LEGO and Mega Bloks are the two best-selling plastic interlocking blocks for children nowadays. When I was 5 years old, an aunt gave me my first small box of LEGO, which quickly became my favourite toy.
After LEGO’s monopoly in the market for so long, Mega Bloks arrived as a formidable competitor.So which should you buy for your precious toddler — LEGO DUPLO or Mega Bloks?Today’s article shall compare the two to see how they have met up to toddler Vee’s and my challenges.
Why Play with Blocks?
In my opinion, simple building blocks are among the best toys for a child because they:
- encourage creative play — her imagination can run wild building things she thinks of, do role play, etc.
- help her learn about colours, shapes, sizes, dimensions, balance and more
- develop fine motor skills (especially pincer grasp) and strengthen the hand muscles when she fixes and takes the blocks apart — pre-requisite to learning how to write, and with neat handwriting
- develop social skills — pour out a bucket of blocks for a group of children and they’d need to learn to share the pieces, while interacting with one another’s building project
That’s why when young children drop by our place, I’d definitely bring out lots of blocks. They’d usually get super-excited and start entertaining themselves.
About LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks
Currently, Vee has 4 sets of LEGO DUPLO, 1 set of Mega Bloks maxi and 1 set of Mega Bloks mini:
- LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176
- LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538
- LEGO DUPLO Legoville Deluxe Train Set 5609
- LEGO DUPLO Legoville Garbage Truck 5637
- Mega Bloks Classic Bag (maxi) 80 pieces 8468
- Mega Bloks (mini) Thomas at the Sodor Fair 10516
In case you think we’re that crazy over blocks, half of the above are gifts for the boy.
This is a quick comparison of the general features:
| Mega Bloks maxi | Mega Bloks mini | LEGO DUPLO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source) | Information inconclusive PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free (Source) | Primarily ABS plastic Started phasing out PVC since 1986 (Source) PVC-Free, Phthalates-Free, Lead-Free and Fire Retardant-Free (Source) |
| Starting age | From 1 year old | From 3 years old | From 1.5 or 2 years old |
| Variety | Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets | Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets | Very wide: - basic blocks - theme sets - cartoon character sets |
| Price of basic blocks | ~USD20 for 80 pieces | ~USD10 for 80 pieces | ~USD20 for 80 pieces |
| Country of origin | Made in Montreal (Canada) and China | Made in Montreal (Canada) and China | Made in Denmark, Hungary, China and The Czech Republic |
Notes:
- LEGO DUPLO and Mega Bloks mini are of similar sizes and are compatible with each other.
- The regular LEGO bricks and Mega Bloks micro are smaller and also compatible with each other, meant for older children above 4 years old. Both are not compared in this review.
Our Detailed Comparative Review
Rating Guide: ★ Oh no! ★★ Poor ★★★ Fair ★★★★ Good ★★★★★ Excellent!
(a) Packaging: This compares the packaging for basic bricks only.
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★
Mega Bloks maxi comes in a large zippered plastic bag. Though the bag is reusable, it needs adult help until the toddler can open and close the zip around the bag with ease.
Mega Bloks mini comes in a large zippered plastic bag or plastic bucket. We haven’t tried both because the box we have is a Thomas Train set, packaged in a cardboard box. Toddlers tend to rip such boxes apart easily, so I prefer more resilient packaging.
LEGO DUPLO comes in cardboard boxes or plastic buckets. I like the bucket, which is lasting and keeps the blocks well-organised. The 4 round knobs on the cover allow Vee to easily open and close it.
Overall, my favourite is LEGO DUPLO’s plastic bucket with handle.
(b) Size:
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★
Mega Bloks maxi pieces are HUGE. These are good for Vee from 1 to 2 years old when he was just learning to fit pieces together and fingers aren’t that strong.
From about 2 years old, he started playing with Mega Bloks mini and LEGO DUPLO, which are of similar sizes, and require stronger fingers.
Mega Bloks mini may contain small parts not meant for young toddlers still mouthing things, so are more suitable for 3 years old. Actually, I think they should remove these parts and make the mini suitable for 2 years old.
