Infantino Pod, Monkey

I saw this in a recent issue of Parents magazine. According to their write up on it "This adorable music player lets you create a playlist of five songs." We aren't so sure that's the case. After receiving the two we ordered (one for my daughter, the other for a friend), we realized there are absolutely no instructions, and there is already music on it. No where on the packageing does it say you can record your own music. I'm sure that Parents magazine really increased sales on this toy, since it doesn't seem to be in stock anywhere. I want to warn people before they order it. I am glad we looked at it before we gave it to our friend for her first birthday. How embarrassing it would have been to give her such a cheapy gift for such a big event.

I have emailed the company in hopes that I am wrong, and they can tell me how to record music onto it. If they are able to help, I will revise my review.

I heard back from Infantino, and we were correct, you can not record music on it. They were very helpful and apologetic. My issue is with Parents Magazine, not with Infantino. But in the end we did return the Monkey Pod.

When I received this I thought it was really cute. But as the other person said, NO INSTRUCTIONS. I too looked online and couldn't find any. I didn't call the company, I just keep trying to figure out how to record. Mine actually didn't have the large RECORD on the front, only a picture with a microphone on it. And there is a place in the bottom where you can connect what I thought would be a microphone. Figured out later it is to put headphones like the ones that go with a computer so you can listen that way. Anyway, you push the RECORD or the MICROPHONE PICTURE and put your mouth close and record. To get your voice to record (I wanted to sing 10secs of a song I sing to my granddaughter) you have to almost YELL. But it eventually does work. Cute concept, not so great product.

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This toy is great. My 18 month old loves music and she carries this thing around with her and just dances when it's on.

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We got this for Christmas, and my daughter (8 months old) loves to dance in her high chair to the music. I saw that it has a microphone on it, so i assumed it recorded, but had no clue where any packaging for it, let alone directions post Christmas craziness. So i looked around online, and then i played with it, pretty easy to get it to record (right after it say's 'lets record' ) It's not stereo quality by any means, its rough sounding, but its the music and beat that my daughter it enjoying.

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This item is pretty easy to use, you simply press the mic button and record your/child's voice and then press it again when you're done. Then it will be one of the 4 options of songs the toy plays.

However, the ability it has to record is horrible. I had to YELL into it, to get it to even slightly pick up my voice and when it played it back, it was so quiet you wouldn't be able to hear it unless the rest of the room is silent.

Also since it's so easy to record, my kids randomly press the mic button and record but it's usually just garbled movement/noise. Which puts a break in the cute music that the toy has automatically set up in it.

With all that being said, my kids (1yr and 2.5yrs) do love the toy, and quibble over it. It's just a disappointment that the cool idea of record feature doesn't work very well at all and was very poorly executed.