Holiday gift guide: under $25
Posted by Huw,
Black Friday and Christmas are fast approaching, so our annual Holiday Gift Guide has returned, helping you find the perfect LEGO gifts for friends and family. We have divided the entire product range into five separate categories, beginning with sets costing below $25.
There have been 115 eligible items released during 2025 in that price bracket, which equates to about £22 and €25.
Find out what we've chosen after the break, then let us know what you'd choose to gift in the comments.
Huw
31163 Playful Cat (£19.99 / $24.99 / €24.99)
This year's selection of Creator 3-in-1 animals has been exceptional, especially those at the lower price points.
I could easily have chosen the equally attractive 31170 Pink Flamingo or 31173 Tropical Toucan instead of the cat, but in the end opted for this set because of the strength of the alternate models, especially the pigeon.
As always with Creator animals, there are no licenses or minifigs to bump up the price, so it's great value, over 400 pieces for $24.99, £19.99, €24.99.
It will make an excellent gift for a cat lover, whatever their age.
View 31163 Playful Cat at LEGO.com »
MeganL
42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car (£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99)
This was such an easy choice for Friends sets this year. Two minidolls (with a pet!), a solid vehicle with a trailer, and so many activities. There's plenty of play value, and lots of fun parts to boot. Not to mention it's the only set right now that has a vibrant coral kayak! For $20, it's hard to beat the play value for the price.
I also loved 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure because, well, surfing corgis! But for the money, 42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car is definitely the way to go.
View 42659 Friendship Road-Trip Travel Car at LEGO.com »
benbacardi
10349 Happy Plants (£17.99 / $22.99 / €19.99)
Need I say any more? Just look at these happy little plants! The two adorable little characters would brighten up anybody's desk, shelf, or windowsill, and for a very reasonable price, too.
They're a joy to build, and a perfect gift even for people who aren't quite as into LEGO as you and I. I gave them to my wife this year, and she loved them—they've taken pride of place on the shelf in the kitchen, and she's asked if there will be any more on the way. We can hope!
View 10349 Happy Plants at LEGO.com »
CapnRex101
40803 Optimus Prime Robot & Vehicle (£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99)
I am surprising myself by choosing a BrickHeadz set in this category, as I think Optimus Prime translates flawlessly to the BrickHeadz format. 40804 Bumblebee Robot & Vehicle is excellent too, though Optimus has the edge for me, capturing the strength and stature of Optimus Prime thanks to the chunky shoulders and pronounced ridge on the head.
Moreover, the truck mode is very unusual for a BrickHeadz model and its boxy G1 shape suits the style surprisingly well, so this is an outstanding BrickHeadz twin pack and a fun set for any Transformers fan.
Fingers crossed for more Transformers BrickHeadz sets in 2026!
View 40803 Optimus Prime Robot & Vehicle at LEGO.com »
TheBrickPal
71487 Z-Blob's Robot and Vehicle Adventures (£8.99 / $9.99 / €9.99)
DREAMZzz has some great cheaper sets each year and 2025 is no exception. I am choosing one of the two small sets from the January wave for this price bracket. 71487 Z-Blob's Robot and Vehicle Adventures gives you a fun little mech, and a new Mateo with a cool torso inspired by Classic Space. And that's not all: there are nineteen alternate models you can create with those pieces, too!
This set's Izzie counterpart, 71488 Bunchu's Creative Animal Adventures, is also unique and fantastic. You can't go wrong with either set, honestly. But if I had to gift one, I'm giving the mech. Any LEGO fan would have a blast with the myriad possibilities in these two sets!
Other non-licensed sets deserve a mention as well. Firstly, you can't go wrong with 10349 Happy Plants! I love Friends' 42658 Unicorn & Flamingo Pool Party, 60452 Donut Truck is a cool City offering, and 71838 Kai's Motorcycle Speed Race from NINJAGO has plenty of play value.
As for licensed sets, my favorite 2025 BrickHeadz sets under $25 are definitely 40793 Tom & Jerry and 40794 Elphaba & Glinda. 75400 Plo Koon's Jedi Starfighter Microfighter is exceptional, and 76307 Iron Man Mech vs. Ultron makes a worthy gift for any Marvel fan - both have phenomenal minifigures. Finally, my recommended gaming-related sets in this bracket are actually quite similar: 72040 Captain Toad's Camp and 77075 Peely & Sparkplug's Camp!
View 71487 Z-Blob's Robot and Vehicle Adventures at LEGO.com »
SetToBuild
71829 Lloyd's Green Forest Dragon (£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99)
NINJAGO has you covered at every price point if you need a good dragon for your realm. For the budget-conscious fan, this little wyvern has a big personality thanks to the poseable Mixel joints that make up the neck and tail. The large wing elements are one of three colours currently available, so if you’re up for some MOCing, the dark green wings are perfect for a dragon that could be found in a medieval setting.
