Our winner
- Ages
- 8–14
- New content
- Monthly
- Format
- New physical toy kit each month + companion video
- From
- $24.95/mo
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CrunchLabs Build Box vs Lovevery
CrunchLabs leads on sTEM depth
vs
- Ages
- 0–5
- New content
- Monthly
- Format
- Stage-based kit of wooden toys, shipped every 2-3 months
- From
- $36/mo
CrunchLabs Build Box and Lovevery both land in the same basket for parents shopping subscription kits, but they are built for different children. CrunchLabs Build Box is mark Rober's monthly mechanical toy, with the video to match, aimed at ages 8-14. Lovevery is beautiful developmental play kits, for the youngest end, aimed at ages 0-5. Their stated age ranges do not overlap at all, which usually settles it before anything else does.
What it really comes down to
CrunchLabs is the stronger pick on sTEM depth
Is there real science underneath, or a craft project with a science label? On this measure we score CrunchLabs 10/10 against Lovevery at 7/10 - the widest gap between these two on anything we track, and it carries 18% 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.
Scored side by side
| Dimension | CrunchLabs | Lovevery |
|---|---|---|
| Replay value18% | 8 | 8 |
| STEM depth18% | 10 | 7 |
| Novelty cadence14% | 7 | 6 |
| Wow factor14% | 10 | 8 |
| Value for money14% | 9 | 7 |
| Builds independently12% | 9 | 10 |
| Clutter control10% | 7 | 9 |
| Overall | 8.7 | 7.7 |
Choose CrunchLabs if…
- A 9-12 year old who already loves Mark Rober and wants the toy from the video.
- You care about sTEM depth — we score CrunchLabs 10/10 there against Lovevery at 7/10
- You care about wow factor — we score CrunchLabs 10/10 there against Lovevery at 8/10
- You care about value for money — we score CrunchLabs 9/10 there against Lovevery at 7/10
- Price is the deciding factor — it starts at $24.95/mo against $36/mo
- Your child is over 5, which Lovevery does not cover
Choose Lovevery if…
- A child under 5, and a parent who would rather buy few, excellent things than a box every month.
- You care about clutter control — we score Lovevery 9/10 there against CrunchLabs at 7/10
- You care about builds independently — we score Lovevery 10/10 there against CrunchLabs at 9/10
- Your child is under 8, which CrunchLabs does not cover
Our verdict
CrunchLabs Build Box, on our scoring — 8.7 against 7.7. 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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Common questions
Is CrunchLabs Build Box or Lovevery better?
We score CrunchLabs Build Box higher — 8.7 against 7.7 — mainly on sTEM depth. Neither is our overall pick for most families.
What ages does each one cover?
CrunchLabs Build Box states 8-14, with a sweet spot of 9-12, especially if they already watch the channel. Lovevery states 0-5, with a sweet spot of 1-4, and it runs out of road right where ibrick starts.
Which is cheaper?
CrunchLabs Build Box, starting around $24.95/mo on an annual plan. Roughly $29.95/mo month-to-month, around $24.95/mo prepaid annually. Sold as multi-month kits rather than a monthly box, so the per-month figure is indicative. Pricing varies by stage - confirm before subscribing.
The whole field, for context
| Kit | Score | Ages | New content | Reuses parts | Needs a parent | From | Visit brand site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 ibrickOur pick | 9.6 | 5-12 | Weekly | Yes | Rarely | $27/mo | Visit |
 CrunchLabs Build Box | 8.7 | 8-14 | Monthly | Partly | Rarely | $24.95/mo | Visit |
 MEL Science | 8.4 | 5-16 | Monthly | Partly | Usually | $29.9/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/mo | Visit |