33 Cheap Alternatives to Lego Bricks that are Just as Fun & Engaging

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Do you love Lego products but hate the price? Here’s a list of the best alternatives to Lego products! Just as fun but not as expensive!

Everyone loves Lego bricks except someone on a tight budget! That’s probably not 100% fair to say. The truth is; I’m sure you really do love them, you just hate the price. That’s where cheap alternatives to Lego products come in!

Lego sets provide loads of fun for the entire family. They are extremely engaging and entertaining for all ages. In addition to being a fun addiction for adults and kids, they also offer an enjoyable distraction for kids. You parents in the real world know what I’m talking about!

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I admit, I’ve bought my kids several sets, just to distract them enough for me to be able to take a nap. Over the past few years, my naps became increasingly expensive so I started exploring cheap alternatives to Lego products.

As Lego brand enthusiasts gain practice, they start exploring larger and more complex sets. As you would expect, the prices also go up. As adults on a budget, alternatives to Lego products are a must!

Why Cheap Alternatives to Lego Products?

Well, even though the Lego brand has an extensive series to choose from, they are infamous for being costly. Many persons love the concept of Lego bricks but just hate the price. Plain and simple, a lot of us just want cheaper alternatives.

Also, even though the Lego Company has several collaborations with other brands, they have not captured every single option or interest on the market.

Lego products have a large but somewhat inadequate theme base. Therefore, you may be interested in a particular franchise that is not associated with any Lego set but may be covered by a competitor.

For example, the Lego brand has had a strong stance against manufacturing modern military machines. Therefore, for military aficionados, you may want to look into Lego alternative builds.

To take a spin off from the main stream Lego brick concept, you may simply be in the market for a construction set that has some educational value. Once you are willing to look beyond interlocking blocks, this is yet another reason to seek out Lego alternatives.

FAQ: What are generic Lego called?

The term “Lego” is actually the name of the company that patented their design of “toy building bricks” decades ago. Toy building bricks or toy construction bricks are the actual items.

Since Lego paved the way, the world has a tendency to use “Lego” as a noun to call all construction bricks. Many Lego clones have been developed since the initial patent expired.

If your kids like the idea of Lego bricks but are just plain destructive and lose or ruin the pieces, you definitely need some cheap Lego alternatives.

We basically need to break down these Lego alternative builds into two categories:

(1) Lego alternatives that work like Lego-made items but are not Lego brand.

There are several cheap alternatives to Lego bricks that are basically building blocks that snap together tightly but come apart easily, when you want to disassemble. That’s what you want! What you don’t want are Lego set knock offs!

(2) Lego alternatives that offer a similar experience but are a unique design

In order to fully appreciate these, we must analyze and appreciate Lego sets for what they essentially are…a fancy construction set with a built in mechanism for temporary adhesion.

How to choose the right Lego compatible options (alternatives that work with Lego bricks)

Before getting into the details, we must answer a few questions before you waste your money on the wrong Lego alternatives.

Are you trying to have a similar experience to building Lego bricks, just on a budget?

If you are, then run wild with the lists below. Most of these options would give you the thrill that you seek while being gentle on your pocket.

Are you trying to add to a brick collection?

It is not very wise attempting to add to a Lego brick collection with Lego alternatives. Even though there are options that adhere to actual Lego bricks, they don’t stick together quite well. On the flip side, those that do stick together have a tendency to get stuck.

Stick to basic logic; if you are trying to build a Lego collection, stick to Lego brand. If you are simply trying to build construction sets, go ahead and buy the various other brands that satisfy your budget.

However, a basic rule is to keep the brands separate. If you don’t really care for how well they match up, go ahead and mix them.

Do you plan on selling over?

If you simply like the thrill of building Lego sets but more of a “been there, done that” type person, you probably would be interested in selling over your sets in order to fund your next Lego adventure.

If you are planning on resale, you need to understand that Lego brand sets have the best resale value. That’s just the perks that comes with a reputable brand.

If you don’t care for resale value, go for cheap Lego alternatives!

Are you selecting something for a particular learning level?

The Lego brand has done a great job at dividing their range into age appropriate options that can easily be seen on the boxes.

Many Lego alternatives are just generic. However, by simply examining the product, it isn’t very complicated to decipher whether the option you are interested in would be suitable.

Are you trying to educate or entertain?

Are there enough pieces or is it difficult enough to keep the recipient engrossed? Both Lego bricks and cheap alternatives to Lego products check this particular box. What you need to examine is the nature of the product itself.

Again, the Lego brand has taken care of this for us as part of their manufacturing process and strategy. The Lego brand has divided several products into difficulty levels and age groups. It’s easy to glance at a Lego box and tell whether it would be suitable for what you are trying to accomplish.

Is this Lego packaging strategy and ease of selection worth the added cost? You need to decide. You may just need to spend 5 minutes more on reviewing the packaging for the Lego alternative and this could save you big bucks.

Will your kid or target person accept an alternative?

This is a big question. Remember, there are those of us that are simply fans of particular products or brands. Try offering a Ford to a Chevy guy! It just won’t feel the same!

If your person is simply a Lego brand fan, just walk away from Lego alternatives. You’d get your wallet and feelings bruised if you try to offer cheap Lego alternatives to a genuine Lego buff.

On another note, remember each brand has specific themes that they have collaborated with. Depending on the theme required, there may or may not be Lego alternatives. What do they like? Cars, princesses, military? You may not have a choice in the matter.

Does the receiver like to follow instructions to build or not?

Many kids like construction bricks as a form of expression. They simply want them to build random objects. However, there are those that love the idea of following a leaflet or booklet to build a complicated, specific object.

Lego brand sets offer instruction manuals with their sets that are extremely detailed and second to none in terms of quality. If this high quality manual is a must, Lego brand is your best bet. If it isn’t a deal breaker, have a crack at a cheap alternative to Lego bricks.

Now that we’ve assessed some very basic questions before proceeding, we must clear the air on the cheap Lego alternatives that are compatible with the Lego brand. These are similar, comparable and somewhat identical…the lists of synonyms can go on! However, they are not exactly the same! They will not match up exactly with the other stuff.

Don’t get me wrong, as a set on their own, these are good. However, if you try to mix them with Lego brand bricks, they may be loose or get stuck.

Let’s take a look at these alternatives to Lego that are not the Lego brand but are somewhat compatible.