IKEA recently released their BYGGLEK collaboration with the LEGO® Group. Primarily, the product line consists of storage boxes that also provide building surfaces. Click here to read a review about those. However, IKEA also has an exclusive BYGGLEK (40357) set. This kit is only available at IKEA, and not even the LEGO® Store carries it. I picked one up along with the storage boxes when I went to IKEA on release day. Let us see how it compares to other LEGO® sets.
Click here to read about how I generate review scores.
BYGGLEK SET SUMMARY
- NAME: BYGGLEK
- SET #: 40357
- THEME: IKEA exclusive
- COST: $24.99 CAD
- BRICK COUNT: 200
- MINIFIGURES: 2
- RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2020
BYGGLEK SET QUICK REVIEW
- VALUE: 87% (At $0.12/brick, you get a good value.)
- BUILD: 80% (Fun brainteaser experience, but limited bricks limit build potential.)
- MINIFIGURES: 83% (Lackluster characters, but a good number for a kit this size.)
- ENTERTAINMENT: 80% (Fun random build experience, but brick selection is very limiting.)
- OVERALL SCORE: 83%
BYGGLEK (40357) SET REVIEW
VALUE: 87%
The BYGGLEK set costs $24.99 in Canada and contains 200 bricks. Consequently, the cost-per-brick is $0.12. While not excellent, that is a good value. Comparatively, my average cost-per-brick is currently $0.14. Compared to other LEGO® sets, BYGGLEK earns 87% in this category.
There are no instructions included in the BYGGLEK kit. However, you get a leaflet with some basic design ideas. The kit is akin to a brick box from the Classic theme, just packaged differently. As such, the build-time is however long you choose to spend on it. For that reason, I will not rate this set based on build-time value this time around. Suffice to say, I spent a lot of time futzing with these bricks and seeing how they work with the storage boxes. It was fun.
BUILD: 80%
I do not generally buy Classic brick boxes. For my purposes, they do not come with enough of the bricks that I actually want. I am not trying to put these kits down. I see a lot of value in a random assemblage of bricks. Building without instructions insights creativity while developing spatial, thinking, and planning skills. However, my custom designs focus primarily on buildings for which I need a lot of the same color. BYGGLEK inspired me to build many small things. However, I tried to build using only the BYGGLEK kit. I fell short of pieces in particular colors in almost every design I came up with.
In terms of overall build experience, working only with BYGGLEK was a little like trying to solve a brainteaser or puzzle. It kept me entertained for a couple of hours. However, to really get the satisfaction of completing a new design, I need more bricks. Working with two or three BYGGLEK boxes would allow me to realize my vision for these parts. However, that also generates lots of extra bricks. I had fun building, but the bricks were not right for me. I am probably being too rigid in my mindset, but I hoped to build a decent looking hot dog stand market booth with these bricks. It is achievable, but it will be a mismatch of colors. I rate the build experience at 8/10.
MINIFIGURES: 83%
BYGGLEK comes with two generic Minifigures. Both have classic smiley faces printed on only one side. Additionally, neither one has any torso printing nor any leg printing. The characters do have some accessories though. The set contains a hairpiece, a red cap with ponytail, chef’s hat, a top hat, and bicycle helmet, a hot dog, and extra hot dog sausage, two mugs, a frying pan, and a banana. I rate the design of these characters at 23/30 (77%).
On the flip side, BYGGLEK has a good brick-to-fig ratio. With 200 bricks in total, the ratio of bricks to Minifigures is 100:1. Comparatively, my average is currently 146:1. Therefore, for a kit of this size, you get a good number of Minifigures. It is also a step up from Classic kits that almost never have Minifigures. I rate the ratio score for this set at 89%. Averaging this score with the design score gives an overall Minifigure rating of 83%.
ENTERTAINMENT: 80%
BYGGLEK contains a decent brick selection. However, it is hard to build any one thing with the offering. IKEA could have a more interesting set by offering furniture builds. Alternatively, they could offer little modular room builds with IKEA-like furniture. Arguably, you can build these on your own. But the set needs a different selection of bricks to better support that. The parts are useful and random building is fun. However, I cannot construct anything I would like to keep for my MOCs with just these bricks. I rate the entertainment at 80%.
OVERALL SCORE: 83%
I challenged myself to build something with only the BYGGLEK (40357) set bricks. However, I do not feel they lend well to that. This is a good supplemental brick box, but the key word is supplemental. With that said, the good price point means you can buy several for your needs. The Minifigures are quite simple, but you get a good number of plain parts for a kit this size. The kit is great as a brainteaser to incite creativity though. The BYGGLEK (40357) set is a good buy, but not a great one. What are your thoughts? Feel free to share in the comments below or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
-Tom
Want to support True North Bricks?
If you like the content at True North Bricks, please follow on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, or Twitter for regular updates. Additionally, you can support True North Bricks by making your LEGO® (and other) purchases using the links in the menu to the right. These affiliate links earn me a little commission at no extra cost to you, thus helping to manage the cost of running this blog. Thanks for your support!
