10 Best Lifelike Dolls 2024 in the United States

“Reborn dolls”, or realistic lifelike dolls, can either be produced by a doll artist by hand or manufactured. The best lifelike dolls are created with an eye towards recreating even the most minute details: creases and veins showing through a newborn’s delicate skin, hair that can even be combed and styled, and even birthmarks and other imperfections.

Lifelike dolls can be more than just an item to develop a child’s imagination and sense of nurturing. They can also be used for therapy in families who have recently lost a child, to ease the sense of loss. Even mothers whose children are all married purchase lifelike dolls to recreate the excitement of having a newborn in the house. And reborn babies are used in therapy for elderly Alzheimer’s patients, to reduce stress and help them remember the years that they raised their own children.

We’ll go through some of the items in the MSN list of the top 10 lifelike dolls. We’ll see that even the more modestly-priced dolls can have surprisingly accurate features!

What Types of Lifelike Dolls Are There?

We can distinguish between lifelike dolls depending on whether you intend them for a toddler to pretend-play, or whether it’s for a doll collector, or for some sort of display.

• For collectors: There are lifelike dolls that can range in price from $200 to $1000! There are “reborn” dolls, and “realborn” dolls:

  • Reborn dolls can be made by a sculptor carving the details of a lifelike baby into clay. Vinyl is then melted on the clay form, leaving the details in vinyl parts which can then be assembled. Another artist then paints the vinyl parts, adding lines, eyebrows, veins, complexion, hair, and the like, until achieving a realistic result. There are also kits of vinyl parts that can be bought, and an artist works directly with the vinyl.

  • Realborn dolls are made by first making a 3D scan of a real baby, which is then printed out with a 3D printer and painted by a painting artist.

• For children: The MSN list of the top 10 Best Lifelike Dolls includes dolls that are mass-produced, but still have amazing lifelike detail. They usually are anywhere from $50-$100 and will vary greatly in their realism. Some will have the hair painted on, while others will use hair that is either glued on or implanted in roots.

We can also distinguish between the material of lifelike dolls:

• Silicone: The collector’s item dolls are usually made from silicone. The substance responds like human skin more than other materials. However, customers notice that silicone can become tacky. One solution is applying baby powder on the doll around once a week. One silicone doll with high ratings from customers includes the Ocsdoll Reborn 22” Baby Doll.

Ocsdoll Reborn 22” Baby Doll

• Vinyl: Vinyl is more durable than silicone, in that silicone can tear if you bend or stretch it. It is also significantly cheaper. There is a proprietary vinyl used by the company Paradise Galleries, called Gentletouch, which is intended for use in lifelike dolls. An example of a vinyl doll that is less elaborate than the Gentletouch doll is the Jizhi 20” Reborn Baby doll.

Jizhi 20” Reborn Baby Doll

• Vinyl/Silicone blend: There are also dolls made from a vinyl/silicone blend. (Paradise Galleries makes such a blend for their dolls, which they market as Flextouch.) It has the springy behavior of silicone, but is also durable, like vinyl. One doll that uses a vinyl/silicone blend is the Zimtown Real Newborn 22” Lifelike Baby Doll.

Zimtown Real Newborn 22” Lifelike Baby Doll

What Are the Characteristics of a Good Quality Lifelike Doll?

There are variations between lifelike dolls, which you may want to consider when selecting one:

• Hair: In some lifelike dolls, the “hair” is simply painted onto the doll’s head. This seems less realistic, but at least it is easier to maintain. There are also dolls with either synthetic or mohair. It can be glued onto the baby, or hand-rooted (inserted by hand with a needle into the doll’s head).

• Weighted Dolls: Some dolls are weighted so that they weigh as much as a newborn, or a 3-month-old baby. For instance, the Aori Lifelike Realistic Reborn Baby Doll weighs 4 pounds, and comes with preemie diapers and a set of baby clothes! This is a plus for dolls used for therapy. But, if the doll is intended for children, you have to make sure that the doll isn’t too heavy. Even a doll that’s over 2 pounds may be too heavy for a toddler.

Aori Lifelike Weighted Realistic Reborn Baby Doll

• Washable: Many vinyl and silicone dolls are washable. However, take note that some dolls are partly made from cloth. These dolls can’t be immersed in water. Instead, they should only be spot-cleaned with a damp cloth. One example is the Kadell 22” Reborn Newborn Baby Realike Doll.

Kadell 22” Reborn Newborn Baby Realike Doll

What Accessories Should I Look For When Buying a Lifelike Doll?

There are accessories that may come with a lifelike doll that you purchase. (You can also find baby accessories among the MSN buying guides.)

• Magnetic pacifier: Some dolls have a magnetic pacifier that fits perfectly into the doll’s mouth. Reviewers noted that vinyl dolls are more durable than silicone, and that’s reflected in the fact that using a pacifier on a silicone doll might tear it over time. Vinyl dolls stand up better to wear and tear.

• Birth certificate: There are customers who are impressed with the addition of a “birth certificate” that comes with the doll. It looks much like the birth certificate that you receive at the hospital, with footprints of the newborn!

• Poseable: Some of the dolls in the MSN Top 10 are poseable: you can sit them up, as well as put them to sleep. They also have eyes that open and close. You can also select outfits and bedding that suit the reborn baby.

• Touch-activated: There are high-end touch-activated battery-operated dolls, such as those by Ashton Drake. They even have a heartbeat, and are capable of breathing and uttering cooing sounds!

Ashton Drake Katie So Truly Real - 19" Baby Doll

Wrap Up

We’ve taken a look at some of the offerings in the MSN Top 10 Lifelike dolls, as well as the more extravagant models. A lifelike doll can be educational for young children, teaching them about the body parts, and how to care for an infant, and can prepare them for the arrival of a younger sibling. Lifelike dolls try to maintain the exact proportions of a newborn or 3-6-month old. And you can buy outfits that fit the reborn, exactly as you would for a new arrival!