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Direct comparison of 5 new Lego products: what’s worth building?
6.2.2026
Translation: Natalie McKay
Pictures: Ramon Schneider
Lego dropped loads of new sets in January. Which of these work well as an object? What ones are fun to build? And what’s the finished result actually like?
January is traditionally an exciting time in the world of Lego. Many new sets are launched at the same time, each one dedicated to a different theme. I deliberately chose the ones that appealed most to me: plants for my home, an art set for my shelf and two very different vehicles.
Flowering cactus: looking sharp
The flowering cactus isn’t about complexity or technique, but about effect. The set is relaxing and straightforward to build in clearly structured steps. It’s not challenging, and offers few surprises. That’s obviously not the aim here either.
What matters is the finished object. And that impressed me. The cactus has harmonious proportions, and the flowers add deliberate highlights without being over the top. I’ve put the set on show in my home, and I love looking at it.
The set’s not without certain shortcomings. The pot’s functional but not very elegant, and if I look closely, I can make out small imperfections on its surface. But I barely notice them in my day-to-day life.
Peace lily: fine, but not so much my cup of tea
The peace lily will inevitably be compared to the cactus, as both come from the same Botanical series. It’s built in a similar way, and is also clearly aimed at adults. The idea of depicting different stages of bloom is really interesting, and provides some variety.
Having said that, I was less impressed by the peace lily. I think it’s let down by its pot. The choice of colour and shape are jarring and, in my opinion, don’t go well with the plant. While the cactus looks harmonious as an overall piece, for me the peace lily fails to reach its full potential.
The set is by no means bad. It’s neatly implemented, and fits seamlessly into the Botanical series. But if I directly compare it to the cactus, it lacks naturalness and charm. If I had to decide which of the two to keep, the choice would be a no-brainer.
Japanese cherry blossom landscape: effect through depth
The Japanese cherry blossom landscape looks like a typical Lego art set at first glance: expansive, decorative and clearly focused on the result. While building this set, my suspicions are partially confirmed: it’s not particularly technically challenging, lots of it works by repeating patterns.
But what matters here is the finished object. The box-like shape gives the image real depth that elevates it above a simple wall mosaic. Elements in the foreground, a clearly structured plane in the middle and details in the background create a feeling of space. This makes the set appear more lively than it sometimes appears in photos.
Visually, I like how it looks. The colours, motifs and composition are all in perfect harmony. It’s not just a Lego set, but almost a miniature design piece. The building process itself remains a means to an end, which is undoubtedly achieved here.
The DeLorean from Back to the Future: small, fast, fun
The DeLorean is the most unpretentious set in this selection. The model is small, quick to build, reasonably priced and isn’t overly challenging. That’s exactly where its strength lies.
It’s quick to build, the references to the film are clearly recognisable, and the model is stable. It doesn’t feel like a compromise, but like a deliberately straightforward set. This makes it a great gift for fans of the films, as well as for people who simply want to enjoy a quick Lego project.
You build it, put it down and it’s fun. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Porsche 911 GT3 R: enjoyably challenging to build, but my feelings are mixed
The Porsche is the most technically demanding set out of this group. It’s tough yet fun to build, and requires concentration. It gives me the feeling of actually constructing something, not just putting it together. In this respect, the set is a success.
I’m less sure about the finished model. The colour scheme is simply not to my liking. That’s subjective, but it has to be considered if I’m to give it an honest rating. There’s also a huge amount of stickers, which require a lot of patience and slow down the building experience in places. I deliberately left them out, as they would’ve resulted in more frustration than added value.
The bottom line is that this is a set I enjoyed building, but I’m not as happy with the result as I’d hoped. It’s not a bad set, but it clearly shows how sets that are fun to build don’t always retain their appeal in the long term.
Verdict
January shows all the different sides of Lego. As a decoration, as a piece of art, as a source of nostalgia and as a technical toy. No set in this selection is a total failure, but some are more successful than others.
The most memorable sets are those that function as objects: the cactus, the cherry blossom landscape and even the miniature time machine. They stand there, tell a story and fit naturally into everyday life. They don’t necessarily have to be complex. Perhaps this is precisely the most important realisation of this Lego January: the value of a set lies not only in building it, but in what the finished result’s like.
What do you think? I’m particularly interested in whether it’s the building process that matters to you – or the object you’re left with at the end.
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