Jellycat vs Squishmallows vs Warmies: Which Plush to Buy

Pick Jellycat for a soft, detailed animal that a baby can be given from birth and an adult can keep for years; a Medium runs $33 to $38. Pick Squishmallows for a light, squishy pillow plush for ages 3 and up at about half the price per inch. Pick Warmies when the point is warmth: it’s a $29.99 plush filled with grain and lavender that you heat in the microwave, under adult supervision. We compared the makers’ specs, care pages, age labels, and owner reviews for the seven plush toys ToyNoble reviews, checked in October 2026.

What is the quick difference between Jellycat, Squishmallows, and Warmies?

The three brands make different kinds of plush. Jellycat makes fur animals with faces and floppy limbs. Squishmallows are round, stretchy pillow shapes with a name and bio on the tag. Warmies are plush animals with a grain and lavender filling, made to be heated or chilled.

You can compare all seven on our page of every plush toy we review.

Bottom line: Jellycat is the soft animal, Squishmallows is the pillow, and Warmies is the warm one. Each fits a different job.

Which one costs more, and why?

Jellycat costs the most for its size. We divided each price by the longest measurement the maker lists:

The Warmies Highland Cow is $29.99, but Warmies doesn’t list a size on the page we read, so it’s left out of the per-inch math. The Jellycat Amuseables Peanut Bag Charm is $28 for a 7.1-inch charm including the clip.

Size isn’t the whole story. A Jellycat Medium is a dense, detailed toy with bean filling, while a Squishmallow is mostly light stuffing in a stretchy shell. The 20-inch Madisun costs more than double the 14-inch Peony, so the jump to pillow size isn’t linear either.

Part of the price is demand from adults. Jared Watson, an associate professor of marketing at NYU Stern, told Fortune in 2025 that the shift toward adults buying plush “started with millennials, but really came to light with Gen Z.” On the Squishmallows side, Jazwares president Laura Zebersky told CNBC in 2023 that the appeal was something “nurturing, cozy, cuddly,” and that “it was affordable and accessible.”

Bottom line: A 14-inch Squishmallow costs about half as much per inch as a Jellycat Medium. You pay Jellycat for fur, detail, and bean weight.

Which one suits a baby or toddler?

Start with the maker’s age label, and keep all three out of the crib.

Jellycat labels its Bartholomew Bear, Bashful Bunny, and Smudge Elephant “Suitable from birth” and says they’re tested to EN71, ASTM, and ISO 8124. The Bartholomew Bear page also says: “Please do not leave in a cot/crib due to its size.” The Peanut Bag Charm is a different case. Jellycat marks it “Not suitable for children under 12 months due to shape and size of charm attachment.”

Jazwares sets a recommended age of 3+ for Squishmallows. Its help center says: “Our Squishmallows are safety-tested for all ages (0+) with a recommended age grade of 3+. As with any soft plush, we do not recommend placing Squishmallows in a crib with infants under one year of age.”

Warmies says its heatable products “are suitable for all ages but should only be heated and used under careful adult supervision,” per its care guide. The Highland Cow is also weighted with grain.

For sleep, federal guidance is plain. The NICHD Safe to Sleep page says: “Remove everything from baby’s sleep area, except a fitted sheet covering the mattress.” Its list of risky items includes “Soft or squishy (e.g., pillows, stuffed toys, crib bumpers)” and “Weighted (e.g., weighted blankets, weighted swaddles, weighted objects).” The AAP’s safe sleep guide gives the same advice: no “stuffed toys” in a baby’s bed.

So for a baby shower, a Jellycat Medium works as a daytime cuddle toy and keepsake. Our pick is a first teddy suitable from birth, the Bartholomew Bear Medium at $33.

Bottom line: Jellycat is labeled from birth, Squishmallows are recommended from 3, and Warmies need adult supervision. None of the three goes in an infant’s sleep space.

How do you wash each one?

Care is where the brands differ most, and two of them give mixed signals.

Jellycat’s Safety & Care page says: “Many of our products can be washed at 30 degrees in a washing machine. Some must be surface washed by hand.” It adds that no Jellycat should go in a tumble dryer, be ironed, or be dry cleaned.

