Last Updated on February 8, 2024
EDITOR’S NOTE: Aldi sold character stools again in February of 2023 for $19.99. Aldi sold character stools with different animal designs for $14.99 in February of 2024.
I love animals of all kinds, and I’ve reviewed several small stuffed animals and animal figures before, but I’ve never reviewed any animal pillows or furniture before. So I bought the Sohl Furniture Life Concepts Kids Character Stool for $19.99 when I saw it at Aldi in the summer of 2022.
The character stool came in several different varieties, including a shark and a mermaid in 2023, and a unicorn, a dinosaur, and a dragon in 2022. Dragons are a personal favorite of mine, so I got that one.
My family owns another Aldi stool of a similar size, although it’s not animal- or character-themed. We like the stool we already have because it’s sturdy enough — with a weight limit of around 120 pounds — that kids or even small adults can sit on it, and we usually keep it in our living room where we use it as a footstool, as a small table for a drink or television remote, or as extra seating.
I had hopes that this character stool would be just as good, but when I first took it out of the plastic package and checked the weight limit, it was 81 pounds. I thought that was annoying because it means older kids can’t sit on it. The wooden legs feel hollow, unlike our other stool that has solid wood legs, so that affects how much weight it can handle.
Here’s some more information on the character stool, according to Aldi:
- Perfect addition to children’s room or playroom
- Measures 11.7″ in diameter and 12.8″ tall
- No assembly required
- Indoor use only
- Holds up to 81 pounds
- Spot clean only
- Made in China
(Click to enlarge.)
As far as how this stool looks, it’s cute. The dragon has small gray and blue wings on the side, small felt teeth, and small horns and ears on top of it. It’s very fuzzy and soft, and it’s also cute. It has a small tuft of blueish gray fur on top of it, which adds a nice touch.
I like how, unlike the typical dragon, this is gray and dark blue instead of red and orange. It also looks nice and happy, unlike some other dragons that look more angry or mean. The teeth are felt and floppy, making it even cuter.
I did notice a small chip in the paint on one of the front legs on this stool (it’s visible in the photo above), but that’s not a deal breaker.
This stool is fairly small, so it will fit easily in a small room, but it’s actually a little bigger than our other stool. It’s also still big enough to sit on, especially for younger kids. It has a lot of cushioning on the top, making it comfortable to sit on.
The Verdict:
This character stool adds a nice touch to a bedroom or playroom, and even for kids who are over the weight limit, it can still serve as a cute decoration or a table to display or play with things on, or you can use it as a footrest. I would buy it again in the different animal designs, which all have the same weight limits and structure with the hollow legs. The teeth and tuft of fur make nice touches. The price is okay for what you get, but in all it’s a cute product and I would recommend it.