Honestly, the model looks great as is. You also get a Dragonian Scout warrior with some ferocious armour, an adorable golden Dragon Baby, and a 2x3 tile with a beautifully printed serpent dragon design.
A quick note to second the choice of 31163 Playful Cat. The pigeon alternate model alone is superb. You're going to want a whole flock! Also, the set is a great pick for a group needing a cheap parts draft.
View 71829 Lloyd's Green Forest Dragon at LEGO.com »
FlagsNZ
60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck (£17.99 / $19.99 / €19.99)
The perennial LEGO theme is their City sets. This year there are several City sets costing below $25. I have chosen 60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck as my pick for this year's gift guide.
The Off-Road Mountain Truck has a nostalgic appeal as it reminds me of the classic rugged Land Rovers. There is a winch on the front of the truck so it can pull itself out of tricky off-road situations that it may get into, and I like the bonnet (hood) that can be opened up to reveal the vehicle's small engine.
The truck comes with plenty of accessories to enhance the play features. The only drawback is that the set includes only one minifigure.
A notable second choice would have been either of the two Soapbox racer sets. These would be fantastic holiday gifts for under $25.
View 60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck at LEGO.com »
What would you pick from the 115 eligible items?
90 likes
38 comments on this article
I thought about Speed Champions, but that's a $27 gift. Still, at that price, 77237, for example, with its 390 parts and lack of stickers (only prints), is a good bet.
All of the creator animals were excellent this year but I think the bunny takes the carrot cake. It's absolutely perfect.
You can't go wrong with a Speed Champions set. All sets from the theme were impressive this year.
As gifts you can't beat 43271, 31162 and 31163 for cuteness with no chance of leaving animal hair everywhere!
@sjr60 said:
"As gifts you can't beat 43271, 31162 and 31163 for cuteness with no chance of leaving animal hair everywhere!"
31163 has "Cute" in the name!
Ah, here it is again! :)
Bluey: 11201
BrickHeadz: 40793?
City: 60450 60451 60458 60459 60461
Creator: 31163 31173
DREAMZzz: 71488 71487
Friends: 42640 42642 42658 ...
Harry Potter: 76448
Minecraft: 21268
Yellow banded: 40817 40807
Ninjago: 71826 71838 71839
Sonic: 77001
Technic: 42197
Happy Plants has been my go to gift for ANY birthday this year, so defs going to go with that.
Always love to see the gems in this category.
@MusiMus said:
"I thought about Speed Champions, but that's a $27 gift. Still, at that price, 77237, for example, with its 390 parts and lack of stickers (only prints), is a good bet."
I've been wanting it for a while, and ordered it last night, but I hadn't realized that it had no stickers whatsoever. Speed Champions is allowed to do that?!
Me and my sister got 10349 for our mom for Christmas. :)
This comes with some caveats, but 66803 is my recommendation. It includes both of the soapbox car sets @FlagsNZ mentioned, and more!
It's a regional (USA) and retailer (Walmart) exclusive bundle that comes with 60400, 60448, 60458, and 60459 -- a total of seven cars that separately have an MSRP of $50 total. This is $25, and similar bundles have dropped to $20 during previous Black Friday sales.
The four sets are boxed individually inside an outer box, so this is a particularly great purchase for toy drive donations.
Re-uploaded after the AI Backlash?
10349 Happy Plants is the clear runaway winner in this category and a contender for best set of the year. My boss has one on her desk and whenever I'm in trouble it always cheers me up!
@TheOtherMike said:
" @MusiMus said:
"I thought about Speed Champions, but that's a $27 gift. Still, at that price, 77237, for example, with its 390 parts and lack of stickers (only prints), is a good bet."
I've been wanting it for a while, and ordered it last night, but I hadn't realized that it had no stickers whatsoever. Speed Champions is allowed to do that?!"
I was also positively surprised. Unfortunately, this is an exception to the rule.
11040 and 21267 are my choices for a small gift, I feel like these are a bit underrated
60458 and 60459 are excellent. It's just a pity that they don't do 60460 without the ramp.
The creator 3-in1 31164 space robot receives my vote! It’s super cute and even has a light-brick!
