Squeez'M BigBlok vs. NeeDoh Nice Cube: A Side-by-Side Comparison

Squeez'M BigBlok™ (formerly the Squeez'M Big Block) and the NeeDoh® Nice Cube are both squishy, slow-rise stress cubes for ages 3 and up. They are not the same product and they are made by different companies. This page puts the two side by side using numbers you can check yourself: published dimensions, weights we measured on a kitchen scale, safety testing with the lab reports posted, and what happens if one leaks.

Let's start with ownership

Before size, weight, or squish, here is the difference that matters most to us: who you are actually buying from.

When you buy a BigBlok, you are buying from Brian Fisher. He is a dad in Belmont, California, who designed the cube, runs the company, and owns all of it. The phone number printed on your box is a real line. If your cube leaks and you text a photo, a person reads it, and that person has the authority to send you a new one, because there is nobody above him to ask.

That is the whole company: a founder, a small team, and a cube we think is better. No investors, no board, no quarterly targets deciding what goes into the gel.

NeeDoh is a brand of Schylling, Inc., a toy company that has been a private equity portfolio company since 2013, owned by Crofton Capital and Gladstone Investment Corporation (Nasdaq: GAIN). They make a good product and they have made it for a long time. It is simply a different kind of company, and some buyers care about that difference.

Now the numbers

We make the BigBlok, so we are not neutral. That is why everything below is either a measurement, a published spec, a lab report you can open, or a policy you can hold us to.

The short version

• Size: BigBlok is 2.56 inches (6.5 cm) per side. Schylling lists the NeeDoh Nice Cube at 2.25 inches per side.
• Weight: BigBlok weighs 305 g (10.8 oz). The Nice Cube we bought weighed 204 g (7.2 oz). That makes the BigBlok almost 50% bigger by weight.
• Feel: BigBlok is a maltose-filled "sugar squishy" built extra firm, with a slow-rise maltose gel core inside a thick TPR shell. Schylling describes the Nice Cube as soft when squished slowly and firm when squished fast.
• Safety: BigBlok is tested to ASTM F963 and CPSIA, and the lab reports are posted on this site. Shop TODAY listed it among squishy toys to shop in its September 2026 guide to squishy toy safety.
• Who owns it: Squeez'M is 100% founder-owned by the dad who designed the cube. NeeDoh's maker, Schylling, has been owned by private equity investors since 2013.
• If it leaks: BigBlok is replaced within 30 days from a photo, with no return. Details are below.

Side-by-side comparison

How much bigger is the BigBlok?

A BigBlok measures 2.56 inches (6.5 cm) per side and a Nice Cube measures 2.25 inches. About a third of an inch does not sound like much, but it adds up across three dimensions. Going by those side lengths alone, the BigBlok has nearly half again as much volume. Both cubes have rounded corners and both bulge a little, so we think weight is the fairer number: 305 g against 204 g, or almost 50% more cube in your hand.

We weighed one of each on the same scale in September 2026. Individual cubes vary by a few grams. If you own both, weigh them and tell us what you get.

Which one is firmer?

The BigBlok is made to push back. It is a maltose-filled ("sugar") squishy: an extra-firm, slow-rise maltose gel core inside a thick TPR (thermoplastic rubber) shell, so it resists a hard squeeze and takes a moment to return to shape. People who want real resistance, including adults who squeeze hard and customers who use it for hand exercise, tend to prefer that. The BigBlok is a toy, not a medical device, so ask your therapist before using it as part of a treatment plan.

Schylling describes the Nice Cube as soft when you squish it slowly and firm when you squish it fast. If you want a softer, doughier feel, that description may suit you better.

Safety: tested, documented, and public

Recent squishy-toy recalls have made a lot of parents ask the question we think every brand should answer up front: has this thing actually been tested, and can I see the proof?

The BigBlok is tested to ASTM F963, the toy safety standard published by ASTM International and made mandatory in the U.S. by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and to the CPSIA requirements for lead and phthalates. The materials are non-toxic and free of BPA (bisphenol A). We do not ask you to take our word for it. The actual lab reports are posted on this site, test by test.

Most toy brands say "meets safety standards" somewhere on the box. Very few publish the reports. We publish them because a dad who puts his phone number on every box has nothing to hide.

