling Wristband is a great idea for an allergy product but it is not very durable.
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After using the Allerbling wristband for about six months, I'm disheartened to say that it has fallen short of our expectations. Unfortunately, the charms tend to break at the seams and fall off. This has happened three different times involving several charms and two wristbands. It's a hassle to keep exchanging the kit and it's equally annoying to have to replace the charms. Although the customer service I received from the company was very good, and they sent a whole new kit to replace the broken one, I most likely will not buy the Allerbling Wristband again. Perhaps when the design is improved, I might reconsider. As it stands now, I cannot continue to recommend the product based on it's current performance. Essentially, if you plan on using it only for a short duration, it could work for you. However, as a long term and permanent solution, it's unlikely that it will last. The Allerbling Wristband is a great idea for an allergy product but it is not very durable.
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Our little girl will be going into grade primary this year. Given our history with daycare and the mayhem that ensued, we felt that it would be safer and in her best interest to stay at home and go to school when the time comes. She was 2 and a half at the time. Fast forward... today she is five. That time has come. The time to worry and fret and complain and be scared and cautious; but also the time to prepare my tools and bring out the big guns if necessary. Part of my arsenal is the Allerbling Wristband. It's going to be particularly useful at school.
Now, daycare was a total bust for us. When I look back at our time at daycare, I think it was a calamity, but it was also an important experience (read: valuable lesson that I wish to never learn again, thank you). Daycare is not like school though. School is a whole different ball game (and you will be seeing a lot more posts about school in the coming months and perhaps years) and one that requires a fair bit of patience and an abundance of finesse. Yours truly is not the most politically correct person and that's on a good day. I can't deny that I've burned bridges (and as someone used to say in a place I used to work at a long, long time ago "may the bridges we burn light our way") and although some of those bridges could have been salvaged, the majority of them were already burning when I got there.
I'm slowly learning (at the request/demand of my husband and other people who think I'm crazy), to be more patient, more accommodating, more forgiving, and more approachable (aka more Canadian), while at the same time learning to be less snarky, less bitter, less panicky and less of a control freak (just shoot me now). I'm not saying it's not gonna happen; I'm sure I'll get there. I just can't promise that I'll get there in less than a decade or so. That kinda change takes time; time I could be using to beat the living daylight out of a stubborn bread dough, not meditating on how we can all make our lives better with love & understanding so let's all hold hands and sing kumbaya (okay now you can really just shoot me). That's not to say that I lack the skills to multi task. Oh no, au contraire, my friends. I can KO the toughest dough out there and still come up with a foolproof scheme to make my neighbor's life miserable (just like when she deprives me of sleep by installing her little snottling of a dog out on the lawn so it keeps barking at all hours of the night - barking at the cars driving by, barking at the wind, barking at its own tail, even barking at its own farts - though I suppose I can't blame it there). Anyway, the point is I have made the determination to become "nicer", whatever that is (someone will let me know... eventually).
Back to the school thing... since our daughter is going to school for the first time with strangers and people who know very little about her and about allergies in general, we decided that we should do all we can to help them keep her alive. First thing that came to mind was identification. I wanted something that can stand out, be visible and identify her allergies clearly. I've looked around and there are a lot of necklaces, dogtags, and bracelets online and in stores. After I did the research, I settled on the Allerbling Wristband. In summary, it works for us, my daughter loves it and wears it all the time, and it delivers on its promise. I give you the detailed review below.
What is Allerbling and what does it do?
According to Allerbling, the "Allerbling wristband is a unique medical ID bracelet, which is customizable by you, at any time, based on your child's changing food allergic conditions. Allerbling is a visual educational tool and a conversation piece that has the potential to save children’s lives by raising awareness of a child’s food allergies. Allerbling is cute and approachable, so kids will want to wear it. Yet it is clearly marked as a medical product for children’s caregivers. It displays the iconic symbols of the food products that are risky to the children, so their teachers and caregivers can be constantly reminded at a glance."
