Trend-chasing shoppers are racing to Home Bargains to get their hands on £2.99 dupes of the viral Labubu dolls – as some say the fad has gone too far. 

One UK-based mother alerted customers to the budget buys in a TikTok clip, saying she was buying one for her Labubu-obsessed toddler who wouldn’t know the difference between a real and a fake. 

While parents and Labubu fans were delighted by the dupe drop, others thought it was ‘ridiculous’ that children as young as three were obsessing over social media trends.

Chinese toy maker Pop Mart’s Labubu monster dolls took the internet by storm as one of the most bizarre and divisive fads of 2025.

Authentic Labubus can cost around £20 and even up to £60 for rare designs. 

The craze saw other companies coming up with their own versions, dubbed by fans as ‘Lafufus’, to capitalise on the demand. 

‘Home Bargains coming through with the fake Labubu…£2.99…my three-year-old won’t know the difference,’ the mum wrote in her video. 

The monster plush attached to a heart-shaped key ring has a similar design to the real Labubus with a mischievous toothy grin, colourful fur, pointed ears, and huge eyes. 

Since her video, several more people have discovered Home Bargains’s dupes and posted about them online, prompting mixed reactions from social media users. 

Some were thrilled by the news, with one saying the budget retailer buy looks ‘better than the real thing’. 

‘Looks exactly like a real Labubu,’ someone agreed.

‘Only three pound? I’m getting all of them nowwww,’ one user replied, and another said: ‘They’re weirdly cuter than actual Labubus’. 

However, others shared their outrage that young children want their own Labubus and are even aware of the viral fad. 

‘Your three-year-old shouldn’t even know what a Labubu is, and if they do, that’s incredibly sad,’ one commenter snapped. 

‘How would a three-year-old know what a Labubu is?’ another asked, and someone added: ‘That’s so scary.’ 

‘It’s a social media fad, he shouldn’t have any social media exposure at two,’ one woman responded.

The mum and other viewers hit back at the criticism, explaining that toddlers can pick up on trends from older siblings and friends. 

‘Everyone saying, “How does your three-year-old know?”, my three-year-old was telling me about Labubus the other day, and I was like, “How do you know about this?” 

‘Apparently, one of her nursery friends has one. These children are so up to date with everything, it’s scary!’ one parent said. 

‘My twins would know. They are seven, and they keep stealing mine off my desk,’ another replied. 

”How do they know?’ They’re not locked in a cupboard till age 5, babe,’ someone quipped. 

It comes after Labubu manufacturer PopMart issued a statement saying it was ‘saddened’ to learn counterfeit toys were recently discovered in Yorkshire in a crackdown on Lafufus. 

The fake versions of the toothy looking elves could pose a choking hazard for children, Hull City Council’s Trading Standards team said. 

‘We’re saddened to learn that dangerous counterfeit Labubu toys have recently been discovered in Yorkshire,’ the statement from PopMart read. ‘Counterfeits not only compromise safety but also diminish the experience for genuine collectors, something we at Pop Mart do not condone.

‘We strongly recommend purchasing only through official Pop Mart stores, our official website, or our trusted authorised retailers. This is the most reliable way to guarantee the authenticity, quality, and safety of your Labubu.’