Thinking About Repairing a Furby? Think Again.Thinking About Repairing a Furby? Think Again.

Hasbro’s Furby animatronic toy is cute to look at and squeeze, but that’s about it.

Spencer Chin, Senior Editor

January 27, 2025

Hasbro's Furby is a repair nightmare starting with its difficult-to-remove furry skin.
Hasbro's Furby is a hit with kids but is not something meant for an electronics hobbyist to take apart. YOSHIKAZU TSUNO / Staff/ AFP

Robotic toys are often popular as holiday gifts. One toy that remains popular is Hasbro’s Furby, which originally launched in 1998 but has been redesigned several times as improved technology has made it possible to add movements and voice responses as well as incorporate some degree of intelligence. The popular teardown site iFixit got hold of the latest Furby and proceeded to try taking it apart.

According to the iFixit reviewer, a major hassle in trying to repair the Furby was the task of unwrapping the toy’s furry skin cover, which turned out to be an exercise in frustration as the cover is stitched together with tabs. Once the reviewer removed the furry cover, he had to loosen a bunch of screws as well as wires, though he saw little or no soldered parts. Worse yet, when the reviewer consulted the Hasbro manual he found the company did not sell replacement parts, meaning the toy was meant to be a true throwaway.

You can view the video here.

About the Author

Spencer Chin

Senior Editor, Design News

Spencer Chin is a Senior Editor for Design News, covering the electronics beat, which includes semiconductors, components, power, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, augmented and virtual reality, and other related subjects. He is always open to ideas for coverage. Spencer has spent many years covering electronics for brands including Electronic Products, Electronic Buyers News, EE Times, Power Electronics, and electronics360. You can reach him at [email protected] or follow him at @spencerchin.

Sign up for Design News newsletters

You May Also Like