From a baby’s first lovey to a toddler’s first baby doll, you’re not just choosing your little one’s stuffed animal or doll. You’re choosing your child’s lifelong best friend.
I played out many adventures with my rag doll, Sally, and all my little stuffed animal friends (usually when I was supposed to be napping!) when I was a child.
As my daughter gets older, I’ve watched her form a bond with her stuffed bunny, and then lovingly cuddle and care for her first baby doll.
Cue the waterworks.
But seriously, my criteria for choosing my daughters’ dolls has gotten more stringent once I realized dolls come with A GAZILLION accessories.
When you pick out a doll, and your kid loves it, you’re stuck with that doll system.
It’s a little intimidating.
I want to share my thought process for evaluating different dolls before sharing my top picks for various doll types. I hope this’ll help you decide which doll would be perfect for your kid and for your wallet!
What to Look for in a Doll
These are the criteria I use to determine whether a doll is right for our family.
- Easy to hold and play with.
- Has all the key accessories or is a size where accessories from another doll type can be bought or made.
- Encourages imaginative play and storytelling.
- Has a positive identity or storyline.
It’s important to me that my girls are surrounded by positive role models and examples. Although dolls are small, they can influence children indirectly through the way they are marketed, packaged, and accessorized.
Think about what your family values, and choose toys that reflect your values.
For more about what we look for when choosing toys, take a peek at our toy guide, or pin it for later!
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Best Stuffed Animals
Jellycat Bashful Bunny
You might recognize this bashful bunny from other posts. This is Elena’s favorite stuffed animal and preferred cuddle buddy.
I love how easy this bunny is to grab with its long ears and long arms. It can sit upgright as shown in the picture and has a soft round body.
The tag is not obnoxiously huge, which I am grateful for! I have accidentally cut open stuffed animals (and shirts) from trying to cut huge white tags off.
I did all of Elena’s monthly photos as a baby with this adorable bunny.
Jellycat’s Bashful Bunny has super soft fur that has held up decently to repeated washing (I probably should not have used hot water and thrown it in the dryer that one time, as his fur got a little matted afterward. I think you’re just supposed to spot clean?).
This bunny comes in different colors and sizes and is available as a lovey (which we also have!)
Jellycat also has other animals, such as a dinosaur, lamb, elephant, and puppy in the Bashful series which are all very cute.
Itty Bitty Boo by GUND
This tiny (only 5 inches!) stuffed animal takes the cake for cuteness. We have the ballerina Itty Bitty Boo, but I wanted to show this monster hoodie Boo because it is too cute!
Itty Bitty Boo is a collectible. She comes in a ton of different outfits (not interchangeable) and has a carrier and doggie bed available on Amazon.
Gund has a 5 inch Grumpy Cat series, which Ella, for some reason, was obsessed with a few months ago. We have the unicorn Grumpy Cat.
It’s face is so ugly that it’s adorable. I do have to admit that I love Grumpy Cat too.
Best Baby Dolls
On to the good stuff…
Best Snuggly Baby Doll (age 1+)
Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella
This 12″ snuggly baby doll is all soft and lavender-scented for sweet nighttime cuddles. She comes with a bear, bedtime story, bottle, and pacifier.
The pacifier is pretty cool. It’s removable, and it’s magnetic, so little ones won’t get frustrated trying to comfort their baby doll 🙂
Wee Baby Stella comes in a variety of colors and has a bassinet available. Other Wee Baby Stella doll sets came with different accessories such as a bathing set and a birthday cupcake, all of which are just pretty darn cute!
Also available is 15″ Baby Stella which also features the magnetic pacifier, but additionally has removable clothing and embroidered fingers, toes, and a belly button!
Best Real Baby Doll (age 2+)
Lil’ Cutesies Twin Dolls in Stroller
Why only get one doll when you can have TWO dolls AND a stroller?
I love how one is happy and the other is sad.
These dolls are vinyl and water friendly, so perfect for letting big siblings wash in the sink while baby bro or baby sis has a bath.
Dolls are 8.5″. Pick up this pair of 5″ magic baby bottles to feed the twins. The liquid disappears as the bottle is tilted back!
