When Marina Khidekel was struggling with stress, she turned to weighted blankets to try to get a better night’s rest. “As a health and wellness journalist, I knew that weighted pressure can regulate the nervous system—but while the extra weight was comforting, I found the blankets to be too smothering and hot,” says Khidekel.
She also noticed that most weighted plush (aka stuffies) were “either overly clinical-looking or designed just for kids.” She set out to created a more elevated version that was weighted throughout (not just in the center) so that it would feel like a real hug. Hugimals was born and in the almost four years since it’s launch, the line has been named to Time Magazine’s Best Inventions and Parents Magazine’s Best Toy Awards. Last year’s Emmy Award gift bag featured Hugimals and Khidekel was recently profiled by the New York Times.
We asked the former Cosmopolitan and Women’s Health editor to share more about this popular new product.
Hugimals are so cute, but what are some of the health benefits of these types of products?
Hugimals are designed around deep touch pressure, or weighted pressure on the body, which has been shown to help calm the nervous system. It’s the same mechanism as getting a big bear hug—you instantly start to feel more grounded and calm. Deep touch pressure can lead to reduced anxiety, better sleep, and an overall sense of grounding.
I work with psychologists and occupational therapists to create the most optimized weighted plush products on the market, which is increasingly saturated with thoughtless knockoff products that don’t have the same attention to detail and benefits. We optimize everything from weight distribution to color to our extra-soft, tactile sensory fabrics, and even facial expressions. You’ll notice Hugimals don’t have big, exaggerated smiles—they have soft, neutral, empathetic expressions. This is intentional. The therapists I worked with cautioned that big smiles (even on a plushie) can feel overwhelming or even aggressive, especially if someone isn’t feeling their best.
Love that. How else do Hugimals compare to a weighted blanket?
Weighted blankets are just not always practical. They’re bulky, they can run hot, and they’re not something you can easily move around or travel with.
Hugimals, Hugarounds, and our weighted pillows offer a more targeted and flexible version of that same calming input. You can hold them, rest them on your chest, keep them in your lap, take them from your couch to your bed, and even travel with them. It’s a more convenient, portable experience—and for many people, that makes it easier to grab and use consistently, whenever stress or anxiety spikes.
What do people not understand until they try the product out?
A lot of thought goes into every detail of our products—from the weight distribution to the materials to the design. For instance, in Hugarounds, our microwaveable plush shoulder wraps, we use natural, mold-resistant clay beads instead of more common fillers like flaxseeds, which are used in similar products but easily mold, presenting a health hazard for your family. In Hugimals, the weighted inserts are removable and the outer plush is machine washable—making them a unique and thoughtful gift that brings years and years of comfort. Even the proportions and the way our products lay against your body are very carefully developed. Once people feel it, they understand the difference immediately. It’s not just a plush object—it’s something designed to genuinely shift how you feel.
You were a magazine editor—how has that career helped you in your second act?
More than I expected. As an editor, you develop a strong sense of what resonates—what makes someone stop, feel something, and pay attention. In my former career, I took emerging cultural trends and distilled them into stories and videos that connected with people. Now I do that through physical products. The skills I honed as an editor have been incredibly valuable in building this brand.
Why do you think this product has resonated so much, both with sales and accolades?
I think the biggest reason is that the need is very real. We’re living in a time where people are overwhelmed, overstimulated, and looking for ways to feel better that are accessible, screen-free, and immediate.
There’s also something powerful about giving people permission to use comfort objects at any age, which is one of our core beliefs. Needing comfort and softness isn’t childish, and we don’t grow out of that need when we become adults. Life transitions, grief, anxiety, stress, loneliness—we live with all of these, so it just makes sense to reach for science-backed tools that help us feel more grounded. And if they happen to be adorable, well, all the better!
The awards and recognition have been incredible, and I’m so grateful for them. But what means the most to me are the stories from customers who tell us they or their kids are sleeping better, managing stress more easily, or that our products helped them through a difficult time. That’s always the biggest highlight for me.
