Dragon Fun!

My daughter was given the FurReal dragon as a gift. She was amazed by it. She played with it for hours and whenever someone comes to the house it’s the first thing she shows them. The fact that you use distilled water in it makes me feel better about the safety of the steam blowing into her face. I would recommend this toy to anyone who wants to amaze a child and put a smile on their face.

Torch's cuteness is his saving grace

Update: Has held up pretty well, though the marshmallow has become permanently marked over time.

Torch is hard little fellow to rate, because the majority of his appeal comes from his cuteness and honestly, that's mostly down to the visual design. When it comes to the robotic side of things and interacting wtih him, he leaves a lot to be desired, especially when compared to other toys in a similar market (like Furby).

Torch just doesn't have enough to keep you interested, in my opinion, but he's still mega-cute and ultimately, will be a hit with children, though maybe a short lived one. Dragon fans will love him, but his animatronic components are sadly repetitive and lacking charm.

Cuddleability
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Torch looks very sweet and cuddly! Sadly, however, he is not. Unlike Furby which is extremely soft and well padded, Torch is pretty rough to cuddle with. He turns his head as you hold him, gently enough that you won't get smacked with it, but it will poke you in a way that couldn't be described as comfortable. His fur is not particularly soft, but he's just not well-padded enough to make cuddling comfortable. Which is a real shame as he's so cute, you'll want to give him a big hug.

He's also quite big and heavy so he's not super suitable for carrying around and taking to bed. You can move his paws up and down and that's basically the limit of his poseability.

Technical
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He takes 4C batteries and they're not included, so make sure to stock up before you order him to avoid disappointment. He comes with two accessories, a 'color change' marshmallow and a special vial to fill him full of water. These are connected to the two big things that Torch offers. He will shoot a 'flame coloured' cool mist when you press the button on his chest and the included marshmallow will change color when it gets damp.

It's a gimmick that's cute at first, but sadly isn't well-executed. There's a disconnect between Torch's movements and how you interact with him. He really only feels like he's responding to you when you rub his nose. When you have him 'flame' the marshmallow he throws his head from side to side. This makes sense when he's 'fire-breathing', but a real animal would breathe directly on the marshmallow so it just feels a bit disconnected.

Similarly, when you put the marshmallow in his mouth it takes far too long for him to 'eat' it, making him seem robotic and fake as opposed to delighting a child with his 'realness'. As mentioned elsewhere, he also leaks a bit and get condensation on his plastic bits from the mist.

Lasting Appeal
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I feel like Torch is one of those toys that's going to end up in the back of the toy closet fairly quickly. The real problem is his lasting appeal is somewhat lacking. The 'mist' and colour-change marshmallow are cute, but once you've seen it a few times it doesn't really entertain anymore.

While Torch boasts 50 sound and motion combinations I have to admit, I'd be hard pressed to identify more than a handful. He purrs happily, hiccups, breathes fire and that's about it. Sound wise, all of his sounds are far too similar and while I'm sure he has more than five, I'd find it extremely difficult to tell them apart.

He just needs a lot more to keep a kid (or even an adult) interested and coming back for more.

SUMMARY
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Pros
+ Extremely cute and adorable!
+ Very good design, unique and love that he's a dragon.
+ Flame colored mist is an interesting concept.
+ Makes a very cute noise and face when you pet his nose.
+ Lower price point that some other animatronic toys.

Cons
- Batteries not included. 4xC
- Tendency to leak.
- Gimmicks become boring quickly.
- Not enough diversity in movement and sounds. (Lacks lasting appeal)
- Movements seem disconnected to your actions and delays make him seem 'toy-like' rather than 'real'.
- Not very cuddly, hard plastic and not padded well enough.

How it can be improved
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I just want to cuddle with Torch, but he keeps blowing flame at me and banging me with his head! In my opinion, they should remove the animatronic components of Torch entirely and remake him as a luxury plush toy! His design is top notch and so adorable. Plush dragons are few and far between and unless they're willing to put a lot more work into making his personality pop, I feel this would be a better route to go down.

This gift was meant for our three year old son. He does enjoy Torch but to be honest, our one year old enjoys him more. We expected a more interactive toy based on advertising but he is loveable nonetheless!

Torch is an adorably cute Dragon who makes sounds, moves, and blows steam!

A G version of dragons for parents who love Game of Thrones, this 9 inch by 12 inch dragon toy will keep your kids, pets, and adults entertained for short periods of time.

The battery is at the rear, and requires a plus shaped smaller screwdriver to remove it. It does take a bit of power (but not too much) to get the cover on and off – I assume it is easier after doing this several times. Once you put in 4 huge 1.5V C Alkaline Batteries, your dragon is ready to work! Make sure to either remove the batteries, and/or turn the setting to off if he will be used on a regular basis.

To fill his water “fire” reservoir, there is a little crystal shaped device that you will with water, then use it to fill the reservoir at the top of the dragons head. I have just used tap water, but apparently distilled water is better (I assume to reduce mineral build up over time).

Its “scales” are made up of a soft furry material intermingled with a dense yet soft plastic. The legs are moveable, and he moves his head when he babbles and makes sounds. He also hiccupped once and fell off the ledge, landing on his feet and bottom – just like a cat! So, I do not recommend playing with him on a high ledge, or his fate may not be so positive.

His sounds and movements remind me of Jim Hensons old muppet characters – like Falkor from the Neverending Story. He giggles, snorts, burps, speaks in an incoherent language, and just seems to be having a lot of fun while interacting with his human and furry counterparts.

To make him react, touch his tongue with your fingers or the marshmallow toy, stroke his nose, or press the fire charm on his belly to produce flame coloured “fire” mist.

The marshmallow even changes colour (a reddish tinge) when feeding Torch!

Our dogs just sit and stare at him and have NO idea how to react. It’s almost as adorable as Torch!

He is so flipping cute! With those big eyes, sparkly horns, fire breathing, marshmallow guzzling, purring characteristics – I’d recommend this for any fantasy lover!

*** I received this item at a reduced or no cost for my fair and fabulous review ***