The Best Building Sets For Adults

Building sets like LEGOs and other brick construction toys are a great way for kids to use problem-solving skills to build intricate models, but they’re not just for kids. Some adults never outgrow their creative spirit, and if you’re one of those adults, it can be hard to find the right building sets to keep up with your skill level. If you’re looking for a new challenge, don’t fret. We’ve narrowed down the best building sets for adults on the market so you can cut down on shopping time and get back to doing what you love.

What to Look For

When narrowing down the best building sets for adults, we considered the difficulty of the build, the intricacy of the design, the quality of the building blocks, and the price. For example, if you want something that’s relatively challenging to build but has an amazing end result, the LEGO Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night 21333 building set is the perfect blend of craftsmanship and artistic flair. If you want something a little simpler and more affordable, the Yemhash Micro Mini Blocks Titanic Model building set lets you make a realistic recreation of the famous ship. Read on to see all our top picks and find the building set that’s right for you.

LEGO Icons Flower Bouquet 10280 Artificial Flowers

Show some love

This flower bouquet building set is great as a gift or as an elegant decoration around the house.
Best Overall

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Giving someone a bouquet of flowers can be a loving gesture, but ultimately all flowers will fade and wilt. However, unlike real flowers, these LEGO flowers go above and beyond for an elegant look that never ages or dies. It comes with 15 stems, each with adjustable lengths so you can personalize your bouquet. It also features various flowers and leaves, so you can mix and match them to suit your style. As time goes on, you can even rearrange your bouquet to fit your decor, color scheme, or the weather outside. These flowers come in rare colors and shapes that aren’t found in other LEGO sets, so this kit really is one of a kind.

Pros:

  • Realistic petal shapes and colors
  • 15 different stems with flower and leaf varieties
  • Adjustable stem length
  • Made from plant-based plastic

Cons:

  • Complex flower shapes may have a hard time staying together

CuteMelon Micro Blocks Yellow Crane Tower Building Set

Eastern art

This beautiful building kit brings the majesty of China's Yellow Crane Tower into your own home.
Best Architecture

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Sometimes the most inspiring designs are found in real life, and this crane tower building set is no exception. If you have an affinity for Asian architecture and you’re looking to bring that same flair to your decor, this set brings the magic of the Yellow Crane Tower in China to your home. With more than 4,000 total pieces, this set is not for the faint of heart. It may be a painstaking building process with extremely small pieces, but the detailed instructions are there to guide the way, and in the end, you get a beautiful and rewarding tower to decorate your home. Whether you want a challenge or a new piece to display on the shelf, this set has something for everyone.

Pros:

  • Gives an accurate recreation of the Yellow Crane Tower
  • Comes with 4,288 total pieces
  • Provides historical and cultural value
  • Works as decor or a building project

Cons:

  • Pieces are extremely small

LEGO Vincent Van Gogh Starry Night 21333 Building Set

Fine art

Recreate one of the most inspiring paintings in the world with this difficult building kit.
Most Challenging

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Vincent Van Gogh’s The Starry Night painting is arguably one of the most famous and beloved paintings in the world, but you don’t have to travel to The Museum of Modern Art in New York City to look at this masterpiece. With this LEGO recreation, you can have your own version of this classic painting to display on the wall. With accurate color matching and a brick layout that recreates the brush strokes of Van Gogh’s post-impressionist style, you can unleash your inner creativity and build your own masterpiece. As an added bonus, this kit even includes a Van Gogh mini-figure to accompany his painting. For fans of fine art or avid LEGO collectors, this building set is a sure winner.

Pros:

  • Accurate representation of painting colors
  • Includes a figurine of Vincent Van Gogh himself
  • Comes with a built-in LEGO picture frame
  • Adjustable display arm
  • Realistic brushstroke aesthetic

Cons:

  • Fairly pricey

LEGO Marvel Nano Gauntlet 76223 Building Set

Superhero strength

Capture the aesthetic of the Marvel movie franchise with this detailed building kit.
Best For Marvel Fans

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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the biggest and most successful franchises today, so it’s no surprise that it shares a large fanbase with LEGO enthusiasts. If you find yourself in both camps, this may be the perfect LEGO set for you. With this nano gauntlet building set, you can create a miniature version of MCU history. This gauntlet was used by both Thanos and Iron Man in the movies, but now you get to wield its strength with an authentic design that’s accurate to movie details. Unleash the power of the infinity stones with this LEGO set; just be sure not to snap your fingers.

Pros:

  • Collectible piece
  • Includes the six infinity stones
  • Comes with a display stand
  • Compact size
  • Accurate movie details

Cons:

  • Quality control may not be the best and result in missing pieces

Yemhash Micro Mini Blocks Titanic Model Building Set

Block buster

Recreate the infamous ship with this affordable and fun model-building set.
Best Model

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Most people know Titanic as a major blockbuster movie and as a part of popular culture, but it’s also a historical landmark. If you’re obsessed with this innovative ship, this is the building kit for you. In almost 2,000 pieces, you can build your own version of this feat of engineering with vivid-colored blocks, intricate details, and even the water and ice to go along with it. Best of all, the price is almost too good to be true. At such a low price point, it provides a great value at under half the price of what most competitors would charge. Whether you’re on a budget or you want to display your favorite piece of history, this affordable kit has plenty to offer.

Pros:

  • Great price
  • Detailed design
  • Vivid color blocks
  • Includes water and iceberg pieces
  • Historical significance

Cons:

  • Not as high quality as other competitors

Frequently Asked Questions

Is LEGO the brand or the product?

Much like Band-Aids, Crock-Pots, Q-Tips, and more, this brand name has become synonymous with the product itself. LEGO is a brand that manufactures tiny plastic building blocks, which they’ve referred to as LEGO bricks. Since LEGO is the leading brand in this market, some people refer to all building blocks as LEGOs. As with any market, there are always competitors that provide the same product without a recognizable brand name.

Do all building sets come with instructions?

For mainstream box sets, yes. Big brand names offer kits with specific instructions so that you can build various designs and have them turn out just like the image on the box. These instructions ensure proper construction and help the user along the way. However, many professional builders will build without instructions and create original pieces using their own creativity and imagination.

About the Author

Mitchell is a professional musician and knows the importance of quality gear. From filming music videos to recording albums from his computer, he has discovered what separates the best tech from the worst. He hopes to share his expertise and experiences in the world of technology to guide others towards reliable gear that helps them shine.

Why Trust Us

With the constantly shifting landscape in the world of technology, GameRevolution seeks to provide gamers and tech-enthusiasts with the information they need to select the right products for their needs. Since 1996, our experts have used their knowledge on all the latest gadgets – everything from headphones to standing desks – to help millions of people navigate specs and answer common questions.