Table of Contents
What is the best doll house in the UK right now? That is the question this comprehensive product guide by Best For Mums aims to answer. We’ve been lucky to have been able to test over 30 different doll houses and we’ve whittled it down to a list of 10.
We’ve made sure there’s something for everyone so you’ll see the best wooden doll house, best barbie doll house and of course the best house for those on a budget.
- 10 accessories, but no dolls
- Superior attention to detail and craftsmanship
- Portable mini wooden dollhouse
- Available in various styles to suit your child, including house and castle
- Four stories plus attic
- High quality, eco-friendly house
- Dolls and accessories not included
Best Doll House Reviews
1. KidKraft Kaylee Wooden Dollhouse (3 Years+)
The Kaylee has four fully detailed and furnished rooms. The decor is somewhat old school but quite homely and colourful – more than enough to capture the imagination of your young child.
It is four foot tall so it is a considerable item. The whole doll house is made of real high quality and durable wood which is safe to touch and feels much nicer to play with. We also think this doll house is so good looking that it enhances the decor.
The Kaylee comes with 12 accessories but no dolls. The Kaylee is best suited for dolls around 12 inches tall, although the house would still work just as well with smaller dolls. Construction for the Kaylee is dead easy but time consuming so be sure to clear up a full afternoon to put together.
Overall, this doll house is simply superb. It is one of the cheapest of the KidKraft brand and is superior to any other budget brand doll houses out there. So, if you’re looking to get your little girl their first doll house but at the same time don’t want to buy one they’re going to be a bit meh about then this is the one. The attention to detail and craftsmanship is a joy to behold.
2. Mother and Baby Kids Wooden Dollhouse (3 Years+)
The Mother and Baby Kids Wooden Doll house is one of the best rated products on Amazon as it blends strong craftsmanship with bright and bold art that young children are drawn to and get engrossed by. The architecture of the house uses a lot of wooden spindles and balustrades to create a house that is both realistic, classy and fun. Each room is completely different and decorated to allow a greater level of imaginative play for your child.
It is 90cm in height which is 35.43 inches and just under three feet tall. The wood used is high quality and light – however, care must be given for children who prefer rough and boisterous play as it is not indestructible. It should take under an hour to assemble with a recommendation of 2 people to attempt it.
The pink accents, in our opinion, places this in the ‘feminine’ department so if a gender-neutral dollhouse is not what you’re after this is perfect. If you want a doll house that is decent in size and good quality but won’t break the bank this is perfect as not many ticks all three of those boxes.
Only quibbles we experienced with this is that some of the decor may be a little easy to peel off. Due to this product being an online exclusive there is not much of a case of try before you buy – however, full assembled images are available on Amazon as well as over 35 positive reviews from real purchasers.
Overall, the Mother and Baby Kids Wooden Doll house is definitely up there for traditional little girls. They won’t be disappointed and neither will consider it’s one of the best budget ‘big’ wooden dolls’ houses on the UK market.
3. Le Toy Van Palace House
The Palace House from Le Toy Van is a beautiful, traditional wooden doll house that could top any little boy’s or girl’s wishlist!
With four floors, plus an attic room, this is Le Toy Van’s largest dolls house yet. However, they have still maintained the superb attention to detail and high level of quality that is to be expected from their brand.
This palatial house includes a beautiful front porch, floral motif, staircases, loft ladder windows with functioning shutters. To enhance the royal feel, they’ve even added a touch of gold paint.
With so much space, your little one’s imagination is free to run wild. With neutral colours, this wooden dolls house is perfect for either a girl or a boy. Also, I personally love that you can open and close the whole front of the house. So when your child isn’t playing with it, you can close it all up and be left with a beautiful, tidy doll house.
For the eco-conscious parent, you’ll be happy to know that this doll house, as with all Le Toy Van wooden toys, is ethically made from sustainable materials. It also uses safe, non-toxic paints.
Unfortunately, this all comes at a fairly high price point. Plus it does not come with any dolls or accessories, which is a bit of a disappointment given the cost. However, there are many different accessories you can purchase depending on what your child is interested in, as well as a range of houses to suit many different budgets.
4. Complete Barbie Home Set with Dolls (3 Years+)
The images and the name of this product should tell you more about the product than we ever could. It’s a pink and flamboyant house made by the Barbie brand.
