The short answer: the best custom plush toy manufacturer is the one whose minimum, sample fee and calendar fit your first run. For 50 to 250 pieces with a US company handling the project, Stuffed Animal Pros in Florida: a $349 sample and production from 50 units. For a 100 piece first run at the lowest published sample price, CustomPlushMaker in Qingdao, from $155. For a published per unit price before you call, Custom Plush Toys ($6 to $18 a unit at 300 per design) and Promo Bears USA, which prints a full price ladder. For a brand that wants the safety paperwork named in writing, Loonie Times, which states a Children's Product Certificate and CPSC-accepted labs.
We read the custom plush makers that turn up for US buyers on their own websites in October 2026 and kept the eight that publish enough to judge: the minimum and the unit it is counted in, the sample fee, the sample and production time, and the safety testing they name. Where a company does not publish something, we say so, because that is the first question to put in your brief. For hard toys, vinyl figures and molded parts, and the full US testing rules for children's products, start with our toy manufacturers guide.
Custom plush toy manufacturers compared
| Maker | Published minimum | Sample fee and time | Production time, as stated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stuffed Animal Pros, Delray Beach, FL | 50 pieces | $349, 6 to 8 weeks, $150 credit | 30 to 75 days by quantity | Runs of 50 to 250 |
| CustomPlushMaker, Qingdao, China | 100 pieces | From $155, 12 to 18 business days | Not stated in days | Cheapest sample, small run |
| Custom Plush Toys | 300 per design or color | $500 deposit, credited, about 4 weeks | About 12 weeks; 4 to 5 months total | A unit price up front |
| Custom Plush (customplush.com) | 500 pieces | From $500, 3 to 4 weeks | 90 to 120 days after sample approval | US managed, made in China |
| Custom Plush Innovations | 500 pieces | $250 to $350, 35 to 60 days | About 120 days total | US and Canadian brands |
| Make My Toy | 750 pieces | "Small fee", amount not stated | 35 to 45 days plus freight | Plush within a wider toy line |
| Promo Bears USA | 1,000 per design (table starts at 500) | $250, time not stated | 16 to 18 weeks, first contact to delivery | Price ladder before you call |
| Loonie Times, Toronto and Dallas | 1,000 per character design | $450, time not stated | 4 to 6 months, inquiry to delivery | CPC and lab testing named |
Read on each maker's own website in October 2026. Prices, minimums and times change, so confirm each in your quote.
Stuffed Animal Pros has the lowest minimum with a US project team
Stuffed Animal Pros is the bulk arm of Budsies, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, with production overseas. It is the only maker in this set that publishes a minimum of 50 and a production calendar broken out by quantity: 50 to 99 pieces in 60 to 75 days, 100 to 250 in 40 to 60, 250 to 1,999 in 35 to 55, and 2,000 or more in 30 to 45. Those times come after the sample, which costs $349 and takes 6 to 8 weeks, and the company offers a $150 credit toward the bulk order if you approve the sample from photos. Production starts once at least 50% of the invoice is paid.
No bulk unit price is published; the site says per unit costs drop with quantity and quotes each project. The site states CPSIA compliance and sewn-in labels. Best for: a creator, studio or brand that needs 50 to 250 pieces and wants a US company managing it. Small runs are the slowest per piece here, which is the honest trade for a low minimum.
CustomPlushMaker publishes the cheapest sample
CustomPlushMaker, run from Qingdao, sets its minimum at 100 pieces and its sample price from $155, excluding tax and shipping, with up to two rounds of changes included and "no hidden mold fees". Sample turnaround is 12 to 18 business days. It names the widest set of standards in the group: EN71, ASTM, CPSIA and ISO 8124, and lists safety test certificates as included. Production time is the weak spot: the FAQ says it could range from a couple of weeks to several weeks and asks holiday buyers to order three to four months ahead, with sea freight as the default. Best for: a first run of 100 to 300 where the sample budget matters. Ask for the production days in writing and confirm which lab report you will receive.
Custom Plush Toys and Promo Bears USA publish prices
Most plush makers quote only after a call. Two publish money up front. Custom Plush Toys states a typical unit cost of $6 to $18, depending on size, complexity, materials and quantity, a minimum of 300 units per design or color, and a $500 prototype deposit credited in full against the production order. Its own timeline is one to two weeks of sketches, about four weeks for the prototype, about twelve weeks of production and four to five months from deposit to delivery.
Promo Bears USA goes further and prints a ladder. An 8 inch plush runs $10.00 to $12.00 a piece at 500, $9.00 to $11.00 at 1,000, $8.50 to $10.50 at 2,500 and $8.25 to $10.25 at 5,000. A 10 inch plush runs $12.50 to $14.50 at 500 down to $10.75 to $12.75 at 5,000. The prototype is "always $250", every quote includes a testing report, and the full process takes 16 to 18 weeks. The site's text says most projects start at 1,000 pieces per design even though the table shows a 500 column, so ask which applies to your design. Best for: building a budget before you talk to anyone.
Custom Plush, Custom Plush Innovations and Make My Toy start at 500 to 750
Custom Plush (customplush.com) designs and manages projects in the US and makes samples and production in China. Its minimum is 500 pieces, rising to 5,000 for plush with mechanics or sound. Prototypes start at $500 with unlimited revisions for six months, the first sample takes three to four weeks, and production takes about 90 to 120 days after approval. It says its toys meet all required ASTM standards.
Custom Plush Innovations, from CanaBears Inc., also starts at 500 pieces for US and Canadian clients, with price breaks for every further 1,000. Prototypes cost $250 to $350 and take 35 to 60 days to create and approve; mass production takes 35 to 45 days and the whole process about 120. It invites clients to use a third-party lab before mass production. Make My Toy sets its plush minimum at 750 pieces, charges a small sample fee partly credited to production (no amount published), and quotes 35 to 45 days of production at its partner factories after design approval, plus 30 to 50 days by ocean. Best for: brands ready to commit to 500 or more who want a choice of project styles.
