Furbies and Barbie are leading a 1990s revival for children’s toys after John Lewis released its list of top toys this Christmas.

Four children aged between five and 10 years old sorted through hundreds of products to select 10 favourites after months of testing the toys.

The Barbie Convertible Doll Car set, in hot pink, was the second most popular toy among the four toy testers. An updated version of the Barbie Corvette model, taking inspiration from the 1990s, it features a personalised number plate and pastel pink steering wheel.

Turn of the millennium favourite the Hasbro Furby, first released in 1998, was in eighth place. Described by 10-year-old tester Kyron as “cool”, the electronic robot toys were a must-have in the late 1990s and early noughties, selling over 14 million copies of the hamster-like creatures in 1999, according to producer Tiger Electronics.

Alan Wright, Toy Buyer at John Lewis said: “Nostalgia is set to take over this Christmas, with toys from the 1990s making a resurgence.

He added: “At John Lewis, we value the importance of imagination and want to ensure our smallest customers have the opportunity to experiment through creative-play. The top 10 toys offer something for every kid, no matter what they would like to be when they grow up.”

Nostalgia has driven customer interest, with searches for “retro” on the John Lewis website up by 72 per cent in comparison to last year, according to company data.

However a more contemporary favourite reached the top spot, with Gabby’s Dollhouse Girl Doll, a spin-off from the 2021 Netflix series proving the most popular.

In third spot was Le Mieux Puppy, a model of the Cockapoo dog breed, which replaced last year’s Le Mieux Pony in the list.

Other favourites included the John Lewis Wooden Café in fifth place, and the Lego Holiday Main Street in ninth.

Interactive and creative sets impressed the young panel, with the Fisher-Price Mix and Learn Music Table in sixth place and the Melissa & Doug Barber Role Play Set in fourth.