Best Lego sets for adults 2024: Become a master model builder with our top picks

Not just for kids; the best Lego sets for adults are designed to be more challenging and can even help you practise mindfulness.

Recently, Lego released a slew of new sets designed exclusively for grown-ups. You can create mini villages, works of art, scale model vehicles and famous landmarks. Once you’ve built your masterpiece, you can even put it on display. Whether you construct Lego for the final result or a creative break from modern life, there’s no denying it’s a lot of fun.

Below is our roundup of the best Lego sets for adults, curated to showcase the variety of builds possible. As always, there’s also a buying guide to help you find your perfect set.

Best Lego sets for adults: At a glance

How to choose the best Lego set for you

When choosing a Lego set, there are a few things you might want to consider. Not only is there a huge range to choose from, but there is also an enormous price difference. Lego sets for adults can be expensive, so you want to get the right set for you.

Is Lego for adults really a thing?

Yes – all Lego sets have an age suggestion marked on them. Sets for adults are marked 18+, though many adults enjoy building kids’ sets, too (and vice versa). The age range on Lego sets indicates the complexity of the build and considers fine motor skills and intellectual ability.

What different types of Lego sets for adults are there?

Lego has designed sets that specifically tap into the interests of adults, from classic cars and Star Wars to vintage game consoles, travel and art – to name a few. Pick something you’re interested in, as you’ll spend many hours building your set. Some parts might be challenging, so you’ll want to be engaged with the end build.

Lego produces sets under the themes of entertainment, art, design and music, travel, science and tech, vehicles and sports & games. Within these themes are a plethora of sets to choose from. There are even builds to display at weddings, including a flower bouquet.

What do you do with Lego after you’ve built it?

Lego sets for adults are designed to be shown off. Some people display them on their shelves, others go further and buy display cabinets. If that’s not for you, you can break down the set and store it for another day of building.

How we test Lego sets for adults

We spent a month putting together Lego sets for adults, spending many a day and evening building to our heart’s content. All sets were built with co-testers so we could collect opinions depending on different interests.

We looked at how much we enjoyed each build, trying as much as possible not to let personal interest dictate our results. We also assessed the complexity of the build and the variety of ‘jobs’ – we wanted something fun that wasn’t too repetitive. And, of course, we considered how exciting the end product was. Did we want to display it in our homes? Was it just something we could look at or could we engage with it after the building fun had finished?

READ NEXT: The best Lego sets for kids

The best Lego sets for adults to buy in 2024

1. PAC-MAN Arcade 10323: Best adult Lego set for nostalgia

Price when reviewed: £230 | Check price at Lego

Lego and Pac-Man; surely that’s a recipe for a full-on nostalgia hit? Part of the Lego Icons series, this set is designed to celebrate a pop culture moment. The box alone drew gasps of delight from our co-testers when they set their eyes on it. “Does it actually work?” said one tester. Well, no – but it does have inner mechanics that you can operate via a crank at the side, replicating a Pac-Man chase on the “screen”.

This set is hugely satisfying to build, and an excellent amateur engineering project that doesn’t create too many head-scratching moments. It also has a removable back to allow you to see the inner workings and a mini-figure version of the build, too. We loved the light-up brick for the faux coin slot. It’s such a fun piece to make, and it would look great on display at home.

Key specs – Age: 18+; Pieces: 2,651; Dimensions: 32 x 25 x 17cm

2. Eiffel Tower 10307: Best adult Lego set for complex builds

Price when reviewed: £555 | Check price at Lego

If you’re looking for the granddaddy of Lego builds for adults, this Eiffel Tower is the one. There are more than 10,000 pieces to it, and it measures a lofty 149cm tall once built. That’s over 4ft in old money. If this feels a tad overwhelming, we’re very much with you, but during construction, we quickly realised it’s achievable, while still being a fun, extended build.

The tower can be built in four parts, allowing you to break it down into smaller projects. This is also how the original tower was built, which is a cool homage to the architecture. It’s a faithful replication of all the metalwork in the Eiffel Tower, but this meant our testers found it quite repetitive. We recommend teaming up with someone to make this build so you can swap jobs.

We loved the minute details on this build, with the Esplanade and its Parisian street scene underneath. You’ll definitely want to display this project, and as luck would have it, you can split it into segments to transport – there are even carry handles.

Key specs – Age: 18+; Pieces: 10,001; Dimensions: 149 x 57 x 57cm

3. Land Rover Classic Defender 90 10317: Best for the fun factor

Price when reviewed: £210 | Check price at Lego

Land Rover fans lit up when we showed them this impressive Lego set. As you would hope with Lego, it’s faithful to the original 1983 Land Rover Defender model. It comes with working steering, suspension and an interior that looks like the real deal.

This set is great for big kids, as it includes plenty of bits and bobs and side-builds that are similar to those found in Lego sets for kids. These pieces can be combined to create a brilliant finished piece. If you want, you can leave off these accessories for a more streamlined look. It also offers the choice of left- or right-hand drives, three types of bonnet and a diesel or petrol engine.

We loved this build because it was fun and didn’t have a hint of repetition. It also was a bit more achievable on a time limit than other builds in this roundup. We finished with a display-worthy piece that didn’t dominate our shelves.

Key specs – Age: 18+; Pieces: 2,336; Dimensions: 16 x 16 x 32cm

4. Batcave Shadow Box 76256: Best for comic-book fans

Price when reviewed: £345 | Check price at Lego

This Lego set is geeky and very, very clever. It’s Lego’s first-ever shadow box build, and they’ve picked a recreation of Batman’s cave from Batman Returns for the theme. The box opens like a book, revealing the Batcave’s inner workings and the Batmobile. The Batmobile alone has some great features, including an opening roof and launchers, plus space to seat a minifigure. There are so many nifty features in this build, including light-up bricks, retractable shutters and hidden vaults, so it won’t be one you just put on display and forget about – your inner child will want to play.

The build is pretty easy to do, though we acknowledge there’s a lot of black. Die-hard brick builders won’t mind this, but it might be slightly off-putting for beginners. Our tip is to not get disheartened – the build is varied and fun, although you’ll need some clear space to do it – and a good few hours.

Key specs – Age: 18+; Pieces: 3,981; Dimensions: 29 x 51 x 14cm

5. PEUGEOT 9X8 24H Le Mans Hybrid Hypercar 42156: Best Lego set for petrolheads

Price when reviewed: £170 | Check price at Lego

This build is one for big sports car racing fans, as it’s been released to celebrate 100 years of Le Mans. It’s also finely detailed to include features that will scratch the hypercar itch that racing fans have. These cool details include a faithfully recreated engine (it doesn’t work, sorry guys), glow-in-the-dark elements and actual suspension. Some doors open and close. This build is one of the smaller on this roundup, with 1,775 pieces, making it a fun project. “Complex without being overwhelming,” is how our tester put it.

Key specs – Age: 18+; Pieces: 1,775; Dimensions: 13 x 50 x 22cm