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We’ve updated details and links for the models of available dolls throughout this guide. Fine Love Dolls
For a child, a doll can be a playmate, an adventure partner, someone to take care of, and a friend when life gets hard or scary. A doll can also invite a kid to celebrate their own identity, explore those of others, and see their wants and needs reflected back to them in instructive and meaningful ways. And experts are zeroing in on another developmental benefit of dolls: their ability to increase empathy.
To create this list, we spent over 40 hours researching and playing with 25 dolls made by 16 different companies. We interviewed child development experts, spoke with a doll manufacturer, and ultimately tested the dolls with 40 children in four preschool classrooms. We focused on dolls that are diverse and inclusive—featuring a range of skin tones, facial characteristics, and hair colors, textures, and styles—as well as those that highlight different cultural backgrounds, gender expressions, and abilities.
Our eight doll recommendations include a plush baby that comes in different skin tones, a superhero kid (with a matching cape for their real-life sidekick), and a perennial favorite with preschool teachers, among others. Any doll a child loves is the best one. But if you’re having trouble finding a doll that feels right for a child in your life, or you just don’t know where to begin to select a special gift, consider this list as a starting point.
As the non-white parent of two mixed-race children, one of them with intellectual and physical disabilities, I have a vested interest in making our broader culture more tolerant and inclusive for all kids, and in the tools we can use to help kids develop these traits.
My daughter was born with a rare genetic deletion resulting in multiple disabilities and developmental delays. Like most kids, she’s protective of her favorite toys and easily turned off by those that don’t appeal to her. Manufacturers’ age recommendations often don’t mean much for disabled children, so I’m constantly researching the developmental value of the toys we bring into our apartment. Also, I have a master’s degree in design; well before my daughter came along, I’d already honed the cursed sensibilities of a critic who notices everything about how a product is made and can’t help but obsess over every last detail.
In 2021, after observing that many of my daughter’s occupational therapists, physical therapists, and speech and language specialists used the same toys, I wrote Wirecutter’s guide to toys for kids with disabilities, with the aim of getting this information from private consultations out into the wider world. Since then, I’ve learned that many of the items—such as this cube chair beloved at my daughter’s inclusive preschool—have widespread appeal among all children, whether they have a disability or not.
While writing this guide, I wanted to understand the psychology and science of how dolls in particular can help teach kids to be nice to one another—both now and later in life. I consulted Megan Maas, a developmental psychologist and assistant professor of Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University who has written about the effects of gendered toy marketing in the US. I also spoke with Roberta Golinkoff, professor of education at the University of Delaware and co-author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children.
During our testing, we observed that many toddlers show interest in dolls representing children who are around their same age, or younger, especially when they can see some of their own needs (a bottle, diaper, blankie) reflected back to them.
Miniland’s dolls are well designed and durable. And this company offers options that are rare to find elsewhere—including dolls with glasses, hearing aids, and with facial features typical of individuals with Down syndrome.
Height: 15 inches (toddler doll), 16 inches (soft-body baby doll), 13 inches (baby doll), 8 inches (baby doll)
Included clothing and accessories: white knit underwear (one piece or two)
Features: movable arms, legs, head; sits (but doesn’t stand) without support; minimal, gender-neutral packaging
Why we like it: Miniland’s dolls, made by an award-winning toy and doll maker based in Spain, have been a long-time favorite among preschool educators. And for good reason: The dolls are exceptionally well made, with durable hair, velvety vinyl bodies, and varied facial features. Miniland, which has made inclusion and social and emotional learning part of its mission, offers one of the widest range of doll types we’ve seen. These include both cloth- and vinyl-bodied newborn and toddler dolls, most of which are available with different skin tones and hair types. Miniland’s doll designers have included many small, loving details, like chin dimples, “outie” belly buttons, and limbs that rotate easily in their joints. And the dolls smell unusually pleasant, like vanilla cake batter (the company told us it’s used the same proprietary scent for 60 years).