Testing is the standard; production checks are the habit. Gel-filled toys fail in a few predictable ways, so those are the things we check during production: leaks, odor, air bubbles in the fill, shell stretch, and surface abrasion.

No gel toy is indestructible. Keep any of them away from heat, sharp objects, and pets, and do not microwave, boil, or leave one in a hot car.

Featured in Shop TODAY

In September 2026, Shop TODAY's guide to squishy toy safety listed the Squeez'M BigBlok (under its old name, the Big Block) as one of six squishy and fidget toys to shop, alongside Play-Doh and Elmer's, in a list of products from established brands or that specifically call out safety testing. It is the kind of company we are glad to keep.

What happens if a BigBlok leaks

A leak in the first 30 days almost always means a factory defect, and that is on us. Text a photo of the leak to the number printed on your box. You do not need to send the cube back or fill out a form. A replacement ships within 2 to 3 days.

What buyers say

On Amazon, where it is sold as the Squeez'M Big Block, the BigBlok holds a 4.4-star average across 2,251 ratings as of September 2026. More than 1,700 of those are five stars. Read them on Amazon, including the critical ones. We link out instead of quoting them here so you can judge the whole picture yourself.

Which one should you buy?

Choose the NeeDoh Nice Cube if you want the original, you like a softer and doughier squish, you prefer a smaller cube for small hands or pockets, or you collect the NeeDoh line.

Choose the Squeez'M BigBlok if you want a larger and heavier cube, you like firm resistance, you are buying for a teen or adult who squeezes hard, you want to see the safety test reports before you buy, you want a no-return replacement if it leaks, or you would rather buy from a founder-owned small business than a private-equity-owned brand.

Plenty of people own both.

How to tell a real BigBlok from a lookalike

Since the BigBlok launched in June 2025, similar-looking cubes have appeared using words like "big block" or "mega cube" in their listings. A real BigBlok says Squeez'M on the box and is sold only by Squeez'M Toys: here at squeezm.net, in the Squeez'M store on Amazon, and on the Squeez'M TikTok Shop. The photo-replacement guarantee and the posted test reports apply only to cubes bought from those three places.

Questions people ask

Is the BigBlok the same thing as the Squeez'M Big Block?

Yes. BigBlok is the new name for the Squeez'M Big Block. It is the same cube, the same size, and the same materials, made by the same company.

Is the BigBlok a sugar squishy?

Yes. The BigBlok is a maltose-filled squishy, the type often called a sugar squishy or sugar cube squishy. The fill is a water-soluble maltose (sugar) gel, and the shell is thick TPR (thermoplastic rubber). That combination is what gives it the slow, heavy, doughy squish instead of the instant bounce-back of foam or air-filled squishies.

Is the BigBlok a NeeDoh product?

No. NeeDoh is made by Schylling. The BigBlok is made by Squeez'M Toys. The two companies are not affiliated.

Is the BigBlok a good alternative when the Nice Cube is sold out?

If you want the same kind of toy in a larger, firmer version, yes. If you specifically want the Nice Cube's softer feel or smaller size, it is worth waiting for a restock.

Is the BigBlok safe for kids?

It is rated for ages 3 and up, made from non-toxic, BPA-free materials, and tested to ASTM F963 and CPSIA. See all of our test results here. As with any gel-filled toy, supervise young children and throw the toy away if the shell is punctured.

Has the BigBlok been recalled?

No. No Squeez'M product has ever been recalled. If that ever changed, it would be posted on this site and on the CPSC recalls page.

What colors does the BigBlok come in?

Blue, Pink, Purple, Glass (clear), and SkySparkle (blue glitter), plus 2-packs and a 3-pack. See all BigBlok cubes.

NeeDoh®, Nice Cube, and Schylling are trademarks of Schylling, Inc. Squeez'M Toys is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Schylling. NeeDoh specifications on this page come from Schylling's published product information; weights were measured by Squeez'M Toys on the date shown. TODAY and Shop TODAY are trademarks of NBCUniversal Media, LLC; the mention above refers to editorial coverage and does not imply endorsement. Squeez'M® and BigBlok™ are trademarks of DO & BF Enterprises LLC.