Bratz Babyz Series 1 Dolls: A Lookin' Bratz Review!

Bratz Babyz 2024 Yasmin, Cloe, Sasha, and Jade

Hey Babyz!

Back in January 2023, the official Bratz Instagram page surveyed fans to gauge interest in a Bratz Babyz reboot. News on a Babyz reboot had been static up until last June when a Target inventory listing for Babyz Cloe popped up, which indicated that a Bratz Babyz reboot was on the way. It would be another six months—three weeks ago, to be exact—that another update about the Babyz reboot would come. Amazon listings for the core four Babyz were posted early-to-mid December, followed by stock pictures just a little over a week later. Twenty years after their initial launch and fifteen after their discontinuation, the Bratz Babyz are back on the market and to their roots!

The Bratz team at MGA Entertainment was kind enough to send me the full set of the Bratz Babyz 2024 reproductions, which are a near-exact replica of the very-first Babyz line from 2004! Keep reading for a detailed review on the new Bratz Babyz dolls, including tons of pictures plus details on the dolls’ fashions, faces, and accessories!

THE PACKAGING

The packaging for the Bratz Babyz reboot dolls are exactly the same as the original dolls, though there are slight updates to match MGA’s current packaging guidelines. The Babyz boxes are an asymmetrical trapezoid shape, with the top being angled and complimented with a diaper pin-shaped handle. The handle has a small booklet attached to it featuring the original promotional pictures of the Bratz Babyz, which mimics the original booklet from 2004. In the box is, of course, the doll. Each doll is displayed to the right of the packaging where the highest tip of the trapezoid is, while the accessories are placed to the left. The accessories consist of a blanket and flocked icon pet, as well as “baby bottle bling” that is wrapped around each doll. The cardboard popouts are nearly the same as the original dolls, but have additional languages like most other Bratz releases in recent years. Each character’s name is printed directly on the packaging’s plastic shell, and the artwork of each character and their respective icon pet is featured on the attached cardboard piece at the bottom. The back of each box features the same artwork with an additional blurb about the Bratz Babyz line. The colors used for the character names, cardboard popouts, logos, and other respective assets are changed between characters; Yasmin’s color palette is purple and green, Cloe’s is blue and pink, Sasha’s is orange and blue, and Jade’s is green and pink. A random thing I noticed is that Sasha’s blanket, which is reversible (blue and orange), showcases the blue side in the box while the original box features the orange side.

I have alwayz been a fan of Bratz Babyz packaging and these are a perfect replica of the original boxes! I love how the boxes are uniform yet there are small differences made in color schemes to adapt to each girls’ individuality. The addition of the booklet really takes me back to the mid-2000s—oh, how I wish Bratz (and dolls generally) still came with those mini catalogues! The presentation of each Babyz doll is beautifully nostalgic and there isn’t anything I dislike about it. Swipe through the gallery to check out the packaging, plus you can find barcodes at the end!


THE DOLLS, FASHIONS, ‘N’ FACES

Each Bratz Babyz is dressed in a t-shirt and diaper-esque underwear that corresponds with their respective color palettes. Yasmin’s fashion palette is composed of purple, dark pink, and green; Cloe’s is composed of blue, green, and pink; Sasha’s is composed of blue and orange; Jade’s is composed of baby pink and red. Each t-shirt features a graphic of the characters’ respective icon pets and names. Yasmin’s graphic is her frog “[Pretty] Princess”, Cloe’s is her flying pig “Angel”, Sasha’s is her bunny “Bunny Boo”, and Jade’s is her cat “Kool Kat”. The fashions are exact replicas of their original outfits from 2004, though I will note that some of the clothing seems a bit bigger than the OGs—this seems to be a common issue for most Bratz reproductions, but not a big issue in this case. Similar to how I feel about the packaging, I have no complaints about the fashions and love that each character’s personality is represented in a simplified way. I should mention that the reproductions do not come with the diaper bags that the originals came with, but I personally do not consider this a huge loss because it was likely excluded to keep the prices down. Additionally, I love how—for the most part—the Babyz color palettes are derivative of their First Edition dolls. I have included side-by-side pictures further down in the article that shows the color palette similarities!

Moving on to the dolls’ faces, there is not much to say. Unsurprisingly, the Babyz use the original 2004 Babyz head sculpt. I am not exactly sure which face application method is used for the Babyz, but I am going to guess that it is a combination of the tampo/sticker/stamp method (eyes) and spray (lips). The eyes have a slightly different shine when the light hits their faces compared to the original Babyz, which makes me suspect they are stamped. I feel like the Babyz faces are the most spot-on out of all the Bratz reproductions since 2021, so I am completely okay with them using the stamp method for these! The Babyz faces (specifically the eye area) are flatter than a normal Bratz head, so using the stamp method isn’t too risky in this case. However, I have seen some people receive Babyz with wonky-ish face placement, so it might be good to be cautious of this if you are purchasing. A random thought is that I really adore Sasha’s makeup palette; blues and reds compliment Sasha incredibly well and I’d love to see MGA incorporate more of these colors into her regular dolls’ palettes!

