Streetwear & Collectibles Authentication Specialist
Streetwear authentication specialist. Focuses on print quality, tagging, and seasonal production codes.
Published September 2026 · Contact
Why Labubu Fakes Are Caught on the Figure, Not the Box
Labubu, the grinning, rabbit-eared monster Kasing Lung created for The Monsters, became Pop Mart's best-selling character when the plush-and-vinyl pendant series took off in 2024 and 2025. Sell-outs, blind-box odds and resale prices several times retail created a counterfeit market big enough to earn its own nickname: the "Lafufu".
The angle of this guide is simple. Counterfeiters put most of their effort into the box, because the box is what a buyer sees in a listing photo, and they can reuse genuine box label codes. The figure itself is harder to copy: a vinyl face with exactly nine teeth, stamped feet, a sewn tag printed at fine resolution, and dense, even fur. Those are the checks that hold up.
What to check, ranked by reliability
| Checkpoint | Reliability | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The Face: Nine Teeth, Eyes and Paint | ★★★★★ | A standard Labubu face with eight or ten teeth is not genuine, whatever the box says. |
| 2. The Feet: Pop Mart Stamp and UV Mark | ★★★★★ | A missing left-foot logo, or no UV mark on a series that carries one, rejects the figure. |
| 3. The Sewn Tag and Care Label | ★★★★★ | Rounded, blurry tag lettering and blotchy care-label digits are hard for cheap production to avoid. |
| 4. The Fur and Body Construction | ★★★★★ | Coarse, clumpy pile and loose seams point to a fake; confirm with the face and feet. |
| 5. The Box and the Box Label Code | ★★★★★ | A genuine code proves the box label, not the figure; codes are reused and boxes refilled. |
| Series Reference Before You Start | ★★★★★ | Tells you which stamps and packaging to expect; will not catch a fake on its own. |
Worth knowing
Our photo comparisons in this guide come from a real-vs-fake set of close-ups of the Exciting Macaron and Have a Seat series, not from LuxeDetect orders. They are low-resolution crops, so use them to see the *kind* of difference to look for, and compare your own item against a genuine example of the same series.
Series Reference Before You Start
Know which release you are looking at before you judge any detail, because stamps and packaging changed between series.
- Exciting Macaron (2023): vinyl-face pendants in pastel "macaron" colours. The box front reads "Vinyl Face".
- Have a Seat (2024): seated vinyl-face plush pendants. This series carries the UV-reactive mark on the right foot.
- Big Into Energy (2025): the later vinyl-face pendant series, released after the resale boom began.
- Large plush and full-vinyl figures: bigger, non-blind-box pieces, including the large "Time to Chill" style seated figures and collaboration editions.
Pop Mart says that everything sold through its own website, its stores, its ROBOSHOP vending machines and its authorised online platforms is genuine. Any other source is where authentication matters.
The Face: Nine Teeth, Eyes and Paint
The vinyl face is the single most reliable place to start. Genuine Labubus have nine teeth, evenly spaced along the smile, each a clean white point. Fakes are frequently reported with eight or ten, or with teeth that are uneven in size or spacing.
| Detail | Authentic | Counterfeit |
|---|---|---|
| Teeth | Nine, evenly spaced and sized | Often eight or ten, uneven spacing |
| Eyes | Glossy, set into the vinyl, hard to pry out | Duller, sometimes look stuck on |
| Blush | Soft airbrushed cheeks blended into the face | Heavy, saturated circles with hard edges |
| Face tone | Even, matte skin tone | Paler or patchy, sometimes glossy |
| Paint edges | Crisp around mouth and eyes | Overspray, bleeding, or wobbly lines |
Red flag
Count the teeth before anything else. A standard Labubu face with eight or ten teeth is not genuine, whatever the box and code say.
The Feet: Pop Mart Stamp and UV Mark
Turn the figure over. Genuine vinyl-face Labubus carry a Pop Mart logo on the left foot, printed or moulded cleanly. Many releases from 2024 onward, including the whole Have a Seat series, add a UV-reactive mark on the right foot that is invisible in daylight and glows under a black light (a UV torch or a gel-nail lamp works).
| Detail | Authentic | Counterfeit |
|---|---|---|
| Left foot | Clean Pop Mart logo, sharp edges | Missing, smudged, or wrong font |
| Right foot under UV | Mark appears on series that have it | Nothing appears, or the mark shows in daylight |
| Foot joints | Feet sit fixed in their pose | Feet can spin a full 360 degrees |
Red flag
No UV mark on a Have a Seat Labubu under a black light means the figure is not genuine. Only use this test on series that are known to carry the mark; earlier releases such as Exciting Macaron may not have it.
The Sewn Tag and Care Label
The fabric tag and the care label are printed text on woven fabric, which is exactly where cheap production shows. On a genuine tag, the "POP MART" band and the "© Kasing" line are sharp and evenly inked.
