Pillow Pals were a line of plush toys made by Ty, Inc. during the 1990s. The toys were given their name because they were soft like a pillow, and were made with children in mind. Though many of them resembled certain Beanie Babies, they did not share names with their Beanie Baby counterparts. Such Pillow Pals saw a decline in popularity in the late 1990s with the introduction of Beanie Buddies, which were also larger versions of various Beanie Babies. In January 1999, all Pillow Pals were redesigned, and their colors were changed. This line did not sell well, and was discontinued by Ty around the end of the year. Today, PillowPals LLC takes children's drawings and replicates them into 3D pillows.
At the time of the final retirement, Ty donated its remaining stock of pillow pals to the Ronald McDonald House to be distributed to sick children.
List of Pillow Pals
The following Pillow Pals were made during the 1990s:
| Name | Animal Type | Introduced | Reintroduced | Retired | Beanie Baby Resembled |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antlers |
Moose | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Chocolate | |
Baba |
Lamb | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Fleece | |
Bruiser |
Bulldog | 1997 | Wrinkles | ||
Carrots |
Bunny | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Ears, but pink instead of brown | |
Chewy |
Beaver | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | ||
Clover |
Bunny | 1998 | Ears, but white instead of brown | ||
Foxy |
Fox | Sly | |||
Glide |
Porpoise | A dolphin | |||
Huggy |
Bear | 1995 | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Cubbie, but yellow instead of brown |
Meow |
Cat | 1997 | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Snip |
Moo |
Cow | 1995 | Daisy, but with white body instead of black | ||
Oink |
Pig | 1995 | Squealer | ||
Paddles |
Platypus | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Patti | |
Purr |
Tiger | Stripes, but yellow-orange instead of orange-black | |||
Red |
Bull | Snort | |||
Ribbit (All-Green) |
Frog | 1995 | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Legs |
Ribbit (Green-Yellow) |
Frog | Smoochy | |||
Sherbert |
Tie-Dye Bear | 1998 | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Sammy |
Snap (All-Yellow) |
Turtle | 1995 | Speedy, but yellow instead of green | ||
Snap (Yellow-Green) |
Turtle | 1999 (neon) | Peekaboo | ||
Snuggy |
Bear | 1995 | Cubbie, but pink instead of brown | ||
Sparkler |
Bear | 1999 | Spangle | ||
Speckles |
Leopard | Freckles | |||
Spotty |
Dalmatian | Dotty | |||
Squirt |
Elephant | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Peanut | |
Swinger |
Monkey | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Bongo | |
Tide |
Whale | Splash | |||
Tubby |
Hippopotamus | Happy | |||
Woof |
Dog | 1995 | 1999 (neon) | 1999 | Bones |
Zulu |
Zebra | Ziggy, but pink-green instead of black-white |
After the 1999 redesign, the following Pillow Pals were made:
| Name | Animal Type | Difference from original |
|---|---|---|
| Baba | Lamb | Purple rather than white |
Bibbit |
Frog | New introduction in 1999 |
Huggy |
Bear | New introduction in 1999 |
| Carrots | Bunny | Green rather than pink |
Kolala |
Koala | New introduction in 1999 |
| Meow | Cat | Purple rather than tan |
| Paddles | Platypus | Green rather than purple |
Rusty |
Raccoon | New introduction in 1999 |
| Snap | Turtle | Tie-dyed rather than green |
| Squirt | Elephant | Turquoise rather than light blue |
| Swinger | Monkey | Blue and yellow rather than brown |
| Woof | Dog | Multicolored rather than brown |