Miniland stands out for offering dolls that represent children with disabilities and physical differences, including dolls with facial features common in children with Down syndrome, and accessories like glasses and hearing aids. In our testing, we found that these accessories were thoughtfully designed (the silicone glasses come with a well-fitted head strap), and they helped spark engagement among kids. When the doll was introduced to my then-4-year-old daughter’s classroom, a child with glasses exclaimed, “This doll looks like me!” Another child said she also wanted glasses; others started talking about their older siblings and grandparents who wear them.
I chose this doll with glasses for my daughter because I appreciated that the doll’s facial features look naturalistic, not exaggerated, and even a bit like my Asian-American daughter. Note, though, that some of the descriptions of dolls in Miniland’s online catalog are problematic. For example, the company labels dolls as “Asian,” “African,” or “Hispanic,” even though children with the dolls’ physical characteristics—such as black hair or light or dark brown skin tones—could come from any number of different cultures and backgrounds. Many retailers adopt the same language, though this type of labeling is not on the doll packaging itself. Other companies whose dolls we considered, including Götz and Lakeshore Learning, used similar naming conventions for their dolls. Mar Ivars, Miniland’s chief innovation officer, told me that the company is working with AIJU, UNESCO, and other organizations to conduct international doll focus groups, and it plans to ultimately unveil new doll nomenclature.
Miniland’s dolls are among the few we tested that have a penis or a vulva. They come dressed in simple one- or two-piece white cotton undies. To add to their wardrobe, you can choose from onesies, overalls, dresses, PJs, and a raincoat set, among other ensembles. Unlike some doll clothing, which tends to be scratchy and glittery, Miniland’s outfits are sweetly understated, with chunky knits and soft fabrics in earthy neutrals and jewel tones. In a market dominated by pink, Miniland’s dolls come in neutral cardboard packaging.
Wee Baby Stella is soft enough for snuggling and has accessories (also plush) that encourage early interactive play.
Included accessories: removable cotton onesie, magnetic pacifier
Features: some arrive gift-ready (wrapped in tissue in printed box)
Why we like it: Compared with hard vinyl dolls, the plush, cuddly Wee Baby Stella is a great first doll for a baby or toddler. The line offers a range of accessories that encourage early imaginative play, while the doll itself is soft and squishy enough for naps and cuddles. All Wee Baby Stella dolls—including a more toddler-ish 15-inch version with pigtails—are available in peach, beige, and brown skin tones. (The company used to offer a “make-your-own” option, which allowed you to customize skin tones and hair colors and styles, but it was recently discontinued.)
Wee Baby Stella comes with a magnetic pacifier, which has a thick handle that’s great for kids who are working on their pincer grasp and fine motor skills. The magnet is strong enough to keep the pacifier from falling off during play. Other (optional) accessories include a feeding kit, cradle, and bath set. As for clothing, this retro pool party suit and terra cotta window-paned jumpsuit are the most stylish plushie outfits I’ve seen. Many versions of Wee Baby Stella arrive gift-ready, outfitted in a cotton onesie, and tissue-wrapped in a beautiful printed box.
With a soft fabric body and molded vinyl head, arms, and legs, this classically cute doll is both cuddly and interactive.
Included accessories: long-sleeved onesie, footed pants, diaper with hook-and-loop closure
Features: soft torso, vinyl limbs, movable head, sits (but doesn’t stand) without support, molded hair, eyelids that open and shut
Why we like it: This classic baby doll from American Girl was first introduced in 1995, marketed as a doll to help children acclimate before the arrival of a baby sibling. It’s evolved over the years. Today’s Bitty Baby comes in different combinations of skin tone, hair color, eye color, and outfit color; you can even customize a set of Bitty Baby twins. The doll is a hard-to-find hybrid; its soft fabric torso and brushed-knit outfit offer some of the cuddliness of a plushie, while the molded face and operable eyelids provide the interactivity of a doll.
Compared with features on Miniland dolls, the Bitty Baby’s are less realistic (all of the dolls have a version of the same face) and more generically cute, with rounded cheeks and an inquisitive expression. (I’ll admit it: I may be done having kids, but for a fleeting moment, this doll made my uterus throb with a desire to have one more.)
