If you just heard about Nanoblocks, you came to the right place. In this article, I compare Nanoblocks vs. LEGO to describe the differences. The main difference is that Nanoblocks are tiny, and you don’t have to be a child to love building things with them.
With Nanoblocks, you can make a tiny model of a “Wonder of the World,” like the ancient Japanese Himeji Castle, the Eiffel Tower, the Titanic, or a German castle called Neuschwanstein Disney used as the model for Snow White’s castle.
There are over 16,000 sets and kits of LEGO bricks. With LEGO, you can make almost anything.
In this article, you will enjoy learning:
- The history of Nanoblocks.
- The fascinating origin of LEGO.
- How the Nanoblocks and LEGO compare.
- The dimensions, prices, and quality.
- The variety of sets and kits.
- Age recommendations for.
So, come and enjoy the fascinating and fun world of project building with Nanoblocks and LEGO bricks.
Everything You Want to Know About Nanoblocks vs. LEGO
Here you will get all of your compelling questions about Nanoblocks vs. LEGO answered.
The History of Nanoblocks
Nanoblocks were made in Japan by the Kawada Toy Company and came out in 2008. Since their launch in Japan, they are now exported to over 31 countries.
The term “nano” comes from Ancient Greek and means “dwarf” in English. Some people complain about how small the Nanoblocks are; however, this made them so popular.
The Origins of LEGO
The LEGO History is fascinating. The brand name comes from a combination of two Danish words, “leg” and “godt,” which means “play well” in English.
The LEGO company started as a small carpenter’s workshop almost 90 years ago. The LEGO plastic building block, also called a “brick,” debuted in 1958. I have loved LEGO since I was a child. I kept playing with them until now.
In this video, a boy with creative genius built a dog wheelchair, for a dog with only two legs, out of LEGO blocks.
I love dogs and support the Play a Song – Save a Dog project to raise money for animal rescue efforts, so this video is very touching to me. It is truly amazing what a clever person can build out of toy building blocks.
A Comparison of Nanoblocks vs. LEGO
You may wonder if there is a patent infringement case against Nanoblocks for making a copycat product similar to LEGO. The answer is no.
To avoid a patent claim, Nanoblocks are not compatible with LEGO. Nanoblocks are about one-quarter of the size of LEGO blocks.
This video, produced by Dr. Jake, gives a review of the Nanoblocks Blue Whale Skelton set.
Dimensions
The Nanoblocks dimensions are 4 mm width by 4 mm width by 5 mm height (0.157 inches by 0.157 inches by 0.197 inches). For reference, a U.S. penny has the diameter of 19.05 mm so Nanoblocks are about one-fifth as wide as a penny coin.
The dimensions of standard LEGO bricks are 8 mm width by 8 mm width by 16 mm height (0.315 inches by 0.315 inches by 0.630 inches). LEGO offers many other shapes and sizes.
The size of the standard LEGO bricks makes them easier to use than the Nanoblocks. Nanoblocks are about one-quarter of the size of LEGO bricks.
Some people feel that the small size of Nanoblocks makes them difficult to manipulate, especially for those who have a bit of trouble with hand/eye coordination.
For many, it is best to use tweezers to assemble projects with Nanoblocks. Also, it is very easy to brush the Nanoblocks off a table because they are so tiny. Tweezers are unnecessary with LEGO bricks. Even little children can handle LEGO bricks easily.
Brayham Jaimes has a fun stop motion video on Twitter that shows how he put a Nanoblocks kit together:
Stopmotion time 😬 #NanoBlock #Venusaur pic.twitter.com/GHcG9BaRJ3
— Brayham jaimes (@BrayhamJaimes) November 2, 2021
Nanoblocks kits need to come with plenty of extra pieces because it is so easy to lose them. The reason why LEGO sets have extra pieces is explained here.