The care label tells the same story in its small print. Genuine labels print the standard numbers, the dates and the "100%" material line in clean, consistent type. The fake below renders the same text blurrier, and the digit shapes differ.
| Detail | Authentic | Counterfeit |
|---|---|---|
| Tag material | Woven fabric tag | Sometimes a paper or thin satin tag |
| "POP MART" letters | Sharp corners, even stroke | Rounded, thicker, uneven |
| "© Kasing" line | Crisp | Soft or smeared |
| Care label digits | Clean, consistent font | Blotchy, different digit shapes |
Worth knowing
Compare against a genuine tag from the same series. Tag wording and layout vary between releases, so a difference in layout alone is not a fail; the print quality is what matters.
The Fur and Body Construction
Genuine Labubu plush uses a dense, fine pile with a slight sheen that lies evenly across the body. Fakes more often use a coarser, clumpy pile that separates into visible tufts.
Check the seams and the proportions too. Genuine stitching is small and mostly hidden in the pile, and the ears, arms and feet sit close to the body. Fakes tend to show looser stitching and wider gaps where the ears and feet join.
Worth knowing
Fur colour shifts with lighting and camera, so do not judge colour from a listing photo. Texture and density are more reliable than shade.
The Box and the Box Label Code
Every genuine blind box carries a Box Label Code under a scratch-off coating. Scratch it off, then enter the code at Pop Mart's official verification page (m-gss.popmart.com, "QR Verify"), or scan the box's QR code. Only ever use a Pop Mart domain; fakes sometimes carry QR codes that point to lookalike sites.
Pop Mart's page returns one of three genuine results:
- "Genuine – First scan": the code is genuine and has never been checked.
- "Genuine – Multiple scans": the code is genuine but has been checked before.
- "Genuine – Exceeded maximum scan count limit": the code is genuine and has been checked many times.
A "multiple scans" or "exceeded" result is normal on a resale box, but it is also what you would see if a genuine code has been copied onto many fake boxes.
Worth knowing
A genuine code proves the box label, not the figure inside. Counterfeiters reuse genuine codes, and a genuine box can be refilled with a fake. Treat the code as a first filter, then check the figure.
The box print itself is weaker evidence. Genuine boxes use matte, textured card with saturated, sharp printing. Fakes tend to be smoother or glossier, and their fine print breaks down under magnification.
Quick Authentication Checklist
- Identify the series (Exciting Macaron, Have a Seat, Big Into Energy, or a large figure).
- Count the teeth: nine, evenly spaced.
- Check the eyes, blush and paint edges on the face.
- Find the Pop Mart logo on the left foot.
- Shine a UV light on the right foot, if the series should carry the mark.
- Inspect the sewn tag and care label print under good light.
- Feel and photograph the fur up close.
- Verify the Box Label Code on Pop Mart's own site, and note which result you get.
A wrong tooth count or a missing UV mark on a series that should have one is enough on its own. Two or more softer failures (tag print, fur, box print) mean you should walk away or get a second opinion.
When to Get a Professional Opinion
Labubu fakes improved quickly once prices rose, and the best copies now get the tooth count and the left-foot logo right. Where the figure passes the obvious checks but something still feels off (a fresh "first scan" code on an old series, a price well under market, a seller with many identical "sealed" boxes), a second pair of eyes is worth it.
LuxeDetect authenticates Pop Mart figures from photos, from $9 with a 24-hour turnaround, and every verdict comes with a Certificate of Authenticity you can share with a buyer or a marketplace. See our Pop Mart authentication page for the photos we need: the figure from every side, both feet, and the tag.
FAQ
How can I tell if my Labubu is real?
Count the teeth first: a genuine Labubu has nine, evenly spaced. Then check for the Pop Mart logo on the left foot, the UV mark on the right foot for series that have it, the print quality of the sewn tag, and the Box Label Code on Pop Mart's official verification page.
How many teeth does a real Labubu have?
Nine. Fakes are often reported with eight or ten, or with uneven teeth. Count them on a clear, straight-on photo of the face.
What is a Lafufu?
"Lafufu" is the collectors' nickname for a counterfeit Labubu. The term spread in 2025 as fakes flooded marketplaces during the resale boom.
Does a genuine QR or box code mean my Labubu is real?
No. It proves the box label is genuine. Counterfeiters reuse genuine codes and put fake figures in genuine boxes, so always check the figure itself as well.
What does "multiple scans" mean on Pop Mart's verification page?
It means the code is genuine but has been checked before. That is common on resale items, but many repeat scans can also mean a genuine code has been copied onto several boxes.
Where is the UV mark on a Labubu?
On the right foot of many releases from 2024 onward, including Have a Seat. It is invisible in daylight and appears under a black light. Earlier series may not have it, so absence is only meaningful on a series known to carry it.
Where is it safe to buy a Labubu?
Pop Mart guarantees items bought from its own website, its stores, ROBOSHOP vending machines and its authorised online platforms. Everything bought elsewhere, including resale apps and marketplaces, should be checked.