American Girl offers a range of well-designed accessories, including bottles, bibs, and food sets, and doll-size furniture, like high chairs, strollers, and changing tables. Note that these accessories are almost uniformly pink. Although every Bitty Baby comes packaged in American Girl’s signature bright pink boxes, the dolls themselves aren’t assigned a gender or traditionally gendered names, and you can choose between pink, blue, and gray sleepers.
Many school-age children are drawn in by the manipulability of a doll’s identity through hairstyles, fashion, and hobbies. All of our bigger-kid doll picks come with accessories and are rated for ages 3 and up.
Our Generation offers dozens of dolls with different skin tones, hair types, and features, and even more accessories. These dolls are also among the most affordable ones we tested.
May be out of stock
Features: fabric torso with plastic posable arms, legs, head; stands (but doesn’t sit) without support; eyelids that open and shut
Why we like it: Of the 16 doll companies we researched, none matched Our Generation’s variety of dolls, accessories, and affordability.
Developmental psychologist Megan Maas said she suggests building a doll collection that includes a few dolls with traits and interests similar to your child’s and a few with different ones. Our Generation dolls are a good bet for this approach (we like this veterinarian and tennis player). Don’t stress too much about your choice—Maas noted that what a child does with a doll can be as important, if not more important, than how the doll looks. And when it comes to mixing and matching dolls with specific interests or occupations, Our Generation offers a dizzying array of accessories—from toy pizza ovens and stethoscopes to a hair salon chair or pet guinea pig—to make virtually any combination possible. Because the dolls are 18 inches tall, they’re also compatible with many American Girl outfits and accessories.
For all the variety, Our Generation dolls all have similar facial features (eye, nose, and mouth shape); for example, none of the dolls look particularly like my Asian-American kids. And few dolls represent kids with disabilities or other differences. Notably, Our Generation does have two dolls with prosthetic legs, though in our testing with kids, the doll wasn’t well designed: The leg didn’t successfully mimic the real-life socket and suspension system that securely attaches a lower-leg prosthesis to the rest of the body.
This doll’s curly, naturally textured hair can be washed, dried, and styled in a variety of ways.
Included accessories: removable T-shirt, overalls, high-tops; hair accessories sold separately
Features: fabric lower torso with movable vinyl arms, legs, head; stands (but doesn’t sit) without support; hair made for washing and styling
Why we like it: Healthy Roots founder Yelitsa Jean-Charles has said she created Zoe because when she was growing up, she never had a doll that looked like her—in particular, a doll with curly, naturally textured Black hair. She designed Zoe with the aim of helping children learn to love and care for their hair. Zoe has thick, curly hair that can be washed, dried, and styled in a variety of ways (a rare feature among dolls in general).
Training starts on the box, which includes printed descriptions of different hair textures, from tight coils to wide waves, as well as a step-by-step guide for styling Zoe’s curls into a “fro-hawk” fit for a rockstar. Lessons continue online, with over 30 free YouTube tutorials providing the basics—shampooing, sectioning, and comb-outs—alongside more-elaborate lessons on mermaid braids and unicorn bantu knots. You can upgrade a child’s in-home salon with the Healthy Roots curl power kit (currently out of stock) or the Our Generation salon chair. (As an 18-inch doll, Zoe is compatible with many Our Generation and American Girl outfits and accessories.)
Zoe is the first doll (or “curl friend”) in the Healthy Roots line; the company recently added two more dolls with different skin tones, Gaiana and Marisol (currently out of stock). Zoe comes with blue overalls and bright yellow high-tops (in our testing, children were smitten with Zoe’s shoes, wanting to try them on other dolls). You can add to Zoe’s wardrobe with outfits for school, soccer, ballet, and more. Healthy Roots even offers a matching set of satin-lined protective bonnets, in doll, kid, and adult sizes.
With beautiful outfits, accessories, and high-quality components, these dolls feel special and collectible.