Okay, so we got the part about what it is, but does it actually do what they say it does? Yes, for us, it does. Although our daughter has not gone to school yet, nearly everyone who's seen her wrist has looked at least twice and many family members held her hand to actually read what's on the bracelet. That in and of itself is a great opportunity to discuss her allergies and it opens the door for more dialogue (always a bonus).
Is it right for your child?
I think it's great for any child living with a life threatening food allergy. And for children suffering from multiple life threatening food allergies or those diagnosed with Celiac Disease I would say it's a good investment. It's designed for children 3 and older. The allergy charms present a choking hazard to younger children. Since our daughter is 5, that was not an issue.
So, what allergies can you use Allerbling for? It's best to check their web site to see the latest information about that. At the time of writing this, the following are the allergies for which there are charms: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Shellfish, Fish, Wheat, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Sesame, Corn, Strawberry, Coconut, Chocolate, Bee, andGluten. That's an impressive list given that it includes the top 8 food allergies as well as some of the less common ones.
How is it used and how does it work?
The wristband has a red medic charm along with a charm for each of the individual allergies. Each wristband has 5 holes and can accommodate four allergy charms in addition to the medic charm. You can remove the medic charm and add a fifth allergy charm but I really would not recommend that. One of the key features of Allerbling is the fact that the medic charm is a bright red and has a different shape than the rest of the charms so it really stands out as a medical symbol. At a glance, it is easy to identify it as a medical bracelet and not just a piece of jewelry. Even my little girl recognized that the medic charm was different and asked me about it. The Allerbling wristband helps her explain to others what her allergies are and I think that it's paramount to her safety that she be able to communicate this information to school teachers, students, friends, family members and other people she meets. She also understands the importance of having something that could easily identify her allergies. She loves wearing the Allerbling wristband and couldn't wait to get in the mail. She thinks it's "super cool" and shows it to everyone she meets. In other words, she does not take it off nor does she wish to. Bonus in my book. Now, if I can only convince her to wear her epipen with such enthusiasm...
Now, daycare was a total bust for us. When I look back at our time at daycare, I think it was a calamity, but it was also an important experience (read: valuable lesson that I wish to never learn again, thank you). Daycare is not like school though. School is a whole different ball game (and you will be seeing a lot more posts about school in the coming months and perhaps years) and one that requires a fair bit of patience and an abundance of finesse. Yours truly is not the most politically correct person and that's on a good day. I can't deny that I've burned bridges (and as someone used to say in a place I used to work at a long, long time ago "may the bridges we burn light our way") and although some of those bridges could have been salvaged, the majority of them were already burning when I got there.
I'm slowly learning (at the request/demand of my husband and other people who think I'm crazy), to be more patient, more accommodating, more forgiving, and more approachable (aka more Canadian), while at the same time learning to be less snarky, less bitter, less panicky and less of a control freak (just shoot me now). I'm not saying it's not gonna happen; I'm sure I'll get there. I just can't promise that I'll get there in less than a decade or so. That kinda change takes time; time I could be using to beat the living daylight out of a stubborn bread dough, not meditating on how we can all make our lives better with love & understanding so let's all hold hands and sing kumbaya (okay now you can really just shoot me). That's not to say that I lack the skills to multi task. Oh no, au contraire, my friends. I can KO the toughest dough out there and still come up with a foolproof scheme to make my neighbor's life miserable (just like when she deprives me of sleep by installing her little snottling of a dog out on the lawn so it keeps barking at all hours of the night - barking at the cars driving by, barking at the wind, barking at its own tail, even barking at its own farts - though I suppose I can't blame it there). Anyway, the point is I have made the determination to become "nicer", whatever that is (someone will let me know... eventually).
Back to the school thing... since our daughter is going to school for the first time with strangers and people who know very little about her and about allergies in general, we decided that we should do all we can to help them keep her alive. First thing that came to mind was identification. I wanted something that can stand out, be visible and identify her allergies clearly. I've looked around and there are a lot of necklaces, dogtags, and bracelets online and in stores. After I did the research, I settled on the Allerbling Wristband. In summary, it works for us, my daughter loves it and wears it all the time, and it delivers on its promise. I give you the detailed review below.
