Best Magnetic Tile Set Of 2024: Completed List
Brandon Forder May 19, 2024 5:31 AM
Young people have an innate ability to create and design. They are born with a natural interest in STEM fields, and it is our responsibility to foster that interest and help them see the pleasure in STEM education.
We believe that magnetic tile toys such as Magna-Tiles, Picasso Tiles, and others are the finest STEM toys for children of all ages because they allow children to learn through play.
Most parents find the concept appealing. Young people find them amusing. The unusual toy that children keep for a very long time is this one. From our many years of experience reviewing toys, we have found that magnetic tile toys are always at the top of the pile when it comes to STEM. Brands like Magna-Tiles, Picasso Tiles, Magformers, and Connetix all make construction toys.
Choose one of these magnetic building sets if you can only buy one hands-on STEM-based item this holiday season. Find out more about the best brands available and which ones we recommend below
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Last update on 2024-05-19 / Affiliate links / Images, Product Titles, and Product Highlights from Amazon Product Advertising API
Construction
Although visually similar, not all tile brands are made with the same materials or adhere to the same standards. Metal rivets ensure the watertight integrity of Magna-Tiles, Connetix, and Play-Mags, making them extremely robust and long-lasting. Because they are glued together, Picasso Tiles are less long-lasting than other options, but they cost far less. While magformers are sonically sealed, they do not use rivets. While the aforementioned brands are the most popular, there are others available; it's important to research their build quality before making a purchase.
Compatibility
Most tile systems are interchangeable, however Magformers aren't because of where their magnets are placed. However, Magformers aren't very heavy, so even toddlers with small hands can play with them.
Age Appropriate
Because our selection of magnetic play tiles is aimed at toddlers, we took care to include only high-quality products that are appropriate for their age and that cater to a wide range of kids' interests and learning styles.
Price
In spite of their effectiveness, some of the best magnetic tiles are surprisingly affordable. However, the price of a few of them is more than the others. The cost here is primarily attributable to the brand name. On the other hand, none of these options are too costly.
Think about it: how often do you dine at a restaurant? How often do you visit Olive Garden with your family? Where about Red Lobster? You can save enough money to buy a tileset for your kid by skipping a single outing (or two, depending on your family size and the set you decide to buy). Also, the one or two nights that you decide to cook at home will provide your child with hours of entertainment for years to come.
Build Quality
These magnetic tile sets are all of the highest standard of construction. Some of the parts are made of sturdy plastic. The remaining sets are shown as sturdy, see-through translucent pieces.
Some magnetic tile sets tend to break down really easily. Some of them can even be missing from the package when it gets there. In this way, the magnets may be simply removed. When we get there, they're sometimes already out. Young children, especially, could choke on this.
The best magnetic tiles we reviewed here are not susceptible to this issue.
PicassoTiles is one of the brands I mentioned that can crack if dropped. But out of over 6,000 instances where this is known to be the case, they have only been shown to do so rarely. Two Picasso magnetic tiles were reported to have broken apart straight from the packaging. The broken parts were readily reassembled using superglue, and they perform admirably once again. Out of over 6,000 reviews that have been reported, this has only been reported once.
Durability
A large majority of magnetic tiles will last for quite some time. Two things, however, do distinguish one brand from another.
Firstly, some brands contain metal rivets as well as glued/sonically sealed edges. This is merely an extra precaution to take in order to prevent anyone from gaining access to the magnets.
Secondly is the surface of the tiles. Aesthetic scratches may be more noticeable on some of the less priced alternatives. The functionality of the tiles is not compromised in any way by this. It merely impacts the appearance of the surface of the tiles.
Most children won't mind, but if you have a youngster that is really picky about their playthings, you should know.
Magnet Strength
The maximum height of simple buildings that can be made with magnets depends on their strength.
The strength of magnets is often proportional to their size. As a result, tiles with larger magnets tend to be more powerful. This is a benefit of investing in a higher-end brand. They simplify the process of building stunning structures.
Add-Ons
Tiles aren't the only thing included in some sets. Wheelbases and other stylistic components like windows may be included.
Depending on the set, you may also receive a mesh bag to store your tiles in one place. I’m highlighting these possibilities, mainly because they may not be the major reason to choose one set over another.
These specialized pieces can be found in many various types of little sets from many different manufacturers. You shouldn't feel pressured to acquire a specific set because its windows are the only ones of their kind.
How many magnetic blocks should I buy for my child?
If you only have one kid who's four or older, the evaluations seem to agree that a set with 100 to 133 pieces is ideal. Less than that appears to create a deficiency. However, unless Mummy, Daddy, or Grandma and Grandpa are in on the joke, less does appear to work perfectly for three-year-olds.
With multiple kids, you might want to stock up on at least 133 pieces. More is definitely better. This will reduce the likelihood of disagreements and the likelihood of scarcity.
It's wonderful that some people want to provide their daycare or preschool with the highest quality magnetic tiles they can afford. I would recommend getting at least 300 tiles if you're going to use them in a daycare or preschool.
Do they attach from any side, or does one side repel the other?
The magnets have a small repulsion if they are aligned midway instead of edge to edge. However, given enough time, they'll discover their mutual polarity and gravitate toward one another. Because of this, when the magnets are joined, they always align correctly.
How many magnetic tiles do you need?
Whenever using magnetic tiles, more is preferable. Your children's creativity will know no bounds with a larger supply of building tiles.
The recommended minimum number of pieces for a solid beginner set is 100. One option for gauging interest is to purchase a smaller set. However, a larger selection is required to allow children to fully benefit from them.
Are my electronics safe around magnetic tiles?
Unlike their analog predecessors, modern electronic devices are less likely to be damaged by magnets. It's worth noting that the tiles' magnets aren't particularly powerful, so you don't have to worry about damaging your sensitive devices.
However, it's probably best to prevent your kids from using magnetic tiles as the basis for a computer casing.
A credit card or key card could be lost if you accidentally buried it behind a stack of magnetic tiles, but that's about the worst thing that could happen. It's possible that it won't function anymore. Although the magnets in the tiles are powerful enough to be a cause for concern, this is still highly improbable to occur.
When it comes to making three-dimensional constructions, Magna Tiles are worth the investment because they are more durable and convenient to play with.
If the more expensive sets are out of your pricing range, don't worry; cheaper equivalents do the job and are still a terrific toy (they make a great beginning point, and cheap magnetic tiles is always better than no magnetic tiles in my opinion!) - but based on our experience with the two, I would prefer Magna-Tiles because I think your child will be less upset with the strength of the tiles and collapsed constructions as they get older and want to create more complex structures.
Most importantly, have fun with your kids while playing Magnetic Tiles.
