I’ve spent £2.5k on squishmallows for my 12-year-old – she wakes me at 5am to buy them & our home is stuffed full
SOFT, spongy and sold in millions – Squishmallows are a trend to be reckoned with.
Last year, more than £100million of the colourful creatures were snapped up worldwide, with sales soaring by 11 per cent in the UK.
Lady Gaga and Kim Kardashian are fans of the range, which includes mythical creatures such as Ace The Unicorn, vegetables and branded editions including Harry Potter, Star Wars and CoComelon.
They adorn kids’ bedrooms across the country and, in extreme cases, are taking over homes.
Alpna Smith’s 12-year-old daughter Skye has a collection worth more than £2,500.
The online content marketer from Coventry says: “Skye has more than 120 Squishmallows. They don’t all fit in her room, so we have them in cupboards downstairs and on the sofa. I find them in the car, on the kitchen worktops. Sometimes I think the entire house is a Squishy zone.”
Alpna, who also lives with husband Andy, 44, a business manager, and son Leo, five, once shelled out £150 at an online auction for a rare Patty The Cow toy — three times what it cost at retail. She says: “If a new one is coming out, Skye gets obsessed and asks me to set reminders on my phone so she doesn’t miss out.”
Despite that sounding like a canny investment, leading toyologist Peter Jenkinson warns that toys do not always increase in value.
“Everyone thought that Beanie Babies would be worth a fortune,” he says of the Nineties soft toys.
“But actually, when people sell them now, they are only worth around half of the original price.
“Squishmallows may be worth a little more at some point, but there are a lot of them out there. And there are lots of copycat versions.”
Squishmallows were created by Sunny Cho, who worked for Kelly Toys, and launched in 2017. The first ones included Cam the Cat, Wendy the Frog and Hans the Hedgehog. There are around 3,000 designs, each with its own name and biography.
Skye got her first Squishmallow when she went into hospital with suspected HSP, a condition where the blood vessels swell, in March 2020.
Alpna says: “It seemed to have a calming effect on her. She fell in love and has been collecting ever since. She has even dragged me out of bed at 5am to queue at stores for one-offs.”
Skye’s Squishmallow collection also includes T-shirts, colouring books and stationery.
“We need an extra room to house it all,” says Alpna, who has become a fan herself. “In a world where children are exposed to so many adult themes, Squishmallows are soft and kind.” But it is not just kids the toys appeal to. Chartered psychologist Dr Louise Goddard-Crawley says cuddling them may help to reduce grown-ups’ anxiety.
She says: “For many adults, these toys may provide a temporary escape from the stresses and responsibilities of everyday life. The cute designs and plush texture can transport adults back to a time of innocence and joy, providing comfort and a sense of connection to their childhood selves.”
Smiles bring me joy
LILITH WILDWOOD, 54, lives by herself in Newark, Nottinghamshire, and has 24 Squishmallows which “keep the child inside her alive”. She says:
“I was diagnosed with autism just after my 50th birthday. Following that, I began to let myself enjoy all the things I’d previously kept hidden.
One of those things was toys. Most adults have long forgotten teddy bears and wouldn’t think of buying any more. But autistic people like me enjoy keeping the child inside them alive.
When I first saw Squishmallows, I felt immediately drawn to their softness and bright and colourful faces.
The first one I bought was an extra-large pink unicorn with ears, which cost around £40.
That was around four years ago and now I have 24 of them. I’ve probably spent around £350 in total.
I only buy Squishmallows that are mythical creatures, such as unicorns or dragons, or ones which are pink, purple or blue.
I have a Bigfoot and an alien. Don’t tell the others, but he is my favourite.
I keep some on the top of the wardrobe in my bedroom.
When I wake up in the morning and they are looking down at me with their smiley faces, it makes me feel really happy. I also have them on the sofa instead of normal, boring cushions. Like a lot of autistic people, I have hypermobility in my joints, so they are really good for resting my wrists on or using under my neck.
I’m a psychotherapist and often support neurodivergent clients by letting them know having toys is OK and can actually be good for us.
In the past, people have looked at me as if I’m weird and friends have taken the mickey out of me for having toys.
But I won’t let that stop me. Why should kids have all the fun?”
They share my bed
NICKI HARI, 56, has a collection worth £500. The addiction centre manager is mum to Ben, 23, and Aaron, 25. She lives in Borehamwood, Herts, with her postman fiancé Stuart Permutter, 62. She says:
“Squishmallows are my secret obsession. I started collecting them after visiting a friend’s daughter who had a collection.
The first time I held one, I knew I needed them in my life. Their effect was so calming and comforting. My first one was Felicia the Pandacorn. I adore her.
Now I’ve got 15 and have spent more than £500 on them.
There are four in particular I like to sleep with – three are the largest size, around 20in tall, and cost £60 each.
Stuart thinks I’m bonkers and moans that he has to make room for them. He’s tried dumping them on the floor at night but I get upset.
He often jokes that I prefer them to him, but he’s accepted he has to have them in bed with us. If we get intimate, I have to turn the squishies around! I also have one in my office, one that I cuddle while watching TV and I have one in the car.
People ask why I love them so much. It’s the way the toys feel. When you squish them, it’s very comforting. Holding one is great for stress.
If I go on holiday, Rhiannon the pink fox stays in my hand luggage. Customs officers give me odd looks when they see me with a cuddly toy, but I don’t care.
Friends say I’ve lost the plot, but they often change their minds once they’ve held one.
They help me cope – it’s a chance to feel like a child again.”