The first wave of 2025 LEGO® Friends contains 20 sets in total, including 2 only-partly-poly-but-mostly-paper bags. Across these, I’ve counted 222 new elements for us to enjoy, and so before I review the individual sets, I’ve put the most prominent, fresh molds in an overview for you.
Products in this article were gifted by The LEGO Group; the author's opinions are their own.
This article contains affiliate links to LEGO.com; we may get a small commission if you purchase.
In previous theme-wide overviews, we split the articles into three sections: new molds, new recolors and new prints. However, while digging through the sets I was able to unearth a whopping 26 new molds across 17 of the 20 sets; some of which come in multiple colors and prints. So to keep this to a readable length, I’ll only discuss the new molds today, and save the recolors and new prints for my set reviews to follow.
I’ve split the elements into 4 main groups, starting off with the ‘regular’ bricks for universal construction purposes. Click to jump down to that section:
Here is a list of the 20 LEGO Friends products I have for review, all releasing on 1 January 2025 except where noted.
2025 LEGO Friends sets:
- 42640 Guinea Pig Playground | US$9.99/ £8.99/ €9.99/ AU$14.99
- 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure | US$14.99/ £12.99/ €9.99/ AU$19.99
- 42643 Cotton Candy Stand and Scooter | US$9.99/ £8.99/ €9.99/ AU$14.99
- 42644 Heartlake City Ice Cream Truck | US$19.99/ £17.99/ €19.99/ AU$29.99
- 42645 Aliya's Baby Sister's Playroom | US$17.99/ £14.99/ AU$29.99
- 42646 Autumn's Room | US$19.99/ £17.99/ €19.99/ AU$29.99
- 42647 Paisley's Room | US$19.99/ £17.99/ €19.99/ AU$29.99
- 42649 Heartlake City Candy Store | US$29.99/ £24.99/ €29.99/ AU$49.99
- 42650 Pet Accessories Shop | US$39.99/ £34.99/ €39.99/ AU$59.99
- 42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic | US$49.99/ £44.99/ €49.99/ AU$79.99
- 42652 Friendship Tree House Hangout | US$69.99/ £59.99/ €69.99/ AU$109.99
- 42655 Restaurant and Cooking School | US$79.99/ £69.99/ €79.99/ AU$129.99
- 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane | US$99.99/ £89.99/ £149.99/ AU$149.99
- 42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store | US$44.99/ £39.99/ €44.99/ AU$59.99
- 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure | US$59.99/ €59.99/ AU$99.99
- 42669 Beekeepers' House and Flower Garden | US$89.99/ £89.99/ €99.99/ AU$149.99
- 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores | US$169.99/ £149.99/ €169.99/ AU$249.99
- 42672 Creative Beach and Travel Suitcase | US$29.99/ £24.99/ €29.99. AU not yet listed; NZ$54.99 coming 1 February
2025 LEGO Friends polybags:
- 30696 Autumn's Waffle Stand | Price and release date unknown
- 30697 Nova's Doghouse Build | reportedly US$4.99/ £3.49/ €3.99, Release date unknown
Construction bricks
Curved bricks (LEGO parts 5841 and 5843)
- Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 1 2/3 Curved (Design ID 5843), appearing:
- 4x in 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane and 2x in 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure in White (Element ID 6519990), and
- 4x in 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure in Light Aqua (6527916)
- Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 with Curved Top (5841), appearing:
- 4x in 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane in White (6519988)
Both new molds are a modified version of existing bricks. Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 1/3 with Curved Top (6091 & 32807, shown above in yellow, introduced by LEGO® Paradisa in 1992) has the same curve as the new 5841 but was designed with a straight 1-plate high extension at the bottom, making it 4 plates high. That is an unusual height in LEGO System that is irritating to build with, so the new 3 plate-high version makes sense.
READ MORE: Check out Eero’s review of 10344 Lucky Bamboo for more details on 5841
Like its smaller sibling, Brick Arch 1 x 3 x 2 Curved Top from 1995 has the same shape as 5843 but with an additional plate at the underside.
Note that this older brick has 2 mold variations: the original 6005 (shown in red above) and the current variation 92903 (shown in dark red). Note that the latter has a slightly tighter curve. The new 5843 matches matches up with the original version, 6005, sticking out slightly further than the more recent 92903.
It might seem weird for a new part to line up with an old mold variation, but there is a likely explanation: its curve is a perfect quarter-circle, so lines up with a 2 x 2 macaroni tile or brick, for example.
