Beanie Boos, Bellies, Balls and Puffies — What's the Difference

The Ty range has evolved so much over time and now, in 2026, it;'s as broad as ever.

Ty has expanded a long way past the original Beanie Boo, and the names have piled up to the point where customers regularly ask us what the difference actually is. Here's the plain version.

Beanie Boos are the range that made the eyes famous. Slim bodies, long limbs, oversized sparkling eyes, and a name and birthday on the tag. Whoolie the Spotted Owl and Oakie the Raccoon are good examples of the classic look.

Beanie Bellies keep the eyes but round out the body. They're fuller, squatter and softer, and they hold their shape well on a shelf, which is why they've become a favourite for display collectors. Bellies also seems to be where Ty puts a lot of its more inventive characters — Alex the Pastel Axolotl, Jenni the Rainbow Cat and Herdly the Cow have all done well here.

Beanie Balls are spherical and palm sized, usually around $5.99. Because they're round and cheap they're the easiest range to collect in real numbers, and they look excellent grouped in a bowl or lined along a narrow shelf. Caesar the Lion and Pickpocket the Raccoon show the style.

Squish-A-Boos are the pillow-soft, properly squeezable range. They run from mini clips right up to 14 inch, and they're bought to be held rather than admired. If someone in the house treats plush as bedding, this is the range.

Ty Puffies are flatter and floppier, with a very soft plush finish and no structure to speak of. Mandarin the Dog at $5.99 is an easy introduction.

Beanie Babies is the original Ty line, and it's where nearly all the licensed characters live. Bluey and Bingo, Disney's Stitch and Dumbo, and the Marvel range all sit here.

You don't need to collect across all of them. The best-looking collections we see usually pick one or two ranges and go deep, which keeps the display coherent and the spending sane. If you do want to mix, group by colour or theme rather than by size — a shelf of mismatched sizes reads as clutter, a shelf of pastels reads as a collection.

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