Loonie Times names the safety paperwork
Loonie Times, based in Toronto and Dallas, sets the highest floor in the group at 1,000 units per character design, with volume rates from 3,000. It charges a one-time $450 sample fee that covers artwork, revisions, the sample and its shipping, and quotes four to six months from inquiry to delivery. What sets it apart is the paperwork: it states that it provides a Children's Product Certificate and tests through third-party, CPSC-accepted laboratories. Best for: a brand selling plush through US retail, where the buyer will ask for the certificate before the first purchase order.
How much does it cost to make a custom plush?
On published prices, a first run of 500 to 1,000 custom plush lands roughly between $3,000 and $12,000 before freight and duty, and the unit price is only part of it. Published unit prices run from $6 to $18 at Custom Plush Toys and from about $8 to $14 for an 8 or 10 inch plush at Promo Bears USA, plus a sample fee of $155 to $500 and freight.
As a worked model on Promo Bears' published ladder: 1,000 pieces of an 8 inch plush at $9.00 to $11.00 is $9,000 to $11,000, plus the $250 prototype, before freight and any duty. At 500 pieces the same plush is $10.00 to $12.00, or $5,000 to $6,000. The gap between the two quantities shows how much of the price is setup spread over the run. Ask every maker for prices at two quantities and you will see the same pattern.
What is the minimum order for custom plush toys?
Published minimums run from 50 pieces (Stuffed Animal Pros) and 100 (CustomPlushMaker) to 300 per design or color (Custom Plush Toys), 500 (Custom Plush, Custom Plush Innovations), 750 (Make My Toy) and 1,000 per design (Promo Bears USA, Loonie Times). Watch the unit. "Per design or color" means two colorways of the same bear can double the minimum, and plush with sound or moving parts can jump to 5,000.
How long does it take to make a custom plush?
Plan on three to six months from first contact to delivered stock. The published totals run from 16 to 18 weeks at Promo Bears USA to about 120 days at Custom Plush Innovations, four to five months at Custom Plush Toys and four to six months at Loonie Times. The production clock almost never starts on your order date: it starts when you approve the sample and pay the deposit, and the sample itself takes from 12 business days to two months. If the plush has to land before an event or a holiday, put that date in the brief and work backward.
What safety testing do custom plush toys need to be sold in the US?
A plush sold for children 12 and under is a children's product, so it must be tested by a CPSC-accepted third-party lab and covered by a Children's Product Certificate before it is sold. The mandatory toy standard is ASTM F963-23 under 16 CFR 1250 for toys made after April 20, 2024, and plush for children under 3 also falls under the small parts rule in 16 CFR 1501.
The certificate is issued by the US importer or domestic manufacturer, which for a brand importing its own plush usually means you, not the factory. From July 8, 2026, importers of most regulated products must file certificate data electronically with the entry, so the lab report has to exist before the container sails. The product and its packaging also need permanent tracking labels showing who made or private labeled it, where and when. Each design and colorway is generally tested as its own product, and lab bills of roughly $500 to $1,800 per product are commonly reported by testing consultancies, so on a 100 piece run the test can cost more than the plush.
Read the makers' claims with that in mind. Loonie Times is the only one in this set that names the certificate. Others say they comply with CPSIA, list standards they "can" meet, or offer third-party testing on request. A Small Batch Manufacturer registration with CPSC can relieve some tests for very small US makers, but never the small parts test, and the certificate is always required. We do not do regulatory classification; ask the maker which lab will test your plush and get the report in your name.
How to brief a plush maker so the quotes compare
Send every maker the same brief: front and side artwork, finished height, fabric and any embroidery, whether it needs a hang tag or a keychain, the first quantity and the reorder quantity, the age you are selling to, and the date it must arrive. Then ask the same five questions. What is the minimum, and is it per design or per color? What does the sample cost, and is it credited to the order? When does the production clock start? Which lab tests the finished plush and who issues the certificate? And what is the unit price at two quantities, for example 500 and 1,000?
That is the request Suppliers runs for you. Describe the plush once and the AI sourcing agent shortlists makers whose published minimum fits, sends the brief, and lays their answers side by side with the evidence it found on each. You approve samples and pick the maker; we never sit between you and the factory. If you are weighing plush against a vinyl figure or a molded toy, the toy manufacturers comparison covers mold fees and hard toy minimums, and low MOQ manufacturers covers other categories that take small first runs. Once the samples are approved, the launch itself is the next job: a studio or creator announcing a plush drop can turn one launch post into a post for every channel instead of writing each one by hand.
Frequently asked questions
Which custom plush manufacturer has the lowest minimum?
Of the makers we read, Stuffed Animal Pros publishes the lowest bulk minimum at 50 pieces, followed by CustomPlushMaker at 100. Most others start at 300 to 1,000 pieces per design, and some count the minimum per color.
How much does a custom plush sample cost?
Published sample fees run from $155 at CustomPlushMaker and $250 at Promo Bears USA to $349 at Stuffed Animal Pros, $450 at Loonie Times and $500 at Custom Plush and Custom Plush Toys. Several credit part or all of it against the production order.
Can I order custom plush without a minimum order?
Not for a bulk run. Single custom plush exist at retail prices, but production pricing starts at a minimum: 50 pieces is the lowest bulk floor we found, and most makers start at 300 to 1,000.
Where are most custom plush toys manufactured?
Mostly in China, including for US and Canadian companies that manage the design and the customer side at home. Custom Plush and Custom Plush Innovations both state that sampling and production happen in China.
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