Whether you entirely replace your Christmas décor every year or slowly add to the collection year-on-year, choosing your favourite Christmas figure is a fun event. We’re proud to confirm that all of our acrylic figures are now made from high-quality soft acrylic and look at why this superior material is proving to be much more popular than standard hard acrylic.
Working closely with our in-house designers, our manufacturers and our buying team, White Stores were pioneers of bringing the innovative design of soft acrylic to the Christmas market. This specially designed formula has created waves in the industry and makes a huge difference for consumers.
What is the difference between hard acrylic and soft acrylic?
When looking at these two items side by side, it is possible that you would never know the difference as they look practically identical. However, the difference comes when you touch the items. To discover the difference, first, we need to delve into how both items are made.
How is an acrylic figure made?
For spun acrylic figures – which is what both soft and hard acrylic are used for – the process is simple, you make your frame out of wire or metal into the shape of the character, i.e. a reindeer, and then the acrylic is drizzled over the top, setting within a few minutes to create that spun acrylic look.
This can create an uneven pattern which creates a truly unique look for each figure but can lead to some thicker and some thinner acrylic webs. And here lies the main difference between soft and hard acrylic. The standard hard acrylic design is very brittle, and these thinner fragments can snap easily if you touch the figure, pick it up to move it, or it gets knocked around in transit.
Whereas White Stores’ soft acrylic design is a more elasticated construct and is much more pliable, meaning that these thinner areas are not likely to snap and the figure can then be moved around with ease.
choosing your favourite
Christmas figure is
a fun event.
Why is this important?
This non-snapping, more pliable design is vital for the lifespan of your Christmas character. This is because, whilst the snapping areas of hard acrylic designs are not detrimental to the way your figure works, it can have a huge impact on how your figure looks. Understandably, no customer wants to see snapped acrylic, whether it affects the use of the product or not. So, with this soft-acrylic design you are likely to get much more use out of your sweet snowman or perfect penguin figure as it will retain its appearance for years to come.
How to tell the difference?
You can tell the difference between these products when you touch them, the hard acrylic will feel hard and snap easily, whereas the soft acrylic will feel bendy and elasticated. If you are shopping online and unable to feel these in person, you can rest assured that all acrylic Christmas figures on the White Stores website are soft-acrylic and it will be clearly labelled in the product description, allowing you to shop with confidence.