THE ACCESSORIES

As mentioned previously, each Bratz Babyz comes with a flocked icon pet and blanket. The characters’ Petz were introduced with the Babyz line in 2004 and became staples in other spinoffs like Bratz Petz, Itsy Bitsy Bratz, and Bratz Lil’ Angelz. Yasmin’s pet frog is named Pretty Princess, Cloe’s flying pig is named Angel, Sasha’s bunny is named Bunny Boo, and Jade’s cat is named Kool Kat—each pet is designed and named after the original Bratz dolls’ nicknames, except for Cloe’s pig who was designed to fit the “Angel” nickname for the Babyz line. Each Babyz also comes with a blanket—Yasmin has a pink blanket with a light pink faux-fur trim, Cloe has a dark pink blanket with a blue faux-fur trim, Sasha has a reversible blanket that is blue on one side and orange on the other with a white faux-fur trim, and Jade has a yellow blanket with a light yellow faux-fur trim. Sasha’s blanket surprised me because it was reversible, but apparently this is the same thing that was done with the original! Of course, each Babyz has a baby bottle attached to a chain that they wear as a crossbody. Unlike the dog tag chains used on the original Babyz, the new Babyz use a metal necklace chain with a real metal clasp. I prefer this new baby bottle chain over the original as it is longer, thus making it easier to reattach around the Babyz body whereas I used to struggle connecting the old dog tag chains because they were shorter. Check the gallery for a comparison photo!

THE HAIR

It’s plastic. Okay, in all actuality, I will address the Elegant Elephant in the room. Some people were expecting reproductions of dolls from the Hair Flair era for some reason. I personally feel like this was an unrealistic expectation when Bratz has consistently been faithful to reproductions when it comes to their “first-ever” dolls, so I didn’t think the Babyz would be an exception. While I love the Babyz dolls with real hair, the price point of the dolls we got was a big giveaway that these would be reproductions of the original plastic-haired core four. I would love to see Babyz with real hair on the market again, but the plastic hair is likely easier to produce and less risky for a sub-brand just getting its pegs wet again. If there’s enough support and demand for Babyz, maybe we’ll see real hair again in the future! For now, let’s enjoy what we’re getting.

On to the actual hair that the 2024 Babyz have, each character has pigtails with molded-on hair ties/scrunchies that match their color palettes. Cloe and Yasmin have curly pigtails, Sasha has afro puffs, and Jade has straight pigtails. The “elastics” mimic hair ties with ornaments attached and Jade has additional hair chopsticks. Just like the original dolls, the hair pieces are removeable.

THE BODIES

Each Bratz Babyz doll uses the standard Bratz Babyz body introduced in 2004. Unlike most other Bratz and some of its spinoffs (such as Kidz), the Babyz have molded feet and toes while regular Bratz have removeable feet/shoes and typically do not have molded toes. A cute feature is that the fingernails and toenails are painted! Also, to clarify, these are not Bratz Big Babyz. These are normal-sized Bratz Babyz. Check out the gallery for comparison pictures next to standard Bratz dolls!

WHERE TO BUY

If you are wondering where to buy the Bratz Babyz 2024 dolls, they are slowly releasing both in stores and online starting now! According to the announcement made by the official Bratz Instagram page, the dolls will be sold at Target stores and select (meaning not all) Walmart stores in the United States as well as their respective online platforms. The dolls will also be sold online on Amazon.com, Bratz.com, and LOLSurprise.com—please note that the Bratz and L.O.L. Surprise! websites are MGA’s official direct-to-buy websites.

I do not have any information about where the Bratz Babyz dolls will be sold outside of the United States nor will I be able to post about it. My best advice is to contact local retailers to see if they’ll be selling them, especially if those retailers sold any other Bratz releases in the past few years! Fans in other countries are often advised by other international fans to order directly from Amazon US and have the products imported. International fans also have the option of checking the retailers listed on MGA Entertainment’s Where To Buy webpage or contacting their international offices for more info. I recently surveyed international fans across my social platforms to see where they have been able to buy Bratz dolls in recent years, so I will be compiling this information into a reference list for international fans. I am hoping to finish this list in the near future and have it posted to LookinBratz.com, but please be patient as I have hundreds of responses to sort through!

The dolls retail for $12.99 USD each; please ignore prices that are higher than this on websites like Amazon and Walmart—these websites allow third-party sellers to sell on their platforms and any prices higher than the retail price are from these sellers, not from the retailers directly. Also, please have patience when it comes to the Bratz Babyz and Alwayz Bratz releases! These dolls are not sold out at all! These are mass-produced dolls (NOT a limited release) and there are more than enough to go around. These are just making their way to stores and retailers may have limited stock to begin with, but be patient as they receive more stock. I would recommend giving retailers till the end of January, or even till February, to get more stock. Again, just have patience!

Below is a list of some links for the Bratz Babyz 2024 dolls!

You can also find all of the Amazon listings for the Bratz Babyz, as well as Alwayz Bratz and other releases, in my Amazon storefront!