This also explains why the old brick has been shortened from 6 plates tall to 5 in the new version; it makes it more useful for SNOT work (sideways-building). The LEGO System used to generally keep element heights to multiples of 3 plates, for better compatibility with bricks. With the huge increase in SNOT building in official sets, 5 plate-high elements have been come increasingly common in recent years, for example Brick Special 1 x 2 x 1 2/3 with 4 Studs on 1 Side (22885) from 2016.
Another example is the recently introduced Brick Curved 1 x 2 x 1 2/3 with 1 Cutout (5907), seen above right in white next to the new mold in light aqua. Their curves line up nicely. It’s great to have the same arc come in multiple variations, depending on your needs.
Like the old taller versions, the new curves fit together to fill a full quarter-circle of 2 module radius.
It’s notable that both old and new versions of both bricks appear in this wave, but never in the same sets. I’m not certain if this means they will stay around alongside their new shortened siblings, or if some sets were designed before the new versions became available. I suspect the latter and we will see the old phased out, given that this does feel like a standardization of LEGO System.
READ MORE: Check out Zach’s overview of new elements found in LEGO® Fortnite sets for more details about 5907
Window 1 x 3 x 2 (6798) and Glass (7157)
For our dear leader, this is the case for Window 1 x 3 x 2 in White (6525959 | 6798), found 3x in 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure and 5x in 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores, and the accompanying Glass for Window 1 x 3 x 2 in Trans-Clear (6508985 | 7157).
I really can't tell you how much this new window has impacted my psyche! I've thought about it repeatedly over the last couple of days. It's so weird to have an element from your absolute first-ever experiences of LEGO building essentially reintroduced 5 decades later.
– Tim Johnson
Tim is referring here to Window 1 x 3 x 2 Classic which ran in various versions from 1954 to 1980, seen above in red next to the new mold. It’s a size we’ve been waiting to be reintroduced for decades, and I’ve added some more classic window sizes to my picture that could be remade, as a subtle hint to any element designers tuning in.
The size of the frame is similar to the 2x3x2 cupboard (92410) and accompanying door (30125, 35245, 4533). The cupboard door does not fit in the window frame, as it is slightly bigger.
Conversely, the large tabs on the new glass don’t allow it to fit inside the small holes inside the cupboard. That’s probably a good thing, as it would be very tricky to push out the glass again.
Dome 1 x 1 x 2/3
A new mold that has been met with much glee by the team is Dome 1 x 1 x 2/3, coming 2x with 1 spare in set 42649 Heartlake City Candy Store in Trans-Orange (6509776) and Trans-Bright Green (6527409). There is no mold number to be found on the part, so we won't know the Design ID until 1 January.
The first thing that comes to mind when seeing the part is the old Brick Round 1 x 1 x 2/3 Light Bulb Cover (4770) introduced for the Light & Sound System in 1986, and so I pulled one out along with some other similarly sized or shaped parts.
In the top left image we see:
- Light Cover 1 x 1 Round with Internal Bar / Bionicle Barraki Eye (58176, 28624, 29380)
- The new Dome 1 x 1 x ⅔
- Brick Round 1 x 1 x 2/3 Light Bulb Cover (4770)
- Lever Small Base (4592, part of 73587)
In the top right image:
- Technic Ball Joint (53585)
- Dome 1 x 1 x ⅔
- Brick Round 1.5 x 1.5 Dome Top (20952, 37840)
- Ball with Ears (5692)
In the bottom left image, we can see the dome's diameter falls somewhere between the existing small "Mixels" and large ball joints.
The bottom right image shows the best match to be found: the curved top is identical to Brick Curved 1 x 1 x 2/3 Double Curved Top (49307). It looks like someone took a plane to the part to smooth it out.
This new part is perfect for creating lights on landing pads, in industrial settings or on machinery. I immediately thought of those classic old machines as seen in shows like Thunderbirds. In opaque colors, which are sure to come, the part will function as architectural detailing.
Ball with Ears (5692)
You may have noticed in the lineup that I included Ball with Ears (5692). This part is not new, as the mold was introduced in June 2024 with face prints in the LEGO® Gabby’s Dollhouse theme. But seeing as this is the first time the mold appears on the New E blog, and the first time without a print, I decided to include it within this list.
The part can be found 2x in 42647 Paisley's Room and 1x in 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores, both in White (6522746).
Plate Round with Clip (5264)
Arguably, the most exciting new mold is Plate Round 1 x 1 with Clip on Underside (5264), unlocking so many new possibilities! In LEGO Friends, the mold shows up in Pearl Gold (6520665) in set 42652 Friendship Tree House Hangout, where we get 2x and a spare.