What is Allerbling and what does it do?
According to Allerbling, the "Allerbling wristband is a unique medical ID bracelet, which is customizable by you, at any time, based on your child's changing food allergic conditions. Allerbling is a visual educational tool and a conversation piece that has the potential to save children’s lives by raising awareness of a child’s food allergies. Allerbling is cute and approachable, so kids will want to wear it. Yet it is clearly marked as a medical product for children’s caregivers. It displays the iconic symbols of the food products that are risky to the children, so their teachers and caregivers can be constantly reminded at a glance."
Okay, so we got the part about what it is, but does it actually do what they say it does? Yes, for us, it does. Although our daughter has not gone to school yet, nearly everyone who's seen her wrist has looked at least twice and many family members held her hand to actually read what's on the bracelet. That in and of itself is a great opportunity to discuss her allergies and it opens the door for more dialogue (always a bonus).
Is it right for your child?
I think it's great for any child living with a life threatening food allergy. And for children suffering from multiple life threatening food allergies or those diagnosed with Celiac Disease I would say it's a good investment. It's designed for children 3 and older. The allergy charms present a choking hazard to younger children. Since our daughter is 5, that was not an issue.
So, what allergies can you use Allerbling for? It's best to check their web site to see the latest information about that. At the time of writing this, the following are the allergies for which there are charms: Peanuts, Tree Nuts, Shellfish, Fish, Wheat, Dairy, Egg, Soy, Sesame, Corn, Strawberry, Coconut, Chocolate, Bee, andGluten. That's an impressive list given that it includes the top 8 food allergies as well as some of the less common ones.
How is it used and how does it work?
The wristband has a red medic charm along with a charm for each of the individual allergies. Each wristband has 5 holes and can accommodate four allergy charms in addition to the medic charm. You can remove the medic charm and add a fifth allergy charm but I really would not recommend that. One of the key features of Allerbling is the fact that the medic charm is a bright red and has a different shape than the rest of the charms so it really stands out as a medical symbol. At a glance, it is easy to identify it as a medical bracelet and not just a piece of jewelry. Even my little girl recognized that the medic charm was different and asked me about it. The Allerbling wristband helps her explain to others what her allergies are and I think that it's paramount to her safety that she be able to communicate this information to school teachers, students, friends, family members and other people she meets. She also understands the importance of having something that could easily identify her allergies. She loves wearing the Allerbling wristband and couldn't wait to get in the mail. She thinks it's "super cool" and shows it to everyone she meets. In other words, she does not take it off nor does she wish to. Bonus in my book. Now, if I can only convince her to wear her epipen with such enthusiasm...
 ALLERBLING KIT FRONT |  ALLERBLING KIT BACK |
Moving on... the fun part. How on earth do you fit THAT charm in this tiny little hole. Allerbling would have you believe it is easy, but I do not believe this is true. At first it looks like bad design, really bad, but hang on, it will all make sense in the end. It will be a freakin' pain to get those charms in the holes, BUT once they're attached, they will not fall off. Look at it this way, it took both the strength of my husband's two big hands, and the strength of my (not so big)hands to attach those things. I got my husband to stretch the wrist band with one hand which elongated the hole. Then I squeezed the charm backing and inserted it part way into that hole, enough so that I could grab the backing and pull it through the other side. (That description sounds so benign but why do I feel so dirty?) Now, continue to attach the rest of the charms in that manner and you're all set. You might be tempted to take a pair of scissors, screw driver or other sharp tool to help you attach the charms. If you do that, you risk damaging the bracelet and putting a tear through it. So we figured that if it required 4 adult hands (and a whole lotta cursin') then most likely our daughter will not be able to take them off (unless she's the spawn of the devil, in which case we'd have bigger problems).