The product pages vary. Our Bashful Bunny and Smudge Elephant reviews list an 86°F wash with no tumble dry, while the Bartholomew Bear page reads: “Hand wash only; do not tumble dry, dry clean or iron. Not recommended to clean in a washing machine.” The Peanut Bag Charm is sponge clean only. Check the tag on the toy you buy.

Squishmallows care is contradictory. One Jazwares product page says “hand wash, then air dry.” Its help center care article says: “Do not wash your Squishmallows in a machine washer or submerge it in water, as this can distort the stuffing and change the texture inside and out.” It also says to air dry and skip the dryer, hairdryer, or iron. We’d follow the stricter help center and spot clean.

Warmies is the simplest: its care guide says “Do not place Warmies in your washer or dryer.” The grain filling makes it surface clean only.

Bottom line: None of the three goes in a dryer. If easy washing matters most, none is a great fit, and Warmies and Squishmallows are the hardest to clean.

How do you heat a Warmies, and what should you watch?

Warmies are the only plush here meant to be heated. The Highland Cow page says to microwave it “for 60–90 seconds for up to 2 hours of soothing warmth,” and adds: “Only reheat when your Warmies has returned to room temperature.” For cooling, our review notes 2 to 3 hours in a sealed freezer bag.

The care guide sets the time by microwave power: 90 seconds for 600 to 800 watts, and 60 seconds for 850 to 1,000 watts. It also says: “Never heat Warmies in the oven.” If one is overheated, Warmies says to “wait until it has cooled to room temperature” before throwing it away.

We’d treat those steps as rules. Heated plush has a recall history: in 2008 the CPSC announced a recall of Avon warming polar bears, noting that “The warming pouch inside the bear can overheat and ignite when heated in a microwave oven.” That was a different product and maker, and we found no Warmies recall, but it shows why the time limits matter.

Practical steps, all from the maker’s guidance:

• an adult heats it, using the time for your microwave’s wattage
• check it’s warm, not hot, before handing it over
• let it return to room temperature before reheating
• keep it out of the oven, washer, and dryer

Bottom line: Follow Warmies’ time chart for your microwave, let an adult do the heating, and never reheat a warm one.

Which holds up better for kids, collectors, and adults?

Jellycat has the deepest owner record. Its pages showed 878 reviews with a 5-star average for the Bartholomew Bear, 334 for the Bashful Bunny, and 269 with a 5-star average for the Smudge Elephant. On the Bartholomew Bear page, one owner says a Medium has been slept with every night for four months and is still the softest, and another bought a second bear for themselves after buying one for a daughter. Jellycat notes some reviews come from its rewards members.

Squishmallows had no reviews on either maker page we read, so we can’t speak to how they wear. Their pull is collecting: each one has a name and bio, and characters rotate, so a sold-out one may not come back.

The Warmies Highland Cow page showed a 4.9 rating from 267 reviews. That’s Warmies’ own store.

Counterfeits are a real issue for popular plush. Jellycat’s brand protection statement says it can “only guarantee the safety, quality, and ethical standards behind a Jellycat soft toy purchased from an authorized Jellycat stockist.” Buy from the maker or a stockist the maker names.

Bottom line: Jellycat has the longest owner record. Squishmallows suit collectors who enjoy names and rotating characters, and Warmies suits one job, warmth.

Which should you buy?

A baby shower or first birthday

A Jellycat Medium, like the Bartholomew Bear or Bashful Bunny at $33, labeled suitable from birth. Use it for awake time, not the crib.

A child aged 3 to 8

A 14-inch Squishmallow at $19.99 is light, cheap per inch, and rated 3+. A Jellycat Medium also works if you want an animal with a face and fur.

A child who wants warmth at bedtime

The Warmies Highland Cow at $29.99, heated by an adult with the time chart. It suits a child old enough to follow the rules about not reheating.

A teen or adult who collects

The Jellycat Peanut Bag Charm at $28 clips to a bag, and the 20-inch Madisun at $49.99 is a bed pillow for a Squishmallows fan. We keep more side-by-side toy comparisons if you’re weighing other brands.

Bottom line: Jellycat for a keepsake animal, Squishmallows for a budget pillow buddy, and Warmies for warmth with supervision.

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