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Cradle Score
Baby toys

Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic Rattle

About $21Checked Oct 14, 20264 sources

Our take

A classic for good reason: rubberwood rods on elastic cords that babies can grab from any angle, squish, rattle and chew. BPA- and PVC-free and meets US phthalate limits. Wipe it clean, since the wood can't be soaked.

0+Rubberwood + elasticBPA & PVC free

Consider instead: Wee Gallery cards for the newborn weeks; Hevea for a plastic-free chew toy.

Before you buy

Do you need it?Nice to have Babies need very few toys. High-contrast cards, a rattle and a couple of stacking or cause-and-effect toys cover the first year, and many arrive as gifts.
Cost per monthAbout $1.75 a month over a typical 12 months of use. Our estimate; your use may be shorter or longer.
Cheaper optionFat Brain Toys Dimpl: About $10, scored 82 (Good).
Secondhand?Secondhand with checks. Fine used if intact; check CPSC recalls and skip anything cracked, peeling or with loose parts.
TipRotate a few toys instead of buying many.

What parents and testers say

Recurring praise

  • Easy for tiny hands to grab
  • Doubles as a teether
  • Lasts well past the first year

Recurring complaints

  • Can't be submerged or sterilized
  • Elastic can loosen with heavy use

Our summary of patterns across the reviews and threads linked below, not quotes.

Materials & safety check

3 of 3 checks clear.

MaterialsRubberwood rods and elastic cord; no BPA or PVC; meets CPSC phthalate limits
CleaningDamp cloth only; don't soak, steam or sterilize
RecallsNone for Skwish; a different Manhattan Toy rattle (Brilliant Bee) was recalled in 2024 for choking

When to buy it

Registry

A popular gift; a few go a long way

Birth-3 months

High-contrast cards and a light rattle

3 months+

Add grasping and mouthing toys

Other baby toys we scored

See all baby toys →
84-1 pts

Wee Gallery Art Cards for Baby (Black and White)

About $20-26 for 6 cards · Good

82-3 pts

Hape Pound & Tap Bench

About $45 · Good

82-3 pts

Fat Brain Toys Dimpl

About $10 · Good

Own this? Tell us how it's going

Reports from parents who've used a product for months are the hardest thing to find. Yours goes only to our team and helps keep this score honest. It isn't published.

How do you feel about it?

Common questions

Is the Manhattan Toy Skwish Classic Rattle non-toxic?

There's no legal definition of "non-toxic" for baby products, so here's what we checked. Materials: Rubberwood rods and elastic cord; no BPA or PVC; meets CPSC phthalate limits. Cleaning: Damp cloth only; don't soak, steam or sterilize. Recalls: None for Skwish; a different Manhattan Toy rattle (Brilliant Bee) was recalled in 2024 for choking. It scores 84 out of 100 on materials and safety, and 85 overall.

Not sure what a label means? See baby product labels, explained.

Sources

  1. Babylist: Best baby toys by age (updated Feb 2026)babylist.com
  2. Healthline: Best baby toys, medically reviewed (2022)healthline.com
  3. Manhattan Toy: Skwish Classic product pagemanhattantoy.com
  4. CPSC recall database: "rattle" recalls since 2022saferproducts.gov
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