General Information

Thank you for visiting our FAQs page. If you have a question that you would like to see answered and added to this page, please email your question to [email protected].

How do I know that these are Original Howda products? Someone told me that you know that your product is the original but that there is a knock-off:

Our HowdaSeat is the original portable wood and canvas seat and we are the sole manufacturers of the HowdaSeat and the HowdaHUG. I, Leslie Novak, am the inventor, designer, and patent holder of all the Howda Designz products. The HowdaSeat and the HowdaHUG are patented products (Patent No. 8,62,157) with the recent Improvement patent on my original Collapsible Portable Slat Seat – March 31, 1992 – recorded in the Patent and Trademark office. We have licensed a seat to a company in Sweden to produce our Look-Alike seat in china. It is sold only by Howda Designz in the USA and in Europe by Ergolife. ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

ABOUT THE SEAT:

We received the following questions specific to the HowdaHUG below and wanted to share the answers with you.

1. Do the slats come out?  And can they be removed?
   • No, the slats cannot be removed. The slats are made from 100% American basswood which is always smooth and the lightest of the hardwoods, ideal for supporting weight. 
   • Please note that the HowdaSeats for adult back care and the HowdaHUGs for children are environmentally safe seats. The wood is not sealed to keep from using poly urethane.
2. What is the Red, Yellow and Blue material that goes over the slates made of?
   • The material that goes over the slats is  100% cotton canvas
3. What is the material used for the cover made of?
   • The cover bag is made out of nylon and can be washed
4. Can the slats and the canvas of the HowdaHUG or HowdaSeat be cleaned?
   • Yes, here are some options for cleaning the wood slats:
     • White vinegar is good for removing fingerprints, grime and general dirt. Mix a tablespoon of vinegar into a spray bottle containing a few ounces of water, then squirt the solution onto the affected area, wiping away with a damp cloth. Wipe the cleaned area with a dry cloth.
     • A squirt or two of natural dish soap mixed with lukewarm water in serves as a mild cleaner for the wood. Dip a soft cloth or sponge into the solution and wring most of the liquid out so the cloth is only damp. Wipe again with a clean damp cloth.
     • Using a small amount of detergent and water,  wipe canvas, brush off and let dry, preferably outdoors or in a warm area.
     • Note: Do not wrap the HowdaHUG or HowdaSeat inside plastic bags and leave them outside or in any area where there is moisture. Moisture will gather inside the bag and the seat and canvas may mold. If that happens,  use a small amount of bleach, watered down, and dab the seat and leave to dry.
5. How tight should the straps be?  
   • Good question! It varies per child. Some children love them pulled tight allowing them to have more hug embrace or to sit in a “cone V” while in circle time. It’s amazing how helpful it can be but tightening them should be the teacher doing it, as they straps are purposefully hard to tighten or loosen so there’s less fidget activity. They are also D-rings that are made not to release, like the adult seats so, for the same reason. 
6. How is it set up in a chair? (they reported the classroom chair he has is very small, so I think it just doesn’t fit, but wanted to check if there are specific instructions for this).
   • School chairs are all different and some, like this small one you have described, may mean the HUG seat will not fit well. However children who are a little older will be able to adapt the HowdaHUG to their larger chair and it works best if the HUG seat is pulled a little away from the back of the chair so that the child is fully embraced by the slats of the HowdaHUG and not flat against the chair. Also putting a small box or book on the floor for the feet is excellent. Since so many children are now using their HowdaHUGs on chairs we are in process of adding a strip of Dysem non slip to the bottom of the HUGs to keep the HUG seats from sliding on plastic chairs or cubes and to keep the children from scooting around on the floor with their HUGs :).. 

ORDERING:

Is my personal information secure?
Our site uses the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol and 128-bit strong encryption to maintain a very high level of security. In addition to using SSL, we further encrypt credit card and other information that is used to process and administer orders. Your personal information is safe when you shop at www.howda.com. We DO NOT sell or rent email addresses. Rest assured that any email address that you may provide us will not be used for any purpose other than processing orders and communicating with you. If you’re getting spam (and who isn’t), they didn’t get your email address from us.

What are my payment options?
We accept Visa, MasterCard, and American Express, Discovery and PayPal. We will accept Purchase Orders and payments by check or EFT.

How will I know if my order was accepted?
When you have placed your order on our web site, you will receive an email confirming your order. If there are any problems with your order, or the information you provided, a Howda Designz customer service representative will contact you either by email or phone. Your credit card will not be charged until your order has been shipped. You also will receive an email notifying you when your order has shipped with a tracking number.

Can I become a dealer for your products?
Our products are sold through our website, Howda.com, and other websites as “resellers” as well as through catalog companies. We are always looking for new ways to distribute our products. Contact Howda Designz directly with any questions.

Can I order Howda products for fund raising projects?
There are great opportunities to use Howda products, like the HowdaSeat, for fund raising projects. Discounts are available with minimum order requirements. Contact Howda Designz directly to find out how we can help you with your project.

SHIPPING AND RETURNS

How will my order be shipped?
Most orders are shipped via UPS and our shipping costs are computed using UPS rates. In some instances, we may ship an order via USPS. We will give you a rate if you email us at [email protected]. The rate that is calculated when you place your order is predicated on UPS only. If the order is from out of the country contact Howda Designz for the international UPSP priority rate. It is considerably less than UPS for overseas shipments.

How do I ship to another person?
When you place an order from the Howda.com site, you give us both a billing address and a shipping address. If you want the order shipped to someone else, use that person’s address for the shipping address.

Warranty Information

Warranty Policy 2018 – Howda Designz stands behind their products produced by craftspeople in Maine USA. Our seats are guaranteed to be of the highest quality. In the over 16 years of producing the HowdaHUGs for children and more than 30 years of producing the HowdaSeats for adults, Howda Designz has always made good on any product that may have a defect in the wood as well as assembly adherence. See the contact below for requesting replacement or repair.

Howda Designz uses materials that are environmentally safe and within all compliance laws set for sales for furniture and children. The canvas is 100% cotton and may, over time and with heavy usage, wear. Our improvement patent of 2015 is predicated on lengthening the life on the canvas.

The opportunity to renew the product is offered through our policy to replace the canvas at the factory as well as refurbish for “repurposing” after years of use. Price is dependent on how many pieces of canvas are being replaced and what is requested for refurbishment.

Contact Howda Designz at 978-462-6260 or by email at [email protected].

What is your return policy?

Howda Designz Return Policy on HowdaSeats and HowdaHUGs :

Howda Designz offers a money back guarantee on any products defective upon receipt of order.

• Product must be returned to the factory prior to refund.
• Howda Designz requests photos of the product if it cannot be shipped back to the factory. The photo of the defect or damage is required prior to refund.
• Howda Designz repairs HowdaSeat and HowdaHUG products that have been damaged.
• Please contact Howda Designz at 978-462-6260 or email [email protected] for pricing on repairs. An emailed photo of the damage is required

REPAIR:

Your HowdaSeat may be returned for repair if you have not tried to fix the seat yourself.

STEPS TO FOLLOW:

First email a photo so we can determine the cost of the repair. Depending on the type of work to be done we instruct where it should be sent. We will replace canvas for $25.00. Please include a check in the box with the seat to be repaired, including $10 to return the seat to you. Make sure you include your name, phone number, and email address inside the box. Canvas color replacement is according to what is in stock at the time you return the seat, unless you notify us beforehand as to the color choice.

How can I track my order?

When your order is shipped, we send you a notification email. We include the tracking number (USP or FedEx) in the email. You can track the shipment on either the UPS or FedEx web site.