It has 4 rooms which are the kitchen, living room, bedroom and bathroom which are spread over two floors. The house is open plan and is missing walls that you’d expect from a wooden doll house or a more expensive one. Because of this, the decoration is a little bland in comparison to others which is to be expected for the price tag.
The Complete Barbie Home Set is 2 and a half feet tall and suitable to be on the floor or on the tabletop. The plastic material used makes it not as nice to touch but it does make it much lighter and tougher so it should last much longer. In comparison, this doll house weighs 4.65kg which can be almost half its wooden competitors.
Because it has three different furniture sets, this house has enhanced longevity to keep your child’s attention for longer. The three Barbie dolls included are themselves themed to help your child create their stories.
A big advantage to buying a Barbie branded dolls’ house is the ability to purchase more sets to expand the ‘universe’ whereas other dolls’ houses can’t. This means that they can get something to add to this on another occasion and it will essentially breathe new life to the house and give kids more than just house based scenarios.
This is the best barbie doll house on our list. Overall, if your child’s invested in Barbie already this is excellent and one of the cheapest ways to get them a doll house. Customer reviews have noted it’s excellent value for money and we would be inclined to agree with them.
5. Melissa and Doug Fold and Go Mini Dollhouse
If the big and brash doll house just isn’t what you’re after or something your child has never really cared for then why not try the gorgeous Melissa and Doug mini doll house. This is a stripped down and small wooden dollhouse that folds into a fully 3D doll house and opens up into a more traditional house.
It’s bare and very basic but it does have everything every other doll house has with the added benefit of portability so they can play anywhere without taking over the room and leaving a big mess. The house, furniture and the dolls are expertly crafted with love and bags of character.
Pick this up to take your child back to basics and save yourself a fortune. If they end up loving this then you’ll know if it’s ever worth investing in a more expensive model…and if they don’t then you’ve not spent much! This is one of the best doll houses for those who don’t want to go over the top and spoil their child with too much materialism and can set the tone for future toys, too. It’s also ideal for those who are space conscious at home as it’s small and packs away.
Overall, this is different and fantastic and there’s a clear reason why it has some of the most positive reviews online!
6. boppi Wooden Dolls House (3 Years+)
The boppi Wooden Dolls House is one of the biggest doll houses we’ve reviewed. Standing at 3.8 feet tall it’s one of the biggest ones. Even though it’s still suitable for 3 year olds please bare this in mind if you have a child that is on the short side as they may find themselves trying to stretch and climb.
The house itself is made out of MDF and vinyl- this means that they can cut the cost down to the end user. It’s a great house but we’d be lying if we said the drop in quality wasn’t noticeable over brands like KidKraft. The boppi Wooden Dolls House has 5 different rooms over 3 floors which on average is about one more room over competitors and a full floor. We’ve mentioned the drop in quality because of the materials but it certainly makes gains with more real estate.
However, the attention to detail in the decor is something else that’s noticeable. It has been nicely painted and every room is different but it is very basic without that extra finishing touch you’ll find in more expensive models – this is the recurring theme here – the price drops in exchange of quality and many parents will think it’s a good trade.
Included with the house which are Kitchen Table – 2 Kitchen Chairs – Bath – Toilet – Sofa (with cushion) – TV – TV Cabinet – Low Table – Lamp – Bed (with mattress cushion) – Dressing Table – Bedroom Chair – Access Ladders – Swimming Pool Roll Mat. There are no dolls, but that’s reasonable. This house has one of the simplest assembly and it can all be completed in just 9 steps.
Overall, this house may be a little on the basic side but you will certainly feel that your money worked hard for you. Will your children actually notice the drop in quality or will they be mesmerised by the size? Answers on a postcard please!
7. KidKraft Majestic Mansion (3 Years+)
The KidKraft majestic mansion is pretty much the best the brand has to offer. This stunning mansion has 8 rooms and 4 floors with a whopping 35 pieces of furniture making it the biggest and most engaging house we’ve reviewed. This is a great present for any child but perhaps even better for parents of two or more young girls who are close in age that can share the house or play with it at the same time.