THE FUTURE OF BRATZ BABYZ

Just like any Bratz release, there are a lot of naysayers when it comes to the revival of Bratz Babyz. Some people are left wondering, “What’s the point of this?” On the flip side, I’m left wondering: Where do we go from here? The re-introduction of the Babyz on the modern toy market is a risky one, but it can definitely benefit from nostalgia seekers and possibly kids. Kids are currently in the L.O.L. Surprise! generation, another popular fashionable todder doll created by MGA Entertainment. Could Babyz be a competitor to its outrageous spiritual successor, or can both lines function well on the market at the same time? L.O.L. is known for dressing its characters in a mix of streetwear and costume-y styles, while Babyz is known for being derivative of Bratz and often imitating its primarily streetwear looks—though, in the later years of its original brand run, the Babyz would explore some fantastical themes. I do believe both can co-exist on the toy market without being competitors, but the competition will come naturally in the same way that Bratz is technically competing with other MGA fashion doll brands like L.O.L. Surprise! O.M.G. and Rainbow High while also competing with fashion dolls from other companies. It can be argued that Bratz and Bratz Babyz serve different purposes than its in-house competitors, with L.O.L. Surprise! and its spinoffs focusing on costume-y looks and re-focusing on gimmicks this upcoming year while Rainbow High has focused on replicating high-end designer looks and is re-shifting to appealing to a younger audience via slime gimmicks. At its core, Bratz is a streetwear-based fashion doll line and that is mostly the case with its various spinoffs including Babyz. Again, the competition between Babyz and L.O.L. can be natural but both brands do serve different purposes.

Drawing back to the original question of how Bratz Babyz can move forward from this release, I hope that we see more collections that re-introduce characters from the main lineup. I would love to see reproductions of characters like Meygan, Dana, Fianna, Tiana, and Cameron, as well as new designs for characters who did not receive standard Babyz dolls like Felicia, Dylan, Nevra, Kumi, and Kiana. Felicia has an unproduced doll that could fit perfectly with the lineup if MGA decides to pursue more basic Babyz! I would love to see MGA replicate the core series lineups they have done in the past two years for future Babyz.

A lot of fans are wondering if MGA will ever reproduce the Big Babyz, which could also be another venture for the sub-brand. Big Babyz reproductions are completely unconfirmed, but I don’t doubt that MGA would consider bringing them back if this round of Babyz performs well and there is enough demand for it. Interestingly enough, a listing in Target’s inventory system has confirmed that Mini Bratz Babyz will likely be coming out at some point this year. These will likely be miniature replicas of Bratz Babyz dolls from their original era (2004-2008). The capsules will retail for $9.99 USD, and will likely come with 2 mini dolls OR 1 doll and an accessory/playset. These will probably be mini figures similar to the current Mini Bratz lineup and NOT replicas of the Itsy Bitsy Bratz line. Only time will tell what the future of Bratz Babyz holds, but the possibilities are limitless if this release sells well and MGA is ready to re-invigorate the brand instead of strictly releasing reproductions.

OVERALL THOUGHTZ

Overall, I am completely satisfied with the new Bratz Babyz reproductions! When we first discovered that the Babyz were making a comeback, I was scared to see what the final products would look like. All of my fears have been washed away with this release and I am looking forward to seeing what the Bratz team and MGA can do with the brand in the future! Some people may not see the need for Bratz Babyz, some people may think the concept of Babyz wearing makeup is inappropriate… but, I disagree! The Bratz Babyz revival is a testament to how timeless the Babyz are and how popular they remain twenty years after their initial release. MGA wouldn’t just re-release twenty-year old dolls for no reason. There has clearly been demand from Babyz and this is a great way for the Bratz brand to expand the same way it did in the 2000s. I never thought we’d see Bratz Babyz back on shelves… literally ever, like I never thought it was a possibility. The Bratz brand continues to surprise us in its current era and I can’t wait to see what the future holds! On the topic of Babyz being controversial for its depiction of babies, please keep in mind that these are Bratz Babyz. Bratz are known for their exaggerated features, dramatic makeup, and fashion-forward clothing—it only makes sense that this would be reflected with the Babyz. If you are personally looking at the Bratz Babyz as inappropriate dolls, I challenge you to sit with those feelings and question why you feel that way.

Thank you again to MGA Entertainment for gifting me this set of Bratz Babyz dolls, and thank YOU—the reader—for reading this article about the collection!

I hope you keep checkin’ out Lookin’ Bratz for more news and reviews in the future! Make sure to check out my YouTube unboxing video for another look at the dolls and subscribe for more Bratz videos.

Stay tuned to LookinBratz.com for more news on the Girls with a Passion for Fashion, and make sure to check out Lookin’ Bratz on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, and TikTok for more scorchin’ Bratz content and news!

The year has just begun and there are more Bratz to come! You can keep up-to-date with all the latest and upcoming Bratz releases with the brand-new Bratz 2024 Masterpost! Till then…

xoxo

 
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