A day out with your toddler can be a fun experience until it’s time to change their diapers. Babies and changing tables don’t always get along well. Dingle Dangle is a toy that parents can wear on their head to distract kids while changing nappies. Its creators, Mark Hamilton and Stewart Gold, pitched the product on Shark Tank and got a deal with Kevin O’Leary. Currently, Dingle Dangle is worth an estimated $1 million.
The Founders’ Story
Dingle Dangle is a uniquely designed play set and has three main uses, with the main one being the diaper-changing helper headband. The toy can also transform into a simple rattle or a portable mobile, which is attachable to strollers and cribs.
Mark Hamilton, the owner of an investment banking recruitment service, was the one who came up with the idea. During a trip to Spain, Hamilton had a difficult time with his 7-month-old kid. When they returned home, he promised himself he’d find an easier way.
He created the first prototype using a coat hanger with keys hanging on the hook. While it was effective, Mark knew it needed a little polishing but he needed help. He got it from Stewart Gold, a lawyer who moved into an apartment upstairs. The two gentlemen immediately clicked, and it didn’t take long for them to join forces.
Establishing Dingle Dangle
The duo spent about 16 months perfecting the design. During this period, Stu had his second son and served as their guinea pig to test out their models. In September 2020, the final version of the Dingle Dangle play set was released.
They had help with the Plan A product development company to audit the item and comply with UK and US market standards. With this, the brainchild of Mark and Stewart was launched on two continents, a huge achievement for a startup.
Dingle Dangle received recognition as one of the British Baby Products Association’s best new products. Weeks after releasing the toy for kids aged 13 to 18 months, Stu launched a crowdfunding campaign on the Indiegogo platform and raised over $5,000. They applied for Shark Tank and got a reply within days but it took around a year to get onto the show.
After Shark Tank
Fresh off their appearance on Shark Tank, Mark and Stu are gearing up for a big bump in sales. Given how unusual the product is, clips from their pitch should go viral online. Also, the viewing figures should be higher than normal as Shark Tank took a long break over Christmas. This exposure should help Dingle Dangle do at least $100,000 in sales over the next month. The deal with Kevin O’Leary should close within the next three to six months.
The company is hoping to expand into the US market as they’ve already had some success in the UK. The funny aspect of the Dingle Dangle has got them media coverage on Hello Magazine, The Sun and The Stray Ferret. In preparation for the show, they released a Shark Tank Baby gift bundle on their website, DingleDangleBaby.com. The bundle includes the play set and an adorable shark robe for little ones.
The regular price for a single set is $39.99 and you can also buy one from their Etsy store, where they have a solid 5-star average rating from 314 reviews. On Amazon, the product has a 4.5 rating from 28 customers. Negative reviews state the toy is too expensive and it’s not very practical.
The size of the US toy market is valued at $24.34 billion in 2022, so there’s plenty of room for growth. Competition may be tough for Mark and Stu but only time will tell if they can make a dent in the industry. If sales explode, it’s likely they will become a takeover target for bigger companies.