Included accessories: removable party dress, underwear, metallic Mary Jane shoes
Features: fabric torso; movable arms, legs, head; compatible with American Girl and Our Generation accessories
Why we like it: In 2015, Ozi Okaro, a former Toys ‘R’ Us e-commerce manager, started Ikuzi Dolls to fill a gap in the market for children of color (Ikuzi means “to teach” in Igbo, a language spoken mainly in Nigeria). The Ikuzi lineup features dolls with different hair textures and shades of brown skin to “celebrate the Black girl,” according to the company.
Compared with cheaper dolls we tested (like the Our Generation dolls), the Ikuzi dolls feel notably high in quality, with hand-molded heads and sturdy bodies and limbs. Add party-worthy outfits, and they feel almost like collectibles. The Ikuzi doll we tested arrived with a head of shiny, bouncy waves, which I immediately felt compelled to stroke, comb, and style into a topknot. Each doll comes in a dress that pairs white tulle or cotton eyelet with a vibrant print inspired by African textiles (the outfits come in kid-size versions, too), as well as beautiful metallic Mary Jane slippers. Additional doll outfits include knit sundresses and leggings sets that would look at home in a Hanna Andersson catalog.
These soft-bodied superhero dolls come with a matching cape-and-mask set, so kids can pair up with their doll for adventure, imaginative play, and cuddling.
Included accessories: removable shirt and pants, matching superhero cape and mask kit for doll and kid
Features: fabric torso, vinyl limbs and hair
Why we like it: Boys have often been overlooked by doll designers, and psychotherapist Laurel Wider developed the superhero-themed Wonder Crew buddies to address this gap. The soft-bodied dolls will likely appeal to any child who loves exciting play and wants a friend to cuddle and care for. (They originally came in four skin tones, though as of fall 2023 only two models, Will and James, were available.) Each doll comes outfitted with a superhero cape and mask—with a matching kid-size version—aimed at inspiring imaginative play around friendship, adventure, and empathy. (Additional costume sets are available, including firefighter, explorer, and “snuggler.”)
Developmental psychologist Megan Maas has observed that when a preschool-age boy plays with dolls among his peers, if anyone makes fun of him, it’s usually another boy. This kind of shaming tends to quickly shut down the boy’s doll play. But it can also be the perfect opportunity for a grown-up to intervene with a gentle correction as simple as, “Dolls are for everyone,” hard stop.
American Girl’s Truly Me dolls come in a range of skin tones, hair colors, and styles. They come with modern outfits and accessories intended to reflect the interests of contemporary kids.
Included accessories: outfit, shoes, and book
Features: fabric lower torso with movable vinyl arms, legs, head; stands (but doesn’t sit) without support
Why we like it: American Girl has been a well-known name in the doll world for some four decades, starting with the small line of historically themed dolls the company introduced in 1986. Nowadays, American Girl has a much wider, more diverse, and more inclusive slate of dolls, including its Truly Me line, which is designed to represent contemporary kids.
Maybe it’s the earnest look in their eyes (which open and close), their subtle dimples, or the two front teeth poking through their gently parted lips—but American Girl’s Truly Me dolls are truly irresistible. Their hair feels silkier than that of most other dolls we tested, and their fabric torsos are invitingly soft. The dolls’ eyelids open and close manually, without the clicking sound of those on cheaper dolls (note that they don’t always stay closed while lying down—at preschool nap time, this sent one kid tester looking for some tape).
We tested two of the Truly Me line’s off-the-shelf options. There are dozens in the collection, including dolls with a range of skin tones, hair types (including a doll with no hair), and accessory bundles. And that’s just the beginning: For about $100 more, the Create Your Own line lets you create a custom doll by choosing among six different skin tones, nine hair colors, and 11 different hairstyles—and you can select freckles, braces, glasses, and other features.
The 18-inch Truly Me dolls are compatible with most American Girl accessories, as well as with those from the 18-inch Our Generation dolls. Of particular note are American Girl’s multicultural celebration outfits, including this embroidered abaya and magenta hijab. As the daughter of Korean immigrants, I’m disappointed there’s no hanbok … yet.
