Labubu dolls: Counterfeits could kill children and waste your money

Obsession with the latest must-have consumer product could cause shoppers to buy hazardous counterfeit items.

We’ve seen a Labubu craze. Labubu dolls are plush dolls or keychains that are collected or clipped to purses, bags or belt loops. The elf-like dolls are modeled after storybook characters in a 2015 book series called The Monsters by artist Kasing Lung. The characters were marketed as toys after Lung partnered with the Chinese toy company Pop Mart in 2019.

Labubus have been popular for years but became a sensation worldwide this year – selling out online, causing long lines at toy stores and selling for triple or quadruple their original $25 to $30 price on the secondary market.

So what comes next? Counterfeits. Not just fake lookalikes, but potentially dangerous counterfeits.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has issued an urgent warning about counterfeit Labubu dolls, urging people to be on guard for fake products and to discard any they may have bought. (See detection tips below.)

Shoppers likely don’t initially know they’re buying fakes. The biggest problems: The dolls sometimes are small enough to fit into a child’s mouth and block their airway, the CPSC said. In other cases, the counterfeit dolls break easily into small parts that can choke a child. Both of these are violations of U.S. toy safety laws. 

Counterfeit toys also often contain hazardous chemicals that aren’t permitted in toys sold in the United States.

CPSC investigators have flagged “multiple shipments” of thousands of lookalike dolls from China. 

“These fake Labubu dolls are dangerous, illegal, and have no place in American homes,” CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman said in a statement. “No parent should have to wonder if a toy will stop their child from breathing. Protect your children and buy only from reputable sellers.”

The CPSC points out that genuine Labubu dollars have a holographic sticker from Pop Mart and a scannable QR code that takes you to the official Pop Mart website. Newer dolls also have a UV stamp on one of the feet.

Counterfeits usually have an incorrect number of teeth. Genuine Labubus have nine teeth.

It’s best to avoid buying counterfeits in the first place because you may have difficulty getting a refund, especially if you bought from an international seller or used a debit card or P2P service.

See our consumer guides:

Counterfeit products: How to tell whether you bought one

Counterfeit and stolen goods: Tips to avoid buying them online or anywhere