Beary 3.0: Singapore Airlines unveils new unisex teddy bear

One fun perk of flying with Singapore Airlines is that younger passengers — and occasionally, older ones too — can receive a complimentary collectible teddy bear. 

This adorable boy-and-girl pairing serves as the airline’s unofficial mascot, and is named, somewhat unimaginatively, Beary (then again, we’re the country which decided that Budget Terminal was a good name for the budget terminal, so…). It’s a charming little keepsake, and for years was one of the best-kept secrets of travelling on SQ  — at least until social media blew it up.

With the current generation of Beary now more than 13 years old, SIA has unveiled Beary 3.0, which it says will “highlight its evolution as it ‘grows up’ together with our young customers”.

The third iteration will start appearing on flights from mid-June 2026, and ahead of this, I’ve received a “review copy” of the redesigned iconic teddy bear. 

Singapore Airlines introduces Beary 3.0

The new Beary comes in a Garden City-inspired outfit, complete with a sun hat featuring SIA’s signature batik motif. As with the previous generation of Beary, outfits will rotate throughout the year to mark:

• Special occasions (e.g. SG50 or SIA’s 70th anniversary)
• Collaborations with other companies (e.g. Disney 100)
• The arrival of new aircraft (e.g. the Boeing 777-9, currently expected sometime in the next 50-80 years)

If the previous Beary struck you as being slightly on the miniature side, you’ll be pleased to know that Beary 3.0 will be 15% larger, making it more huggable. The material also feels smoother and less “bushy” than before.

In terms of design, the facial expression remains largely unchanged, though the snout is now slightly less pronounced, and the face less rounded. In fact, I daresay that Beary has gone on a bit of a diet, and is less chonky than before. The new version sports slimmer limbs and a slightly leaner body, giving it a more minimal and modern design compared to the traditional cuddly plush aesthetic.

Another notable change can be found at the rear, where Beary has been given a stubby tail for the first time. 

As I’m sure you know, a bear’s tail is mostly vestigial, having lost almost all of its original evolutionary purpose (like my hair). It’s too short and stubby to swat away insects like a horse, or to wrap around its body for warmth like a fox, or to use for agile balance like a cat.

That said, it does serve one primary function: acting as a literal shield to protect its anus from dirt, biting insects, cold wind and rough bush. It’s unclear whether anatomical correctness was one of the guiding principles in designing Beary 3.0.

But perhaps the biggest change of all is that Beary 3.0 will be gender-neutral. SIA will no longer offer boy and girl versions, instead producing a single Beary. 

Now, before you rush to the comments section to blame this on wokeness/immigrants/the PAP/5G cell towers, let me humbly suggest that this change does not stem from any deep-seated ideological agenda, but rather a more mundane logistics matter — one SKU is easier to track than two, and keeps operational costs down.

In fact, the first-generation Beary, introduced in June 2007, also sported a gender-neutral design. The current boy and girl bears we know today were only introduced in 2013.

With the launch of Beary 3.0, the current stock of Beary 2.0 will be retired. You might still receive a 2.0 on your upcoming flight as inventory is depleted, but the transition should be complete by the end of this month.

Who gets a Beary?

The official policy regarding Singapore Airlines teddy bears remains unchanged. Beary will be offered to passengers who meet all of the following criteria:

• Child aged 12 and below
• Travelling in Suites, First or Business Class
• On a medium or long-haul flight (>5 hours)*

*If you received a Beary on a flight below this threshold, it just means you got lucky. The aircraft you were on could have just completed a longer rotation with leftover stock on board

Now, I know that Instagram is full of Beary pictures from individuals who look way past the age of puberty, or travelling in Economy Class. 

Therefore, it’s better to think of this policy as dictating who gets priority for bears. If you don’t meet the criteria, there’s nothing wrong with asking — provided that if the answer is no, you don’t fire off an email cc-ing the SIA CEO, Wanbao, Mothership, the Minister for Transport and the UN Special Rapporteur for Human Rights demanding justice. 

Seriously. It’s a bit sad this needs so much emphasis, but if you don’t meet the criteria, then you’re not entitled to a Beary, and the crew are perfectly at liberty to deny your request. It doesn’t matter that your inner child/mental age is five — no means no.

A helpful piece of information to know is that teddy bears are only restocked in Singapore. As a result, crews tend to be stricter with the rules on outbound flights, because there needs to be sufficient inventory for the return journey.

Also, these teddy bears are not for sale — not officially at least. Even though KrisShop sells teddy bears, they are different from the ones offered onboard, both in terms of design and outfits.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped a thriving secondary market from flourishing on Carousell, with hundreds of Beary listings averaging around S$10-15 for a single bear.

My guess is that the retirement of Beary 2.0 will provide a great fillip to this group, who can now market their existing inventory as RARE NO LONGER IN PRODUCTION!!!

A history of SIA teddy bears

There are few pieces of airline memorabilia that have generated quite as much lore as SIA’s teddy bears.

Earlier this year, I wrote a post that explores the history of Beary, from the time of introduction in June 2007 up till today. 

It’s a fascinating piece of nostalgia that looks at where the bears are made, together with the various editions throughout the years — including the “nearly-editions” such as the Tokyo 2020 Olympics which, to my knowledge, never went into production. 

Do have a read if you find the time!

Bear Necessities: The past, present and future of SIA’s teddy bears

Conclusion

Singapore Airlines’ next-generation cabin products might be delayed for a little longer, but at least we have a next-generation teddy bear to tide us over until then.

Expect to see Beary 3.0 on flights starting from the middle of this month, as well as a ton of social media posts on your feed spotlighting the change.

What do you make of Beary 3.0?

(Cover photo: My own mock-up, using SIA’s supplied image)