SmartMax Start XL (42 pcs) STEM Magnetic Discovery Building Set Featuring Safe, Extra-Strong, Oversized Building Pieces for Ages 3+

I bought these SmartMac xl and then the Hauker 88 piece set for 33.99 alot tcheaper and over 2x the pieces and a tote. Im not good imagining dimensions and wanted big pieces, so i bought both.So both sets are good. The Hauker set is an amazing value but the pieces are tiny. Great for older kids, but for the 1-2 maybe even 3 year olds i would pick the SmartMax hand down. The smart max feel stronger and the magnets are at least 2x as strong but really easy to take apart- i dont know how they do it. Defintely worth the investment. My choice would be the smartmax because its worth the cost because they are bigger and stronger. I will say though that the balls on both sets seam to scratch easily. After less than 30 min of play balls from both sets have dings and the smartmax white ones have some black marks. Overall still amazing!!!!That said- the Hauker set is a great value and the pieces are quality and the magnets are strong and hold but arent as strong as the smartmax. So if your kids are older i would def go with Hauker set.

These are great- they're naturally interesting and the magnets are strong enough that they stick "by accident", catching even the youngest child's attention and leading to further inspiration. We bought the 25-piece set and came back for more because they were such a hit with our 15-month old son. These are expensive, but a very well made and seemingly long-lived toy (I can imagine him still using them as a 5-year old... How many toys can make that claim?).* * * Edited to add: as he's gotten older, these have become a source of frustration. The bars only stick together if you match a cool color to a warm color, other than that they need a sphere as a connector. His toddler brain wants to fasten matching colored rods, and since he can't, this almost always ends in frustration and anger. Not a big deal, and something we will work through... but something to consider if your child is easily frustrated or has the tendency to need things to work in a very specific way.

I have wanted to get these since my first born turned 1 now 2, well I got them for Christmas for both my kids & they love them. There are so many things they stick to not just each other, fridge, other toys they love trying to combine the colors & seeing what works & what doens't. My youngest 1 can grip them, no fear of choking since they are big, but light weight, very light weight. My oldest loves throwing the balls around >.< but its all fun, I actually love sitting with them & making shapes to help him learn colors/shapes. Lots of fun, I'm actually considering getting more of theses & there are some others that are actual shapes, but flat magnets I see lots of potential & fun. The price is worth it, especially for how much they get played with & great for multiple kids.

SmartMax sets are awesome magnetic sets that can help educate kids while playing, creating and having fun. I wish they came with more of everything for the price you pay... but they are definitely worth the money you pay with how durable they are and the amount of fun you can have. I went on the SmartMax website and printed out 4x6 pictures of all the different designs you can make and put them in a mini photo album.My son and I try to make the designs but you can only make about a handful before you need to start expanding your set if you're trying to make the designs on the website. This is an expensive collection but so fun! I highly recommend these for toddlers with busy hands and creative minds. These would be a great gift too!

My sister found some of these at a yard sale and made a little toy box for my son when we come to visit. He loves them so much, a ordered a set of my own and they’re a total hit! As another review said, they’re magnets so they stick to more than the pieces in this set. My son has been very creative and sticking them to our metal stools in the kitchen! Very creative play with these!

My son plays with them off and on, but always falls victim to wanting to watch television. These toys can't compete with Elmo! Nonetheless, I saw these toys at the local Children's Museum and have seen kids spend hours playing with them. I know I have spent more time playing with them than my son, but he still loves to tear down every structure I've erected.IMO, he will begin really playing with them in another 4-6 months. They are fun and safe.They are expensive though. You can't build much with 42 pieces and that's already 80 bucks.

Bought one for my 1 year old son in Europe (the box says 1+) he enjoyed so much, connecting and disconnecting parts. When we got to the US, we decided to give a set to my 2yr old nephew. While searching on Amazon saw the 3+ notice, and started researching. I contacted the company and they explained that their product is safe for 1+ (you can see how they are put together in their website, and large pieces are not a choking hazard) Bought it, and both (and actually all young at heart members of the family enjoy playing with it. Definitely recommend it, and will buy more parts.

Santa brought this set to my son for Christmas. The set is good quality and the magnets are very strong. My son enjoys this and that was the primary purpose, so I gave it 5 stars.But from a parents point of view maybe only 4.5 stars. The set comes with a book of awesome and great ideas...many of which my son wanted to build. Unfortunately they include pieces that aren't included in this set or that require more pieces than what this set includes. For $70 I would have hoped that there were a few more ideas that we could build with this set alone.