The mansion itself is the same quality you’d expect from any KidKraft product which is amazing. The hand crafted wooden house is ultra detailed, strong and expertly put together – there are simply no faults in the quality here. KidKraft are known for attention to detail and you can definitely see it in their flagship model – every room looks ‘real’ and care has been given to every room’s decor almost making it into a house full of 8 mini houses. The 35 pieces of furniture take the house to the next level making the house capable of entertaining your children for years.
A review about this mansion couldn’t be done without mentioning the elephant in the room – the cost – but you get what you pay for with the house. It’s huge and detailed using premium products. If money was not a ranking factor then this house would be awarded the best with ease by every independent reviewer, including us.
Overall, the KidKraft majestic mansion needs to be seen to be believed. It is the mother of all doll houses and should keep children entertained for eternity. However, it is extremely expensive for a children’s today and it is big so make sure you know your child will make use of it and you have the space at home for it because there’s no folding this bad boy away.
8. Peppa Pig Deluxe Wooden Playhouse (3 Years+)
The Peppa Pig Deluxe Wooden Playhouse is the ultimate present to get a child of any gender who are already invested in the Peppa Pig universe. It is a somewhat faithful recreation of the Pig household from the show which allows your child to recreate episodes or even create some of their own using the included George and Peppa models.
Branding aside, this is still a top notch wooden household which is expertly crafted and beautifully detailed inside and out. 8 different rooms and 3 floors is very generous for the price and size but we feel that the room themselves are a bit cramped as a result. However, the dolls needed for the house are smaller. Your child probably won’t be able to use their own regular sized dolls with this house but being the Peppa Pig house we aren’t sure if they would even want to.
It’s easy to put together and it’s a robust house. It’s on the expensive side of the UK doll house market but that’s what happens with brand deals I’m afraid. An added bonus which you may or may not like as a parent are lullabies and lights – we found these to be unnecessary because in no circumstance did we use a doll house to put a child to sleep. Prepare to shop for loads of batteries for the rest of time with this but we guess you’re already used to this!
Overall, this is the best doll house for Peppa Pig fans – if your child is a fanatic then nothing else will do. However, if they’re not really into Peppa Pig then there are plenty of other choices we’d recommend above this one quite frankly. It is a good product, don’t get us wrong but the extra premium on the brand and the cramped rooms mark it down as we feel children will grow out of this product quickly.
9. KidKraft Princess Castle Wooden Dolls House (3 Years+)
The KidKraft Princess Castle is a fabulous dolls house for any girls who love all things pink, and it really is palacial.
With balconies, tall towers and even a stable for some horses, there is a lot to explore. Thanks to the hinged design, they can open it up as they wish when playing, and everything can also be rearranged to suit their eye for building detail.
It comes with horses, thrones, furniture and four five-inch dolls, making this more than just a dolls house, but a real royal experience fit for your own princess.
10. Chad Valley Designafriend Wooden Dolls House (3 Years+)
This Chad Valley Designafriend house is a little bland for our tastes but with it being a part of the ‘designafriend’ range it gives the end user the ability to customise the furniture a little bit more. This is great if you really want to allow your child to get their creative on.
The house’s rooms are also much larger than usual which to us gave it a much more realistic feel. The colouring is feminine as a base, however, so best for yhid
We don’t think it’s the best but we do feel like it’s an option for people after something a little niche or for those who are already aware of designafriend. It is a well made house with excellent materials and a reasonable price point. It’s also rather big standing at 3.5 feet so clear some space!
Children's Doll House Buyer's Guide
Before we reviewed any dolls’ house we started doing some research into what it takes to be the best dolls’ house. There are literally hundreds of different products in the UK at time of writing and narrowing it down to 10 is tough.
So, the Best For Mums staff came together to create this buyer’s guide to help ourselves determine the cream of the crop and to help you, the customer, find which one is right for your child.
What is a dolls' house?
We’ll keep this brief as most people have a good idea what one is. A dollhouse is one of the oldest types of recreational toys for children and has been around for centuries. A dollhouse is a scaled-down or miniature version of a house where a child can keep their ‘dolls’ or small figurines. Historically, they’ve been made out of wood but contemporary dollhouses will be mass-produced using plastic.
They have been an extremely popular pastime for children and even in modern-day this still holds true. They appear to be most popular with little girls but boys can have just as much fun.
Are dolls' houses good toys for children?
