Throughout all of the articles written so far, we have researched many sets- from the past, present, and future. We realized we never have written about the sets we objectively think are the best. Thousands of sets exist, and after sifting through them we have compiled a list of our favorite sets.
Here’s the criteria we set:
- All the sets are current sets, so retired and sets to be released in the future are not on this list
- This article is written in August 2022, so there is a chance not all sets will be available
We covered as many categories as we liked- there are notable categories missing such as Ninjago as none of us who contributed to the article are familiar with the series. Our goal was to cover as many sets as possible at different price points that we feel is worth the money. All opinions about the LEGO sets are our own opinions.
Wall decor
- World Map ($250): For a set worth $250 with a majority of the pieces being the same in different colors, some might not see the value in this set. This set creates a piece of artwork that can easily be the main focus of the room. The vibrant colors, with alternating textures between the types of LEGO pieces essentially creates a map not seen before.
- Art Project- Create Together ($120): This set is one that can be rebuilt many times, each time ending up with a different design than the previous. The versatility is a factor in liking this set, along with the collaboration that can happen. As most designs are split into nine squares, it makes it easy for multiple people to work on this project simultaneously.
Various sets (does not fit into other categories)
- The Globe ($230): Making a spherical object out of LEGOs is quite a feat, especially one where the design of the world is added to it. A centerpiece, a masterpiece, an educational tool is all found within this set.
- Tree House ($250): This tree house is a model of every kid’s dream treehouse. From the telescope, to the basket, to the surrounding landscape it holds everything that could go with a treehouse. The set itself holds a story to it; one where it’s a family or a set of friends enjoying nature and time together. Being able to change out the leaves to imitate a change in seasons is a nice touch.
- Lunar New Year Traditions ($80): The versatility of the set is a big factor, along with the representation of Lunar New Year. Each section is a small scene, with limitless formations to arrange those scenes. The amount of minifigures, all at different ages, rings true to the holiday, which is bringing family together.
Train
- Passenger Train ($160): This is a very classy, sleek train with remote control features. It works on the normal LEGO train tracks other LEGO trains use, and is one of the best trains that has been released thus far.
- High-Speed train ($20): At a $20 price point, this set is very much worth the money. The train is too small to use the LEGO tracks which is a drawback, but the small size of it makes it a desk accessory and a train to easily play with. This set can be bought twice to create an even longer train, and is one that can entertain kids (and adults) for hours.
Why we didn’t include the Loop Coaster ($400): For $400 it’s a steep price, and there’s only one track configuration. With the other trains, there are more configurations for the train tracks and more room to customize the layout. If the set was less expensive we would have considered it more, but $400 seems too much for a set like this.
Cars/Moving Vehicles
- Race Car Transporter ($20): This set seems like a steal; three cars for $20! It’s also a 3-in-1 set, so even if building cars isn’t the dream, build a boat or a crane truck. This is a set I definitely want to add to my collection.
- Volkswagen T2 Camper Van ($180): The mechanics of the camper van is what drew us to this set – the hatch is able to pop open, the door is able to “slide” open, the back windows can be opened. It’s also a good replacement for the original camper van (Volkswagen T1 Camper Van), and LEGO has done a good job depicting the van in LEGOs.
Space
- NASA Space Shuttle Discovery ($200): The shuttle in real life is a lot bigger, but this is a pretty good replica of the Space Shuttle. One of our interns was almost able to see the last launch of Discovery (it kept on getting scrubbed, but when it finally launched she was unable to travel to Florida to watch it), but has seen the shuttle in person!
- Olivia’s Space Academy ($70): This cost is on the lower end comparatively to other space sets, and it has most aspects of a true space flight, with the inclusion of training equipment. It has the rocket, the take off bridge, a Multi Axis Trainer (though with one circle and not three). As one of us has been in a Multi Axis Trainer she says “If I survived it, Olivia would too!”
- Other notable mentions:
- Saturn V ($120): Every space fan’s staple set
- International Space Station ($70): It’s good to have a model of it before the ISS becomes inactive
- Lander ($100): Super cool set with all the moving pieces
Harry Potter
- Hogwarts™ Magical Trunk ($65): This is a set very unique to the Harry Potter series- it can be customizable to every Hogwarts House, has a good amount of minifigures for the size of the set, and has iconic items such as the Sorting Hat. Even the scene inside the chest can be customizable to different scenes, which makes this set one really fun to play with.