For those with poor eyesight, it is helpful to work with a magnifying glass on a flexible arm so you will be able to see the Nanoblock pieces more easily and find the correct ones if you are building a model from a kit. This magnifying glass is not necessary with LEGO bricks.
Price
Nanoblocks kits start at under $10 and go up. The most expensive kits, with many thousands of pieces, sell for up to $250.
LEGO kits start at around $20 to $25. The most expensive LEGO kit is the Star Wars 75192 Millennium Falcon for $800.
Quality
The Japanese are known for making products of superb quality. The quality is exceptional.
The LEGO brand has been around for a long time, and the quality is exceptional either.
The Variety of Sets and Kits
There are dozens of Nanoblocks sets and kits from the simple to the complex. Nanoblocks keeps expanding its collection of interesting model kits but does not compare to the number of sets and models kits available for LEGO.
LEGO released over 16,000 sets and model kits since the 1950s.
The largest Nanoblocks kit, with 5,800 pieces, is the Neuschwanstein Castle Deluxe Edition.
D1RTYM0NST3R a Nanoblocks enthusiast says he looks forward to putting together this Charizardy Nanoblock:
Look forward to putting together this Charizardy nanoblock while cracking a few pokemon celebrations packs for tomorrow’s stream. See ya tomorrow.#pokemon #nanoblock #pokemoncards #Charizard #nanoblockbuilds #pokemontcg #nanoblocks #FacebookGaming pic.twitter.com/8ZY3p5rKbs
— D1RTYM0NST3R (@D1RTYM0NST3R) November 6, 2021
This video, produced by Brick Me Up Scottie, shows the kits he used to make the models of the Kraken King of the Sea and the Old Trafford Stadium.
You can imagine how much work it took to make such complex models from the tiny Nanoblocks. Some people have way too much spare time. I’m jealous.
Age Recommendations
Nanoblocks are recommended for ages 12 and older.
LEGO bricks are recommended for ages four and older. Each LEGO package has an age recommendation based on the difficulty of assembling the kit. LEGO also makes a larger brick called LEGO Duplos for toddlers as young as two years old.
Supervise young children when they play with any plastic toy blocks because they can swallow the small pieces. Any of these smaller blocks may be a choking hazard for small children.
Difficulty Levels
LEGO and Nanoblocks have starter kits that anyone can enjoy.
Both LEGO and Nanoblocks systems have a series of progressively difficult kits that are more challenging to make. Some of them with a complex design, and thousands of pieces are the most difficult to complete.
Comparison of Kit Instructions between Nanoblocks vs. LEGO
Like the Nanoblocks, which are so tiny, the instructions in the Nanoblocks kits have a small text font that is hard for people to read. You will have to use your eyeglasses and might also need a magnifying glass to read the instructions.
The Nanoblocks are a Japanese invention, so the English in the Nanoblocks instructions is not perfect.
LEGO, a European company founded in Denmark, has been around longer and its packaging materials and instructions are more refined.
The LEGO instructions in a kit are very clear, easy to read and understand.
Collaborations with Other Famous Brands
Nanoblocks has a collaboration with Pokémon. There are kits of Nanoblocks that make Pokémon characters called Pokémon Nanoblocks.
The Pokellector makes the popular Pokémon figures out of Nanoblocks:
Lots of new #Pokemon #Nanoblock sets on the way! https://t.co/lA1ZPD2nWG pic.twitter.com/rxRMVSWI3F
— The Pokellector (@Pokellector) November 7, 2021
LEGO collaborated with many other famous brands through its creative licensing collaboration partnerships. Some collaborative brands for LEGO are Addidas, Levi’s, and IKEA. There are many others.
Final Words
There is no single winner for me when it comes to Nanoblocks vs. LEGO because I love both systems. I have taken to remaking all my beloved LEGO® projects now as Nanoblocks versions of those projects. I love to display them side-by-side.
I will make miniature versions of all my previous, beautiful LEGO projects for my new Nanoblocks collection. Big fun with all my blocks!