Slow Rising Squishy

This is the squishy most people know from childhood. Soft PU foam that you crush in your hand and that rises back up over a few seconds. Bread, cake and fruit shapes are the classics.

Six slow rising animal squishies seen from above on pale blue: octopus, pink owl, galaxy cat, galaxy deer, ghost and duck donut — Six slow rising animal squishies

Five round slow rising squishies on a wooden shelf: chubby cat with acorn, cat bun, onigiri chick, white seal and capybara — Round slow rising squishies on the shelf

Hand squeezing a thick slow rising toast squishy, the foam dents under the fingers — A slow rising toast squishy being squeezed

Slow rising squishy

Slow rising squishies are the oldest and still the best selling kind. They are made of soft PU foam with a painted surface. When you squeeze one the dent stays for a few seconds and then the shape slowly fills out again. A round one is what plenty of people simply call a squishy stress ball.

Shapes run from toast and croissants to fruit and animals. Small ones fit in a pocket. The big ones live on our jumbo page. Because foam is light, a few slow risers barely add weight to a parcel, which makes them easy to mix with butter or crunchy squishies.

Fresh foam can smell a bit when it comes out of the bag. Leave it somewhere airy for a day or two and the smell usually fades. Keep foam squishies out of direct sun and off the radiator so the paint and the foam stay nice.

Slow rising animals

Octopus, owl, galaxy cat, galaxy deer, ghost and duck donut are all PU foam. The galaxy deer and the owl are also in our set of five.

Round and soft on the shelf

Chubby cat with acorn, cat bun, onigiri chick, seal and capybara sit in a row. The seal is as round as a dumpling.

Watch the dent fill back in

Press the thick toast flat and the dent stays for a moment. Then the foam slowly pushes back into an 11 x 10 cm slice.

Slow risers on the bed

The unicorn donut is about 13 x 15 cm and the biggest of these three. Galaxy cat and owl keep it company.

From 6 cm to 15.5 cm

Round bun, pineapple bun, croissant and chocolate bar stand next to a 9.5 cm mug. The chocolate bar is the longest at 15.5 cm.

Slow rising round bun, pineapple bun, croissant and chocolate bar squishies next to a white coffee mug, sorted by size — Size comparison with a coffee mug

Squeeze, wait, done

Three moments with the same croissant: squeezed flat, half back and fully risen. That slow return is what slow rising means.

Slow rising squishy in three panels: a croissant in a hand, squeezed flat, half risen and fully risen back — A slow rising croissant in three steps

How long does a slow rising squishy take to rise?

A few seconds, depending on the foam and the size. Big squishies usually take a little longer than small ones.

Why does my new squishy smell?

New foam often has a smell from production. Let it air out for one or two days somewhere with fresh air. It doesn't need to go in the washing machine for that.

Is a squishy a stress ball?

Many people use the two words for the same thing. A slow rising squishy is a soft foam toy for squeezing and kneading. It is a toy and not a medical product.