Okay, so what's so special about Allerbling?
It's very comfortable, enough that my daughter wears it all day and even sleeps with it. She wears it all the time, just like her MedicAlert bracelet. It's latex free which is a big bonus for those suffering from latex allergy. It's also 100% silicone (it won't rot) and it's waterproof. My daughter wears it in the shower. It's also childproof, meaning it will require four hands to get the charms off. It would not be easy for a child to do that. Just to give you an idea of how childproof the Allerbling is, my daughter figured out how to remove her MedicAlert bracelet when she was 18 months. No, I was not impressed. She has yet to figure out how to remove the charms on the Allerbling. She tried to remove them but gave up because it was too hard. That's another bonus in my book.
Allerbling accommodates multiple food allergies and is great for my little girl because we used all five charms. The wristband is offered in different sizes, ranging from XS to XL. It's a vibrant orange color and each of the charms has a different color. I love the color because it is kid friendly and gender neutral; no more pink for girl and blue for boy. The charms are not embossed, which could sometimes rub off. Instead, the writing is engraved into the silicone (I tried to get a good close up shot in the photo below) so even if the picture of the allergen fell off (which I doubt would happen easily) the actual name of the allergy is still quite visible and easy to identify on each charm.
Allerbling is also cost effective. Compared to other allergy identification bracelets, it's price is well within reason, which brings us to the next question.
How much does it cost?
I think the most cost effective option on the Allerbling web site is the Allerbling kit. It's US$18.00 and includes 1 small and 1 large band, top 8 food allergy charms and 1 medical cross charm.
How much does it cost?
I think the most cost effective option on the Allerbling web site is the Allerbling kit. It's US$18.00 and includes 1 small and 1 large band, top 8 food allergy charms and 1 medical cross charm.
You can also buy a spare wristband or charms separately for US$5.00 each ($6 for less common allergy charms). This is especially useful and economical for parents with two or more children who share the same allergy. No need to buy an extra kit, just buy the wristband and the charm to save money. The separate wristband comes with a red medic charm too.
All prices are in US dollars. Shipping costs are also reasonable and they ship to Canada as well. At the time of writing this post, the shipping cost for USA orders under $20 is $3, and for orders from $20 to $40 shipping costs $5. For Canadian orders, shipping costs $5 for anything under $20, and $7 for orders $20 to $40. Shipping is free to all orders over $40, both in Canada and USA. Keep in mind that selection and prices may vary depending on when you are reading this post. It's always best to check the Allerbling web site.
Possible cons (otherwise known as 'room for improvement')
If there is one thing that I find really annoying about the Allerbling is the constant snagging on hair and clothes. My daughter complains that it pulls her hair sometimes when she puts her hand on her head. If your child has very short hair then this does not pose a problem. However, for children with longer hair, it really is an annoyance, one that I hope will improve in later designs. You can see all the hair snagged in the picture below. With a fidgety 5 year old, I have to remove the wristband from her arm and painstakingly take out all the hair that is wrapped tightly around those charms. Definitely room for improvement here.
Possible cons (otherwise known as 'room for improvement')
If there is one thing that I find really annoying about the Allerbling is the constant snagging on hair and clothes. My daughter complains that it pulls her hair sometimes when she puts her hand on her head. If your child has very short hair then this does not pose a problem. However, for children with longer hair, it really is an annoyance, one that I hope will improve in later designs. You can see all the hair snagged in the picture below. With a fidgety 5 year old, I have to remove the wristband from her arm and painstakingly take out all the hair that is wrapped tightly around those charms. Definitely room for improvement here.
Some people may be put off because the charms are difficult to install initially but for my family this was a bonus. Even though we had to work hard at attaching the charms, it is well worth the effort because it ensures that the charms are not easily detachable.
The Allerbling only includes a small list of the less common allergies. I suppose if your child has allergies that are not within the top 8, and not within the less common ones offered by Allerbling, then the product might not be the best choice for you.
