Are squishy toys toxic? Burn, choking, and counterfeit risks

What are squishy toys?

Squishy toys (stress balls) are sensory squeezable toys consisting of a rubber or plastic shell and an interior filled with either a gel or a solid material. They are marketed to improve mood, calm anxiety, help children stay focused, and relieve stress.

What are squishy toys made of?

The outer shell of squishy toys can contain latex, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (an ingredient in white glue), polyurethane foam, silicone elastomer, or thermoplastic rubber. Most products have a gel filling. US products with listed ingredients usually state polyvinyl alcohol or maltose, a sugar found in barley. Other ingredients can include water beads that are usually already expanded, corn syrup, glycerin, mineral oil, or other polymers along with water-soluble dye. While these ingredients are generally thought to be safe, Consumer Reports analyzed 8 US products and found one of them to have a pH low enough to cause skin or eye irritation.

Solid fillings resemble bean bags and can contain clay, cornstarch, flour, plastic beads, sand, foam, rice, or seeds (usually chia, basil, or flax seeds).

What contaminants may be present?

The US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warned in August 2026 that some squishy toys are fake or counterfeit. They identified 55 shipments of these noncompliant products. They cite lead as a potential contaminant.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency analyzed 12 products from China and found dimethylformamide, cyclohexanone, formaldehyde, methylene chloride, and toluene, all of which produced potentially harmful gases that could be inhaled while playing with the toys. The UK has recalled squishy products due to findings of bacteria, yeast, mold, asbestos, phthalates, and benzene.

Why do squishy toys smell like gas?

All products identified in the Danish Environmental Protection Agency study contained volatile solvents that produce an irritating gas. Inhaling the gas can cause eye or skin irritation, coughing, or in extreme cases, drowsiness and dizziness. Products that have a chemical odor should be discarded.

My child bit or swallowed a squishy toy. What should I do?

If your child is choking or having trouble breathing or swallowing, call 911.

If gel gets in the eye, rinse the eye with running water. Get medical care if the pain is severe, if your child cannot open the eye, or if pain continues after rinsing.

If gel from a heated toy gets on the skin, immediately rinse the area with cool running water for 20 minutes. Mild soap or mineral oil may remove what is left. Burns on the face, any burn in a young child, and deep or large burns require immediate medical care.

Are squishy toys toxic to the skin or eyes?

There is no published scientific literature on the toxic effects of these products. Several media reports describe toys exploding after being microwaved as a result of a TikTok challenge, either when the microwave door was opened or when the toy was squeezed. This resulted in severe skin burns that required treatment in a burn unit. The heated gel is particularly dangerous because it is  extremely sticky and hard to remove from the skin, making the burns difficult to treat.

Consumer Reports cited Amazon.com reviews of products where users complained that the products broke open within hours of playing with them, releasing the gel contents. Some of these reports cite chemical burns from skin exposure.

Are squishy toys toxic when swallowed?

There is no published scientific literature on the toxic effects of these products when swallowed. The ingredients themselves are minimally toxic and should pose no harm with a one-time ingestion. These products may present a choking hazard in very young children. Sucking on products that contain contaminants may cause mouth, throat, and tongue irritation.

Symptoms of a squishy toy exposure

Common symptoms of swallowing gel from squishy toys might include nausea and a bad taste in your mouth. If your child is choking or having difficulty breathing or swallowing, call 911.

Gel in the eyes can cause pain or redness. Heated gel on the skin can cause severe pain, burning, redness, and blisters. If heated gel gets into the eyes, it could cause corneal damage and lead to varying levels of vision loss from the burn. Skin irritation from unheated products could be an allergic reaction and cause rash or hives.

Are squishy toys safe for babies and toddlers?

Squishy toy products are not considered safe for children under 3 years of age and may present a choking hazard for children under 3 to 5 years of age. CPSC requires that squishy toy products not be labeled for use in children under 3 years of age, and that products labeled for children ages 3 to 5 include a choking hazard warning. Counterfeit or fake products may not contain these warnings.

Are water bead toys the same as squishy toys?

Water bead toys like Orbeez are not the same as squishy toys. Some squishy gel may contain small water beads that are already expanded.

How can I tell if a product is fake?

CPSC states that fake products may be priced substantially lower than those sold by established retail stores. They may also have misspelled words, missing manufacturer names, no age grading, or no safety warnings.