The Hottest Toy This Season Is One That Even Adults Will Recognize
Every year there’s one toy that people everywhere go bananas for, causing shortages and shopping hunts. In 2022 it was a birthing guinea pig (we know), and this year it’s poised to be a Squishmallow … but not just any Squishmallow! The very hottest 2023 holiday season toy will be a 20-inch Pikachu Squishmallows plush. He’s giant, he’s winking, and he’s adorable. However, he was not made in mass quantities, so he’s pretty hard to find — and the thrill of the hunt is often what makes a sought-after holiday toy.
Although Squishmallows have been out for years and have about a bazillion knockoffs, you’ll still see a 3-year-old, a 13-year-old, a 23-year-old, and a 73-year-old get giddy over them, which is why Pikachu Squishmallow is going to hit hard this year. Here is every single online store where you can still find the 20” Pikachu Squishmallows, plus other Pikachu plushies and popular toys we love if the OG is sold out everywhere.
Where to buy the 20” Pikachu Squishmallows
20” Pikachu Squishmallows
Here is the big guy on Amazon, which is probably the place you’ll want to hit up first — especially if you’re a Prime member. Stock is very much touch and go, so check back frequently!
After some internet sleuthing, I also found him for a few dollars less at GameStop’s website.
You can also find the star of the Pokémon series in all his giant splendor at Walmart, but at the time of publishing, it’s listed at twice the usual price.
This jumbo Squishmallow comes in and out on Target’s online store, so keep an eye out! Because I was on the prowl, I walked the aisles of a Target store in Brick, New Jersey, one day — and there he was! Two of him, in fact! I was so startled that I forgot to even look at the price. I left them and thought, good on whoever finds this next.
What if I can’t find that Pikachu Squishmallow?
14” Pikachu Squishmallows
If you need to get a Pikachu Squishmallows for your kid (or yourself, who are we to judge) and can’t find the giant winking one, the good news is that there are plenty of other variations. Another favorite, more widely available at Target, is this 14-inch seasonal fellow wearing a Santa hat.
Amazon sells a winking Pikachu in the easier-to-travel-with 14-inch size. It’s not as “extra” as the jumbo version, but it's cute and honestly makes a great pillow in the car on a family road trip or in a plane. And like the one above, it’s at the very giftable $25 price point.
If your gift must be a Squishmallows Pikachu, but you want a stocking-stuffer-sized plush with a price to match, Walmart has this 10-inch winking Squishmallow that is just like the harder-to-find jumbo version.
Wait, what if I can’t find any Pikachu Squishmallows?
Pikachu Plush
Word to the wise for anyone buying a plush Pikachu: There are plenty of them that are not Squishmallows branded. Maybe your kid has not specified, and has just said “I want a Pickachu!” My advice: Ask further! Does the kid want sleeping Pikachu? A jumbo sitting Pikachu? Or a Pikachu Squishmallows? Because all of those things exist, but all are different and heaven forbid you get the wrong one. This one, for instance, is the largest of all — 24 inches! — but it is not from Squishmallows. Still adorable and impressive, though!
We’re also really taken by this sleeping Pikachu with closed eyes, with hundreds of five-star reviews on Target’s site. Note that it’s from the same parent company that owns the Squishmallows brand, but it’s not branded as Squishmallows; it’s from Wicked Cool Toys.
Other Hot Toys to Buy If Pikachu Is Sold Out
Other Squishmallows
Squishmallows are an easy, lovable, and gender-neutral holiday gift. If you’re sold on the concept but your recipient is not into Pokémon, either currently or nostalgia-wise, there are other new and super-cute Squishmallows. For instance, did you know that the axolotl has surpassed the narwhal as the cool, weird stuffed animal? (A pink axolotl appeared in Minecraft, so enough said.) Behold!
I always get a kick out of foodie Squishmallows, like this 12-inch mug of matcha latte named Rosemund.
There are so many holiday Squishmallows, including this cat in an ugly holiday sweater that has white elephant gift written all over it. Deep trivia: Cam the Cat was the very first of the Squishmallows back in 2017, aka Squishmallows #1!
There’s also a Cam the Cat dressed in blue for the holidays. I assumed this was a Hannukah Cam, but it’s not being marketed that way, so that’s likely just my interpretation. It’s a great winter Squishmallow regardless.
If Christmas is really your thing, you can’t do better than the official 2023 Squishmallows Christmas Squad, which is getting down to low quantities on Amazon, so you might want to grab this stat. It’s a set of six very mini 5-inch Squishmallows: Santa, Mrs. Claus, a tree, an elf, a reindeer, and a yeti — yes, as in the abominable snowman.
And what if they don’t like Pikachu or Squishmallows?
Toys Other Than Pikachu
Last year’s hot holiday toy, Little Live Pets Mama Surprise, is still going strong this year as well, and is something to consider if you have a newly minted 5- or 6-year-old who missed it last year. It’s an interactive toy guinea pig who gives birth to multiples, and, well, you kinda get the idea.
My final note about a hot holiday toy this year is that Beast Lab is at the top of a lot of wishlists for 5- and 6-year-olds who love surprise reveals. With this gift, kids follow a bunch of directions to uncover a beast they have “created.” Just like the guinea pig can give birth over and over, your kid can dramatically “discover” their beast many times over. Are you surprised that the toys are by the same company, Moose Toys?
