Nice Cube vs Nice Ice Baby
The Nice Cube is 2.25 inches. The Nice Ice Baby is a 1.25-inch mini version of the same cube. Same squish formula, half the size, half the price — which do you actually want?
Schylling shipped the Nice Ice Baby as a deliberate mini version of the Nice Cube — same brand, same compound, same shape, just shrunk. The reason to consider one over the other comes down to two questions: how big do you want it, and how much do you want to spend.
The compound is identical
Both products use Schylling's Super Solid Squish formula. If you've squeezed one and liked it, the other will feel the same on a per-squeeze basis. The factory is the same; the formula is the same; quality control is the same. The only product-level difference is size.
What "half the size" actually feels like
1.25 inches vs 2.25 inches sounds like a modest difference. In practice, the Nice Ice Baby is closer to a third of the Nice Cube's volume (because volume scales with the cube of size). The Nice Cube fills an adult palm; the Nice Ice Baby fits in a closed fist.
This changes the squish experience more than you might expect. The Nice Cube has a long, sustained squish stroke — you can compress it gradually and feel the slow-rise recovery over 2-3 seconds. The Nice Ice Baby has a quick squish-and-release cycle — there isn't enough material to give a slow stroke.
For active fidgeting, the Nice Cube's longer stroke is more engaging. For quick discreet squeezes (under a desk, in a meeting), the Nice Ice Baby's compactness wins.
The two products
Price and value
Nice Cube retails around $12.99. Nice Ice Baby retails around $6.99 — almost exactly half. Per cubic inch of squish, Nice Ice Baby is the worse deal. Per piece, it's the cheaper buy.
The right way to think about value: if you're going to use it daily, the Nice Cube's larger hand-fill is worth the extra $6. If you're buying multiples (stocking stuffers, class set, backup for a lost one), the Nice Ice Baby's lower unit cost adds up.
Why the Nice Ice Baby's 4.0★ vs Nice Cube's 4.3★
The rating gap is mostly buyer expectation mismatch. Several recent Nice Ice Baby reviews mention "smaller than I thought" as the main complaint — these are buyers who didn't read the 1.25" dimension carefully. Buyers who bought specifically for the mini-size use case rate it as highly as the Nice Cube.
Read the negative reviews on both Amazon listings before buying. If "too small" comes up repeatedly, that's the product itself doing what it advertises; you're either in the buyer profile or you're not.
Which one to buy
- Daily desk fidget for an adult → Nice Cube. The full hand-fill matters.
- Pocket-carry / school / discreet use → Nice Ice Baby. The size discount is the point.
- Gift for a kid → Nice Ice Baby. Smaller hands fit better, lower price suits gifting.
- First NeeDoh ever → Nice Cube. The full-size experience is the canonical one. You can buy a Nice Ice Baby later as a backup if you fall in love.
- Multi-pack / class set → Nice Ice Baby. Volume math favors the cheaper unit.
Picking between firm options instead of size variants? See Nice Cube vs Gumdrop. Want the softer end of the line? Dream Drop vs Gumdrop.