The UK market has been filled with fake Labubu dolls that could be dangerous for young children due to choking risk, warned the consumer body.
According to CNN, Labubu dolls have recently become a global sensation after going viral. The immense popularity of the palm-sized plushie with an elf-like face and sharp teeth has triggered a wave of fake and unsafe counterfeits.
The real Labubu dolls that are created by Hong Kong artist Kasing Lung are sold by the Chinese toymaker Pop Mart.
After Britain’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute, in an “urgent” warning, said that the fake dolls pose a choking threat to young children, revealing that they have seized thousands of fake dolls after receiving parents’ complaints.
CTSI in a news release stated, “Counterfeit Labubu dolls are poorly made and unsafe. Many contain small, detachable parts such as eyes, hands, and feet, which present a serious choking hazard to young children.”
“Loose stitching and exposed stuffing further increase the risk of suffocation. Without proper safety checks, they may also contain toxic substances such as lead, harmful dyes, or banned plasticisers,” it added.
Kerry Nicol, external affairs manager at CTSI, noted that the high demand and supply has made it almost impossible to find “legitimate Labubu dolls.”
She also warned that these counterfeits contain choking hazards, toxic materials, or faulty components that put children at serious risk.
Furthermore, the CTSI asserted that consumers can identify the genuine dolls by checking for a holographic Pop Mart sticker, a scannable QR code, and a UV stamp on one of the feet that are usually missing in the poor copies.
