It’s that time of the year again – time for the unveiling of the new Hess Toy Truck.
The Hess Toy Truck is a holiday tradition in my home. Even though my kids are young adults now, we still cherish the Hess Toy Truck tradition.
The tradition all started when my nephew was born (26 years ago). My grandfather purchased his a Hess Toy Truck for Christmas. My grandfather never shopped for gifts. He let my grandmother do that. So the fact that we went out and purchased that as a gift made it a big deal.
My nephew was about six months old at the time, so he didn’t play with it (it’s not intended for small children), but it was set aside as a collectible for him.
The following year my grandfather bought him the Hess Toy Truck again.
When my daughter was born a few years later, my grandfather also bought her the Hess Toy Truck, followed by buying one for my son as well as my niece. That meant each holiday season my grandfather would purchase four Hess Toy Trucks for the grandchildren. Even when he became too old to go out and purchase them, someone in our family would purchase them to give to the kids on his behalf.
All of the kids played with the Hess Toy Trucks, except my nephew. He saved all of his. He has amassed a nice collection. As for my kids, they fully enjoyed playing with them over the years. Some of them are saved in the basement for future grandchildren, or just for the kids to look back on fondly (especially my son).
As you can see, just the mere thought of the Hess Toy Truck brings back fond memories of my grandfather (he passed away about 12 years ago), as well as my children opening them up on Christmas morning and playing with them.
This year’s Hess Toy Truck is not a truck at all, but rather a cargo plane. How cool is that?
2021 Hess Cargo Plane and Jet • $39.99 • Ages 3+
The Cargo Plane is an impressive, heavy-load transport aircraft. Colored in white with a green undercarriage, bold green striping, sparkling chrome nose cone and accents, the plane includes six turbine engines, free-rolling, foldable landing gear, and 32 highvisibility lights that provide an impressive glow. A quick press of the taillight will release the rear cargo bay doors, providing access to the Jet. A hidden slide out ramp makes loading and unloading
the expansive, internally illuminated cargo bay a breeze. With a nearly 14-inch-long fuselage and 15-inch wingspan, the Cargo Plane is the largest Hess vehicle ever!
I was sent one of these sets to review.
My husband was super excited to see it, so much so that he couldn’t wait to get it out of the box. He’s just a big kid at heart.
This set is so special, that is has already won awards!
The Cargo Plane and Jet duo earned a much-prized Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award which is reserved for the most innovative, engaging new products of the year. The aviation duo also won a Mom’s Choice Gold Award. “We’ve seen cargo trucks, cargo boats, cargo trains, but we’ve never seen a cargo plane quite like this one!” wrote Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. “This amazing white and green light-up cargo plane has a broad body with a rear red light—press it and abracadabra, the cargo doors swing open to reveal the jet inside! A hidden ramp slides out so the jet can exit the cargo plane. Unfold the jet’s wings, twist the tailfin into an upright position, and it’s ready for flight with button-and-motion activated sounds, flashing lights, and folding landing gear! The 2021 Hess Cargo Plane and Jet will be at the top of everyone’s holiday wish list!
The 16th Annual Toy Insider Holiday Gift Guide spotlights the 2021 Hess toy set with a prized Top Holiday Toys honor after reviewing thousands of toys. “The Hess Toy Truck is a legendary holiday tradition that has grown well beyond the East Coast and is now something that families across the U.S. look forward to. This year’s Hess Cargo Plane and Jet is an incredible — and massive —addition to the fleet that kids will love, and collectors will covet for years to come,” wrote James Zahn, Senior Editor at The Toy Insider.
Congratulations Hess Toy Truck!
I can see why this set has earned awards. It’s an amazing toy. I would have to say that this one is by far one of my favorite Hess Toy Trucks that I have seen an experienced thus far. I think I like it so much because it’s different than what we are used to from Hess Toy Truck.
The first thing you’ll notice when you remove the cargo plane from the box is that the wings and tail pieces are not attached, per say. They are attached with a plastic-like cord. All you need to do it pop them into place. They had to take them off in order for the plane to fit in the box, otherwise you would need a large box to fit it. This way it fits in a normal size Hess Toy Truck box.
The toy comes with batteries pre-installed. It’s also super easy to get out of the box, making it a fantastic holiday gift. Your child can open the box, pop in the wing and tail pieces and play within a couple of minutes. The last thing parents want to worry about is having to find batteries and install them for an excited child who wants to play “now.”
The cargo plane lights up on the inside, as well as the outside.
This is a nice size plane too, much larger than i expected.
The doors in the back of the plane open up to reveal the jet plane. The jet’s wings are folded in to make it fit in the cargo bay on the plane. All you need to to is pull them open (the wings open/close easily).
The jet plane also lights up and plays different realistic sounds (see video).
Both the cargo plane and the jet plane have wheels on them so a child and “drive” them around on flat surfaces too.
The ONLY “downside” in my opinion is that sometimes when you play with it the tail pieces pop back out. It’s not a big deal really, I just thought I’d mention that. When a child holds it, it’s best not to hold it by the wing, or the wing will pop off too (they are attached so they won’t get lost).
The Hess Toy Truck retails for $39.99 and can be purchased at HessToyTruck.com. It’s available for purchase RIGHT NOW.
This would make a great gift for a child, or even someone who likes to collect Hess Toy Trucks.
Be sure to follow the brand on social media to keep up to date on the newest additions to their product line. All of those links can be found on the bottom of the brand’s website.
Kimberly
*I received a free product sample in order to do this this review. There was no compensation. The opinion expressed is my own and not influenced in any way.