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Sculpey vs FIMO polymer clay: Premo, Soft, Professional compared

Two oven-bake clay families, each with a soft, a strong and a specialist line. Here is how they line up and which to buy for jewelry, sculpting or kids.

Updated November 2026 · 6 min read

Swirled polymer clay beads stacked in towers on a mirror
Photo: Annatsach, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The short version
  • Sculpey vs FIMO is a close match. Both are oven-bake polymer clays that stay soft until baked in a home oven, with no kiln needed.
  • For caning and jewelry that must survive thin edges, compare Sculpey Premo ("flexible, very strong and durable") with FIMO Professional ("firm", with "very high dimensional stability").
  • For beginners, Sculpey III and FIMO Soft are the soft, easy-to-condition lines. For kids, FIMO Kids is extra soft, and Sculpey Original is sold for classrooms.
  • FIMO's listings state the bake: 230 °F for 30 minutes. Sculpey's listings in our catalogue say to bake "at the recommended temperature" without a number, so follow the package.

Sculpey vs FIMO is the first choice most people make in polymer clay. Sculpey is the American brand (Polyform), and FIMO is made by the German pen company Staedtler. Both make oven-bake polymer clay in several firmness levels, sold in sampler packs and single blocks.

The brands are more alike than different. Both clays stay workable until baked, then harden in a regular home oven, and both can be sanded, drilled and painted afterward. What matters is matching the line to the job. This comparison lines up every Sculpey and FIMO polymer product in our catalogue by firmness, pack size and listed baking directions, using only what the listings say.

Sc

Sculpey

Premo for strength and caning, Sculpey III and Original for beginners, Super Sculpey and Souffle for specialist work

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vs
FI

FIMO (Staedtler)

FIMO Soft for beginners, Professional for firm, stable caning, and extra-soft FIMO Kids

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Picks from each side

Sculpey

FIMO (Staedtler)

Sculpey vs FIMO: line against line

Matching lines across the two brands

JobSculpeyFIMO
Learning, color playSculpey III ("soft and easy to use")FIMO Soft ("especially for beginners")
Strong pieces, caning, mokume ganePremo ("flexible, very strong and durable")Professional ("firm", "very high dimensional stability")
Kids and classroomsSculpey Original (sold for classrooms)FIMO Kids ("extra soft for small hands")
Figure sculpting and props✓ Super Sculpey (beige, fine detail)✗ No equivalent in our catalogue
Lightweight jewelry✓ Souffle (suede finish, can be cut or sewn)✗ No equivalent in our catalogue
Liquid clay and bonding✓ Liquid Sculpey, Bake & Bond✗ Not in our catalogue
Air-dry optionSculpey Air-Dry (terra cotta, porcelain)FIMOair (white, terracotta)
Bake directions in listing~ "Recommended temperature", no figure✓ 230 °F (110 °C), 30 minutes
Safety standards in listing✓ ASTM D-4236 and EN 71 (several listings)~ Not stated in our listings

Source: Manufacturer listing data, Clay at Home catalogue

ProductClay bodyWeightCountBake
Sculpey Premo Polymer Clay, 1 lb, WhitePolymer oven bake1 lb Bar——
Sculpey III Polymer Clay Sampler, 30 x 1 ozPolymer oven bake1.88 lb (853 g)30 Colors—
Sculpey Original Polymer Clay, 1 lb, WhitePolymer oven bake1 lb (454 g)——
STAEDTLER FIMO Soft Polymer Clay, 1 lb, WhiteOven-bake polymer1 lb block—230°F for 30 minutes
STAEDTLER FIMO Professional Polymer Clay, 12 ColorsOven-bake polymer, firm—12 Colors—
STAEDTLER FIMO Kids Extra Soft Clay, White, 1.5 ozExtra soft oven bake polymer1.5 oz—230F (110C) for 30 minutes

Specs as listed by the maker or seller; check the listing before you buy.

Firmness: the difference you feel

Soft clay is easy to condition (knead until pliable) and good for small hands, but it can smear fine detail and slump in warm rooms. Firm clay takes more work at the start, then holds crisp lines. That is why cane makers, who slice patterned logs into thin sheets, usually reach for the firm lines.

  • Softest: FIMO Kids (formulated "for small hands", moldable straight from the pack) and Sculpey III.
  • Middle: FIMO Soft and Sculpey Original. Easy to work, fine for most crafts.
  • Strong and flexible: Sculpey Premo, which Sculpey recommends for caning, mokume gane and mica shift.
  • Firm: FIMO Professional. Staedtler lists it for caning, mokume gane and Bargello, with fracture resistance in thin details after baking.

Super Sculpey is its own category: a soft beige clay for sculptors and model makers that, Sculpey says, does not "fill in" after tooling and bakes to a semi-translucent, skin-like finish. Souffle is lightweight, with a suede finish, and flexible enough to cut or even sew after baking. It is useful for earrings.

How much clay is in each pack?

Pack sizes vary a lot, which makes value hard to compare on a store page. Here is the listed weight of each Sculpey and FIMO polymer product in our catalogue, converted to grams.

Listed clay weight per pack

Grams. Converted from listed lb/oz where needed (1 lb = 454 g, 1 oz = 28.35 g). FIMO multi-packs = count x 25 g.