Though the LEGO DUPLO Creative Bucket 5538 states 2+ years old, it contains 4 small flowers, which are definitely not meant for toddlers mouthing things. You may want to keep these flowers away.
LEGO DUPLO Basic Bricks 6176 doesn’t contain the small flowers, so the labelled 1.5 years old is age-appropriate.
Here’s how the sizes compare:
(c) Fit:
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★
Mega Bloks maxi fit rather loosely together. This means a 1-year old can easily put the pieces together. But some pieces fit very loosely, so the structure would come apart when holding it, which would frustrate an older toddler. Perhaps that’s why Vee doesn’t play with the maxi blocks anymore after he started with the tighter-fitting DUPLOs and minis.
Mega Bloks mini fit tighter but don’t click together as perfectly as LEGO DUPLO. 1 small piece at the ferris wheel carriage keeps dropping off, which irritates me.
LEGO DUPLO has an almost-perfect fit. Vee’s structures hold up well, while he can take them apart rather easily too. The secret ingredient to this:
In the manufacture of LEGO bricks the machine tolerance is as small as 10 my (0.01 mm). — LEGO Group, 2010 (Source)
(d) Compatibility:
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★
Mega Bloks maxi is compatible with Mega Bloks mini and DUPLO. Just make sure it’s right on top.
Mega Bloks mini is compatible with the even smaller Mega Bloks micro. It’s also compatible with LEGO DUPLO and the regular LEGO pieces.
Essentially, this means an older child can play with a mixed buffet of Mega Bloks (maxi, mini and micro) and LEGO (DUPLO and regular). Though he might ignore the maxi ones like Vee because they do seem quite babyish.
Below shows Mega Bloks mini fitting well with LEGO DUPLO:
(e) Quality:
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★★
I like the bright basic colours of the Mega Bloks maxi in the Classic Bag. They allow 1-year old Vee to differentiate and sort the colours easily. The quality of the blocks is also good.
Mega Bloks mini has fainter colours — not to my liking. The plastic feels more light-weight than LEGO DUPLO, and the Thomas Train set we have is certainly not as well-made.
LEGO DUPLO has bright solid colours; the pieces feel very sturdy with a highly-consistent quality. As a reference, my LEGO blocks are still in superb condition after 20+ years. They’ve been washed and Vee plays with them at granny’s place!
And I was the one who fell in love with the Deluxe Train Set 5609. Super thrilled when we finally bought it with a stack of credit card shopping vouchers that halved the price. The eye to detail in its engineering still wows me when Vee and I play with it.
(f) Overall Value:
Mega Bloks maxi ★★★★ Mega Bloks mini ★★★★ LEGO DUPLO ★★★★
This is a close fight.
Mega Bloks maxi has no competitor right now since LEGO has discontinued its QUATRO range in 2006. (FYI: The 75-piece LEGO QUATRO Bucket
* has gained collector’s status, selling at a whooping USD499.90!) For a 1+ year old, maxi is a good choice.
* has gained collector’s status, selling at a whooping USD499.90!) For a 1+ year old, maxi is a good choice.
Mega Bloks mini is less perfect than LEGO DUPLO. The lower price (almost 50%!) justifies the difference. If on a budget, this is suitable, but more for 3 years old because of potential loose pieces.
LEGO DUPLO is of top-notch quality, available at higher prices. If you want the quality at a budget, then go for the basic blocks in cardboard packaging. These are good from about 1.5 years old.
Overall, this are my preferred choices:
- 1 year old: Mega Bloks maxi
- 1.5 to 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO
- 3 years old: LEGO DUPLO then Mega Bloks mini
As a cost-conscious Mummy, I’d give cartoon character sets a miss (be it LEGO or Mega Bloks) because they cost significantly more with no added educational value.
Personally, I’m wary of buying very low-priced blocks from unknown manufacturers. I’ve seen wheels fall off from similar blocks of poorer quality, which could pose a choking risk. Also, these could contain harmful chemicals such as PVC and lead. Stay safe!
Summary of Review:
| Mega Bloks maxi | Mega Bloks mini | LEGO DUPLO | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What we like about it |
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| What can be improved |
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