GUILDERLAND, N.Y. — JUNE 11: Mike Richman, owner of Ta-Da! toy store, squeezes a glitter-filled ice cube squishy on Thursday, June 11, 2026, inside his Stuyvesant Plaza shop in Guilderland, New York. (Jim Franco/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)
Albany Times Union/Hearst Newspapers | Hearst Newspapers | Getty Images
From dumplings and gummy bears to glittery ice cubes, squishy toys have become one of the standout toy trends of 2026.
The soft, squeezable toys are not new, but brands such as NeeDoh, produced by Massachusetts-based Schylling, have surged this year as affordable prices and highly shareable designs helped fuel demand across social media.
U.S. squishy toy sales climbed to roughly $297 million through June, about four times higher than the same period a year earlier, Kristen McLean, vice president of client insights and head of market research firm Circana’s Entertainment Knowledge Group, told CNBC.
The boom has been just as striking by volume: Unit sales rose nearly 200% to 58.6 million during that same stretch, McLean said.
“While the price and the stores they are selling in make them widely available and accessible from a price perspective, the NeeDoh run in particular started on social media,” McLean said.
Bright colors, eye-catching packaging and the blend of stress relief with play all helped turn squishies into a viral hit, she added. “They really managed to capture a moment in the zeitgeist.”
TikTok Shop has grown to represent 1% of total retail sales and 3% of e-commerce sales in just two years, according to Circana’s Social Commerce Tracking data, with toys, hobbies and collectibles ranking as the third-largest category on the platform.
Their relatively low prices could also make it easier for online attention to translate into purchases.
“Squishy toys are widely accessible and relatively inexpensive, making them an easy impulse purchase after consumers see them trending on social media,” said Loo Wee Teck, global insight manager for toys and games at market intelligence company Euromonitor International.
“Against a backdrop of economic uncertainty, rising stress and digital fatigue, consumers are increasingly drawn to products that offer simple moments of comfort and relaxation,” Loo said.
‘Dramatic’ shift
Kevin Kwok, director of Kids Village Asia, the sole distributor of Schylling’s NeeDoh in Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei, told CNBC that inbound trade and retailer inquiries have risen nearly 20-fold from the same period last year.
“The shift in demand has been dramatic,” Kwok said.
He said the surge took off around January, driven largely by social media, including celebrities showcasing NeeDoh on their platforms.
“What makes the current boom different is that squishy toys are increasingly valued for their sensory and emotional benefits, not just as novelty items,” Loo added.
NeeDoh didn’t respond to a request for comment from CNBC.
Circana’s Checkout Toys Recipient Data for the three months ended June showed that 60% of NeeDoh purchasers were parents buying for their children, while 18.2% reported buying the toys for themselves.
Children aged 7 to 12 were the largest group of recipients for both genders, and 72% of all recipients were female.
After the massive sales surge in such a short time, the question is how long the squishy boom can continue.
“The current hype will fade over time, like fidget spinners, but the broader appeal of sensory and tactile play will persist,” Euromonitor’s Loo said. “As consumers increasingly seek simple ways to relax and disconnect from digital overload, toys that support mindful play will remain relevant.”
