Stress balls (also known as stress relievers or stress toys) are one of the most popular promotional products today. There are many excellent reasons why they make a great imprinted promotional gift and here are just a few:

1. Relatively cheap and therefore "budget-friendly";
2. Small and light so they can be used in mailings or transported in bulk to events without a lot of expense and hassle;
3. Come in over 650 shapes and styles so most anyone can find the perfect ball to represent their company;
4. Fun, colorful and considered useful in squeezing out the stress that builds up during the course of the day!

As stress is agreeably one of the biggest health problems amongst Americans, interest in them is on the rise. Many people work jobs that are mentally and physically taxing. Anyone who works in customer service, in a cubicle, stands on their feet all day, etc...certainly can experience stress during the day. Squeezing a ball can relieve mental anxiety, carpal tunnel syndrome or the urge to throw your stapler at a co-worker!

The balls are malleable "toys" that are made from polyurethane foam rubber. This type of ball is made by injecting the liquid components of the foam into a mold. The resulting chemical reaction creates carbon dioxide bubbles as a byproduct, which in turn creates the foam. Nowadays you can find ones made from gel or a sand-like product (think bean bag) with either a rubber or cloth skin, as well as vibrating, glitter, yo-yo and much more.

Many people use the word "custom" incorrectly when searching for an existing shape to put a company logo on. However, if you have the time and money you can indeed have a custom shape created just for you! Custom shapes will require you to pay a pretty hefty processing fee to design a unique and new shape for you. In most cases you will need to pay an additional fee to have exclusive rights to the shape. If not, the factory reserves the right to use the new shape as it sees fit. Custom shapes generally take 12-18 weeks to produce overseas and the minimum quantity order required is greater than for existing shapes.

Stress balls are easy to find on the web. You need not search further than the keyword "stress balls" to get pages of results. Most online businesses sell them in bulk (generally the minimum quantity you can order is 150 units) and can normally be purchased with or without an imprint. If you are looking for only a few or perhaps are a avid collector, you may have a more difficult time purchasing them online. Further, they are not real toys even though they are commonly called "stress toys". Stress balls are an advertising item meant for adult use and should never be given to children