Labubu Craze Sparks Safety Warning About Deadly Knockoffs Sold in Illinois

Labubus are all the rage with Illinois kids (and adults) these days, but you need to be careful about which ones you buy.

Why Are People Obsessed With Labubus?

As a mom of two daughters, there are five words I hear almost on a daily basis right now: “Mom, can we get a Labubu?”

If you don’t know what a Labubu is (consider yourself lucky) they are collectible vinyl creatures that have big ears, wide eyes, sharp little teeth, a mischievous grin, and wear fuzzy little outfits.

Here is what they look like:

Labubus come in many sizes and styles and there are tons of them to collect, but there's one thing all of them have in common, they are pricey.

The smallest Labubu, a bag charm that is a couple inches tall, costs $27.99 on the Pop Mart website, and they only go up from there!

Despite the big price tag, people are going cuckoo for Labubus, and I cannot understand why. My daughters think they are adorable. I think they are ugly and expensive.

Over the last few weeks my daughters have been looking for Labubus online, and they have found many "cheap" ones on places like Amazon that they want to buy. Thankfully, I saw this warning before they bought them.

Important Safety Warning About Fake Labubus

Due to the popularity and high price of real Labubus, knockoffs have started flooding the internet, and many of them are sold under the name “Lafufus". These knock offs look very similar to real Labubus, but they pose a real danger to kids too.

The consumer safety warning from the CPSC says:

These fakes, sold both as plush figures and plush keychains, are small enough for a child to fit the doll in their mouth and block their airway. CPSC has also received reports of fake Labubu dolls that break apart easily, releasing small pieces that can become choking hazards.

My kids may be old enough to know not to put toys in their mouth, but I think we should all avoid the fake Labubus, just in case.

If you are determined to buy Labubu and want to make sure the one you are purchasing is legit, here are some things to look for from CPSC:

• Authentic Pop Mart Labubu dolls feature 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.

• Fakes often have overly bright colors or the wrong number of teeth (authentic dolls have nine).