It’s the one that you want to buy. 
No, really. Let’s explore this question and why it’s not something that can be answered with a ranked list or something like that.
Note that I’m going to avoid mentioning specific manufacturers in general, because things change so quickly in the world of sex dolls. A brand that’s considered baseline but kind of terrible for a particular use might come out with some new hotness that pushes them to the top of everyone’s minds.
Summary
- There’s not an easy answer
- Read the reviews
- Ask smart questions
- Consider how you’ll use the doll
- Look for discussions on:
- Love Hole Placement
- Features
- Weight
- Height
- Budget
The Best Dolls
Ultimately, a love doll is a personal thing - not everyone has the same tastes. Some like 'em thin, some like 'em thick, some like 'em short, some like 'em tall. White, tan, brown, black, blue, yellow, there’s myriad choices in the love doll world and it’s sometimes difficult to pick through all the options. Some people coddle their dolls and treat them better than they would a real woman, while others (quite frankly) use and abuse them and consider them (ultimately) disposable. And something that’s considered a minus for one person from a manufacturer may be a plus for another. The best doll is the one that fits all your needs, no matter the manufacturer.
Reviews, Reviews, Reviews
Read reviews. Read as many as you can. These are first-hand experiences with dolls folks have bought, and even if their tastes aren’t exactly your tastes, it should give you a sense of what you can expect from a particular manufacturer. Make sure you read multiple reviews for a given doll and for a given manufacturer - this can help highlight inconsistencies in quality between individual dolls or between different models from the same manufacturer.
Reading reviews is going to be your starting point for almost all the things on this list.
When in doubt, ask!
This FAQ isn’t intended to prevent you from posting a thread asking about what good dolls are, but more specifics about what you want will help people guide you - otherwise it’ll end up devolving into a discussion about many of the points below depending on people’s opinions. You shouldn’t just be asking what doll you should buy - you should be saying what you’re looking for out of a doll, and ask if there’s brands that fit those criteria.
Example topics:
- I want a doll to cuddle and have sex with. What should I get?
- I have a thing for furries - can anyone recommend some models for sex?
- I’m looking for a male doll that will work with me in doggy position - any suggestions?
There should be an initial hook in the topic so people know what to expect, and then some detail about how you’ll use it and what you’ve considered so far.
Note on style
If you’re reading this topic and thinking it doesn’t apply to you because you’re looking for a doll with a penis, please read anyway. The only thing that definitely won’t apply is love hole placement (you’d be looking for love pole placement instead ,) but the rest almost certainly will.
I feel fairly safe in saying that the majority of doll owners are cis straight males, and this topic is written with that assumption (at least in part because I have zero experience with dolls with penises.) I know for a fact that doll owners are not exclusively cis straight males, and could point out a few examples which you’ll pick up on as you read the forum.
The love doll community is an accepting place - please feel comfortable asking your questions while understanding that fewer people may have the experience to help. You should at least be able to get some guidance. Remember - we love dolls of all sorts here.
Things to look at
Overall Purpose
How are you going to use your doll? If it’s mostly sex, most folks are going to steer you towards TPE because it’s going to tend to be softer. If you want photography, you’ll typically want at least a silicone head, since they’re going to tend to have more/better detail, and possible a silicone body for the same detail reasons. There’s also hybrid dolls (silicone head, TPE body) that provide the best of both worlds - realistic facial appearance, but nice soft cuddly body for sex.
Love Hole Placement, or LHP
This is one of those things that people get really salty about. Essentially, it’s “where are the love holes” and “are they usable in a particular position?”
Good LHP is somewhat subjective, but the usual starting point for most people is “are they placed like they are on a real woman?”
I’m sure you’re clever enough to find plenty of pictures online if you don’t have live examples, but a general guideline is that the vaginal canal should be facing straight down when the doll’s legs are in a sitting upright position. This facilitates sex in doggy style or spooning position, which seems to be what a lot of folks go for. As for the anus, it should be roughly in the middle of the buttocks.
The reason I say this is subjective is because the utility of a particular placement is going to depend on your personal attributes. If you’re not well-endowed, a different (and possibly unrealistic) placement might be more useful than something that “everyone else” thinks is great.
If you’re not specifically looking for a doll to have sex with, this may be entirely useless to you. That’s great! You’ve learned of the first of a few things you may not have to worry about when you choose a doll!
Reviews are your friend here - they’ll often include shots that manufacturers don’t, i.e. a picture or three of the doll in doggy style.
Features
What features do you want? The Love Doll FAQ section’s a good place to start, and the big thing to consider is how you’ll use your doll. If you’re cuddling, soft skin, soft breasts, soft ass, gel breasts, gel ass, etc. options might be useful for you. If you’re having sex, you’ll probably want to decide whether you want an insert or fixed vagina. Photography or posing? Think about moveable eyes, standing feet, and possibly implanted hair. Ever want your doll to put pressure on her feet? Standing feet are required, because they will literally shred apart otherwise. Want to change up the appearance quickly and cheaply? Don’t get implanted hair, or it’ll be hard to use wigs.