Dollhouses are fantastic gifts to give to children from as young as 1 year old. Children can fine-tune their motor skills with the construction of the house, improve their hand-eye coordination with the placement of furniture and the dolls themselves and lastly, really help engage their imagination with the various scenarios they can play out with various doll house games. According to ECE, through playing with toys and games, children’s learning and development can be boosted and give them a good start in life and a firm foundation to learn further.
In a world dominated by technology, it is getting increasingly easy to put a phone or tablet in front of a child to keep them quiet. The problem with that is that the art of playing is lost and their imagination and motor skills aren’t being tested which can really put them back later in life. There’s something to be said about the classic toys and games of old that can never be replaced.
Of course, toys also give parents much-needed reprieve and a sit-down when a child is able to be engaged independently by a toy such as a dollhouse so it really is a win-win.
What makes a good doll house?
Not all dolls houses are made equal and many are not appropriate for some age groups, therefore it’s important for Best For Mums to set out some benchmarks to help narrow the long list of products down. Here are a couple of pointers to help you determine which dollhouse is best for you, your situation and of course your child!
Safety standards
ALL toys supplied in the UK as of 2019 need to carry the CE mark to show the manufacturer intends to sell this product in Europe (see references). To prove that it has been tested to be safe it needs to have passed the EN71 British Toy Safety Standard. We’re not experts on safety standards, so we’ve got some handy information from the BSI group which briefly explains what EN71 looks at:
- Making sure toys cannot stab, trap, mangle or choke
- Checking the fire safety of high-risk products such as fancy dress costumes, play houses and soft toys
- Ensuring children aren’t at risk from elements such as lead, cadmium and mercury when sucking or chewing toys, with limits and test procedures for more than 80 potentially dangerous substances, such as solvents and preservatives
- Regulating the ingredients in finger paints, and requiring that these taste bitter to deter a child from swallowing them
So in short – make sure it has been approved to be safe. We only list items that are from stockists that are regulated. We have included a reference to the BSI document at the bottom and we really think it’s essential reading for all parents, especially when it involves toys and not just dolls’ houses.
Age appropriation
Toys are designed with the normal development of children in mind. They will have age ranges on the box and you should pay attention to these as they are designed to be used by children who have reached certain levels of development both physically and mentally. They will determine if your child is likely to get any entertainment out of it and if it is safe for them to use it. Even if you feel your child is advanced and ahead of where they should be we would still strongly recommend sticking to the recommended age ranges – the biggest reason is safety.
Quick and easy assembly
Most dollhouses need assembling by an adult. There are varying degrees of just how much assembly is needed and ultimately can affect the end product’s quality and your experience with the thing. If the doll house is complicated and fiddly there’s a risk that the doll house will be a bit wonky towards the end which can make it an unsafe product.
Look to see if you can find some instructions before a purchase and you’ll know what you’re getting yourself into.
Quality materials
Dolls’ houses should only be made with the best materials that won’t snap or break easily which can cause safety risks. As nice as they look, be extra cautious with wooden dollhouses which can break and splinter causing stab risks. That’s not to say that plastic dollhouses are risk-free!
Accessories
Before you make a purchase find out what the all-in cost for the dollhouse is. Remember, for a dollhouse to be complete it may need furniture and of course little people to live in the house – it would be really disappointing for both yourself and your little girl or boy if you’ve only just bought part of the present and you will need to part with more cash and time to get the set complete.
Your choices are to either buy the house and the accessories separately or to look for a doll house that has everything you need to be included in the box. Makes no difference really which one you get.
Cost
Dollhouses are not the cheapest products you can buy but they’re not the smallest either. However, it’s important to make sure you don’t overspend your budget on a product that may not be the best fit. Another aspect of cost to consider is that whole lifetime cost of the product. Is this dollhouse a part of a series or set and will your child nag you for more and more and more?
We don’t score dollhouses on the lowest price. Instead, we give the products a weighted score based on return on investment and value for money.
Gender appropriation
Dollhouses are items which have been synonymous with girls for as long as we can remember – however, doll houses can equally be enjoyed by boys too. We recommend considering dolls’ houses for boys and not to disregard them for fear of them being too girly. On top of that, you should also consider if a gender-neutral dollhouse is the best choice, too.
References