The wristband only comes in one color: bright orange. Some people may want the option to choose other colors; some may feel that bright orange is too loud. But I think bright orange is perfect. Yes, it might be loud but that also means you can't miss it - always a bonus when you have allergies. You can't be too careful what with all the lack of awareness that's out there.
Perhaps the area that Allerbling could most improve is the number of charms one could attach to one wristband. Currently, the Allerbling wristband only has five holes, enough to accommodate 4 top allergies and 1 red medic charm. My daughter uses 4 charms for her allergies. I could easily see her requiring one more. Many children have allergies to more than five top allergens. Despite that, I think simply putting the child's most severe 4 allergies on the wristband would at least create the opportunity to speak about his/her allergies and the additional ones not displayed on the Allerbling.
So what's the verdict?
Simply put, the Allerbling on its own does a good job of reminding those around your child of his/her food allergies. In combination with another bracelet, such as the MedicAlert for example, the Allerbling is an excellent and powerful tool. It's very visible with vibrant colors. It alerts people around your child that he/she has a food allergy and opens the door for conversation which helps keep your child safe. The fact that it's child proof and waterproof is a winning combination. More importantly, it's very economical compared to other allergy/medical bracelets in it's category and has a lot of style to it which gets children excited to wear it and help them speak up about their allergies. In other words, I would wholeheartedly recommend Allerbling to anyone who cares for a child with life threatening food allergies. Even if your child suffers from more than 4 allergies, at the very least, Allerbling serves as a conversation starter. As an investment in my daughter's safety, the Allerbling wristband is a well made product that delivers what it promises and the value of it's pros far outweighs it's shortcomings.
Where to buy it?
You can buy it from www.allerbling.com. They accept PayPal payments and also offer a 100% guarantee if you are not satisfied. They state that volume discounts are available for schools, daycares, doctors' offices and retail stores.
I hope that you've found this review helpful. Now, go forth and conquer!
The Allerbling only includes a small list of the less common allergies. I suppose if your child has allergies that are not within the top 8, and not within the less common ones offered by Allerbling, then the product might not be the best choice for you.
The wristband only comes in one color: bright orange. Some people may want the option to choose other colors; some may feel that bright orange is too loud. But I think bright orange is perfect. Yes, it might be loud but that also means you can't miss it - always a bonus when you have allergies. You can't be too careful what with all the lack of awareness that's out there.
Perhaps the area that Allerbling could most improve is the number of charms one could attach to one wristband. Currently, the Allerbling wristband only has five holes, enough to accommodate 4 top allergies and 1 red medic charm. My daughter uses 4 charms for her allergies. I could easily see her requiring one more. Many children have allergies to more than five top allergens. Despite that, I think simply putting the child's most severe 4 allergies on the wristband would at least create the opportunity to speak about his/her allergies and the additional ones not displayed on the Allerbling.
So what's the verdict?
Simply put, the Allerbling on its own does a good job of reminding those around your child of his/her food allergies. In combination with another bracelet, such as the MedicAlert for example, the Allerbling is an excellent and powerful tool. It's very visible with vibrant colors. It alerts people around your child that he/she has a food allergy and opens the door for conversation which helps keep your child safe. The fact that it's child proof and waterproof is a winning combination. More importantly, it's very economical compared to other allergy/medical bracelets in it's category and has a lot of style to it which gets children excited to wear it and help them speak up about their allergies. In other words, I would wholeheartedly recommend Allerbling to anyone who cares for a child with life threatening food allergies. Even if your child suffers from more than 4 allergies, at the very least, Allerbling serves as a conversation starter. As an investment in my daughter's safety, the Allerbling wristband is a well made product that delivers what it promises and the value of it's pros far outweighs it's shortcomings.
Where to buy it?
You can buy it from www.allerbling.com. They accept PayPal payments and also offer a 100% guarantee if you are not satisfied. They state that volume discounts are available for schools, daycares, doctors' offices and retail stores.
I hope that you've found this review helpful. Now, go forth and conquer!
