What the Labubu? How These Toys are Taking Over the World

Will line up at 3am for Labubu, but sleep in for a 9am class 😬

Let’s be honest, they are slightly ugly, but for some reason we all want one.

It’s the now infamous Labubu dolls.

Our TikTok and Instagram feeds are full of the tiny, collectible monsters that are the Labubus.

Wait, what are Labubus?

Now a collectible toy, these furry little monsters were initially developed as a character on Kasing Lung’s story series The Monsters.

Later, in 2019 Kasing Lung and Pop Mart (a Chinese toymaker) partnered in an exclusive licensing agreement to create a physical product in a blind-box format. And while Labubu’s have taken on many different formats since 2019, the form which has seen their massive popularity in 2025 are a plush pendant or bag charms.

I scream, you scream, we are all screaming for Labubu.

The internet is obsessed with these little creatures.

And I mean obsessed. People all over the world, including Australia, will line up to get their hands on a Labubu doll. In Australia, people even lined up from 3am in the morning to get their hands on them.

So, what makes them so appealing?

Short answer: it’s hard to know.

Long answer: there’s a sense of FOMO with the Labubu craze. Everyone has one and the rest of us don’t want to miss out on the trend by not getting one.

They’ve also been spotted on celebs like Rihanna, Dua Lipa and BlackPink’s Lisa. Which is why we all want to get our hands on them.

However, there is also something nostalgic and fun about them.

being a labubu enjoyer in this cruel unforgiving world.. pic.twitter.com/IWNeKNtzsw

— movie star (@renjuiced) May 8, 2025

Professor Carolyn Mair PhD, chartered psychologist and author of The Psychology of Fashion told marie claire U.S., the Labubus tap into childhood nostalgia and fun.

“Labubus are part of the ‘kidult’ phenomenon, where adults find solace in toys reminiscent of their childhood.”

Where can I get one?

Fair warning – they are really hard to get your hands on. Because they’re dropped in limited edition boxes, if you want a Labubu of your own you’re going to have to work for it.

As far as we know the only place you can get them in Australia is Pop Mart. They range from approximately $30 to $85. But be prepared to line up for hours.

There are also some resell sites where you can buy them, but these are very expensive.

If you’re desperate and you can’t get your hands on one, you could always opt to get a ‘Lafufu’ instead. These are the Labubu’s fake, uglier cousin you can most likely purchase off Temu or AliExpress.