31-07-2025
TikTokers go wild for the ‘NEXT Labubus' in new collectable toy wave – and it's a fraction of the price
TIKTOK is raving about a new plush toy that has been dubbed the 'next Labubu'.
Fans are eyeing up another brand strikingly similar to the cult collectable dolls seen dangling from the designer bags of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and David Beckham.
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Labubus have taken the internet by storm - with Chinese toymaker Pop Mart's valuation skyrocketing to £31.6bn.
But now some TikTokers are calling the plushies designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung old news.
The latest craze, Wakuku, is a collection of playful plush dolls sold by Chinese retail chain Miniso Group Holding.
As with Labubus, fans can buy the dolls in blind boxes - a clever marketing ploy to add an element of surprise to purchases.
One Wakuku doll currently costs around £19.56 on the fast fashion retailer Shein, while a single Labubu can cost anywhere from £13.50 to £211 at stores and online, depending on the rarity of the design.
A single blind box of six Wakuku dolls costs around £22 at the US retailer Walmart.
On the other hand, a blind box of six Labubus will set you back around £105.
Fans of Wakuku have been quick to spot a key-chain of the doll on TikTok shop.
Besides their differences in price, the two brands' dolls differ in their appearance.
Labubu is a character inspired by Nordic fairy tales, while Wakuku is described as a rebellious wild child roaming the forest.
Dramatic moment crowds join massive queue to grab viral Labubu dolls as latest doll craze sweeps across the world
Wakuku dolls have so far proven immensely popular in China, with long lines of people seen queuing at Miniso stores.
It comes as parents in Wales were recently warned about fake Labubu dolls that could cause harm to children.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council issued a warning after discovering counterfeit toys in Pontypridd - leading the council to seize over 32 keyrings and 95 boxes of the fake dolls.
The toys were found to lack essential safety testing required to ensure compliance with regulations.
Rhian Hope, Head of Public Protection and Regulatory Services at Rhondda Cynon Taf Council, told Wales Online: "Counterfeit toys can potentially pose significant dangers to young children such as chemical exposure and choking hazards.
"These products routinely lack proper safety testing and we encourage anyone concerned about the safety of toys they've purchased to get in touch with us via Consumer Advice."
Real Labubu dolls are sold on Amazon, Pop Mart's website and various UK outlets.
Among these are London's famous Oxford Street, as well as Westfield shopping centres and Manchester's Chinatown district.
