Jan 24, 2013

Designer Launches Patented Baby Pillow Product Line

What started more than 10 years ago as a basic need for former stay-at-home mom, Cindy Perry, to keep her babies safe, warm and stimulated, has inspired pello, a complete line of deluxe floor pillows and blankets for babies and toddlers. Perry launched the company last year after nearly a decade of hand-making the unique, patented pello luxe floor pillow for her children, family and friends.

Pello features a distinct, donut-shaped floor pillow with raised edges, ultra-soft plush fabric and soft padded center that benefits a child at all stages of development. The soft center of the pillow creates a safe place for newborns and protects babies’ heads as they learn to sit. The raised edges of the pello help strengthen babies’ muscles as they begin to raise their heads and learn to crawl. The pello is machine-washable, durable and portable for mothers on the go.

Perry designed the donut-shaped pello after a chance meeting with another mom, who brought a pillow, instead of a blanket, to lay down her baby during a community meeting. Perry, whose mother taught her to sew as a young girl in Texas, immediately came home, took scrap fabrics and, after a number of changes and redesigns, created pello. Initially, she sewed pellos for family and friends, but as word of mouth spread, Perry began receiving unsolicited orders from around the country.

However, it wasn’t until Perry was diagnosed with melanoma in 2011 that she, along with her husband Andrew, decided to take her “home-sewn” creation and launch a national line of pello products. “All these years, I kept hearing from those who had my pillows how useful and helpful they are for babies and parents. I always thought ‘when things slow down, then I’ll build a company around them.’ As all parents know, things NEVER really do slow down. It wasn’t until I was diagnosed with skin cancer that it was time to bring pello to life. Once I knew that the melanoma was treated, I didn’t want to sit back and keep talking about life and my ideas for pello any longer. It was time to act,” Perry said.

Since launching the company last Spring, pello is now sold online at www.mypello.com, the designer website Vau.lt, and at 65 specialty stores in 24 states across the country. The product has been featured in Kids Today Magazine, Nickelodeon’s web site ParentsConnect.com, and mom-spot.com.

“I am thrilled by the excitement of the owners of specialty stores across the country, who are seeking unique baby-related products. To me, this is confirmation of what my husband and I believed all along that we have a great product that meets a distinct need for parents. Because of the retailers’ response and our online orders, we are working to expand our production and build relationships with additional retailers nationwide. We know we are just on the ground floor of our business, but we plan to continue to grow and keep our company here in Northeast Ohio,” Perry said.

Since first developing pello, Perry has made additions and changes in the design to accommodate the needs of parents. The pello has two small handles on the side, enabling the pillow to be folded in half and easily transported over the shoulder. The pello includes a square pocket with a loop inside to hold a baby’s pacifier or toys and is filled with 100 percent polyester fibers to maintain its integrity and durability through countless machine washings. In addition, Perry added loops on the side of the pello to attach the arches of a baby play gym.

Customers can customize their own pello by selecting from 23 different patterns, each with two to three choices of coordinating fabrics. Perry said that in order to keep pello products current and fashionable for today’s mom, the company will frequently add new patterns and colors to update the product line. The company also offers unique, round coordinating baby blankets to help protect the pello. Perry plans to continue to expand the pello product line in the future to include coordinating play arches, balls, blocks, changing pads and a patent-pending oval-design pello to accommodate twins or more room for babies to play.

“As a mom, the greatest thing about the pello is that kids never outgrow it like they do with most other baby products. It transitions from babies to toddlers and then on as a floor pillow for tweens. My kids, even 10 years later, still love their pellos and use them all the time when they are sitting on the floor watching TV or playing games. The pello does not have an ‘expiration’ date,” Perry said.

For more information regarding pello or to place an order, visit: www.mypello.com.