Normally I would put a speed champions set in this category, but since 2025 they’re all above €$25.-
The most obnoxious AFOL you know probably owns either the Happy Plants set or the 501st Battle Packs
I already have two on that list. I might just order 10349 now with double points. There is a shelf in my house with very little (direct) light and we have a couple of little plants on it but they are struggling (in winter). Those two would cheer up the place and certainly would not wilt. (I will still keep the live plants - no plants will be harmed in this process)
60447 for me. It feels like a scaled up Land Rover Defender, which at $15 was a great value. I'll probably opt not to sticker up this one as well, and I think it'll be fine as such. I'll probably pair these up for some adventures!
My absolute favourite this year in that price bracket is 31173.
Also love both Dreamzzz Bunchu sets.
60461 is quite interesting for the farm animals.
40619 is good if you like the brickheadz.
31159 is not a best-buy, but it is in some way attractive for me. I'll buy with a discount.
40817 is very appreciable.
60369 is one of my favourites, to buy as a companion to 60372
77075 has some nice minifigures and little builds.
I like 60447 but at the end I bought 40650 instead.
I suppose 40630 is not on the list because everyone has at least one by now.
My pick is 60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck
It’s got so much for such a small price!
Several Speed Champions can be gotten below retail which puts them under the $25 price point. 42642 Movie Night is a a lot of fun--light brick projector is very clever, two figs, popcorn machine. Great little set.
@Calabar said:
"I suppose 40630 is not on the list because everyone has at least one by now. "
Oops... I mean 60430.
77053 A sweet little display piece for ACNH fans who love making wishes.
60447 is missing an animal to be great set!
@Calabar said:
" @Calabar said:
"I suppose 40630 is not on the list because everyone has at least one by now. "
Oops... I mean 60430. "
I wondered!
@Calabar
These articles are for sets released in 2025. Four of yours are from 2023 and another is from 2024.
10349 Happy Plants is a great option and can likely be secured on discount. I love how the plants come out with root balls, just like the mandrake.
I struggle, however, to get behind Optimus Parakeet.
For me, this wasn’t a great year for this range but the other winners would be;
40792 - Dumbo
40793 -Tom and Jerry
40818 - Italy Postcard
60452 - Donut Truck
60461 - Tractor with Trailer
77053 - Stargazing with Celeste
77075 - Peely and Friends
My clear favorite would be 10349 Happy Plants (partially cause it's the only of these I have).
Apart from that there are many nice animal sets, like the Creator 31162 Bunny, 31163 Cat, 31170 Flamingo and 31173 Toucan, the Brickheads 40793 Tom & Jerry, Disney 43271 Dalmatians, Harry Potter 76448 Phoenix and the JP 76967 Little T. rex.
@Calabar said: "I suppose 40630 is not on the list because everyone has at least one by now - Oops... I mean 60430"
Of these two I prefer 40630 Frodo & Gollum, IMO 60430 Interstellar Spaceship is a bit overrated.
I'm with @Huw - it's the Playful Cat for me!
I know the BARC Speeder Escape retails for 30$ but most places have it for 17-21$ so that could work too for anyone trying to build a clone army
All great picks and prices by the Brickset crew! Excellent suggestions for gifts. And won't break the bank.
My Top Ten $25 (and under) smackers...
- 10349: Happy Plants (just plain cute and desktop display to put a smile on your face).
- 11039: Creative Food Friends (fun for the wee ones).
- 11040: Magical Transparent Box (unique parts pack to have).
- 31160 Race Plane (all three models excellent).
- 40807: Birthday Numbers (another fun set for the little ones).
- 71829: Lloyd's Green Forest Dragon (good battle set w/creature and minifigs).
- 60447 Off-Road Mountain Truck (chunky truck with nice accessories).
- 60450: Wheel Loader
- 60452 Donut Truck (nice food truck for your City dioramas).
- 76307 Iron Man Mech vs. Ultron (excellent mech and Marvel minifigures).
There are quite a few great options from Ninjago, City, Creator, and Minecraft. But as I have said before, I fully believe in the minifig polybags for this price slot. We have had multiple minifig polybags that either have one minifig and a solid build, or two minifigs and decent build for $5.
@legoDad42 isaid:"40807: Birthday Numbers (another fun set for the little ones)."
I hadn't seen that, it's pretty cute! Even if you're not buying the whole set, looks like it'd be worth downloading the instructions and buying the parts for the number(s) you need so you could make a birthday cake topper.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @legoDad42 isaid:" 40807 : Birthday Numbers (another fun set for the little ones)."
I hadn't seen that, it's pretty cute! Even if you're not buying the whole set, looks like it'd be worth downloading the instructions and buying the parts for the number(s) you need so you could make a birthday cake topper. "
Yeah, it's one of many under the radar Lego sets.
Great idea to just get the instructions to make just the numbers you'd need for a kids Birthday.
Excellent!
@LegoMKB said:
"Re-uploaded after the AI Backlash?"
I missed it, what happened?