WowWee CHiP Interactive Robot Pet Dog
(WowWee $196)
CHiP is a programmable robotic dog that got high ratings from our testers. He's the latest entry from the folks at WowWee. Like real family dogs, CHiP enjoys playing fetch with his "SmartBall". The included SmartBand will mean that CHiP will recognize one and only one owner. He'll want to play with you and also tell you when he's hungry. According to the company, CHiP will learn about you from all of his sensors and adapt. Our testers liked that he'll go back to his SmartBed when he needs to recharge and that he'll come find you. Our parent testers liked that the sounds it made were not too annoying and that the APP was easy to use. Our testers did report that the motor was loud, it doesn't always stop when you direct it to on the APP, and if you leave it on the charger too long, it will get up and start moving and barking which isn't great if it's in the middle of the night! (Sounds like a real dog to us). One of our parent tester also thought the APP could have said "wiggle tail" instead of "wiggle butt".
Ages: Early School, Tweens
Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2016