Sculpey III 30-color samplerSculpey III 30-color sampler: 853 g853 gFIMO Soft 30-color setFIMO Soft 30-color set: 750 g750 gSculpey Premo 24-color samplerSculpey Premo 24-color sampler: 681 g681 gSculpey Premo 1 lb barSculpey Premo 1 lb bar: 454 g454 gSculpey Original 1 lbSculpey Original 1 lb: 454 g454 gSuper Sculpey 1 lbSuper Sculpey 1 lb: 454 g454 gFIMO Soft 1 lb blockFIMO Soft 1 lb block: 454 g454 gSculpey Souffle 12-colorSculpey Souffle 12-color: 306 g306 gFIMO Soft 12 x 25 gFIMO Soft 12 x 25 g: 300 g300 gFIMO Professional 12 x 25 gFIMO Professional 12 x 25 g: 300 g300 gFIMO Kids white 1.5 ozFIMO Kids white 1.5 oz: 43 g43 g
Source: Clay at Home catalogue, computed from manufacturer listings

Samplers win for trying colors. The 1 lb blocks win for projects that use a lot of one color, especially white, which you need for mixing pastels. The FIMO Soft 1 lb block is divided into eight portions, which makes measuring color recipes easier.

Baking: temperature, time and your oven

FIMO's listings give a clear schedule: 230 °F (110 °C) for 30 minutes, then let the piece cool completely. Staedtler also says all its oven-hardening FIMO types can be mixed together. Sculpey's listings in our catalogue tell you to bake "at the recommended temperature, time and thickness" without giving a figure, so use the temperature printed on the package of the specific Sculpey line you buy.

Use an oven thermometerHome oven dials are often off by a noticeable margin. A cheap standalone oven thermometer is the easiest way to hit the temperature on the package. Under-baked polymer stays weak, and over-baked polymer can scorch. Follow each maker's directions and keep the room ventilated while baking.

Mixing Sculpey and FIMO in one piece is common, but the two brands' schedules may not match. If you combine them, test a small sample first. More no-kiln options are in the no-kiln hub.

For kids and classrooms

FIMO Kids is the obvious kids' pick on texture alone: extra soft, moldable out of the pack, flexible in thin pieces and break-resistant in solid ones after baking. Sculpey Original is sold as a white classroom clay that can be sanded, drilled, carved and painted with water-based acrylics after baking. Sculpey's Original, Premo sampler and Liquid Sculpey listings state conformity with ASTM D-4236 and EN 71 AP. An adult should always handle the oven. See best clay for kids and the kids and classroom hub.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using firm clay without conditioning it. Premo and FIMO Professional need kneading. Warm the clay in your hands before you start.
  • Guessing the bake temperature. Use the package figure and a thermometer.
  • Expecting polymer clay to go on a pottery wheel or in a kiln. It is oven-bake only. For wheel clay, see stoneware vs earthenware vs porcelain.
  • Treating baked polymer as food-safe. Neither brand's listings in our catalogue describe it as food-safe. Keep it for jewelry and decor.
  • Confusing polymer and air-dry lines. Sculpey Air-Dry and FIMOair harden in air, not in the oven. Compare them in air-dry vs polymer clay.

Other options worth a look

Other brands are worth a look if you want more colors or a different format. Artecho's kit has 70 colors in 20 g pieces with tools, and lists 120–130 °C for 15–30 minutes. ReArt sells a 1.1 lb white polymer block. Padico's Modena is an air-dry polymer that turns translucent as it dries, with no oven at all.

Compare more in best polymer clay or browse the clay category.

How we compared

We compared manufacturer listings: stated formulation, firmness wording, pack size and baking directions. We did not bake, bend or break-test any clay. Weights are converted from listed values. Check the package for the current baking directions.

VerdictChoose Sculpey if you want the widest range of specialist clays from one brand: Premo for strong, flexible caning and jewelry, Super Sculpey for detailed figure sculpting, Souffle for lightweight suede-finish earrings, plus Liquid Sculpey and Bake & Bond for assembly. Sculpey III is an easy soft start. Choose FIMO if you want clear, consistent baking directions (230 °F for 30 minutes on its listings), the firm, dimensionally stable FIMO Professional for precise caning, or the extra-soft FIMO Kids for small hands.
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Questions

Is Sculpey or FIMO better for jewelry?
In the Sculpey vs FIMO match-up, both work well. For strong, thin jewelry and canes, compare Sculpey Premo with FIMO Professional. For very light earrings, Sculpey Souffle is the specialist pick.
What temperature do you bake FIMO?
FIMO's listings say 230 °F (110 °C) for 30 minutes, then let the piece cool completely.
Can you mix Sculpey and FIMO?
Many crafters do, but the brands' baking directions may differ. Test a small piece first. Staedtler says all its oven-hardening FIMO types can be mixed with each other.
Which polymer clay is softest for kids?
FIMO Kids is formulated to be extra soft for small hands. Sculpey III is also soft and easy to condition. An adult should handle the oven.
Does polymer clay need a kiln?
No. Both Sculpey and FIMO polymer clays harden in a regular home oven. They are not made for kilns or pottery wheels.
Is Sculpey non-toxic?
Several Sculpey listings, including Original, the Premo sampler and Liquid Sculpey, say the clay conforms to ASTM D-4236 and EN 71 AP. Follow the baking directions and keep it away from food use.

Sources

  1. ACMI: Art material safety labeling (AP seal, ASTM D-4236)