Posted by
MeganL, 08 Aug 2026 15:00
Sponsored 1469 Views
Have you ever wanted to take a Friends set along with you, but just didn't have the right equipment to do so? Were you ever short one carry-on for a flight, and thought, "I could really use a LEGO suitcase right now?". If you have, you're in luck!
If this intro sounds familiar, you'd be right again, because the Friends designer team has come up with another suitcase - this time it's 42697 Creative Dollhouse Suitcase. It's a larger (and pinker) version of last year's 42672 Creative Beach and Travel Suitcase. Suitcases must be popular with the Friends crowd!
The packaging is a cardboard wrap around said suitcase. Inside the suitcase there are eight numbered bags, eight floor pieces in four different colours, four instruction books, and two rather curled up sticker sheets.
Minidolls
Two minidolls are included in this dollhouse. The ever present Liann, and Nova. Both are wearing outfits we've seen before.
I'm surprised that there are only two minidolls included in the set. For the price point, and even for the number of pieces included, I would expect to see at least one more character.
The completed model
The suitcase is a larger version than last year's. I wish the colour wasn't pink! I much preferred last year's teal as the primary colour for the suitcase. You can barely make out the Friends logo on the side.
The suitcase is closed by a large clasp on the side, and you can see the other half of the suitcase is in the other favourite girl colour, purple. The clasp is quite secure and I think would stand up to travelling well.
As the side view shows, this suitcase is much deeper than last years - deep enough so that the floor pieces can slot in on each side. This allows for the "rooms" to be placed inside and the suitcase will close without damaging any of the builds.
On to the rooms! Each room has 2x4 tiles attached on each end, and that allows the room to slot into place in the suitcase.
Each room has several furniture builds and accessories. The instructions suggest some arrangements, with the idea that the builder will customise as they like.
The hallway features a mirror, umbrella, and a table with some accessories.
The living room shows a rather avant garde lamp, some snacks (I'll take the cake), and a game in progress on the TV. Though I think the real skill would be playing the game with a controller that has no buttons.
Next up is what I think is Liann's bedroom, based on the art table with paint on the side. I think this is the first time that I've seen a Friends bed cover more than one tile, with the accompanying stickers. It looks like there's a portrait of Bubbles the axolotl in progress. Free Bubbles!
The garden has everything that's needed for a day in the sun. A sun lounger, umbrella table with sunscreen and a drink, and a small pool. You know the pool is small because the floatie is almost larger than the pool! A purple butterfly waits on the ground.
The fully stocked eat-in kitchen is all set for breakfast. Our minidolls are enjoying a croissant and a boiled egg for breakfast.
All that food will attract counter surfers.
(Note: counter surfing sloths not included in this set.)
The fridge has drinks and treats in store for later.
Nova's room is next, with another larger bed. As always, she has a computer handy and it looks like she's continuing to work on the art pieces featuring unicorns that we've seen in previous sets.
The garden is quite robust, with flowers growing in one elevated bed and vegetables in another. The flowers have attracted another butterfly! A small shed has all the tools that the Friends will need.
Last but not least, it wouldn't be a Friends house without a bathroom! This one looks a little spartan but all the necessities are there.
Overall thoughts
Clearly, the main attraction for this set is the suitcase. I do like the larger size, as it allows secure placement for all the rooms, but I can see that being detriment as well. The suitcase can be closed, keeping all the builds intact, which is a huge plus. Last year's suitcase was thinner, and that definitely limited the depth of the builds that could be stored. That certainly isn't a problem here.
The furniture builds are fine, and I suspect that children will love being able to take a dollhouse on the go. The suitcase is of a size where it would be easy enough to take as a carry-on on a plane. Because of the spareness of some of the builds, there's plenty of room to add some extra small builds for playing on the go. The hinged design of the suitcase would allow a child to play with it in a lot of places, including on the tray on an airplane.
As for the price, $50 is on the high side, looking at a pure price per parts aspect. I do think for the price they could have added at least one more minidoll. But I think most will be interested in this because of the suitcase. Right now, the set is on 60 day backorder at lego.com, so it must be popular.
