Each year or so brings some seemingly inexplicable hit product. We’re not talking about your practical, functional item that is in most seasonal catalogs. We’re talking a phenomenon that checks some more unusual boxes:

  • These products usually explode in popularity because of social media virality.
  • They often seem similar to a child’s toy but are also popular among adults.
  • Upon first exposure, they might seem downright weird.


Sound like an odd trend for a viral product? Sure, but consider the Labubu. Or the fidget spinner. Neither were easy predictions for the next big craze. Realistically, most adults needed some explaining upon their first encounter with either. But once the momentum got going, it felt like you started seeing them everywhere.

Enter NeeDoh.

What is it? Basically, a squishy cube. But that might be underselling it, because apparently, it’s the perfect squishy cube. It’s something like a stress ball and something like a fidget device. It’s the latest product that is threading the needle of reaching children and their parents.

@alwayspresent4u Whats a TENSYNEE? #fyp #needoh ♬ original sound – Evileyesss – Present

Only a few weeks into the school year, teachers are already seeing NeeDoh cubes on the desks of students. It seems the trend hasn’t yet reached its peak.

“The similarities to the Labubu craze are hard to miss,” says Shirley Gomez, senior writer at Hola! USA. “There’s scarcity, they are all over social media, adults and kids are collecting them, counterfeits are available and there’s the satisfaction of finding something everyone else suddenly wants.”

There is one potential obstacle standing in the way: a class action lawsuit alleging that the product is dangerous.

Do NeeDoh Products Pose A Safety Risk?

Schylling, the manufacturer of NeeDoh, is currently facing a class action lawsuit filed in California federal court that alleges the product can explode when exposed to heat. The filing states that NeeDoh products pose a safety risk.

  • The plaintiff, Cristiano Mendoza, claims that the heat causes the NeeDoh to rupture, which leads to “dangerously hot and sticking filling” releasing from within. This filling can allegedly cause severe burns.


“Numerous reported incidents involving heated NeeDoh products have resulted in children suffering second- and third-degree burns, hospitalization, permanent scarring and other serious injuries,” the lawsuit says.

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NeeDoh’s website does warn consumers not to freeze, heat or microwave the product as doing so could lead to injury. The parent company has also made a point to speak out against a social media trend of microwaving the cubes. However, the class action lawsuit does not specify microwaving the product. It alleges that rupture leading to injury can occur from natural or unintentional causes, such as the sun or a hot car.

Merch Perspective

There are currently no PPAI members who offer NeeDoh products. However, similar products are not uncommon in the branded merch industry. Terms like “Squishy Cube” or “Sensory Cube” will bring up a number of results in the SAGE database.

  • Of course, it is important that distributors offering similar products exercise due diligence with their supplier partners and manufacturers to ensure that they are not only compliant with all safety standards but also have no general threat to cause harm to consumers.


Beyond that, though, it is natural that when a popular product emerges that copycats emerge. In the case of NeeDoh, this has proven itself with illegal counterfeit NeeDoh cubes. In more harmless cases, distributors and supplies may try to capitalize on the viral success by offering similar products, but it is important that the safety standards meet or exceed that of NeeDoh.

The Toy Association warns consumers to look for poor packaging, errors or other telltale signs that they are dealing with a fake.

PPAI’s Responsibility Summit will be held September 14-16 in Denver. Among the panels will be a number of compliance-focused topics, including a speaker discussing changes to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

  • Click here to register for PPAI Responsibility Summit.