Right about now, you’ve probably noticed you’ve landed on squish-tok recently, seeing rooms filled up to the ceiling with these stuffed animals or people going on a day-long squish hunt. In addition to that, you probably have a few friends with them on their bed. Squishmallows are soft and cuddly stuffed animals that come in a variety of different colors and sizes. What is it about Squishmallows that people just can’t stop talking about?
What this craze is all about
According to the Squishmallow website, these squishy animals have been around since 2017. However, they just recently became an international phenomenon. With so many different stuffed animal brands out there, why are these so special?
To begin with, they are actually the softest things ever. They are such a well-made and high-quality product. With all the different variations, it just makes you want to keep collecting more! The brand comes out with different “squads,” such as fruit squad, sea life squad, adventure squad, etc, which just makes you want the whole family of them.
They even have many seasonal options to pick from. Each Squishmallow has a name and a unique biography/personality to them. Therefore, they’ll use common characters and add a Valentine’s Day, Easter, Halloween or even Christmas characteristic or emblem to them. With these editions only being out during that specific season, it makes the craze that much more continuous.
They come in a range of sizes, from a tiny keychain all the way up to 24 inches, making it perfect to clip onto a backpack or purse, or even use as your pillow at night. Some of the most common retailers of Squishmallows are Walmart, Amazon, Target, Walgreens, Five Below and Claire’s. However, they run out quick. Many TikToks have shown a line out the door of some of these stores during shipment days before they even open.
Social media adding to the ‘hype’
The Squishmallow community on social media platforms only further influences the craze and hype about them. People will make accounts on TikTok or Instagram to showcase the ones they have and/or are looking for. Therefore, others are motivated to go on the hunt for the same ones. These accounts become that much more exciting and interesting when someone has a “rare” Squishmallow as well. The Squishmallow social media community also involves itself in collaborations and trades with other popular Squishmallow collectors. TikTok has really made this trend popular and makes you want to run to the store to find it, as it does with everything else out there.
I really thought I had finally grown up, as I’m about to graduate college this semester, but these Squishmallows have really set me back. They’re just so cute and cuddly! I fell victim to the craze of them and am reliving my childhood when Webkinz and Build-A-Bears were the things to have. Squishmallows are the perfect thing to decorate a room or just to keep company with. They’re for people of all ages…not just kids…I swear.