By Brian Evans – Founder of Chew Necklace UK
When we first started selling chewelry back in 2014, I certainly didn’t imagine that more than a decade later I’d still be talking about chew necklaces.
But here we are.
Over those years we’ve supplied thousands of products and, more importantly, spoken to a lot of parents, carers, teachers and professionals.
And I’ve learned quite a bit along the way.
Not from a textbook.
Not from somebody telling me how sensory products should work.
But from listening to the people actually using them.
I’ve heard about products that have transformed someone’s day, products that have been rejected within five minutes, and supposedly “heavy-duty” chew necklaces that have met their match with a particularly determined chewer!
So, after all these years, here are seven things I’ve learned.
1. There Is No Such Thing as the Best Chew Necklace
This is probably the most important lesson of all.
I’m often asked:
“Which is your best chew necklace?”
And my answer isn’t particularly helpful:
It depends.
I could show you our most popular necklace.
I could show you our strongest.
I could show you the one I’d choose.
But none of that tells me whether it’s right for your child.
One person might love a firm silicone pendant.
Another might prefer something soft and fabric-based.
Someone else may want something discreet that doesn’t obviously look like a sensory product.
After all these years, I’ve stopped looking for the “best” chew necklace.
I’m much more interested in finding the right one for the individual.
2. Watch What They’re Already Chewing
This sounds ridiculously simple, but it’s one of the best pieces of advice I can give.
Before buying anything, have a look at what the person naturally chooses to chew.
Is it:
- A shirt collar?
- The sleeve of a school jumper?
- A pencil?
- Their fingers?
- A hoodie cord?
- Something soft?
- Something firm?
There are clues there.
If someone constantly chews soft clothing, buying the toughest, firmest piece of silicone you can find might not be the answer.
They may actually be seeking the feeling of fabric.
That’s one of the reasons we’ve become such fans of fabric chewelry.
Sometimes the answer is staring us in the face—or hanging rather soggily from the end of a school jumper!
3. Tougher Isn’t Always Better
This surprises people.
There’s a natural assumption that if someone is a strong chewer, you should simply buy the toughest product available.
Sometimes that’s absolutely the right thing to do.
But not always.
A very firm chew can provide more resistance, but some people simply don’t like the sensation.
I’d rather somebody had a slightly softer chew they genuinely use than an incredibly tough one sitting untouched in a drawer.
A sensory product only works if the person actually wants to use it.
That sounds obvious.
But it’s easily forgotten.
4. No Chew Necklace Is Indestructible
I’ve written about this before because I think it’s important to be completely open about it.
There is no such thing as an indestructible chew necklace.
If somebody tells you otherwise, I’d be cautious.
Chew products are designed to be…
Well…
Chewed.
And chewing causes wear.
A gentle chewer might use the same product for months.
A determined chewer using their back teeth may work through the same product considerably faster.
Neither necessarily means there’s anything wrong with the product.
It’s simply being subjected to very different forces.
That’s why we always recommend inspecting chewelry regularly and replacing it as soon as it shows significant wear or damage.
5. Sometimes the Parent Knows More Than We Do
This is something I’ve become increasingly convinced of over the years.
We can understand the products.
We can explain materials, textures, shapes and chew strengths.
But you know your child.
If a parent tells me:
“He won’t wear anything around his neck.”
I’m not going to spend ten minutes trying to persuade them to buy a necklace.
Perhaps a bracelet would be better.
If they tell me:
“She hates silicone.”
Then let’s look at fabric.
Good advice isn’t about telling somebody what they should buy.
Sometimes it’s simply about listening properly.
I’ve always believed that listening is underrated.
6. Sometimes a Chew Necklace Isn’t the Answer
Perhaps this is a strange thing for somebody who sells chew necklaces to say.
But it’s true.
Chewelry can be enormously useful for some people.
For others, it isn’t.
And sometimes chewing is only one part of a much bigger sensory picture.
If somebody is destroying every chew product almost immediately or their chewing behaviour changes dramatically, simply buying another necklace may not solve the underlying issue.
It may be worth speaking to an occupational therapist or another suitably qualified professional who can look at their wider sensory needs.
I’m quite happy to say:
Don’t buy another product yet.
I’d rather lose a sale than sell somebody something I don’t genuinely think is going to help.
7. The Smallest Changes Can Make the Biggest Difference
This is probably the nicest thing I’ve learned.
Sometimes we’re talking about a product costing only a few pounds.
It doesn’t look particularly revolutionary.
There’s no complicated technology.
It’s simply something safe and appropriate to chew.
And yet we’ve heard from parents whose children have stopped ruining school jumpers.
Children who concentrate better while doing homework.
People who reach for their chew when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
Parents who come back and order another because:
“We need one for school and one for home.”
Those are the moments that remind me why we’ve continued doing this since 2014.
A chew necklace isn’t going to change the world.
But sometimes making one small part of someone’s day a little easier is quite enough.
What 12 Years Has Really Taught Me
If I had to sum up everything I’ve learned since 2014 in one sentence, it would probably be this:
Listen to the person, not the product.
Don’t start by asking:
“Which chew necklace should I buy?”
Start with:
“What does this person actually need?”
What do they already chew?
When do they chew?
Do they prefer something soft or firm?
Do they need something discreet?
Are they a gentle chewer or a determined one?
Answer those questions and choosing the product becomes much easier.
One Final Thought
When we started Chew Necklace UK in 2014, we were selling products.
More than a decade later, I think we’re really selling something slightly different.
We’re helping people find solutions.
Sometimes that’s a silicone chew necklace.
Sometimes it’s a fabric bracelet.
And occasionally, the best advice we can give is that chewelry probably isn’t the answer at all.
I’m perfectly comfortable with that.
Because I’d much rather you come back to us because you trust our advice than because we managed to sell you something you didn’t need.
That’s the way we’ve tried to run our family business from the beginning.
And I don’t see any reason to change now.
💡 Brian’s Tip
Before buying your next chew necklace, spend a day watching what the person naturally chews.
Their sleeve, pencil, fingers or hoodie cord may tell you more about the texture they’re seeking than any product description ever could.
About Brian
I’m Brian Evans, founder of Chew Necklace UK. Since 2014, I’ve been involved in supplying chewelry and sensory products to families across the UK.
The advice I share here comes from years of working with these products, answering customer questions and, most importantly, listening to the experiences of parents and carers.
I don’t believe in miracle products or exaggerated promises. I believe in good products, sensible advice and being honest about what chewelry can—and can’t—do.
You can explore our chew necklaces, fabric chewelry and sensory products at Chew Necklace and Chewelry UK.