Best Dolls for Age 3+
Best Accessorized Doll
Barbie Careers Playsets (Baby Doctor)
I can’t skip Barbie. She has the most accessories and equipment out there. If you’re looking for cheap accessories, you can find a ton at secondhand stores and thrift stores.
Rather than feature another princess/fairy/beach Barbie, I went with the Careers line. Yes, Barbie has a real job now.
My toddler would swoon over the two little baby dolls included in this set. But there’s also a Barbie vet, teacher, dentist Asian pet vet, gymnastics coach, news team, and more!
Barbie is very reasonably priced and very popular. Don’t feel bad if you and your kiddos love Barbie!
That being said, read on for the Best Barbie Alternative Doll 🙂
Best Barbie Alternative
Lottie Autumn Leaves Doll
I just discovered Lottie dolls. Lottie is based on a typical nine-year-old girl and as such is a wholesome, sweet, little vinyl doll. She has big eyes and a sweet, young girl expression. I would describe her as a mini American Girl doll. She’s not a grown-up like Barbie, and she could very well be your child’s new best friend.
Lottie has tangle-resistant hair and beautifully made clothing. She enjoys many child-friendly activities such as getting muddy, kicking leaves, and playing with her pet dog, Biscuit.
Note: Lottie is NOT the same size as Barbie. She is only 7 inches tall, so she would not be able to use Barbie clothes and most Barbie accessories.
Lottie has many outfits, a couple pets and ponies, and a few playsets available. She also has a new friend named Finn.
Best Mini Me Doll
American Girl WellieWishers Emerson Doll
If you’re looking for a wholesome, well-accessorized, beautiful doll, then you have to check out American Girl. I had one as a child 20 years ago (ugh I’m so OLD!) and I still have her today. I’m just waiting for Ella to get a little older to be able to treat Molly with the respect she deserves!
So if you’re looking for a long-lasting, mini-me doll, American Girl is the obvious choice.
There are hundreds of hair and eye color combinations to choose from and countless outfits and accessories to coordinate with. Plus, there are girl-sized and doll-sized outfits galore.
18″ dolls are a popular size, so you could check out Target’s Our Generation doll clothing and accessories or Walmart’s Arianna Doll clothing line. I also saw matching girl-sized and 18″ doll-sized clothing the other day at JC Penney, so there’s yet another option.
Did you know, too, that American Girl makes a smaller, cheaper doll called Welliewishers?
The WellieWishers also have cute outfits and accessories, as well as a matching book, just like the larger 18″ American Girl Dolls.
I like the slightly smaller size for play and easier manipulation.
It’s a tough call deciding between the larger American Girl Dolls and the WellieWishers. You can’t go wrong with either!
Best STEAM Doll
Project MC2 Camryn Doll with Remote Control Hoverboard
I’ve never watched the Netflix Original show that this doll is based on, but it seems that the characters are really smart and really into STEAM!
Each Project MC2 doll comes with a science experiment. I love that the added activity with this type of doll doesn’t feel out of character or forced. Experiments vary with the type of doll and include making a glitter lightbulb, tattoo, soap, and more!
You get a great doll and you’ll learn a little something too.
This doll was hard to pass by. She comes with a remote control hoverboard, which I think is SO COOL!
Best Animal Doll
Calico Critters Outback Koala Family
My kiddo makes a beeline for these Calico Critters at the toy section of any store we are in. And they are ADORABLE.
These guys are little, only 3″ tall, and SO SO collectible…
I’m in love with these.
There are a ton of different animal families available, including chipmunks, sheep, bunnies, hedgehogs, chocolate labs, to name a few.
They have perfectly sized cottages, vehicles, and all kinds of furniture. You could make a whole village of Calico Critters.
Target also makes a similar sized doll called Lil’ Woodzeez. Those sets are interchangeable, but I prefer Calico Critters’ dolls over Lil’ Woodzeez because they seem better quality. Nicer clothing, more detail, better flocking.
So there you have my top picks for stuffed animals and dolls for a variety of ages and interests. I hope this guide helps you pick out the perfect new friend for your child.
If you’re looking for more gift ideas, try our guide to dolls and stuffed animals, puzzles and other problem-solving toys, musical toys and instruments, or best building toys.
