Review: 41760 Igloo Holiday Adventure

Is there any point reviewing 41757-1 at this stage? I would imagine even the most hardcore Friends skeptics will have purchased it by now.

Nice touch with the sled dogs. It’s often that wranglers will use an older one to lead and guide the younger, while the younger contributes with greater strength and endurance.

Also a fan of the large, clear pieces. Reminds me of the giant trans yellow, blue or neon orange space domes in outposts and bases from Blactron, Futuron or Ice Planet 2002..

Friends sets are getting a lot cooler (pun intended) set designs then City lately. City is just the same old same old. They need some inspiration over there and Friends appears to be the place to look.

"Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your Brickset review?"
"Yes!"
"...may I see it?"
"...mm, no."

@Ayliffe said:
""Aurora Borealis? At this time of year? At this time of day? In this part of the country? Localized entirely within your Brickset review?"
"Yes!"
"...may I see it?"
"...mm, no.""

Now I'm craving some old-fashioned steamed hams.

The LEGO Company: “Igloo!”

Me: “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

The sled dog harnesses are going to be popular, though.

@Ridgeheart:
This is a common complaint from people who don’t understand how dog physiology works. If you bring them inside where it’s warm, they’ll shed their thick coat, and freeze to death when you take them out sledding. If you leave them outside, they’ll grow a thick coat in time with the seasons, and shed it when the spring finally comes in mid-May. Huskies and Malamutes are…not those dogs. Oh, those dogs are gonna die.

Lovely review! However, the characterization of the pool being for "polar plunges" seems inaccurate — the product description describes it as a "steam pool", which is reflected in the set design by both the stickered bubbles and the frozen waterfall, which has melted into hanging icicles as it approaches the warmer water below it. The sticker sheet even includes ripples around where the water from the icicles is dripping into the pool below!

The dog sled is a nice build in spite of its simplicity. The dogs don't appear to be a typical sled dog breed like Huskies, Malamutes, or Samoyeds due to having long floppy ears instead of short pointy ones — my best guess is that they are Newfoundlands, which were not bred specifically as sled dogs but are sometimes used for that purpose. I'm curious how the flexible harness piece will be used in the future — it seems very versatile.

The steam pool is beautifully constructed, especially with the SNOTted transparent light blue panel for its water! Given the lack of control knobs/buttons, I suspect it's a natural hot spring rather than an electric hot tub. The surrounding landscape is also quite impressive — very mountainous, but with lots of 90-degree curves to make it look steep and slippery instead of sharp and jagged. And I love the use of Tr. Light Blue Opal pieces for the frozen waterfall!

I am also a huge fan of the snow-covered trees in both of this year's Friends winter holiday sets — similar to those from 2021's forest sets, which I was already fond of, but adding clever color variation to the treetops. The wild mountain berries are another cute detail that adds a nice splash of color to the wintry landscape. Compared to these natural elements, I find the bench and fire pit a bit unremarkable, but as you say, they're fit for purpose as a spot for the Friends to dry off after a dip in the pool.

I'm tickled by how the reflections of your lighting setup on the trees resemble snowflakes! Obviously it's not a feature of the set itself, since most kids won't be playing with it under reflected spotlights, but it feels serendipitous for the review photos! That said, I'm surprised the review doesn't mention the little cave behind the waterfall with a sparkly crystal inside. While that's not a terribly uncommon feature for waterfall caves in Friends and Creator sets, I do find it a nifty hidden detail that's not apparent at first glance.

The igloo itself is an interesting design — of course, it's based on the "glass igloos" at some subarctic resorts rather than a true igloo, but it's a strong representation of such. It makes great use of these new dome panels from last year's LEGO City Space sets, just as this year's Botanical Garden did, and it's extremely clever how the round awning and curved windows seal up the front area around the door! I don't care for the exposed Brick Yellow plates in the back, though. It's at odds with all the snow piled up out front, and seems unnecessary since on the inside, that 6x16 Brick Yellow plate in the back is almost entirely covered up by rugs and furniture.

I like how the beds are arranged around the igloo's center at different angles, and the stickers do a good job showing whose bed is whose — Ella's plush yeti is an especially charming detail! The lava lamp is a neat accessory (although not one I'd necessarily associate with the wintry setting), and I'm also a big fan of the hot chocolate mugs. That said, I'm a bit disappointed that you didn't include any clearer images of the stove/heater/fireplace in your review. This is a somewhat difficult detail to spot even in the official set images, so I would love to see its design in a little more detail.

Nitpicks aside, this is a great review of a very unique and interesting set! Summer-themed sets have been common throughout the Friends theme's lifespan, but winter-themed sets (aside from advent calendars) are a far rarer treat. And this one manages to portray some very different subject matter than many of those before it! Thanks for the great writeup and photos!

Friends are going from strength to strength. This is why I love this theme!! Still waiting for a Heartlake City themed train though. Please LEGO give us a Friends Train!!