- Hogwarts™ Icons – Collectors’ Edition ($300): It’s full of many items well known in the Harry Potter Series; from the chocolate frog to the snitch and the bottle of Felix Felicis, it’s taking the famous moments from many scenes into one set. The detail on Hedwig (the owl) is incredible too, with the wings and the bright yellow eyes. It’s a set that is fun building, as well as displaying.
Why we didn’t include any buildings: The sets seem overly expensive, and not always the most recognizable if there aren’t any Harry Potter characters displayed in the building. The Hogwarts™ Castle is the best building, but at a price point of $470 it doesn’t seem worth it.
Star Wars
- R2-D2™ ($240): It’s still smaller than the robot in movies, but at 13” (31 cm), it’s a decent height for the bot. The assembly of the bot is quite fun, and the fact it can move its legs and other small features is a huge plus.
- Ahsoka Tano™ ($10): This is the coolest BrickHeadz LEGO has released so far! The way her hair is so creative and one we haven’t seen before. The lightsabers are another cool bonus feature.
- Millennium Falcon™ ($170): Even though it’s smaller than its more expensive counterpart, the Millennium Falcon ($850), the fun of building this craft is still there. It’s able to shoot laser beams and open up so the inside is fully accessible. If there are two Millennium Falcons, it’s fun to shoot at each other.
Why we didn’t include any of the super expensive sets: The Millennium Falcon™ ($850) and AT-AT™ ($850) as both of them look like huge masses of gray. Both sets exist in cheaper and smaller versions of themselves, so the only reason to get these sets is if you’re a superfan of the franchise, and that’s about it.
Duplo
- Garbage Truck and Recycling ($20): It has lots of different moving and parts to play with- everything from a garbage truck to three recycling and trash cans, bags of trash and a bench and brush. It’s perfect for a kid who likes taking items and running around with them.
- Truck & Tracked Excavator ($20): This set has two moving cars, where the excavator arm can bend and move, and the minifigures are ones of color! Once again, still a huge fan of Duplo sets.
- Wild Animals of Asia ($100): As the most expensive Duplo set on this list, it’s worth the price as it’s full of different animals in different environments. It’s educational and very fun, and the kid can learn their animals with LEGOs!
Friends
- Main Street Building ($160): This set is full of action going on with all the different minifigures, especially ones with disabilities. Three different storefronts are features, one of which has a specialized lift for a wheelchair, along with a truck and a skate ramp. Not to mention all the animals, it’s worth the price!
- Horse Train and Trailer ($30): Horses seem to become more sparse between all LEGO sets, but as this has two horses. Along with the rest of the jumping equipment, it has parts and features relatively uncommon.
Flowers
- Sunflowers ($13): It seems to brighten up the day even just by looking at it. It’s a pretty simple build, but one that can be a true stand-in for real flowers.
- Bonsai Tree ($50): The set is quite intricate,and full of color. The tree trunk is full of sharp lines and highlights motion. The leaves are able to be changed out, so it can follow all seasons. This is well worth the buy.
- Succulents ($50): Succulents are all the rage, and these are impossible to kill. All of the planter boxes can be connected or separated, meaning these can be scattered around the place or be a center masterpiece.
Note: all the LEGO flowers are extremely worth it, but we had to narrow down the list. If we could, all of them would be included.
TV shows
- Queer Eye ($100) The makeovers, the different signs, the TV specific to this set, along with pretty accurate depictions of the cast on minifigues makes this set well worth it. Queer Eye is a TV show which blew up in popularity soon after it was released, and this set is honoring what the cast has done so far.
- Sesame Street ($120): Nothing is more cute than all the Sesame Street characters appearing in minifigure form. Considering this show has been in the childhood of multiple generations, the set is extremely iconic, and LEGO does a good job recreating it.
- The Office ($120), being released on October 1st, 2022. All the characters are there, along with the three most popular rooms. Kevin has his famous chili spilled on the ground, Stanley has his pretzel, and all of the characters are doing what they are most known for — (not) working.
Iconic builds
- Titanic ($680): It’s an absolute monstrosity at a length of 54 inches (135cm) with 9090 pieces, but breaking it down it’s around 7 cents a piece. The massive size of it makes it a display masterpiece. The fact it can break into three different sections (with no iceberg) to see the cross section of each level is a major detail that’s not missed.
- Colosseum ($550): It looks akin to the landmark in real life, with the different layers of the building and scale with the small trees surrounding it. As it’s hard to build round objects with LEGOs, the company absolutely nailed it in creating the perfectly round building.