Pop Bean Collecting 101: Your Guide to Pop Mart's Irresistible Mini Figures

What Even Are Pop Beans?

So you've seen those tiny, squishy-looking figures popping up everywhere — on desks, clipped to bags, sitting in neat little rows on bookshelves — and you're wondering what the deal is. Welcome to Pop Beans, Pop Mart's line of miniature collectible figures that somehow pack more personality per square centimeter than figures three times their size.

Pop Beans (泡泡萌粒) are essentially shrunken-down versions of Pop Mart's most popular characters. We're talking Labubu, Dimoo, Molly, and more — reimagined as palm-sized, bean-shaped cuties. They're smaller than standard blind box figures, usually softer in design, and dangerously addictive to collect.

I say "dangerously" because I bought one Pop Bean six months ago and now I have... well, let's not count. The point is, these things have a pull. Here's everything you need to know.

Why Pop Beans Are Taking Over

There are a few reasons Pop Beans have exploded in popularity, and none of them are complicated:

• Price point — some series start as low as $4.99, making them the most accessible Pop Mart collectibles
• Size — they fit literally anywhere. Desk, shelf, pocket, dashboard, you name it
• Variety — food themes, animal themes, character crossovers, seasonal drops
• Giftability — they're the perfect "thinking of you" gift for fellow collectors

But honestly? The real reason is that they're just stupid cute. There's something about the proportions — big heads, tiny bodies, rounded everything — that triggers the same part of your brain that reacts to baby animals. Science, probably.

The Must-Have Pop Bean Series

Pop Bean The Monsters Labubu Series — Start Here

If Labubu is the king of art toys right now (and let's be real, he is), then the Pop Bean The Monsters Labubu Series is the most affordable way to get him on your shelf. At $4.99 per figure, this is genuinely the cheapest Labubu product you'll find anywhere.

Each figure captures a different Labubu expression and pose in that signature bean-shaped format. They're perfect desk companions and make great starter pieces for anyone curious about the Labubu hype.

Pop Bean Coffee Factory Series — For the Cafe Crowd

The Pop Bean Coffee Factory Series ($14.00) puts beloved Pop Mart characters in barista mode — think tiny figures holding espresso cups, wearing aprons, surrounded by coffee beans. If your aesthetic involves oat milk lattes and lo-fi beats, this series was designed specifically to sit next to your pour-over setup.

Pop Bean Bubble Tea Series — Boba Meets Blind Box

Boba tea culture and art toy culture have massive overlap (don't argue, you know it's true), and the Pop Bean Bubble Tea Series ($15.00) leans right into that. Characters styled as different boba flavors — tapioca pearls, fruit teas, the works. The color palette on this series is gorgeous too, all pastels and warm tones.

Pop Bean Pajama Party & Baked Bread — Cozy Vibes

Two more series worth flagging for the cozy collectors out there. The Pop Bean Pajama Party Series ($10.00) features characters in adorable sleepwear — nightcaps, onesies, the whole bedtime vibe. And the Pop Bean Baked Bread Series ($10.00) reimagines them as different types of bread and pastries. A croissant Labubu. A baguette Molly. It shouldn't work but it absolutely does.

Both are $10.00 per set, which makes them easy impulse buys — and honestly, that's the Pop Bean business model working exactly as intended.

Leveling Up: The Labubu Sitting Baby Set

Once you're deep enough into Pop Beans that you need a "grail" piece, the Pop Bean The Monsters Labubu Basic Sitting Baby Set ($75.00) is it. This is a curated full set of sitting Labubu Pop Beans — no duplicates, no blind box gambling, just pure satisfaction. It's the collector's collector piece.

How to Display Your Pop Beans

Here's where a lot of new collectors get stuck. Pop Beans are small — like, really small — and they can get lost on a regular shelf. A few display tips from someone who's been through the trial and error:

• Tiered risers — acrylic step displays let you see every figure without them hiding behind each other
• Themed groupings — put all your food-themed beans together, all your Labubus together, etc.
• The official display box — Pop Mart makes a Classic Storage & Display Box specifically for Pop Beans ($20.00) and it's honestly the cleanest solution. Keeps dust off, looks great, holds a bunch of them

Pop Beans vs. Regular Blind Box Figures

A question I get a lot: should I collect Pop Beans or regular-sized blind boxes? The answer is both, obviously. But if you're choosing:

• Pop Beans — better for: limited space, tight budgets, casual collecting, desk/workspace displays, gifting
• Standard blind boxes — better for: detail appreciation, shelf displays, serious collectors, resale value

Plenty of people collect both formats of the same IP. Having a full-size Labubu next to a tiny Pop Bean Labubu is genuinely adorable. Like a parent and baby situation.

Getting Started with Pop Beans

My honest recommendation: grab one $4.99 Labubu Pop Bean and see how it makes you feel. If you smile — and you will — then maybe pick up a themed series like Coffee Factory or Bubble Tea. Before you know it, you'll be eyeing the display box and the Sitting Baby Set.

That's just how it goes. Don't fight it. Embrace the bean. 🫘