Our Brown Boy Joy My Friend: This velvety plushie was co-designed by then 8-year-old Demetrius Davis (Lil Dee) and his mother, a former elementary and high school principal. Compelled by the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, they wanted to offer a cuddly doll that positively represents young Black and brown boys. My Friend has soft, sueded skin— available in three shades of brown—that makes this doll especially huggable. And when you hug the doll (or press on the doll’s stomach), it plays one of five affirmations, recorded in Lil Dee’s own voice, including “You are powerful,” “You are smart,” and “Brown Boy, your life matters.” My Friend comes dressed in a black hoodie (with accompanying Adidas kicks) or a white one (with Timbs).
Minikane Dolls: Minikane’s sweet-smelling vinyl dolls come in a variety of skin tones and hairstyles and, unlike most dolls, have a vulva or a penis. Minikane’s main draw is the robust collection of outfits and designer collaborations, which have a more sophisticated look and feel than most doll clothing. Twinning enthusiasts can go all in on the “Doll and Me” matching cotton blouse or buffalo print sweatshirt. Note: Most Minikane dolls and clothes are sold separately—some retailers are clearer about this than others. My test doll arrived naked in a plastic bag—it was underwhelming, to say the least. A doll plus outfit will run you between $80 and $100, the upside being that the dolls are as durable as they are runway-ready.
Mattel Creatable World: In 2019, Mattel released a line of Creatable World action figures, which allow kids to customize the doll’s hairstyle, length, and outfit type, without the constraints of traditionally “girl” or “boy” dolls. Each deluxe kit contains 100 mix ’n’ match styling options, forgoing hyper-feminine and hyper-masculine extremes (hey, Barbie, hey, Ken) in favor of a spectrum of options. A friend’s 8-year-old, who identifies as gender-nonbinary, reported they liked the many different outfit options, especially the splattered overalls. When their mom asked for more commentary on the doll’s gender fluidity, they made a disinterested face—as if to say, “What’s the big deal?”
Beloved dolls can get dirty, and how you clean them will depend on the type of doll and the nature of the grime. Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions. We have a detailed article on cleaning dolls and stuffed animals, but here are some general guidelines.
Most plush dolls (and stuffed animals) are machine-washable. Use the gentle cycle, cold water, and a small amount of detergent. You may want to hand-wash a stuffed toy that has delicate features or is tattered from years of love (or if the care instructions specify it). Machine-drying (or a low- or no-heat setting) is fine for most plush dolls that don’t have plastic or glued-on parts, but check with the manufacturer. If you air-dry a doll, use a fan or dehumidifier to shorten the drying time, and make sure the doll is completely dry.
Vinyl dolls should never be submerged in water, but some regular maintenance can keep the doll looking clean. Human hands emit natural oils, which will cause more dust and dirt to stick to the doll’s exposed vinyl surfaces. If your kid takes their doll everywhere they go, we recommend using a baby wipe to give the doll a daily “bath.” Or use a damp (not dripping) washcloth to carefully wipe the doll’s vinyl parts, being careful not to get water into the body cavity. Serious stains on vinyl (such as after a marker makeover) can be removed by making a paste with baking soda and water or with benzoyl peroxide. Synthetic doll hair can typically be washed with regular shampoo and conditioner (taking care to avoid the scalp area), but check with the doll’s manufacturer. Don’t blow-dry doll hair, since that could cause it to melt.
The reason many children want to hold and cuddle dolls is rooted in our survival as a species. “Babies have big eyes and puffy cheeks as a way of appealing to other humans—it’s a way of saying, ‘Don’t step on that baby!’” explained Roberta Golinkoff, a professor of education, referring to Stephen Jay Gould’s theory of human evolution. “Nature has made it so babies survive.”
Golinkoff noted the developmental benefits of doll play. Manipulating a doll’s limbs, using a brush to comb its hair, putting on and taking off its clothes and shoes—these are all excellent ways for a child to work on their pincer grasp and other fine motor skills. Also, kids acquire new language when other children or adults attach words to a doll’s appearance or actions. For example, an onlooker might say, “Is Billy having pizza for lunch? That looks delicious.”
