Brooklyn-based designer Scott Henderson has a knack for creating products that become household staples. The Moby Spout Cover he designed for Skip Hop in 2008 is one of the best-selling baby items of all time, and his early work on OXO Kitchen Tools helped establish that brand's ergonomic DNA. (ed. note: he also led the jury for the 2024 Core77 Design Awards Lifestyle Accessories category) Now he's back in the baby space with Choo Choo the Seahorse, a teething toy that tackles several design problems at once.

Anyone who's spent time around teething babies knows the frustrations: dropped toys that need constant washing, products that don't actually soothe effectively, and the ongoing search for something that keeps both baby and parent sane.

Henderson's solution addresses these pain points systematically. The seahorse features an integrated handle that's part of the overall form rather than an add-on appendage—reducing inevitable drops. The pacifier-shaped face encourages chewing away from the wide, stable base, while the "mane" functions as a built-in gum massager with sculpted silicone prongs.

What's particularly clever is the prehensile tail that wraps around objects or hangs for drying after washing. The toy includes hard and soft chew zones, tactile textures throughout, and a gentle squeaker that won't drive parents to distraction. The whole thing is made from food-grade silicone that's hypoallergenic, odor-free, and fade resistant.

Henderson's choice of a seahorse isn't arbitrary. "The ocean has an ancient, inherent calming effect—it's something we feel before we understand," he says. The character features a closed, peaceful eye meant to signal emotional safety, a thoughtful detail you don't usually see in mass market products.

This will be the first offering from Henderson's new brand Jay Street Baby. The teether will launch with an original storybook, written and illustrated by Henderson, called "Choo Choo the Seahorse's Big Adventure," creating a broader narrative world around the character. Henderson is positioning Choo Choo, and future products, as part of a character-driven IP franchise, with plans for additional books, animated shorts, and more products in the pipeline.

It's an interesting approach that borrows from entertainment industry playbooks. Rather than just designing isolated products, Henderson is building a world around his characters that could extend across multiple media formats. Whether parents will embrace this kind of brand universe around baby products remains to be seen.

Choo Choo the Seahorse is available for preorder at choochootheseahorse.com, with shipping expected this fall.