Occasionally, I decide to be done collecting a theme. It is not that I do not like the theme. More like I have gotten all the sets that I was really itching to have. Such was the case with the last round of Arctic Exploration sets from the City theme of 2018. However, fate had another plan that made itself apparent with a sale. I found this week’s set for 45% off. So, this might be an old set, but this week we will look at the Arctic Ice Glider (60190).
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Arctic Ice Glider (60190) Summary
- NAME: Arctic Ice Glider
- SET #: 60190
- THEME: City
- COST: $8.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 50
- MINIFIGURES: 1
- RELEASE DATE: June 2, 2018
Arctic Ice Glider (60190) Quick Review
- VALUE: 62% (At full price, this set is a bad value.)
- BUILD: 90% (No new build techniques, but a nice-looking set.)
- MINIFIGURES: 94% (One nice Minifig, excellent brick-to-fig ratio.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 90% (I love it, but it probably speaks to science geeks.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 84%
ARCTIC ICE GLIDER (60190) REVIEW
VALUE: 62%
The Arctic Ice Glider costs $8.99 at full price in Canada. As such, you are paying $0.18 per brick for this kit, which is expensive. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick currently sits at $0.14. While City theme sets tend to be more expensive per brick, I still only rate that value at 67%. Since I bought this set for $5.00 on sale, my cost-per-brick was $0.10. That brings the score up to 93% if you can find the same deal.
Being a small set, I assembled the Arctic Ice Glider in seven minutes. Consequently, each minute of build time cost $1.28 at full price. That is a fail in my books, earning 57%. As such, I am happy to have bought this set on sale. My cost-per-minute was $0.71, bringing the score to 86%. Averaging the cost-per-minute and cost-per-brick scores yields an overall value rating of 62% at full price, and 90% on sale.
BUILD: 90%
Many larger arctic sets from the City theme come with a snowmobile of some kind. However, this one is more robust than most of those. It has a large fan on the back, reminiscent of a hovercraft. Additionally, there is a windshield. However, instead of the inflatable base of a hovercraft, there are skis. This is a small build, but a nice one. There are no novel build techniques, but the product looks good. I rate it at 9/10.
MINIFIGURES: 94%
The Arctic Ice Glider comes with one Minifigure. The design is identical to one that came in the Arctic Mobile Exploration Base (click here to read about it). He comes with all the standard Minifigure parts. Additionally, the character has front and back torso printing. However, he does not have a double-sided face or leg printing. In terms of accessories, the kit includes a printed tile GPS, a circular saw, snowshoes, and a handheld radio. All of this equates to a design score of 13/15 (87%).
One Minifigure in a 50-piece kit results in an easy to calculate brick-to-Minifigure ratio. The ratio is good too. Consequently, the Arctic Ice Glider earns 100% in this category. Averaging the ratio and design scores give an overall Minifigure rating of 94%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 90%
Although they all tended to be a bad value, I really enjoyed the arctic exploration theme from 2018. Additionally, I bought the Arctic Base Camp from 2014 as I was emerging from my LEGO® dark ages. I still have all the 2018 sets that I acquired built and on my shelf. I lived in an apartment in 2014, meaning there was no room to keep sets built back then. However, I do still own that set. Sadly, these kits do not lend themselves well to my current city layout. Arctic sets suit a particular taste. For that reason, the Arctic Ice Glider does not earn a perfect AFOL score. I rate it at 4.5/5 (90%).
For kids, this is a fun vehicle. It is not overly complicated to build, or hard on a parent’s wallet. I had a non-LEGO Batman snowmobile as a kid, and it drove in my adventures through the summer months too, despite being on skis. However, with all the other vehicles the LEGO® Group has to offer, I feel this suits a particular taste for kids as well. Like with the AFOL score, I rate the Arctic Ice Glider at 90% here too.
OVERALL SCORE: 84%
The Arctic Ice Glider is a nice little set. I like it quite a bit. The only drawback to it is the value. At full price, it costs too much for what you get. It took a sale at 45% off to make it worthwhile for me. However, I am happy to have it. Additionally, it was a lot of fun to photograph out in the snow. I love the science themed City sets. Therefore, these types of sets will always speak to me. I am not sure that everyone else feels the same though. Be sure to let me know in the comments below or shout out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
Want to know what others think?
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