Walk into any toy shop (or scroll any feed) right now and you’ll see them: oversized strawberries, smiling butter sticks, rainbow cheese wedges. Squishy toys have gone from a niche Japanese import to one of the most popular toy crazes in the UK, and it’s easy to see why.
What exactly is a squishy toy?
A squishy toy is a soft, slow-rising foam toy that you squeeze in your hand. Give it a squeeze and it slowly puffs back to its original shape over a few seconds. The satisfying feel, paired with cute food and animal designs, is what hooked millions of fans worldwide.
Why are they so popular?
1. Stress relief. The repetitive squeeze-and-release motion is genuinely calming, which is why squishies have crossed over from kids’ toys to desk-side stress relief for adults.
2. Sensory appeal. Soft texture, silent compression and the slow-rise bounce make them a favourite with sensory seekers of all ages.
3. Collectability. With dozens of designs — from ducks to unicorn — squishies invite collecting, trading and displaying.
4. Screen-free fidgeting. Parents love them as a quiet, screen-free alternative to gadget fidgeting, and teachers don’t mind them either.
Which squishy should you start with?
Jumbo designs are the stars of the show. A great starting point is the Jumbo Duck Squishy Toy 12cm — giant size, huge slow-rise squeeze and instant stress relief.
Animal fans, meanwhile, gravitate to the Jumbo Unicorn Squishy Toy 16cm, one of the most requested squishy designs going. If you prefer your squishies food-shaped (and most collectors do), the Jumbo Strawberry Squishy Toy is a classic of the genre.
The takeaway
Squishy toys aren’t a passing fad — they combine stress relief, sensory play and collectability in one affordable toy. Whether it’s a duck, a unicorn or a strawberry, there’s a squishy out there for every desk, pocket and Christmas list. Browse the full squishy range at Better Buy and find your next squeeze.