READ MORE: Check out Eero’s review of 10343 Mini Orchid for more details on 5264
People
To date, Heartlake City has been populated by standard-sized mini-dolls representing adults and teenagers (above left), micro-dolls which serve as young children (second from left), and the swaddled newborns (right, who are also used alongside minifigures in other themes). In 2025, the gap between newborn and young child will be filled with the introduction of what I'm calling the baby-doll!
Baby-dolls
The first thing I spotted is the arrival of a new mini-doll type, and I couldn’t be more thrilled! The introduction of the previous new type, the micro-dolls in 2020, holds a special place for me as they were the subject of my first article for New Elementary. Seeing a new addition to the lineup is very welcome to me.
Just look at how cute these are! As you can see, they fit the same pram that their minifigure counterpart rides.
I’ve picked the name baby-doll due to the similarity to the minifigure baby, but toddler would also be a suitable description.
Similar to the minifigure babies, the baby-dolls come in 2 parts: a body and a head. The body has a tiny number molded all the way inside, and my best guess is that it says 110388, but we’ll have to wait for the release of the sets to be sure. I was unable to find a mold number on the head.
Both parts are dual-molded: the neck and hands on the body are connected with the onesie molded over it, and the head piece is divided between the head itself and the bonnet.
The baby-dolls are just under 2 bricks tall, just a snitch taller than the minifigure baby. The hands are almost identical, sticking out the same way, but set onto the torso a bit higher.
The bar on the neck is of the standard 3.18mm size. This allows for some nightmare fuel, by swapping heads around!
Across the sets, three babies can be found:
Going from left to right:
- Amalia, found in 42645 Aliya's Baby Sister's Playroom with:
- Babydoll Head with Lime Cap, Brown Eyes, Smile print in Medium Nougat (6520114) and
- Babydoll Body with Bright Light Yellow Body, Medium Nougat Hands in Medium Nougat (6527289)
- Emilia, found in 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane with:
- Babydoll Head with White Cap, Bright Light Blue Eyes, Surprised print in Light Nougat (6520904) and
- BabyDoll Body with Magenta Body, Light Nougat Hands in Light Nougat (6531643)
- Roy, found in 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores with:
- Babydoll Head with Lime Cap, Bright Light Blue Eyes, Pacifier print in Medium Nougat (6520725) and
- BabyDoll Body with Medium Lavender Body, Medium Nougat Hands in Medium Nougat (6532471).
Mini-doll legs
The regular mini-dolls receive some new additions as well, in the form of 2 new leg assemblies. On the left we see Minidoll Hips and Mid-Length Skirt in Nougat (6522140 | 110193), found in 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure. This assembly is a shorter version of Minidoll Hips and Skirt with Ankles (59794) and was first seen in the LEGO® Wicked sets, but appears in a New E article for the first time here.
Similar in length is Minidoll Hips and Mid-Length Shorts, seen on the right. The Design ID molded underneath the foot is 1826, but that number appears on many different leg assemblies. I suspect the number for just the legs sub-part, with the new shorts molded over them, so we can confirm part number in January. For more details on the mini-doll leg molding process, check Elspeth's horrifying post.
These shorts appear in 4 different colors in the wave, and I’ll show each individually in my set reviews.
Hair
The mini-dolls are topped with 3 new hair pieces:
- On the left are 2 colors of Hair, Dreadlocks in Knot, appearing in 42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store in Tan (6531977 | 6968) and in 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane in Black (6510743 | 6968).
- The massive hair piece (that needs a support to stay upright!) is Hair Curly, Long, Big, appearing in 42644 Heartlake City Ice Cream Truck in Black (6517216 | 80700). I have the feeling I have seen this piece before, and the mold number is not similar to other new molds in this wave, so please let me know if this wig is not really new.
- On the right is Hair, Short Wavy, Straight Sides, appearing in 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane in Light Bluish Gray (6531981). I was unable to read the mold number on this piece, but I also couldn’t find anything resembling it among the existing wigs.
Special mentions
Going from left to right:
Fatimah completes the line-up of classic emergency services. Doctors are plentiful in Heartlake City, for both humans and animals. It took until 2023 before the first (and so far only) police officer appeared, focussing on the ‘serve’ aspect of their task by searching for a missing child and not featuring any ‘baddies’ to hunt. In January, set 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores introduces the first firefighter. Like the police officer, their task is not sensationalised; no raging fires to be found, but instead they rescue a kitten from a tree.
Visible disabilities have been featured extensively among the LEGO Friends characters, including the skin condition vitiligo. This wave features another skin condition. The character Eniko, found in set 42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic, shows dark red facial patches suggesting nevus flammeus, a benign birthmark.
