Mega Bloks VS Lego Duplo (Which is Better?)

I’m sure you have seen both Mega Bloks and Lego Duplo online and in stores. But have you ever wondered what the differences are between the two products?

What is better for kids Mega Bloks or Duplo?

From a young age kids love building or rather taking apart things.

Building blocks are perfect for this.

But what is the best block and why?

In this post, we are comparing Lego Duplo and Mega Bloks. Let’s find out which blocks are better.

I will share a review of both the Mega Bloks and Lego Duplo as well as a comparison of the two types of blocks.

Mega Bloks VS Duplo

First, let’s look at each product individually, by looking at my favorite starter kits for each type of block.

Favorite Starter Kits

Mega Bloks Big Building Bag 80 piece set

Lego Duplo Basic Bricks (65 Pics.)

Mega Bloks

The Mega Bloks Bag comes with 80 Classic Colored building blocks that are perfect for hands-on play.

They are made of plastic and perfect for little hands. Mega Bloks come in a variety of colors.

Age Recommendation

The product is recommended for children ages 12 months – 5 years.

The Mega Bloks Bag is ranked in the top 20 for multiple categories on Amazon, with a rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars.

Mega Bloks Pros

• Variety of different colors
• Has a variety of additional products that you can add to the set
• Large size for young children
• Loose-fitting perfect for early builders
• Low cost

Mega Bloks Cons

• Loose fit can be frustrating for kids as they get to preschool age and older
• While plastic is thick it can crack

Review of Mega Bloks

We got a set of Mega Bloks when my son was about 18 months old. He loved to play with the blocks and so did his sister once she was about 12 months old.

Both of my kids could spend hours being entertained by building and then knocking the towers over.

Now my oldest is 5 he still plays with the Mega Bloks on occasion but not as often.

He usually plays with them when he needs a target to hit over or to build a castle to play with his Mario Characters.

But for anything else he chooses to use the Duplo Blocks or regular legos.

My 3 year old still loves building with the Mega Bloks.

She probably uses both the Mega Bloks and Lego Duplo about the same. Whichever she finds first is what she plays with.

The Mega Bloks bricks are brightly colored and a great size for little toddler hands. 

The bricks fit loosely together and make it easy for toddlers to build and destroy block towers and other creations.

Once kids hit the preschooler age it seems that the looser fit of the Mega Bloks bricks can become a frustration.

At this age is usually when they want to build things that stay together and don’t easily come apart.

Mega Bloks Extras

Mega Bloks are more than just blocks there are a lot of fun “extras” that you can use with the blocks. Things like a dump truck, cars, and more.

Lego Duplo

The Lego Duplo Bricks comes with 65 pieces in different sizes and bright colors. They are sturdy and safe for toddlers.

Duplo bricks are made of plastic and perfect for little hands. Lego Duplo come in a variety of colors and set options.

Age Recommendation

Lego Duplo bricks are recommended for children ages 18 months – 5 years.

Lego Duplo bricks are ranked in the top 100 for multiple categories on amazon. This product has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

Lego Duplo Pros

• Variety of different colors
• Has a variety of additional products that you can add to the set
• Large size for young children
• Tight Fit (can also be a con depending on age)

Duplo Cons

• Tight fit can be frustrating for very young kids
• Cost – Lego brand is typically more expensive but it is typically thought to have superior quality.

Review of Lego Duplo

From the time I was young, I have been around Lego Duplo blocks. I had a set growing up and now my kids also have a set they love playing with.

They also love going to the Lego Store and playing with the Lego Duplo blocks they have out.

Both of my kids play with the Lego Duplo blocks on a daily basis.

We use them in the car for road trips, the kids love playing with them during quiet time or while watching a movie, and just about any other time you can think of.

The Lego Duplo bricks are brightly colored and a great size for little hands.

The bricks fit together tightly and are great for building towers, little cars, houses and more since the bricks stay together.

Lego Duplo Extras

Just like the Mega Bloks, Lego Duplo bricks are more than just blocks. There are fun characters, cars and more to play with along with your blocks.

Comparison of Mega Bloks Vs. Lego Duplo

So, which is better in the debate of Mega Bloks vs Lego Duplo?

Let’s compare the blocks based on the age of your builder and the cost.

Personally, I think that depends on what you want to do with the bricks and who is going to be using them.

When you look at the facts of the two products I have mentioned they are very similar, making it hard to know which one is better.

Mega Bloks Vs Duplo

From my use of the two products, both types of blocks work great for different things.

Age of Builders

The age of the builders is something I think is important to consider when picking which blocks to purchase.

Early Builders

For younger children (12 months -2 years)Mega Bloks are easier to use.

The bricks don’t stick together as tightly so it is easy for younger toddlers to take apart the bricks.

If you don’t want to help pull apart blocks Mega Bloks are great.

Mega Bloks are also slightly bigger than the Duplo bricks making them the perfect starting bricks for 1 to 2-year-olds.

Preschool Age Builders

For children 2 -5 years I think the Lego Duplo bricks are better.

Duplo bricks fit together tighter than the Mega Bloks, and they work better for most preschool-age builders.

I have seen older toddlers and preschool age kids get really frustrated with Mega Bloks not staying together.

Once kids reach the stage of wanting to build things other than towers I would recommend getting the Lego Duplo Blocks.

The Cost

Something else to consider when comparing Mega Bloks vs Lego Duplo is the cost of the bricks. Often Mega Bloks are less expensive than Lego Duplo bricks.

Mega Bloks are made from a thinner plastic than Lego bricks and I have had a Mega Blok brick break before.

Lego bricks are made from a thicker stronger plastic that really does last forever. The bricks I played with growing up are still in great condition at grandmas house.

Final Thoughts on Mega Bloks vs Lego Duplo

Overall, I like both Mega Bloks and Lego Duplo. If I was only going to buy one type of block I would go with Lego Duplo.

I feel like kids are happily playing with Lego Duplo longer (more years) because they don’t come apart as easily.

I think starting out with Lego Duplo could be a little challenging because of the tight fit of the blocks but the kids would get used to it really fast.

I will say if you think you might want Mega Bloks, purchase them first.

Once you have used Lego Duplo and the kids get used to that tighter fit of the blocks then the Mega Bloks are disappointing and frustrating a lot quicker.

Whichever product you decide is best for you I’m sure your toddlers will have fun building, destroying and building again.

Should I purchase Mega Bloks or Lego Duplo

If you’re still wondering which bricks to purchase let me just say that as a mom of four I feel like having both has been wonderful for our family.

We have had both types of blocks for over 8 years and definitely gotten our moneys worth of playtime with both types of blocks.

What Comes after Lego Duplo?

Once the Lego Duplo blocks start getting to simple then it’s time to get some of the regular lego sets. Get excited there are about a million different sets to choose from.

Pro Tip: Stick to the Lego brand – trust me the other’s don’t work as well.

My 5-year-old loves the regular legos and plays with them about as much as the Lego Duplo blocks but that’s a post for another day.

My daughter plays with them too because she wants to be just like her big brother. They are still too challenging for her though.

Side Note: My kids really started playing with the regular lego bricks between 6-8 years old. But they sometimes still play with the duplo blocks.

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This post was originally published in October 2016.