Dolls for Boys – Complete Buyer’s Guide

There are many reasons children should choose to make their attachments to one toy over another, even if the toys are dolls for boys.

There are healthy and beneficial reasons a boy’s early childhood development should be a top priority.

Best Dolls for Boys

When purchasing dolls for boys two and older, it’s more about providing a healthy balance to their mental development. No matter the attachment, a boy may feel more drawn to a doll’s clothes, shape, and touch.

Despite whatever concerns or reservations, some parents may harbor, we’ve outlined many dolls that should ease the selection process for those parents looking to buy dolls for boys.

1. Wonder Crew Superhero Buddy

Mom, therapist, and innovator of the Wonder Crew superhero doll, Laurel Wider, developed the doll collection to include ethnically appropriate options that makeup the Wonder Crew – Marco, James, and Will.

The Wonder Crew is a line of three adventure action-figure dolls for toddlers and young children. The doll designs were to help children cope with the challenges associated with early childhood development.

The 15″ dolls contain vinyl material used to make arms, legs, and the head of the doll, while the body is a soft, huggable stuffing to cuddle up with in search of comfort and a hopeful sense of acceptance between your son and his new-found toy buddy.

All three dolls are moderately priced.

Marco

As a Wonder Crew member, Marco is part of a culturally diverse toy design for parents looking for dolls that support a positive, uplifting presence for their son or boys.

Pros

• A toy designed to provide a hopeful sense of emotional support.
• Soft body to encourage hugging.
• Includes a matching cape and mask for children to share in Marco’s action adventures.
• Safe for children three and up.
• Many boys’ parents are thrilled to report their toddlers’ positive reaction to the superhero doll Marco.

Cons

• The vinyl can crack and break off.
• There are some durability problems since “boys will be boys.”
• The vinyl chips could be a choking hazard.
• There are some reports of damage to the doll’s head upon delivery.

James

The next action-adventure hero in the Wonder Hero team is James. He, too, is a part of the culturally diverse Wonder Hero dolls for boys.

Pros

• Provides a positive sense of emotional comfort.
• Soft body to encourage a snuggling embrace.
• Some parents report their daughter’s interest in their son’s new superhero doll friend.
• Many children chose an imaginative naming other than the given name by the doll’s creator.
• The matching superhero head is a perfect pairing for boys wanting to be superheroes.

Cons

• Doll names are unnecessary.
• Not enough diversified head-gear
• Some reports of damage to doll heads upon receipt of the package are consistent with an ongoing manufacturing flaw.

Will

Another of the Wonder Crew Superhero Buddies is Will. As part of the culturally diverse superhero team, he too is an action-adventure hero friend to your son or boys.

Pros

• Provides a sense of emotional comfort.
• The soft body design can encourage a comforting snuggle.
• Many parents say their boys report liking the dark-colored clothes.
• The concept toy is well-liked by many parents of boys.

Cons

• The pellet-like stuffing is a concern for some parents.
• Some parents reported receiving the doll from the ship with his head detached.

2. Blippi Bendable Plush Doll

The Blippi Bendable plush figure is 16″ or exploration and adventures. Push Blippi’s tummy, and he’ll play classic Blippi noises and recorded phrases. The toy is marketed as a doll for all children while appealing to a boyish appearance.

Pros

• Many parents report their child’s love of Blippi’s sounds and phrases.
• As far as dolls for boys go, many parents say how well-received Blippi is and how much love their children have for the toy.

Cons

• Some purchasers report having received a toy that only speaks Spanish.
• There are some reports from parents that the doll head is wobbly or broken upon delivery.
• A bit overpriced for the doll’s quality and craftsmanship.

3. Playskool Dressy Kids Boy Activity Plush

From Playskool comes a 12″ boy doll for children two and up. This soft plushy doll comes fully loaded with buttons, zippers, and more to assist with learning and advancing their motor-skills.

