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Best American Girl Dolls

Updated September 2023
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
American Girl Kavi 18-inch Doll and Journal
American Girl
Kavi 18-inch Doll and Journal
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Best for Dancers
Bottom Line

This doll is great for your young aspiring dancers and music lovers.

Pros

Standard 18-inch American Girl doll size. Features brown eyes and medium-length brown hair. Wearing a dance outfit featuring a layered mesh crop top, silver joggers, and pink lace-up shoes. Includes a journal that tells Kavi's story. Bollywood-style dance clothes can be purchased separately.

Cons

Some users found the legs and arms to be too loose on this doll.

Best Bang for the Buck
American Girl Samantha Mini
American Girl
Samantha Mini
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A Piece of History
Bottom Line

This small doll is perfect for collectors interested in American Girl's past.

Pros

Samantha is 6 inches tall and comes with an abridged version of her original story. Her dress is period accurate. There’s a TV movie starring her that was released in 2004.

Cons

The book is also miniature, measuring 2 by 3 inches with tiny print.

American Girl Corinne
American Girl
Corinne
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A Win for Representation
Bottom Line

American Girl’s 2022 Doll of the Year comes complete with fashionable clothes.

Pros

She’s 18 inches tall and comes with three articles of clothing: a white turtleneck sweater, purple leggings, and white underwear. She also comes with cute winter boots. She’s Chinese-American.

Cons

She’s expensive, and to complete the collection you need her sister and some accessories, both sold separately.

American Girl WellieWishers Kendall Doll
American Girl
WellieWishers Kendall Doll
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Most Artsy
Bottom Line

This American Girl is stylish and known for her creative spirit.

Pros

Stands 14.5 inches in size. Has deep-brown eyes and curly black hair in pigtails. Dressed in a pink leotard and light purple skirt. Accessories include charming yellow butterfly wings and headband antennae. Comes with bright pink wellie boots.

Cons

Doll wears and tears easily; hair can fall out.

American Girl Nicki Hoffman Doll, Journal & Accessories (Historical Characters)
American Girl
Nicki Hoffman Doll, Journal & Accessories (Historical Characters)
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90s Nostalgia
Bottom Line

Nicki is a 90s alternative-inspired doll who loves rock music, making zines, and skateboarding.

Pros

The doll measures 18 inches tall and includes a journal detailing more about Nicki. The doll is wearing a grey and purple ring T-shirt, a T-shirt dress, a plaid flannel shirt, and platform sneakers. Nicki has unique hair highlighted with blonde streaks.

Cons

This doll's haircut is somewhat choppy, which could limit styling.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Buying guide for Best American Girl dolls

Ever since they became a sensation in the 1980s and 1990s, American Girl dolls have remained beloved companions. Kids can identify with the unique backstories that focus on coming-of-age experiences. The stories also inspire children to chase their dreams, welcome new challenges, and forge new friendships.

American Girl dolls are geared toward ages 4 through 12, though many adults also collect them. The dolls are dressed in personality-inspired outfits that also take time and setting into consideration, particularly the Historical Characters line. You can even choose a doll who looks just like you from the Truly Me or Create Your Own line. Consumers also choose dolls based on a connection to their story. Julie, for example, is a spirited American Girl of the 1970s who adapts to major life changes, such as her parents’ divorce and living in post-Vietnam America. Every doll offers a perspective and a relatable story, so kids naturally gravitate toward these educational companion dolls.

A new friend is just around the corner, which is why we’ve assembled this definitive buying guide on American Girl dolls, including some of our favorites. We’re exploring the entire collection to help you find the right one to invite into your home.

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American Girl dolls are expensive. That means the recipient should be capable of properly caring for a doll on their own to avoid expensive repairs or, at worst, a broken doll.

Key considerations

There are several categories of American Girl dolls, each geared to particular ages and interests.

Girl of the Year dolls

Girl of the Year dolls celebrate a character whose interests and experiences are relevant and contemporary. These 18-inch American Girl dolls offer a cross-section of modern America with real-world interactions. They’re designed to give kids a glimpse into lives around the country — lives that may be much different than the child’s — while illustrating that certain life experiences are shared nonetheless. Blaire, for example, is the 2019 Girl of the Year. She lives on a farm that hosts weddings and other events. The story also portrays her experience with food allergies, as well as financial and technological hardships her family experiences in a rural area.

WellieWishers dolls

The 14.5-inch WellieWishers dolls are geared toward kids ages five and up. These five American Girls have vastly different personalities, and they learn more about one another by stepping into each other’s shoes — or in this case, wellies. American Girl launched WellieWishers in 2016 to provide dolls and age-appropriate stories for children who are too young for the full-size dolls.

Historical Character dolls

The 18-inch Historical Character dolls embrace different eras and places in American history, such as Kaya, a Nez Perce in 1764, or Kit, whose story takes place in the 1930s. Kids learn about different cultures and societies through the dolls’ authentic backstories. These dolls’ outfits are designed to reflect the fashions in their respective eras, such as Josephina’s moccasins from 1824 or Samantha’s white bloomers from 1904.

Personalized dolls

American Girl’s 18-inch Truly Me and Create Your Own dolls are designed to look just like the child who owns them. Unlike other American Girl dolls, these have open-book personalities and backstories, so children can use their imagination to create their own story and build their doll’s world.

