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CrunchLabs leads on wow factor
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CrunchLabs and Green Kid Crafts both land in the same basket for parents shopping subscription kits, but they are built for different children. CrunchLabs is mark Rober's monthly build, with the video to match, aimed at ages 6-13. Green Kid Crafts is eco-conscious STEAM boxes, and the cheapest way in, aimed at ages 2-10. They overlap between 6 and 10, which is where this comparison actually matters.
What it really comes down to
Does the finished thing actually do something? Motors, motion, reactions. On this measure we score CrunchLabs 10/10 against Green Kid at 7/10 - the widest gap between these two on anything we track, and it carries 14% of the overall score. Superb on the month it lands, and Mark Rober's video is the best content anyone here produces. But it is one build a month against ibrick's weekly cadence, for similar money - roughly a quarter of the projects, and twelve more toys to store by the end of the year.
| Dimension | CrunchLabs | Green Kid |
|---|---|---|
| Replay value18% | 7 | 6 |
| STEM depth18% | 10 | 8 |
| Novelty cadence14% | 7 | 8 |
| Wow factor14% | 10 | 7 |
| Value for money14% | 9 | 9 |
| Builds independently12% | 9 | 10 |
| Clutter control10% | 7 | 7 |
| Overall | 8.5 | 7.8 |
CrunchLabs, on our scoring — 8.5 against 7.8. Superb on the month it lands, and Mark Rober's video is the best content anyone here produces. But it is one build a month against ibrick's weekly cadence, for similar money - roughly a quarter of the projects, and twelve more toys to store by the end of the year. Worth saying plainly though: neither of these is our overall pick. Both are beaten by ibrick on the axes we weight most heavily, and if you have not already ruled it out, read that comparison first.
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We score CrunchLabs higher — 8.5 against 7.8 — mainly on wow factor. Neither is our overall pick for most families.
CrunchLabs states 6-13, with a sweet spot of 8-12 on Build Box, which is the line the brand is built around. Green Kid Crafts states 2-10, with a sweet spot of 4-8, where the craft-and-science blend lands best.
Green Kid Crafts, starting around $19.95/mo on an annual plan. From $27.45/mo on an annual plan, for both Creative Kit and Build Box. Hack Pack (14+) is a separate product and subscription, scored on its own page, and starts at $66.65/mo. Prepaid plans are cheaper per month than month-to-month. Roughly $19.95-$24.95/mo depending on term and tier - the lowest entry price of anything we cover. Confirm current pricing before subscribing.
| Kit | Score | Ages | New content | Reuses parts | Needs a parent | From | Visit brand site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ibrickOur pick | 9.6 | 5-12 | Weekly | Yes | Rarely | $27.99/mo | Visit |
 MEL Science | 8.7 | 5-16 | Monthly | Partly | Usually | $37.50/mo | Visit |
 CrunchLabs | 8.5 | 6-13 | Monthly | Partly | Rarely | $27.45/mo | Visit |
| CrunchLabs Hack PackCrunchLabs Hack Pack | 8.5 | 14-18 | Monthly | Yes | Rarely | $66.65/mo | Visit |
 KiwiCo | 8.2 | 0-16 | Monthly | Partly | Rarely | $23.95/mo | Visit |
 Little Passports | 7.9 | 3-10 | Monthly | No | Rarely | $24.95/mo | Visit |
 Green Kid Crafts | 7.8 | 2-10 | Monthly | No | Rarely | $19.95/mo | Visit |
 Lovevery | 7.7 | 0-5 | Monthly | Partly | Rarely | $36.00/mo | Visit |
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