MadeForMums Toy Awards 2025 Winners: Best dolls, action figures and soft toys

Jump to:

• Best fashion doll
• Best baby doll
• Best action figure
• Best soft toy
• Best mindful soft toy

Best fashion doll

Fashion dolls let kids explore creativity, self-expression and style. With outfits to mix and match, accessories to collect and hair to brush or style, these dolls invite storytelling and imaginative play.

Our testers looked at everything from quality and outfit choice to how easy the dolls were to pose and accessorise. Parents also rated how often their children returned to play with their new fashion friend and how much value the dolls offered.

Gold: Heartfuls Dolls

I really like her face because it's really pretty and I like the hearts in her eyes. Also her hair is really pretty and colourful and I really like tying it up. I'd give it 100 out of 10. I really want to get another Heartfuls doll now.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "A soft, cuddly fashion doll that does SO much more —it comes with a Heartfuls Happiness Toolkit that helps kids feel confident — something which our child testers and their parents absolutely loved. We're glad to give the Gold award in this category to a toy that has such a positive message."

Available from Smyths Toys

Silver: Dress To Impress Mystery Model Dolls

My daughter has loved playing with the Dress To Impress models creating her own runway look, changing their clothes around and making her own themes and rating their looks out of 5 stars. She loves posing the models and getting creative. We now want to collect them all to create even more fashion looks.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "With 20 dolls to collect, there are endless opportunities for fashion fun with these dolls and our child judges loved creating their own runway looks. Each doll comes with its own unique personality and look inspired by the Roblox game, making this a must-have gift for any Dress To Impress fan."

Bronze: Dress To Impress Lana Fashion Doll

It’s so cool! It is so flexible, I can make it do lots of poses. It can also sit, it’s not like other dolls I’ve seen — this one can adjust its hips and knee. I love dressing it up, combing its hair and doing lots of cool poses.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Our child judges were so impressed by how fashionable and posable Lana was. We love how she brings the screen to life and provides plenty of play potential for fans of Dress To Impress. Our child judges had great fun making Lana the manicurist for their other dolls and then strutting them all down the catwalk, just like in the game."

Best baby doll

A timeless favourite, baby dolls help little ones express care and empathy through nurturing play. From realistic movements to interactive sounds, they spark imagination while supporting social and emotional development.

Our testers spent hours feeding, dressing and cuddling their dolls, while parents considered durability, ease of play and lasting appeal. These dolls are designed to be loved day after day.

Gold: Baby Annabell Interactive Doll

Baby Annabell offers a very rich, interactive play experience. My daughter has played with her for hours, she takes her out in a pram, she puts her to sleep in a bed or a cot and has even introduced her baby to her baby brother. She’s taking role playing very seriously and you can see that she’s having a lot of fun and enjoying pretending to be a mum.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Baby Annabell has been entertaining children for years and she continues to offer an exciting and immersive play experience for kids — our child judges loved the realistic elements and endless play potential with the doll."

Silver: BABY born Emily walk with me

My daughter couldn’t be happier, she asks for her ‘Emily’ doll when she gets in the car as soon as I pick her up from preschool. Emily has come to parties, swimming lessons, ballet class and even the park — she’s a firm member of the family now! My daughter even asked if the doll was real! I love that it’s bigger and more realistic than a standard doll, with great features such as moving eyelids, walking, crawling and life-like sounds.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Our testers had endless hours of fun with Emily, watching her crawl around and even helping her take her first steps. We love this charming and interactive update to a classic toy — and so did our child testers."

Best action figure

Action figures bring adventure to life — these toys encourage storytelling, active play and creativity, making them favourites for imaginative kids who love hands-on fun.

Our testers put each figure through its paces, testing how exciting they were to play with. Parents also looked at build quality, durability and replay value.

Gold: Heroes of Goo Jit Zu Meteor Madness GooTron Supreme

Kian was very impressed with this toy. He loved being able to choose his hero and would play with it over and over again! His favourite part was the fact that the toy was so stretchy. On pulling the toy out of the box Kian said 'no way, this is awesome!' so he was definitely satisfied!

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Fans of Goo Jit Zu will be thrilled with this interactive 3-in-1 action figure. With over 35 phrases and sounds, 3 different goo fillings and the ability to stretch it 3 times its size — this is seriously one impressive toy!"

Silver: JURASSIC WORLD RUMBLE 'N RAMPAGE Distortus rex

Our daughter loved, loved, loved this dinosaur toy! Not only is it a realistic-looking dinosaur, but it also makes roaring noises and it moves around when a button is pushed. It’s been good fun watching her play and pretending there is a real dinosaur in the house.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "It will be hard not to believe that there is a real dinosaur prowling around with this Jurassic World toy. This dinosaur is an incredibly realistic and exciting figure which dino and Jurassic World fans will absolutely love — you can also use an app for extra AR activities to increase the play potential even more."

