From Print Farm to Toy of the Year: ZB Designs’ Plastic Empire Takes 3D Printed Fidgets Mainstream

⚓ p3d    📅 2026-02-22    👤 surdeus    👁️ 1      

surdeus

Zack and Berkley Bailey, Co-Owners of ZB Designs, started their business with one 3D printer as a side hustle while still in college. On February 13, 2026, in New York City, their 3D printed Wigglitz was named Collectible Toy of the Year at The Toy Foundation’s 26th annual Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. The Baileys were up against global giants like Pokémon, Disney, LEGO, and Hot Wheels.

The Baileys created Wigglitz: tiny articulated, collectible toys with hundreds of designs. Their print farm of over 3,000 Bambu Lab X1C printers in Utah not only cranks out thousands of prints a day, but also keeps the company nimble. By designing and producing toys in house, ZB Designs can offer fresh, unique designs for their fans to collect much faster and without the cost of traditional manufacturing.

3D printing farm at Wigglitz. Image courtesy of Wigglitz via Instagram.

If you have kids and a 3D printer, you know that tiny flexi prints are all the rage in 2026. While articulated creatures have been around for years, starting with 2017’s Dr. Lex Flexi Rex and McGybeer’s 2019 Cute Octopus, they didn’t really take off until Bambu Lab made multicolor printing easy. The X1 Carbon made starting a 3D printing business profitable, allowing makers to crank out plates full of colorful fidgets to sell at festivals, markets, and on Etsy.

But no one has done it better than ZB Designs. Once they found their niche, the business exploded. In just three short years, the Baileys now claim to operate the largest 3D print farm in the United States. Every product is designed, manufactured, and shipped directly from their Utah facility.

X1C printers are known for creating massive amounts of filament waste, of which the Wigglitz team is acutely aware. Lead Design Engineer Preston Howe said on a social media post that a filament recycling machine is in development at the company. 

Like many other 3D entrepreneurs, they started off as supporters of designers like Zou3D, but eventually they began designing their own creatures. This allows them to stay ahead of the curve, with unique models and themes no one else can offer. The entirety of the Wigglitz catalog is now ZB Designs, and each creature is branded with a tiny “W.”

Wigglitz are sold online at ZB Designs’ own website, and by the bin at specialty toy stores where kids can select their own mix. They have also successfully entered mass retail through a distribution partnership with Moose Toys, landing mystery packs on the shelves of giants like Target.

Wigglitz toys come in a wide range of collectible themes, including Ocean, Puppies, Originals, Fantasy, and the newest addition, Foodz, with fresh in-house designs continuously in development. Today, Wigglitz is setting new standards for innovation and creativity in the toy industry, and fast becoming a beloved collectible brand with a loyal and growing fanbase.

🏷️ p3d_feed