The 10 Best LOL Surprise Dolls

For a child who wants one particular doll rather than a mystery, the LOL Surprise OMG Candylicious is a sound place to start. She is a full fashion doll with rooted pastel hair, a poseable body, a tiny pet and a hairbrush, and the window box shows exactly who you're getting. Her clothes swap with other OMG dolls. The catch is that there's no layered unboxing, which is half the fun of the brand for some kids.

The LOL Surprise Mermaids Baby Sisters ball is the classic blind pack at a small price. Inside is a little doll with a mermaid tail that shifts color in cold water, plus a few sea-themed accessories, and the shell-shaped ball reopens as a carry case and display. There are eight to collect, so you can't choose who arrives. Made for Mums' toy testers found that color-change dolls reacted only to ice-cold water, so lukewarm tap water may disappoint.

Each LOL Strawberry Shortcake Tots doll smells like the fruit she's named for, so a sniff hints at who's inside before the last layer comes off. The crossover nods to the 1980s cartoon many parents remember. The red ball opens into a small two-room house with a kitchen and a bedroom, which gives the doll and her pet a place to live afterward. The shoes and hat are tiny and easy to lose.

Every LOL Surprise Music Festival doll is styled after a kind of music, from K-pop and Latin to country and pop punk, and she arrives with a miniature vinyl record of her made-up album. It's an inexpensive way into the brand's current wave, and the pink disco-ball case is worth keeping for display. There are eight genres to collect and a rare shiny ball to hunt for. The pieces are small, so keep them away from toddlers.

Built for a birthday, the LOL Surprise Big Party box holds four dolls and a heap of outfits and accessories hidden behind six different ways to unbox. Kids crunch beads, smash a thin shell, squish gel balls and dig through sand, fluff and confetti to reach everything. Expect a long, messy afternoon. Once the wrappers are gone, what's left can feel thin for the price, because the dolls are the small kind.

Tweens are the middle sisters of the LOL family, and the LOL Surprise Tweens Freshest doll suits a kid who has outgrown tiny balls but isn't ready for a full fashion doll. She's poseable, wears a denim look with long blue-and-black braids, and comes with sunglasses, a hairbrush and a little journal. The box still opens in stages, so some of the surprise remains. Only a couple were left in stock when we checked, so the price could climb.

Sanrio fans can pick a favorite: the LOL Surprise OMG Hello Kitty doll is one of four, alongside Kuromi, My Melody and Cinnamoroll, and each comes in a window box with no guessing. She has a poseable body, brushable hair and a blue skirt-and-jacket outfit topped with Hello Kitty's red bow. There's no doll stand in the box, and her hair can look choppy at the ends, which matters to kids who style it a lot.

A handy stocking stuffer, the LOL Surprise Eye Spy Pets pack hides a small pet in a ball of sand, with clues and accessories to dig out along the way. Dipping the pet in cold water brings out hidden colors, and they stay put until it's warmed up again. There are eight to find, and a rare puppy comes in a gold ball. The sand gets everywhere, and a pet this tiny can vanish under a couch.

Kids who like doing hair get plenty to work with on the LOL Big Baby Splash Queen, a large doll with thick, rooted blue and pink hair. She comes with scrunchies, clips and a brush, plus a tiara and earrings that a child can wear too, and a small backpack holds it all afterward. Only two characters exist in this line, and the price is steep for one doll and a bag of accessories.

The LOL Surprise Crack the Code set turns unboxing into a puzzle: kids follow a chain of clues to open a padlock-shaped case, then find three exclusive dolls and dozens of small surprises inside. The case has a handle and keeps everything together afterward. It suits a patient child of school age who enjoys codes and secrets. Interest can fade within a few days once every compartment is open, and there are many loose pieces to track.