But Golinkoff maintains that the hard skills children acquire through doll play are secondary to the social and emotional benefits. “When a child picks up a doll, cuddles it, and receives a signal that this is a positive behavior—a parent who says, ‘Awww, cuddling baby’—she’s being encouraged to act in a loving way toward a human surrogate,” Golinkoff said.
The right doll can help build a child’s self-esteem by mirroring identity differences back to them in a positive light.
Children as young as 18 months old have the ability to recognize specific emotions in people around them. “They can identify sadness and can make a plan to help a person in distress—how to give them a blankie or a doll to make them feel better,” Golinkoff said, noting that dolls can also be a useful canvas for working through tough emotions. With young children, receptive communication (their ability to process and understand language) often outpaces their expressive language. So if a child rips apart a doll or throws it across the room, adults might want to dig deeper into what the child is trying to say through their behavior.
A 2020 neuroimaging study supports Golinkoff’s claim about the primacy of emotional learning: While they played with dolls, 42 children showed increased activity in the brain’s posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS), which processes social cues and triggers empathy. Not unlike learning ABCs and 123s, with the right tools in hand, kindness and tolerance can be taught and learned.
Dolls are also an excellent way to emphasize humans’ individual physical traits—curly hair, dark skin, a penis, a prosthetic leg—over value-laden categorizations. “Young kids operate more like a scientist, making observations and gathering facts,” developmental psychologist Megan Maas told me. Children tend to associate even the most cartoonish dolls as proxies for real humans: One preschooler said an anatomically female doll with glasses reminded her of her grandfather. Whether a child is reminded of someone they know, a new type of person they’ve never met before, or their own self (video), dolls can be a powerful tool for broadening a child’s notion of what—who—is familiar and “acceptable.” Mar Ivars, Miniland’s chief innovation officer, leads the company’s doll research and focus groups, which have shown that for non-white, gender nonbinary, or disabled children, the right doll can help build their self-esteem by mirroring identity differences back to them in a positive light.
The impetus to create a guide to dolls grew out of our own experience as parents. Though dolls are obviously one of the most common childhood toys, we’d discovered that it can be difficult to find just what you’re looking for—particularly if what you’re looking for is not a peach-colored baby girl doll. About half of the 73 million children now living in the US are not white, yet most children’s dolls—on store shelves, in classrooms, in the toy bin at the public library—are still white. We wanted to compile a list of dolls to reflect the broad range of families and backgrounds of America’s kids and families.
We started our research as we often do, by asking a diverse group of parents on Wirecutter’s staff for their opinions about dolls that they’ve considered or purchased for their kids, or that they’ve played with themselves over the years. Several staffers noted their difficulties finding dolls with gender-neutral expressions, non-sexualized bodies, or realistic (but not too realistic, beware the “uncanny valley”) facial characteristics. When we asked parents if it was important to them to find dolls that reflected their children’s identities, one parent noted the difficulty she encountered finding dolls that reflected her daughters’ Asian heritage without exoticizing it. Another parent had to visit several stores before finding a realistic-looking baby boy doll for a preschooler who would soon have a baby brother. Others wanted cuddly dolls and accessories that wouldn’t go missing minutes after they were unboxed. More than one parent expressed relief that their children’s short-lived obsession with LOL Dolls had passed.
We decided to focus on finding:
To get started, I scoured the portfolios of at least two-dozen doll manufacturers and read more than 100 reviews—searching for dolls that would appeal to both younger and older children. We quickly eliminated a few dolls whose facial features were too realistic, thinking they might frighten children (and the adults around them). From there, I assembled a list with representation of different physical characteristics (skin tone, hair and eye color, hair texture), abilities, and gender expression. Two European brands, including our Miniland pick, make dolls that are “anatomically correct” (with a vulva or a penis). But the vast majority of dolls are blank between the legs—potentially missing an important opportunity to help children explore bodies and gender identity. Interestingly, Miniland’s Mar Ivars told me that for decades, the company had packaged its dolls without any clothes, until US retailers (the company’s second biggest market) insisted the dolls wear something. Now, most Miniland dolls are sold wearing a basic top and bottom underwear set.
