Are JellyCats the new Labubus?

As the hit Labubu dolls die down, there is a new competitor entering the environment, and they are showing no sign of going away anytime soon. 

Back in 2024, Labubu was an international hit; millions of people were either buying, reselling, or posting about their Labubu. Originally, Labubus was a storybook character created by artist Kasing Lung, inspired by Nordic fairy tales. Although these little monsters did not spark popularity until Lung teamed up with the toy company POP MART. The first series created involved around 12 different designs on top of a “rare” one; people were buying full box sets just to get the one they wanted. It's essentially gambling, but that surprise element is what got people hooked. Watching TikToks of people opening up their box, or seeing celebrities have a Labubu on their bag, sold everybody. After Labubus took off, they started to come out with more collabs, such as Coca-Cola, Hello Kitty, One Piece, and a few other big-name brands. Soon after, products started to be made to go along with your Labubu, cups, figures, clothes, and everything you need to make it more personal to you. 

Credit - Yamini Chinnuswamy

People took it even further, with trends beginning to be made around Labubus, specifically, people would make outfits inspired by their Labubu, or pick their designer bag to go with the Labubu figure, and of course, the trend of unboxing them. Over 3.3 million people have posted on TikTok alone with the hashtag #labubu. It is no wonder why they sell out in minutes and why people resell them for up to triple the original price.

While these little monsters stuck around for a long time and are still somewhat popular today, they continue to make more collaborations. Many people are beginning to grow out of it and considering it “cringe.” Overall, the wave of consumerism has its peak and then crashes down. As the years go on, the trend dies down, and a new competitor is riding the consumerism wave. 

Unlike Labubus, Jellycats have been around since 1999, by Thomas and William Gatacre. They are cute plushies that come in different forms and types, from small to large, and with hundreds of variations of them. Foods, animals, sports, and objects. You can find the right one that suits you. Trends began around TikTok, such as “search up your name and see what Jellycat you get.” As each of these plushies has a regular name to go along with it.  People also decorate their beds around their Jellycat or have a theme around it that goes alongside them.

Credit - Liz Wilson

The real question about these plushies is what made them blow up right now? This is due to these plushies having an interest in specifically Gen Z and Gen Alpha; the design and quality grabbed their attention and stuck with them. 20 million posts under the hashtag #Jellycat have been made on TikTok. Jellycats are seen to be everywhere now. Before, it was harder to get a hold of them, but after their take off, they are in baby stores, toy stores, and many other vendors. Although it is usually only the small-sized Jellycats, for bigger ones, it's online, or you have to go to a specific Jellycat store, but there are only a select few around the world. 

In those stores, you can experience a unique moment in receiving your Jellycat. Specifically with the food ones, the workers will “make” or “cook” your Jellycat, depending on what it is, and make it a fun, silly moment for you or even you and your family. These experiences help to increase the popularity of Jellycats as the workers are super fun with the roles they play. 

Credit - Laurence Holyoak

With Jellycats rising to attention, Labubus are being almost completely left behind. There are still a few people who love them and don't consider them cringe, but it's not nearly as much as it used to be. It won't be long now before Gen Z and Gen Alpha decide what the new hot trend is going to be and just how far it is going to go. 

Sources- 

1. https://www.npr.org/2025/06/18/g-s1-72939/what-is-labubu-pop-mart-explained  (Juliana Kim -NPR) 

2. https://www.trillmag.com/life/social-media/why-are-jellycats-the-latest-tiktoktrend/#:~:text=Are%20Jellycats%20another%20TikTok%20trend,introduced%20millions%20to%20the%20brand (TR!LL- Laura Rowe)