Product Review: Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask Toy

This Harry Barker Stuffed Mardi Gras Mask with Rope toy arrived in our February Mardi Gras-themed BarkBox. Like our other Harry Barker plush toy, the mask is made from canvas with a picture printed on one side. It has a natural rope for tugging on either end, a squeaker inside, and some fuzzy trim on the back. This is the smaller size of the mask toy, there is a larger version available.

Photo by Erin Koski

I am always a little leery of plush tug toys, especially the ones with ropes attached. Brisbane had several cheap ones in his younger days, and they all ended up getting the ropes ripped out of them within a day or two.

This is a well-constructed toy. The fatal flaw in our cheap rope-and-stuffy toys was the fact that multiple ropes were stitched to the toy but not each other. When a toy like that is tugged, it rips apart.

Photo by Erin Koski

Happily, this Harry Barker tug toy has the rope running all the way through it. It has lasted through quite a bit of tugging, shaking, and tossing with no signs of wear. Brisbane loves the squeaker, and the foster puppies love to shake it so that the ropes hit them in the face.

Pros: Durable enough for actual tugging. Stuffed with eco-friendly fiberfill. Machine washable. More fun that a rope-less plushie.

Cons: A serious chewer will be able to shred this toy immediately.

Bottom Line: I'm not a huge fan of Mardi Gras, but this is a pretty neat toy.