I quickly weeded out a few dolls with obvious design flaws. Among them was a doll by Lakeshore Learning; this was a durable and realistic doll that my kids enjoyed playing with at our local public library in California. But the “Asian Boy” doll I ordered to test had greenish skin and rough, straw-like hair, so I nixed it for poor aesthetics. I was also disappointed to see that Lakeshore Learning, a popular toy distributor among US schools, uses the same doll-naming conventions—ascribing a specific race or ethnicity to dolls with stereotypically “African-American,” “Asian,” or “Hispanic” physical features—that we found problematic across many doll makers. From my conversation with a local toy shop owner, I figured Corolle’s Mon Premier Bébé doll would be a popular pick with young children. But considering this is such a popular doll manufacturer, the lack of diversity of its dolls was disheartening.
Finally, it was time to test some 25 dolls with 40 kids at my daughter’s preschool, where I discovered teachers already had several Miniland dolls in rotation. In a classroom, where children can play with dolls alone, in pairs, or in small groups, the possibilities for hands-on and imaginative play are seemingly endless. We were able to test the dolls for just a few days (a limitation in our methodology): Naturally, most children showed interest in the shiny new “visitors” to their classroom. They enjoyed re-creating and being the ones in charge of scenarios familiar to them—being pushed in a shopping cart, getting their hair brushed, having their hearts checked with a stethoscope. They noted when a doll shared physical traits, hair color, and wearing glasses with themselves or someone they knew.
Our testers were most useful in uncovering a few major flaws. Going into testing, I was impressed by Our Generation’s doll with a prosthetic leg, but within the first hour of play, the adhesive attaching the prosthesis to the doll’s body had worn off. I’d felt similarly enthusiastic about the Götz Aquini, a doll that comes with a bottle and training potty. But the doll’s hyped “drink to wet” function is poorly designed for kids—it’s nearly impossible for a toddler to fill the bottle through its pin-sized opening. A grown-up will need to tip or even shake the doll to get the water to flow down—turning what should be a simple tutorial in basic biological functions into a misleading (and violent) scene.
It’s worth pointing out that bigger doll manufacturers still make mostly white, cis-female, non-disabled dolls packaged in “girly” bright pink boxes; our picks represent a tiny slice of their overall catalogs. I found that nearly all dolls—the ones we tested and the ones we didn’t—conform to abysmally narrow standards of beauty. Maybe in another 10 years, we will see more variety in body types, facial structure, fashion choices, skin tones, and other features (one preschool teacher noted the absence of birthmarks on any of the dolls), to help widen a child’s sense of who’s “cute” and “beautiful” and, hence, worthy of their love.
This article was edited by Courtney Schley and Kalee Thompson.
Megan Mass, assistant professor of human development and family studies, Michigan State University, author of How toys became gendered—and why it will take more than a gender-neutral doll to change how boys perceive femininity, phone interview, October 22, 2021
Roberta Golinkoff, Unidel H. Rodney Sharp Professor of Education, University of Delaware, co-author of Becoming Brilliant: What Science Tells Us About Raising Successful Children, phone interview, January 21, 2022
Mar Ivars, chief innovation officer, Miniland, Skype interview, October 21, 2021
Salim Hashmi, Ross E. Vanderwert, Hope A. Price, and Sarah A. Gerson, Exploring the Benefits of Doll Play Through Neuroscience, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, October 1, 2020
Emily F. Popek, Dolls That Nurture Boys’ Empathy, The New York Times, May 14, 2018
Eliana Dockterman, ‘A Doll for Everyone’: Meet Mattel’s Gender-Neutral Doll, Time, September 25, 2019
Leila McNeill, How a Psychologist’s Work on Race Identity Helped Overturn School Segregation in 1950s America, Smithsonian Magazine, October 26, 2017
Julie Kim is based in Brooklyn, New York. Her essays about raising a disabled child in an ableist world have appeared in The Atlantic, A Cup of Jo, and The Cut. Long ago, she earned a master’s degree in design, a grueling and expensive career misstep that she’s thrilled to finally put to good use reviewing inclusive products for Wirecutter.
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