Squishy toys are sold on feel. A buyer picks one up in a shop, squeezes it, and decides in about two seconds. That means the compound and the wall thickness matter more than the artwork, and both of them are set before the first unit is moulded.
We mould TPR squishy items in Shantou for novelty distributors, gift channels and marketplace sellers, in custom shapes from a supplied drawing or a sketch.
What we make
- Round stress balls in solid or two-tone colour
- Slow-rise animal and character shapes with minimal facial detail
- Fidget shapes: pop tubes, mesh balls and squeeze noodles
- Promotional items with a logo debossed or printed on the surface
The compound decides the feel
TPR is a blend, and the blend is the product. A lower Shore hardness gives a softer squeeze but a shorter life before the surface tears; more oil gives a slower rise but risks oil bleed onto the shelf or the customer's hands. A typical squishy sits at Shore A 5 to 20 with a rise time of three to eight seconds, and the oil-to-rubber ratio is set per shape, because a thin arm on an animal figure needs a firmer compound than a solid ball to survive the same squeeze.
Specification
| Material | TPR, phthalate and latex free |
|---|---|
| Hardness | Shore A 5 to 20, tuned per shape |
| Rebound | Slow rise 3 to 8 seconds |
| Size | 40 to 120 mm |
| Colour | Solid, two-tone, or flocked surface |
| Packing | Polybag, display box, or capsule |
| MOQ | 3,000 pieces per shape |
Tooling for a new shape
A new squishy shape needs a cast aluminium or steel tool, typically 20 to 28 days. Because TPR shrinks unevenly on thick sections, the tool is cut slightly oversize on the heavy areas and trimmed after the first shots. Drawings with undercuts cost more: a parting line through the middle of a face shows on the finished item, so face detail is usually kept shallow and placed away from the parting line.
Safety and product boundaries
Squishy items are graded for ages 3 and above unless the buyer specifies otherwise, and carry a small-parts warning where applicable. We do not produce items shaped like food, because they are routinely confused with edible products and are restricted or banned in several markets. Where the shape is a licensed character, the buyer must hold the licence and supply written authorisation.
Durability
Squeeze testing runs to the buyer's target, usually 5,000 to 10,000 cycles on a pneumatic rig. Surface tearing at the seam is the usual failure, and it is fixed by increasing the wall at the parting line rather than by changing the compound.
