For all the bears that I make, I use wood wool in the face, ends of paws and feet. The rest is stuffed with polyester filling. Using wood wool in the parts that need to be firm creates a lovely sculpted face, and using the polyester in the rest, means that it is not rock hard. I cannot recommend wood wool more. The wood wool from Bear Basics is also great quality, so it won't crumble when you stuff. It also smells divine as you stuff too!