Pros

• Machine washable.
• Can make for easy packing for long airplane rides and travel by automobile with hours of entertainment.
• Easy attachment to keep attached on-the-go.
• Excellent teaching tool working on motor-functional learning of how to dress.

Cons

• Laces and shoe buckles are too short for tiny hands to tie.
• Reports of unpleasant smell emitting from the doll.
• Buttons are reportedly too small for toddler-sized hands.
• Some accounts of the wrong doll shipped from the fulfillment-house.

4. CHAREX Reborn Baby Boy Doll

Charex 22” baby boy doll has a soft weighted body, while the arms and hands, legs and feet, and head are vinyl with hand-painted details. Lovingly named Kevin by Charex, he’s a beautiful baby boy doll choice for toddlers three and up.

Pros

• Kevin’s clothes are removable for style-changes and sized perfectly for new clothes.
• Magnetic mouth to hold pacifier freely.
• The doll comes with a bonus lion toy.
• EN71 EU standards for soft filled toys

Cons

• Maybe too heavy for some toddlers under three weighing in at 3.3 pounds.
• Many customers report the doll’s hair is too thin and stringy upon opening the package.

5. HABA Graham Soft Boy Doll

HABA’s 12” boy doll, Graham, is soft and cuddly. His adorable dark brown hair peeks out from beneath his baseball cap. He’s dressed in jean overalls, a striped t-shirt, and shoes ready for rough and tumble play. Graham is an adorable boy doll choice for toddlers 18 months and older.

Pros

• Clothes and shoes remove
• Craftsmanship detail includes an embroidered face and the doll’s sewn-in prankish grin.
• High-quality materials like chenille for his hair make it easy to finger comb for tiny fingers.
• Durable enough to uphold against rough child play.

Cons

• Some reports of hair falling out, which is a concern for choking.
• Not worthy of value for the quality of product.

Soft Dolls for Boys

Unlike soft-bodied dolls for boys, stuffed dolls for boys are, as the name implies, soft. The most significant difference, the dolls are squishy from head to toe.

Manhattan Toy Baby Stella Boy

Manhattan Toys brings to life the play and craft they are known for in Baby Stella Boy with a removable onesie and diapers with fabric hooks and loop closures. Completing Baby Stella Boy’s look with a magnetically attached pacifier.

The cute, cuddly fleece covered boy doll is 15″ and suitable for tots 12 months or older.

Pros

• Soft fleece tuft of hair adds to his cute appearance.
• Customers feel the price is equal in comparison to Manhattan Toy’s quality and craftsmanship.
• Useful for helping build better dexterity.

Cons

• One customer reported a noticeable difference in the design or possibly the manufacturing production after just two years.
• Another customer reported that the magnet left a black mark on the toy’s face where the pacifier goes.

Apple Park Baby Boy Doll

The beloved Apple Park Baby Boy Doll is for toddlers three months and up. The doll features embroidered eyes, nose, and mouth with a removable onesie secured in place by Velcro.

Pros

• 100% GOTS-certified.
• Manufactured used OEKO-TEX 100 eco-friendly dyes.
• BPA Free.
• Culturally diverse.

Cons

• None identified at this time.

HABA Snug-up Jonas

Haba’s snug up boy doll, Jonas, has partially removable clothes. Jonas’ hat and shoes are not removable.

Jonas is the perfect first baby boy doll for babies six months or older. At 11.5″, Jonas is a hairless fleece covered doll.

Pros

• Safe for the washing machine
• Some parents and grandparents report their babies or grandchildren love the doll so much, they’ve ordered the boy doll time and time again.
• Some parents have used the doll as a learning tool for identifying facial features and removing and dressing the doll.

Cons

• Not suitable for dryers
• Embroidered facial features may pose a choking risk
• Over-priced

JC Toys 15″ Realistic Soft Body Baby Doll With Open/Close Eyes

The JC Toys soft-bodied baby boy doll is a cuddly companion for tots two years to 15 years. The doll’s eyes open and shut, adding to the realistic vinyl features of the baby design. Each packaged doll comes with a pacifier and playset for hours of non-stop fun.

