Our winner
- Ages
- 5–12
- New content
- Weekly
- Format
- One reusable master kit + weekly app-delivered builds
- From
- $27/mo
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ibrick vs CrunchLabs Build Box
Four builds a month against one very good one
vs
- Ages
- 8–14
- New content
- Monthly
- Format
- New physical toy kit each month + companion video
- From
- $24.95/mo
This is the closest comparison on the site, and the most common one parents are actually weighing. Both are engineering-first. Both produce something that moves. Both are genuinely good products. They differ on one structural decision: CrunchLabs ships a new toy every month, while ibrick ships one kit and then keeps unlocking new things to build with it every week.
What it really comes down to
New box every month vs new build every week
CrunchLabs is a monthly physical delivery - a new set of parts, a new fixed project, a new finished toy. That model gives you an excellent single build and a genuinely great Mark Rober video, but it also means three or four weeks of waiting between projects, and twelve new mechanical toys in your house after a year. ibrick inverts it: the parts arrive once, and the novelty arrives weekly through the app as new 3D blueprints for the same kit. Over a year that is roughly 50 builds against 12, with nothing new to find space for.
Scored side by side
| Dimension | ibrick | CrunchLabs |
|---|---|---|
| Replay value18% | 10 | 8 |
| STEM depth18% | 9 | 10 |
| Novelty cadence14% | 10 | 7 |
| Wow factor14% | 9 | 10 |
| Value for money14% | 10 | 9 |
| Builds independently12% | 9 | 9 |
| Clutter control10% | 10 | 7 |
| Overall | 9.6 | 8.7 |
Choose ibrick if…
- Your child finishes projects fast and a month of waiting will lose them
- You are already out of storage space
- You want the same parts to keep earning their keep instead of a new box each month
- Your child is 5-8 and CrunchLabs skews too old
- You want a challenge layer that pushes them to modify the build, not just complete it
Choose CrunchLabs if…
- Your child already watches Mark Rober and wants the toy from the video
- You would rather have one exceptional build a month than four good ones
- You want a finished toy that stays assembled and gets played with for months
- Your child is 9+ and specifically wants the CrunchLabs product
Our verdict
ibrick. CrunchLabs makes a lovely object and the better video, but you are comparing four builds a month against one at close to the same price - and paying the difference in storage. On the two things that decide whether a subscription is still in use at month six, how often something new arrives and whether you have room for it, ibrick wins both outright, and it wins on cost per build by a factor of four.
Still torn between the two?
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Common questions
Which is better value?
Headline prices are close. On cost per build, ibrick is substantially cheaper because the weekly cadence delivers roughly four times the projects for a similar monthly figure. On cost per physical object you keep, CrunchLabs gives you more - whether that is a benefit depends on your storage situation.
Does CrunchLabs work for a 6-year-old?
It is aimed at 8-12 and a six-year-old will need real help. ibrick's stated range starts at 5, and the 3D instructions are the reason that floor is realistic.
Can you do both?
Plenty of families do, and they pair well - CrunchLabs as an occasional event, ibrick as the week-to-week habit. If you are picking one, pick on cadence.
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 |