The Truly Me dolls offer a limited number of features, such as eye and hair color, while the Create Your Own dolls offer the ultimate personalization experience. The latter are better if your child prefers a specific hairstyle, outfit, skin tone, or accessories. While Truly Me dolls are available from more than one retailer, Create Your Own dolls are American Girl exclusives. For these, you’ll need to navigate their website to place your custom order.

Bitty Baby dolls

The 15-inch Bitty Baby dolls represent a newer line geared toward ages three and up. These dolls come with a sleeper outfit and, unlike other American Girl dolls, they don’t have any set backstory or narrative. Bitty Baby dolls are intended to foster nurturing behavior and are often purchased for kids who are preparing for a new member of the household to arrive.

American Girl doll accessories

Outfits

American Girl dolls come with one outfit, which may consist of a single layer, such as a blouse and skirt or incorporate several layers like cardigans or jackets. Dolls also come with shoes, which are unique in their own right. Not only are they easy to put on and take off, but they feature fine details that are appropriate to the doll’s story and era. Some dolls come with accessories that are central to their overall narrative, such as Samatha’s velvet purse. Additional outfits and accessories can also be purchased for American Girl dolls.

Books

Many American Girl dolls come with the first book in their character’s series. Some dolls offer four or more books for kids who finish the first installment and want to read more. The books feature illustrations and easy-to-read fonts with stories in which the American Girl characters typically face a challenge and learn a lesson.

Features

Hair

Hair is made from top-quality Kanekalon fibers. These are sewn into a cap that is glued to the doll’s head. Most American Girl dolls have straight or curly hair in various shades of blonde, brown, black, or red. More recently, American Girl dolls have adopted more diversity in hairstyles and textures, particularly in the Create Your Own doll line.

Eyes

The eyes on American Girl dolls remain open when the doll is upright and close when it’s horizontal. As is the case with the hair, the eyes and eyelashes come in a variety of colors. Eyebrows are painted on the forehead and complement both the eyes and hair.

Body

American Girl dolls have movable arms, legs, and heads. Full-size dolls typically have a cloth body and plastic arms, whereas many smaller dolls have all-plastic bodies. The construction changes as American Girl updates its designs to refine the quality and features. What always remains the same, however, is the fact that the company’s dolls are always built to high standards for superior quality.

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Did you know?
In addition to dolls and their stories, American Girl has a series of books dedicated to arts and crafts, body image, and brain-teasing puzzles.
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American Girl doll prices

Each American Girl line has a distinct price bracket. The price sometimes drops as new releases are rolled out, but for the most part, they remain consistent. As certain American Girl dolls become more collectible, their prices rise.

Mini dolls cost between $25 and $60.

WellieWishers and Bitty Baby dolls cost around $60.

Truly Me dolls cost around $100.

Girl of the Year and Historical Character dolls cost between $100 and $175.

Tips

  • Brush the doll’s hair gently. The hair on American Girl dolls is designed to be brushed and styled. It’s best to avoid harsh brushing and pulling so the hair doesn’t detach from the doll.
  • Use metal-free elastic bands to style hair. Hair ties for humans are often too rough on the more delicate hair of American Girl dolls. Stick to soft scrunchies and elastic bands instead.
  • Have an American Girl doll party. Invite fellow enthusiasts for an American Girl-themed party. Introduce the guests and dolls to one another to discover similar interests and hobbies. 
  • Wash doll clothing gently. The American Girl doll’s clothing should be hand-washed in gentle detergent and laid flat to dry. If clothing has special materials, like plush or glitter, it will usually come with specific care instructions.
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Many young fashion enthusiasts are introduced to sewing and clothing construction when they’re inspired to design and create outfits for their American Girl dolls. There are plenty of doll patterns, and kids’ sewing machines are safe and straightforward to use.

FAQ

Q. Should I keep the box for my American Girl doll?

A. The box is spacious and durable, which is why many consumers keep it to store their American Girl doll or accessories. If you intend to collect American Girl dolls, it’s best to keep the boxes, along with any packaging. Having the doll in its original packaging adds significant resale value, and it’s even more valuable if it’s in mint or very new condition. 

Q. Is it okay to mix and match American Girl doll accessories between characters and collections?

A. Absolutely. While each character has her own line of accessories and books, they’ll fit any American Girl dolls of the same size. Some consumers purchase accessories and outfits from other characters instead of purchasing the doll itself.

Q. What is the American Girl Doll Hospital?

A. If your doll needs to be repaired or cleaned, you’ll have to send it to the American Girl Doll Hospital. The doll can be sent directly to American Girl or dropped off at an approved location. It takes between two and four weeks for repairs, or longer around holidays. When your American Girl doll comes home, she’ll have a Certificate of Good Health, a “get well” card, ID bracelet, and even a hospital gown. Keep in mind there’s a fee for repairs as well as shipping.

Q. My child finished most of the American Girl books. Are there other stories to read?

A. American Girl churns out new releases regularly. You can subscribe to the company’s email list to hear about them. In terms of other literature, consider exploring Little Women, Babysitters Club books, or Sweet Valley Kids books. The Sweet Valley series is especially popular because the series “grows” with the reader into more advanced installments that detail middle school, high school, college, and beyond. Kids may also enjoy reading historical fiction or historical narratives, such as those by Ann Rinaldi.

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