Bronze: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers Re-Ignition Action Figure Ultimate Megazord

If you have a child that loves the Power Rangers and action figures then I think the play potential for this toy is high. My son has been using it for imaginative play and setting up games with his other figures. The possibilities here are only limited by imagination.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Our testers were so excited to play with this interactive action figure — it has over 15 sounds and phrases, eyes that glow and is ready for battle with his signature Power Mega Sword — perfect for Power Rangers fans."

Best soft toy

Every child needs a soft, cuddly companion — from classic teddies to quirky plush characters that make you smile. Soft toys bring warmth, comfort and companionship and they often become friends for life.

Our child testers cuddled, carried and played with a range of plush toys, judging their softness, cuteness and fun factor. Parents also reviewed design, material quality and fed back on which toys became fast favourites.

Gold: Fuggler

My son really enjoyed this Fuggler and took it to bed each night to snuggle. He thought the button on the bum was absolutely hilarious and was fascinated by the teeth and eyes.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "While they might not be for everyone, we're big fans of Fugglers, with each one being a little bit stranger than the one before. We love their human teeth, button butt and all their peculiarities, and how they celebrate weirdness. Deffo one for the anti-plush kid!"

Silver: cuddle+kind - Kelsie the pony

When Jonah first saw Kelsie the Pony his face lit up and he lifted her above his head and then laid down on top of her, this is definitely a good sign as only the best cuddly toys get belly flopped around here! He really liked the bigger size compared to his other cuddly toys and found it easy to move around and the softness seemed to please him.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "Kelsie the Pony has stunning intricate details, quality materials and is beautifully soft and cuddly. She really is designed to be timeless and we love that this is a plush that will last throughout childhood and beyond."

Available from cuddle+kind

Bronze: Snackles Disney 5-inch Plush by ZURU

The Snackles Disney blind capsule is a well-made little toy that brings together fun and the magic of Disney. My daughter loved the reveal moment and the recognisable character and I liked that it was good quality, soft and didn't come with loads of pieces and cost the earth.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "It's hard not to love Disney soft toys and we really love the Snackles series — they're ultra-soft, squeezable and each beloved character is holding a sweet treat or snack. Plus, the surprise and collectible elements of the series make them a great value winner."

Shortlisted: Sesame Street Cookie Monster Basic Feature Plush by Just Play | Chicco First Dreams Purring Cat Plush Toy

Best mindful soft toy

A new category for 2025, this year we were really impressed by the efforts brands are making to create soft toys that do even more than provide a cuddly companion. These plush toys are designed to comfort, calm and support children’s emotional wellbeing — encouraging relaxation, empathy and mindfulness through gentle features and thoughtful design.

Our child testers loved their soothing glow, gentle textures and reassuring presence, while parents praised their quality, educational value and ability to support Mental, Emotional and Social Health (MESH). Here are the 2025 winners.

Gold: Hug-A-Lumps (Small) by ZURU

My daughter has absolutely loved her 'Bob the Blobfish'... She’s been very anxious lately due to problems at school and she’s found Bob very comforting. She’s been holding onto him as much as possible and has wanted him to come with her whenever she leaves the house. His weight makes him extra comforting and she has been falling asleep cuddling him.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "We absolutely love the Hug-A-Lumps series — a collection of soft toys that perfectly blend cuddly and calming traits. Our child judges fell in love with this super-soft weighted plush and we were so impressed that the small plushes managed to calm and support them through anxious moments."

Silver: SNUGSHINE - Glimmer the Glowing Unicorn Plush Set

I like when Glimmer lights up because she keeps me safe. She has stopped me feeling scared at night. I love her torch because I like the stories that come with it. I want to keep her forever.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "We were blown away by our child testers' response to Glimmer the Glowing Unicorn. This very special unicorn helps children feel brave and secure in the dark as well as sparking imagination and providing a soft, comfortable unicorn to cuddle."

Bronze: Heartfuls Dolls

It's lovely to see a doll for children with a focus on positivity, mindfulness and building resilience. The detail is really great, for example her jacket says 'you can do it' promoting a positive message and the heart cards for the keyrings say 'be kind' and 'shine bright'.

MadeForMums Toy Awards Team say: "As the parent of our child judge said above, it's really great to see a soft toy for kids focus on really positive and important messages. The added features included, such as a journal, positivity wheel, calming bracelet and confidence card, mean that this is a really great toy that helps kids feel confident and express themselves."

Available from Smyths Toys

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