The list goes on and on, and it’d triple the size of this post to consider everything that could possibly be covered.
Weight
This is something that you don’t realize is a problem until you get a doll. I’m typing this post with my doll sitting on my lap - she weighs 25kg or so, and my legs are getting sore. See, the problem with dolls is that they don’t support their own weight like a real human would.
This is far more important than you’d think. You may be a big strong burly guy, but you’ll feel like you spent three hours in the gym doing an intensive workout from carrying a doll around for a day. You’re not carrying a stiff bag of concrete or a 25 pound barbell plate - you’re carrying around a wobbly and awkwardly shaped and cute pile of stiff jello.
The typical starting point for most people getting into dolls is 25-30kg, or 55-66 pounds. This is a weight that your average healthy adult male will be able to get used to handling in doll form after a few weeks.
I’m going to stress the “in doll form” thing one more time before moving on. If you want to simulate the difficulties in moving a doll around, get 3 20 pound bags of rice, put them in a duffel bag, and put a stiff pole in there to prevent it from folding in half. Then move it around for a while - you’ll note it’s significantly more difficult than you expect. Don’t be dumb and manly and grr - start out with a lighter doll unless you’re willing to put in the time to get used to the heavier weight.
Height
There’s at least three things to consider here: is a doll’s size even legal in your country/state/etc., will a doll’s size put you off, and is a doll’s size compatible with how you’ll use her?
The legality question meshes well with the “will it put you off” question, so I’ll combine them. There’s a few places (Florida in the US, Australia, and the UK come immediately to mind) where dolls under a certain size are automatically considered to be “young looking” or “underage” - know your local laws.
With that said, a small doll can absolutely look just short or underage depending on hairstyle, accessories, clothing, etc. 150cm is about the minimum where you can say “oh, she’s just a short chick” no matter what, as long as the face is adult. Once you get smaller than that, especially with Asian faces (which tend to look younger than western faces,) you’ll want to be careful.
The flip side of that is that short dolls have an advantage in handling. They’re usually lighter (see the above section on weight) and being shorter also means that they’re a bit less awkward to carry.
A doll’s height being compatible with how you’re using her is something you may not consider until you’ve had one. For example, if you like to kiss your doll during sex, a doll with a short torso (which is often done to save on weight) may be impossible to kiss in the missionary position unless you can fold your spine in half. If you like to spoon while sleeping, a too-long torso might put the wig right in your face when everything else is pleasantly lined up, which I can say from experience is uncomfortable unless you’ve got a really soft wig.
Budget
Do you have tens, hundreds, or thousands to spend? Each answer is going to dictate what a good starting point for dolls is. Note that the prices here are US-centric - the numbers will differ, but the relative positions in the hierarchy should stay the same.
I’m not going to mention any specific brands except for one here, because it’s special.
If you’ve got less than $100 to spend, you’ll have to take a look at regular masturbation sleeves if you want to up your wank game. You’re not finding a doll for less than a hundred, and the torsos you may be able to find on eBay/Amazon/Alibaba/etc. in that price range are likely to be total crap.
If you’ve got a couple hundred to spend, consider a torso doll, a “cheap eBay doll,” or a Kimber. I’ve linked to my FAQ on eBay dolls, but the best guidance overall is “save for a Kimber” - you get a known manufacturer with consistent quality and support, the cheapest doll that has that consistent quality and support, and you’ll get it for about $730 shipped to the US. Note that you may not be able to get a Kimber depending on your location - they’re sold in the US, UK, and Australia, and I’m not sure if it’s possible to ship elsewhere (for instance, Kimber US doesn’t appear to have an option to ship to Canada.)
If your budget is $1k-$2k, congratulations! You can afford most TPE dolls, and there’s a few silicone dolls available if you’re willing to spend closer to two thousand.
Silicone dolls start around $1800 or so.
Beyond that, the sky’s the limit. There are some high-end silicone dolls that range from about $3k to $8k, but chances are you won’t be going for these as a first purchase unless you’ve done extensive research.
Note that features are sometimes paid on dolls, especially cheaper ones - I’ve looked at a $1300 TPE doll which ended up closer to $1700 after I added all the features I wanted. To contrast, I can get a TPE doll for $1500 where all the features I want/need are bundled in.
Also note that shipping dolls is expensive - if the place you’re buying from doesn’t mention free shipping, you’re looking at around $100+ within the US, and $300+ from China depending on shipping method.
Final Thoughts
Note that the “best manufacturer” or “best sex doll” is going to change depending on the answers to the above questions, and a few I didn’t list because it gets further into the weeds than is necessary for a “basics” post like this.
There’s a lot to consider when you’re buying your first doll. There’s no easy answer that people can point to, because everyone’s tastes and requirements are subtly different. Don’t just dive in - do some research, be patient, and figure out what’s best for you and your situation - you’ll eventually find a doll that you’ll be happy with. Cheers! 