Script Planner Assistant▸ 
AI Apps 
AI News What Are Designer Toys? Top Toy Brands in 2026
小编 ·
What Are Designer Toys? Top Toy Brands in 2026
What Are Designer Toys?
“Designer toys” is short for trendy toys, commonly called Art Toys or Designer Toys in English. They may also be referred to as “designer toys” or “art toys.”
Unlike traditional toys, which are mainly intended for children and emphasize functionality, educational value, and safety, designer toys tend to target teenagers and adults. Their focus is not so much on how they are played with as on their visual appeal, distinctive design, and ability to express aesthetics and emotions. If you want to design your own trendy toys, try the Miaoya designer toy tool, which can generate designer toys from text alone.
Common Types of Designer Toys
Blind boxes: You do not know which figure you will get before opening the box, creating a random surprise.
Figures and models: Re creations of characters from anime, games, films, TV series, or original character designs.
Art collectibles: More like miniature sculptures or decorative objects.
Plush and vinyl figures: Such as LABUBU.
Trading cards and merchandise: Anime and game merchandise, including badges, standees, and keychains.
Designer toys are popular not only because they are cute, but also because their IPs can create emotional connections. Many releases are limited editions or feature secret figures, giving them collectible and social appeal. Buying blind boxes, displaying your figures, and trading for secret editions have themselves become a subculture.
Designer toys are not toys meant only for children. They are trendy cultural products that young people collect, display, use to express their personalities, and enjoy for emotional companionship.
Designer Toy Platforms and Toys
Designer toy platforms can generally be divided into three categories: official brand stores, marketplaces and secondhand platforms, and online blind-box draws or Ichiban Kuji lottery events. When choosing toys, the key factors are the IP and brand. Common designer toy platforms include the following:
| Type | Representative Platforms | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Official brands | 泡泡玛特, TOP TOY, 寻找独角兽, 52TOYS, KKV, MINISO | Buying new blind boxes, figures, plush toys, and models |
| Marketplaces and secondhand platforms | 千岛, 闲鱼, 懂淘 | Trading figures, recouping costs, and finding secondhand or limited-edition items |
| Blind-box draws and Ichiban Kuji | 欧气赏, 扭物, 盲盒大玩家, 盒变空间, 东西潮玩 | Online blind-box draws, Ichiban Kuji draws, and cross-border shopping |
Popular Designer Toy IPs and Toys
Blind-box and vinyl plush toys: LABUBU, SKULLPANDA, DIMOO, Molly, Sonny Angel, Jellycat, the Sanrio family, 线条小狗, and 吉伊卡哇.
Figures and models: Pokémon, Gundam, Transformers, One Piece, Dragon Ball, Naruto, and Kirby.
Chinese-style and original IPs: Empresses in the Palace BJD Blind Box, the Flying Bird Era series, 52TOYS' Beast Box, and traditional Chinese medicine dolls from 吾独友偶.
Game and anime merchandise: Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Love and Deepspace, Arknights, Code Name: Kite, Valorant, and Ultraman.
Emerging toy trends: ai smart plush toys, articulated BJD dolls, mecha model-building sets, and scene blind boxes.
Popular Designer Toy Brands
Designer toy brands can be categorized as original-IP brands, multi-brand retail brands, licensed-IP or category brands, and international brands:
Leading Original-IP Brands
| Brand | Representative IPs and Products | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 泡泡玛特 POPMART | LABUBU, SKULLPANDA, DIMOO, Molly, Zsiga | An industry leader with the broadest selection of blind boxes, plush toys, and figures |
| 52TOYS | 猛兽匣, NOOK, POUKA POUKA, Panda Roll | Offers collectible toys, mecha, blind boxes, and plush toys |
| 寻找独角兽 FINDING UNICORN | FARMER BOB, RiCO | Focuses on artistic designer toys with a more distinctive style |
| TNTSPACE | DORA, Baby Zoraa, ANMOO | An emerging brand that has recently attracted considerable attention |
| Heyone 黑玩 | MIMI, 哦崽 | Specializes in healing-style designs, plush toys, and vinyl figures |
| 奇梦岛 | WAKUKU哇库库 | Experiencing rapid growth and expanding into overseas markets |
| 若来 Rolife | Nanci囡茜 | Known for Chinese-inspired designs, desktop decor, and healing-style scenes |
| ToyCity 玩具城市 | Laura | Features distinctive urban culture and Chinese trendy aesthetics |
| 飞鸟时代 TEN TOY | EENSY, SYMI, the Don't Touch My Bangs series | A Guangzhou-based brand operating both original and licensed IPs, with blind boxes, plush toys, and keychains |
Multi-Brand Retail Brands
| Brand | Representative IPs and Products | Features |
|---|---|---|
| TOP TOY | YOYO, FoFo, Mochi, Sanrio, Disney | A designer toy retailer with a wide product range and many locations |
| X11 | Curated selections from multiple brands | A trendy multi-brand store ideal for browsing and selecting items |
| KKV | Blind boxes, figures, and plush toys from multiple brands | Has many physical stores, making it easy for beginners to get started |
| 名创优品 MINISO | YOYO, licensed-IP blind boxes | Affordable pricing makes it accessible to beginners |
| 九木杂物社 / 酷乐潮玩 | Cultural and creative products, blind boxes, and merchandise | Focuses on lifestyle products and is suitable for impulse purchases |
Licensed-IP, Gaming Merchandise, and Category Brands
| Brand | Representative IPs and Products | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 卡游 | Ultraman cards, 叶罗丽 cards, and game cards | A leading brand in the trading-card market |
| 布鲁可 | Brick-built figures and licensed construction toys | Strong presence in construction-based character toys |
| 奥飞娱乐 | 喜羊羊, 超级飞侠, 玩点无限 | Creates designer toys based on widely recognized domestic IPs |
| 万代 BANDAI | Gundam, Ultraman, Dragon Ball | A long-established brand for figures and construction models |
| 叠纸心意 / miHoYo | Love and Deepspace, Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail | Game merchandise, character goods, and figures are highly popular |
| 三丽鸥 / 迪士尼 / 宝可梦 | Hello Kitty, Kuromi, Pikachu | Strong brand recognition and suitable for gifting |
Popular International Brands
Jellycat: Plush toys with a strong sense of comfort and healing.
Sonny Angel: A classic blind-box character.
LEGO: Construction-based designer toys with numerous collaboration series.
Funko / Hot Toys / Good Smile: Collection-focused brands specializing in figures and articulated dolls.
Beginners can start with blind boxes or plush toys from 泡泡玛特, TOP TOY, or 52TOYS. They have low price barriers and reliable distribution channels. For rare discontinued releases or secret editions, compare prices on secondhand platforms.
If you are in Guangzhou, you can start by visiting TOP TOY, KKV, MINISO, and 泡泡玛特 in person. To discover local brands, 飞鸟时代 TEN TOY is also worth keeping an eye on.