Hidden disabilities like neurodivergence are trickier to make visible. Earlier this month, The LEGO Group announced a new initiative:
“The company is partnering with Hidden Disabilities Sunflower to create awareness through LEGO products; supported by employee training. The Sunflower has become a globally recognised symbol allowing individuals to discreetly share that they have a non-visible condition which may require extra support, time, space or understanding whilst going about their day - whether that be in travel, shopping, at work or in public spaces.”
– The LEGO Group
This symbol comes in the form of a lanyard, which is featured in 3 sets among January 2025 releases, including LEGO Friends. Student Ryan is wearing his lanyard along with noise-reducing headphones during his travels at the airport in set 42656 Heartlake City Airport and Airplane.
I truly appreciate this inclusion; being on the spectrum myself along with 2 of my children, we have used these lanyards and they have been proven to be effective when the situation calls for them.
I would like to add that the Sunflower is not part of the ‘universal attire’ of the neurodiverse community: speaking for my family, we only bring them when we know we will be in a situation that will call for their use, while in most day-to-day activities they stay at home. Depicting all neurodivergent characters wearing a lanyard all of the time would be like depicting a F1 driver wearing a helmet at the breakfast table; it’s only used when needed. In that regard I like the description of the lanyard appearing in 10305 Tudor Corner: “The 3,266-piece set also includes an apartment – where the character's lanyard is kept at the entrance, ready for her outings.”
Accessories
Bicycle Frame (6348)
Due to their immovable hands, mini-dolls are not able to ride the standard LEGO bicycles, as you can see with the red bicycle (65574) above.
To allow the Heartlake City residents to get their daily dose of exercise, a new bicycle frame is introduced, appearing in bright light orange (6525962 | 6348) in sets 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure and 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores. This frame is mostly identical to the old version, but comes without handlebars, featuring a clip instead, ready to attach handlebars (30031) for the dolls to hold.
We’ve seen a similar update to the wide version (5554), seen above in medium azure, in the Adventure Camp sets from the June 2024 wave. See my review of the LEGO Friends Adventure Camp sets.
Inline Skate (6917)
Even more physical activity is possible with the introduction of the Inline Skate, appearing in Coral (6509803 | 6917) in sets 42662 Hair Salon and Accessories Store and 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores.
The part is symmetrical and fits both minifigures and mini-dolls. The wheels are a bit thinner than a plate, and are unable to be held by a clip.
Aside from complementing the standard roller skates (18747, 11253) this mold will, in more appropriate colors, be perfect for microscale vehicles like tanks and trains, and for adding greebling to builds.
Dumpling (6647)
All that exercise works up an appetite, so we’re making a quick stop for a snack – right on time for the introduction of the dumpling, appearing 2x +1 spare in set 42655 Restaurant and Cooking School in Tan (6508751 | 6647).
The mold was also spotted in some of the 2025 Chinese Traditional Festivals sets as Skye described, and I’m sure even more themes will include the tasty treat as well.
Yarn (6900)
Time for a bit of arts & crafts. The new yarn accessory comes in Bright Light Yellow (6522800 | 6900) in sets 42640 Guinea Pig Playground, 42655 Restaurant and Cooking School and 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores, and in Dark Pink (6509764 | 6900) in sets 30697 Nova's Doghouse Build, 42650 Pet Accessories Shop and 42669 Beekeepers' House and Flower Garden. The Dark Pink version has also been spotted in the upcoming LEGO® Minifigures 71048 Series 27.
It’s a pleasing part that I think could work as noodles or spaghetti as well, given a recolor and maybe a print.
Plushy (6330)
For the inspiration behind these creatures I had to consult with my children; meet the Squishmallows, a series of chunky plushies which are all the rage apparently. I guess they are considered cute?
The bright light blue version (6481627) appears in set 42647 Paisley's Room, and the bright light orange (6520141) shows up in 42645 Aliya's Baby Sister's Playroom. Like the yarn, this mold will also be found in LEGO Minifigures 71048 Series 27 but in different colors and prints, as well as in LEGO® DREAMZzz™.
The plushies stand 4 plates tall and span roughly 2 modules in diameter.
Tiny hats
The Squishmallows can be accessorised with new headgear: Tiny Cap with Small Pin in Lime (6509777 | 6913) and Tiny Cook Hood with Small Pin in White (6509784 | tbc) appear in several sets, where they are also used to pretty up animals.
Animals and plants
The LEGO Friends theme is known for its introduction of ‘curvy’ animals, which are more realistic-looking compared to the ‘blocky’ LEGO® City versions. This wave brings us 3 new animals, each in 2 different colors and print.
Before the fauna, let's start with the flora, where we find 2 flowers.
