As soon as a new trend becomes popular, it doesn’t matter whether it’s a TikTok dance, a new fashion, or the hottest toy on the shelves; a seemingly endless variety of spin-offs, copycats, alternatives, and knockoffs appear.
Sometimes these will be similar products from different companies (how many of us bought a pretty new water bottle, whether or not it was a Stanley?), but often, they’ll be simple fakes, passed off as the real thing. While even the biggest and most trusted companies can have a product slip by with safety failings and end up issuing recalls, these fakes tend to be much more risky.
In this case, it’s the currently-popular Labubu dolls, and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is issuing warnings.
What’s A Labubu?
My tiny daughter hasn’t yet heard of Labubus, so she hasn’t asked for one, but I spend a lot of time in mom spaces, so I’m very aware that virtually every other kid around is begging for them.
They originate from a picture book series called The Monsters, by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung, and they make you think of gremlin-rabbit-trolls. Pop Mart sells them, and the items you see at the top of this page include one figurine (the Trick-or-Treater, currently priced at $37.99); one vinyl plush (in the red shirt; he’s called Best Of Luck and currently runs $84.99); and one pendant (the one with a hat and daisy, priced at $39.99).
Those prices aren’t a surprise for the current viral trend, but they’re prohibitive for many parents. If you want one that’s sold out, they’re being resold for many times the price, so it’s easy to understand why many consumers might end up with a fake by jumping on what appears to be a bargain.
The Trouble With Fakes
The CPSC identifies the dolls above as counterfeit Labubu copies.
We know our product safety regulation systems aren’t perfect. Every year, kids are injured or harmed by products that slip through the cracks, and every year there are recalls of products that turned out to have faulty safety harnesses or more lead content than is considered safe, or a detachable part that shouldn’t be.
Still, those regulations filter out a lot of potentially dangerous products and encourage manufacturers to start with safety in mind.
Counterfeit products, by design, bypass those inspections. They tend to be made cheaply with inferior materials and assembly, and that means that they’re riskier.
Fake products are more likely to have cosmetic flaws, uneven or unstable seams, and missing or misprinted labels or logos.
They’re also more likely to have high lead levels, stuffing made from unsanitary materials, and small parts that come off when they shouldn’t.
The Lafufu Choking Hazard
It’s become popular to call fake Labubus “Lafufus,” and the biggest currently-known risk of the Lafufu is choking.
These knockoffs and counterfeits can have small parts that come off when they shouldn’t, and endanger small children. In some cases, the figure itself is small enough to cause choking. In the image above, via the CPSC, a cylinder used to define ‘small parts’ is shown with a knockoff Labubu fitting entirely inside it.
The CPSC says that it has identified shipments of these counterfeits, coming in from China, and has ordered the seizure of “thousands of units” confirmed to violatee federal regulations for toys with small parts.
“These fake Labubu dolls are dangerous, illegal, and have no place in American homes,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman. “No parent should have to wonder if a toy will stop their child from breathing. Protect your children and buy only from reputable sellers.”
What Should Parents Watch For?
When buying toys, your first choice should be to buy from a trusted or reputable seller. This applies to Labubu dolls, too.
Know the product. In the case of Labubu products, official ones from Pop Mart should have “a holographic Pop Mart sticker, a scannable QR code linking to the official Pop Mart site, and (on newer editions) a subtle UV stamp on one foot,” according to CPSC.
Fakes also tend to have cosmetic differences — in Labubu products, this can mean different/brighter coloration, or the wrong number of teeth. All official Labubu dolls have nine teeth.
Always be wary of ‘bargains.’ If it’s $85 on the Pop Mart site and you’re being offered one for $50 or $15, there’s a good chance it’s a fake.