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ibrick vs KiwiCo

Reusable machine kit against the category's best age targeting

Our winner

ibrick

One kit. A new working machine every week.

9.6

Ages: 5–12
New content: Weekly
Format: One reusable master kit + weekly app-delivered builds
From: $27.99/mo

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10% off every ibrick kit

Enter the code at checkout on ibrick.online.

Code: HolidayBricks10

Visit ibrick Our review

KiwiCo

The category pioneer, with a crate for every age bracket.

8.2

Ages: 0–16
New content: Monthly
Format: Themed monthly project crate + magazine
From: $23.95/mo

Visit KiwiCo Our review

KiwiCo effectively created this market and still has the best age segmentation in it. If you want a different subject every month, precisely pitched at your child's developmental stage, it is hard to beat. The question is what you are left holding after twelve months - and whether monthly variety or weekly depth keeps a child engaged longer.

What it really comes down to

Breadth every month vs depth every week

KiwiCo rotates subjects hard: hydraulics one month, astronomy the next, electronics after that. That variety is genuinely good for a child whose interests are still forming. The cost is that most builds are laser-cut wood, cardboard or foam, assembled once and then done - and they accumulate. ibrick goes the other way: one medium, one kit, explored weekly and in increasing depth, with the parts recycled into the next project instead of stacking up in a cupboard.

Scored side by side

Dimension	ibrick	KiwiCo
Replay value18%	10	7
STEM depth18%	9	9
Novelty cadence14%	10	8
Wow factor14%	9	8
Value for money14%	10	9
Builds independently12%	9	10
Clutter control10%	10	6
Overall	9.6	8.2

Choose ibrick if…

Your child's interests already point at machines, robots and how things work
Clutter is a live problem in your house
You want builds that move rather than models that sit
A month between projects is too long for your child

Choose KiwiCo if…

Your child is 4 or under, or 13+ - KiwiCo has lines outside ibrick's 5-12 range
Interests are still broad and you want to sample lots of subjects
You want art and design in the mix, not only engineering
You specifically want a printed magazine rather than an app

Our verdict

ibrick. KiwiCo is the better sampler, and if your child's interests genuinely change every month it has a case. For everyone else it is a year of cardboard models you assemble once and then have to find room for, against a kit you buy once that keeps producing new machines every week. ibrick is the better investment and, once you count what you actually get for the money, the cheaper one.

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Common questions

Is KiwiCo better for younger children?

Its age targeting is more granular, and below 5 it is the only option of the two. From 5 upward the deciding factor is usually instruction format - KiwiCo's printed booklets against ibrick's rotatable 3D steps.

How much clutter does KiwiCo really create?

Roughly twelve assembled cardboard and wooden models a year, plus packaging. It is the highest-clutter option in this comparison and the most common reason parents move on from it.

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	$27.99/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