Pros

• Safety tested by the manufacturer.
• Suitable for introducing children to newborns
• Customers report seeing their babies snuggle and hug the boy dolls.
• Ranks on best-seller lists

Cons

• One parent reported the bottle cap got stuck between her child’s teeth.
• A variety of reports of manufacture defects

Manhattan Toy Wee Baby Stella Tiny Dino

The product is made of polyester and comes from the Wee Baby Stella collection that includes the boy baby and removable clothes and diapers, a tiny dinosaur toy, and a coloring book. The 12″ doll is an excellent choice for snuggling infants and up.

Pros

• Clothing is removable
• Additionally comes with an interactive coloring book.
• Some parents report positive teachable moments using the doll as an associative tool.
• Many customers have bought other dolls from the Manhattan Toy Baby Stella collection.

Cons

• It can only be spot cleaned by hand.
• Not suitable for infants

Infant-Safe Dolls for Boys

We’ve explored safe dolls for boys with many cuddly options for infants boys.

HABA Snug-up Doll Luis

An excellent first boy baby doll for newborns and older. The 8″ fleece covered doll is a cuddly baby-friendly replacement to animal toys.

Pros

• Machine washable.
• No removable clothing to reduce any chance of a choking hazard.
• No hair on the doll minimizes any chance of accidental infant choking.
• Parents and grandparents report the positive responses received from their newborn baby boys or grandsons.

Cons

• Do NOT place in the dryer.
• There are reports that the product consistency and design are smaller than described on the Amazon product page.
• Over-priced.

Playtime by Eimmie Soft Rag Doll

These Eimmie rag doll designs are a part of a culturally diverse toy collection that includes Charlie and Ollie dolls for boys. The 14″ doll is a superb option for newborns and up and made using an ultra-soft plushy fabric and squishy enough to cuddle and hug.

Pros

• Many customers comment, wanting to buy more of these dolls for the price, design, and feel.
• Doll’s clothes are removable.
• Excellent travel buddy.
• The doll’s cost is below average, with outstanding craftsmanship.

Cons

• No suggestions from the manufacturer where to go to buy different outfits for the doll.
• No hard surfaces, such as vinyl.

Baby Boy Blue

The Genius Babies’ design of this precious plush doll is acceptable for infants and up.

Pros

• Safe enough to be cleaned in the machine washer.
• Safe enough for the dryer on tumble.
• A perfect gift for expecting mothers.
• An excellent choice for a first boy doll.
• Durable.
• Worth the value spent.

Cons

• None at this time.

Why It’s Important for Boys to Play with Dolls Too

There are sweeping claims that gender-appropriate dolls can foster a boy’s emotional understanding to nurture things. Unfortunately, there is no empirical truth to this theory.

In truth, researchers have proven gender development occurs biologically and socially. Infants four or five months are considered agender or do not identify themselves as having any gender.

Children do not begin recognizing genders until age two and do not proclaim their gender for an additional six months. Thus, researchers concluded that children exposed to toys selected by a parent(s) begin to develop and shape a child’s gender identification at a young age.

Further research concluded, parents socially impact their child’s gender selection at an early age. Parents that carefully chose a well-balanced variety of gender-neutral toys significantly improve their child’s mental development without strict adherence to gender-specific toys for boys or girls.

The age when a toddler begins to self-proclaim their gender is at two years. So, for boys growing up with a variety of gender-type toys, there is a greater likelihood that they will self-identify themselves independent of the type of toys parents give to them.

Moreover, it may be a parent’s sex identification attached to the word doll, rather than the toy itself, which has not been a consideration of any study.

Conclusion

The bottom line, dolls for boys hold an inequity of gender bias. When you get right down to the seams and colors, dolls for boys under two years of age are no more impacted by the doll’s gender than the color of the doll’s clothes. It may be more about tactile comfort.