Tulip (5903) and Sunflower (6901)
The sunflower comes in yellow (6509767 | 6901) in 5 sets across the wave; 42646 Autumn's Room, 42651 Horse and Pet Vet Clinic, 42652 Friendship Tree House Hangout, 42669 Beekeepers' House and Flower Garden and 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores.
Eero has already studied this pretty flower in his review of 10342 Pretty Pink Flower Bouquet, where the mold appears in bright light blue (6525783).
The tulip was introduced in 21353 The Botanical Garden. The mold features a 3.18mm bar on the underside, with the remainder of the flower standing 2 plates tall. A narrow hole runs through the entire part, which fits small pins.
Both molds are a great addition to the flower lineup, adding more possibilities to decorate models.
Ferret (6903)
The first new animal mold is a cute ferret, possibly also usable as a weasel, appearing in 42646 Autumn's Room in dark tan (6481630) while set 42663 Friendship Camper Van Adventure features the rodent in tan (6520119). The creature is a bit under 4 modules long and just a bit wider than a single module, while standing 4 plates tall.
Corgi (109845)
The late Queen Elizabeth II would be delighted to see these chaps in LEGO form. The new corgi (109845) comes in white with 2 different prints: black fur (6517951) and dark orange fur (65017953).
The doggies are just over 3 modules long, while spanning just over a module wide. Including the pointy ears, the corgi reaches exactly 2 bricks high. On the left side of the neck we see a small hole, I assume to add accessories, but it is not utilised in 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure, the only set they appear in so far in which they spend a day on the beach.
Guinea Pig (6907)
The third animal is the smallest, fitting comfortably on a 2 x 2 jumper with room to spare, while standing a brick high. The guinea pig comes in white (6481601) and black (6519645), both in set 42640 Guinea Pig Playground.
Aside from these new animal molds, we also get a cuteness overload with many newly printed (and plain) creatures. More details for these will be in my set reviews, coming soon!
Conclusion
- 30696 Autumn's Waffle Stand
- 42643 Cotton Candy Stand and Scooter
- 42672 Creative Beach and Travel Suitcase
READ MORE: See every new piece in the 2025 LEGO® Blacktron Renegade remake
Set 42640 on LEGO.comSet 42641 on LEGO.com
Set 42643 on LEGO.com
Set 42644 on LEGO.com
Set 42645 on LEGO.com
Set 42646 on LEGO.com
Set 42647 on LEGO.com
Set 42649 on LEGO.com
Set 42650 on LEGO.com
Set 42651 on LEGO.com
Set 42652 on LEGO.com
Set 42655 on LEGO.com
Set 42656 on LEGO.com
Set 42662 on LEGO.com
Set 42663 on LEGO.com
Set 42669 on LEGO.com
Set 42670 on LEGO.com
Set 42672 on LEGO.com
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Nice review!
ReplyDeleteI've remarked about the new arches several times before—they ought to be very useful indeed. The new 1x3x2 window and glass piece should be very useful too.
I'm very excited for the new 1x2x2/3 dome piece. One issue with past parts of that type like the lever base or lamp cover is that they're all narrower than 1x1—meaning that if you use them to cap off a piece like the 1x1 brick they leave an often undesirable "lip". This new piece's perfectly in-system dimensions should allow for some much cleaner connections. Can't wait for this part to appear in more colors including some basic opaque colors.
Agree, having that dome be the same diameter as a 1x1 round tile is really nice!
DeleteSame here, I remember thinking that it'd be nice to get that old lamp cover piece back as an alternative to the Barraki eye so it could be used in places that don't have the right kind of bar hole available to attach to. This seems like a very acceptable substitute.
DeleteAlmost forgot to mention, I love the new ladybug and bee printed tiles! Like last year's beetle, being printed on a clear tile allows them to be smaller than the old ladybug tiles, while both the ladybug and bee are more realistic than the cartoony bee tile introduced in the Winnie the Pooh set. The small size and realistic appearance makes me hope that these show up (along with the beetle) in the Animal Crossing sets in the future, since bug catching is a big part of those games and these would work perfectly for it!
ReplyDeleteThat baby head on the adult's body is absolutely brilliant!
ReplyDeleteWow, that's a lot of new molds!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like the small hat maybe has a 3.18 bar inside also?
I must point out that ferrets and weasels (and mink, ermine, etc.) are not rodents, they are mustelids.
I'm about 99% sure the gray hair is a new color of the fairly common 23186.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. The 4 numbers molded on the inside threw me off.
DeleteI wonder how the baby dolls line up to the little 1993 Dreamling part, seem similar
Delete