Inflatable Body Pillows
Our inflatable body pillows
As a part of the trend that emerged in Japan around 2017, we have taken the concept of dakimakura (literally: hugging pillows) a bit further by making inflatable body pillows - similar to "dakimakuras" - just air-filled. They are digitally-printed on vinyl with artwork specially commissioned by Horseplay Toys from a range of talented digital artists. Our focus is on furry and brony themes and our inflatable artworks range from cute over adorable to ouright lewd.
We have over 70 different designs (many of which in multiple variants) but of course you can order your own printing design. We also have some guidance for submitting your artwork.
What are inflatable body pillows?
While you classic dakimakura pillow cover comes in a standard size and shape, the vinyl variety offers a range of options which impact on the appearance and feeling in various ways, including having penetrable body pillows for those wishing to get frisky with their waifus.
The inflatable body pillow designs are usually printed on a wider 2:1 height-to-width ratio compared with the standard dakis. Our standard shapes are the rectangular inflatable "daki style" pillows, the classic bop bag (or punching bag) with and without water-weight chamber, the ride roll and the "blimp" shape. These come in three standard (deflated) sizes: 150 x 75 cm (standard), 180 x 90 cm (lifelike) and 200 x 90/100 cm (mega) sizes. These measurements are usually given in deflated state; when inflated, the sizes vary somewhat depending on the pillow style. Some of the narrower classic daki designs can also be printed on a 150 x 50 cm or 180 x 60 cm "daki style". Additionally, you can get many of the body pillow designs printed on our fat and squishy air mattresses for fun in the water or bedroom. We have also entered a collaboration with SHOSU for "ride rolls", starting initially with a riding-friendly 150 x 50 cm (diameter) size that are made in larger numbers with monochrome screen-printed art at an economy price.
The different shapes are suitable for different purposes and preferences: the rectangular pillows are good bed toys and suitable for SPH modification; the bop bags are decorative wheras the blimp shape and the ride roll ideal for rough riding and heavy riders as well as for SPH modification. In spite of being made of soft, thin, 0.25mm vinyl (0.2mm for transparent products), all types can easily support an adult and can take copious amounts of abuse and over-inflation. We do recommend the larger pillow types (lifelike, mega) though for large and heavy riders.
Some designs place limits on the shapes/sizes of the pillow (due to layout and resolution), so you may find that not all designs come with all shape, size and mod options. The standard inflatable body pillows come in a satin-matte finish or in transparent vinyl. The standard body pillows can be configured with SPH mods (simple sleeve-type love holes or inflatable ones). Some body pillows already offer this as an option in their drop-down menus but generally, most designs can be "modded" with SPHs, which are available as separate options. The quick deflation valves - small-sized ones for the pillows up to 150 cm and over-sized ones for the 180 and 200 cm pillows are standard too.
The 150 x 50 cm designs are also suitable for inserting into standard dakimakura pillow cases and the 150 x 75 cm designs will go inside our signature XL dakis. All our daki covers in turn can be used either on blank inflatable pillows or on regular body pillows. All our dakimakura pillow cases are made from modified A&J 2-way tricot or from fluffy extra-soft natural velvet (minky).
We generally offer a choice of standard UV-cured ink-jet printing, with a satin-matte finish. A glossy finish can be achieved by printing the design inside the transparent material.
Lastly, we also stock blank inflatable vinyl pillows. These measure ca. 144 x 47 cm (deflated) and are intended for use inside dakimakura pillow covers, for example when travelling or for displaying dakis. They are made of the same material, with the same kinds of valves like the Chinese-made body pillows. The combination of a fabric daki and a vinyl inflatable pillow is a somewhat cheaper alternative to the printed vinyl body pillow for those to whom the feeling of "naked" vinyl does not appeal. We recommend using the inflatable pillows with the natural velvet daki covers for the best experience. These inflatable pillows are stock items and cannot be modified with SPHs.
Why are inflatable body pillows so expensive?
Vinyl inflatable pillows seem expensive, when ompared with the textile variety or even with mass-produced inflatable anime pillows. In fact, they are reasonably-priced in the world of custom-inflatable products (loosely comparable with commercial product replicas and advertising inflatables). We do not stock the designs that you can choose from. Instead, we let you configure your inflatable body pillow to your own preferences, with regard to shape, size, printing options and extras including SPH, feather or glitter filling etc. In some cases we have over 70 variants of one single design. Naturally, this range of options will cost more than a standardised product. Many of our designs will ever only sell a few times over the years, yet we pay fair prices to artists, which is also reflected in the cost of these items. The art costs therefore have a greater impact than on many popular dakis and widely available mass-produced anime designs.
The most significant factor in the price of an inflatable body pillow is the printing. The art of durable full-colour ink-jet printing on soft vinyl has only been mastered during the past few years and the Japanese lead the field. An important consideration is that the printing does not harden the material too much but remains flexible and does not crack when the material stretches or is folded. Not every supplier can meet these twin requirements of good printing quality and suitable materials.
Questions? Email us and we'll try our best to answer your questions!