Why is a bear in a bathrobe taking over my French social feed?

The mystery of the bear in the bathrobe

I was scrolling through my feed last week when I kept seeing the same adorable face: a round, cuddly bear wearing a tiny, plush bathrobe. As a collector living in France, I immediately recognized the Jellycat Bartholomew Bear (Bathrobe Edition). However, every local boutique I visited was either sold out or had never even seen the 2024 and 2025 seasonal releases. It made me wonder why these specific iterations are so elusive on our side of the Atlantic in 2026.

Estimate Shipping For Jellycat Bartholomew Bear (Bathrobe Edition)

Price(US $) *

Weight(KG) *

Ship To Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Bouvet Island Brazil British Indian Ocean Territory Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cabo Verde Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia Comoros Congo Congo, The Democratic Republic of the Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Curaçao Cyprus Czechia Côte d'Ivoire Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Eswatini Ethiopia Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Faroe Islands Fiji Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Heard Island and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macao Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea North Macedonia Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine, State of Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Pitcairn Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Romania Russian Federation Rwanda Réunion Saint Barthélemy Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Martin (French part) Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Sint Maarten (Dutch part) Slovakia Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands South Korea South Sudan Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Sweden Switzerland Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Timor-Leste Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Türkiye Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States United States Minor Outlying Islands Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, U.S. Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe Åland Islands

Email

Create an account with your email & receive 15% OFF shipping coupon!

Get a Quote

More about shipping to France

Why this specific Jellycat is trending in 2026

The Bartholomew Bear has always been a fan favorite, but the Bathrobe Edition has reached a new level of viral fame. I noticed that the 2024 and early 2025 drops featured improved textures and even more detailed accessories that collectors are desperate to get their hands on. Because US specialty toy stores often receive larger allocations of these seasonal releases, the stock levels there are much healthier than what we see in Europe. My search for this bear led me to realize that if I wanted one, I had to look toward American retailers.

My strategy for finding US stock when Europe is sold out

When I started my search, I found that major US department stores and boutique toy shops had the Bathrobe Edition ready to ship. The problem? Most of them don't offer direct delivery to Paris or Lyon. I decided to use comGateway to bridge the gap. By using a freight forwarder, I was able to get a tax-free US address, which allowed me to shop at these exclusive stores as if I were living in the States.

How I bypassed US store payment restrictions with BuyForMe

During my shopping spree, I encountered a frustrating roadblock. I tried to buy from a popular US specialty store, but my French credit card was instantly declined. I learned that many high-end US retailers, like Sephora, Nike, or even some toy boutiques, often block international credit cards or refuse to ship to addresses they associate with a package forwarding warehouse.

This is where I discovered the BuyForMe service, and it was the solution I needed. Instead of me trying to use my own card, the comGateway team used their domestic US credit card to purchase the Bartholomew Bear on my behalf. We found this to be the safest way to guarantee that my order wouldn't be cancelled by the store's fraud filters. By using this assisted purchase service, I didn't have to worry about my payment being rejected just because I live in France. It removed all the stress of dealing with picky US checkout systems.

Getting my plushie home with international shipping

Once my bear arrived at my US address, I needed to figure out the best way to get it to my door. I used the shipping calculator to get an idea of the costs before committing. I found that international shipping doesn't have to be a guessing game if you have the right tools. I spent some time comparing international shipping rates to find a balance between speed and cost.

Because I was using a professional international shipping service, I could see exactly where my package was as it crossed the ocean. Choosing to forward packages through a consolidated service actually saved me money because I could wait for another small item I bought and ship them together in one box.

What I learned about shipping to France

If you want to ship to France, there are a few things I learned about our local customs. In 2026, the import rules remain strict, so I made sure to account for VAT when I was checking the shipping fees. When you buy from US ship to France, the process is much smoother if your paperwork is handled correctly by your provider. My France delivery was surprisingly fast, and seeing that little bear in his bathrobe finally arrive made the whole process worth it. If you have been struggling to find this specific Jellycat, looking to the US is definitely the way to go.