Six LEGO Friends sets for builders of all ages
Given LEGO Friends‘ start, you’d be forgiven for steering clear of it for the first few years but since the reboot, there truly is something for everyone.
LEGO Friends may have started with designs and characters featuring stereotypes aiming to appeal to young girls but it’s been a long journey for the mini-doll-centric theme and much has changed. Those who (understandably) haven’t been paying attention over the last decade may want to check back into LEGO Friends no matter your age as the theme is much more widely appealing now.
In particular, there are six sets that are ideal for a re-introduction of the theme, even for those who don’t love the mini-dolls.
For city displays, you can integrate a pinch of the suburbs using the modern architecture showcased in 42620 Olly and Paisley’s Family Houses. This pair of homes is made up of 1,126 pieces for £89.99. It’s worth noting that it’s currently on sale for £21 off at Zavvi too.
There aren’t any other LEGO houses quite like those of Olly and Paisley’s families and thankfully they’re scaled for minifigures as well as mini-dolls, ready to be placed within a larger display with pavement, postboxes and some garden spaces too. They’re colourful and unlike the original LEGO Friends sets, pink isn’t a common colour in the builds.
41748 Heartlake City Community Center is better suited for downtown areas of LEGO cities with its towering model and modular design. It’s more whimsical than your standard LEGO City set but this is LEGO Friends after all and slides hanging off buildings can pass safety inspections in Heartlake City.
For those looking for a more colourful creation to get started with LEGO Friends, the 1,513-piece set is great for customisation with a varied array of interior spaces in the vanilla build, showcasing the whimsical but realistic world of LEGO Friends. As expected, it is suited for minifigures as much as it is mini-dolls. You can pick it up now for £104 instead of £129.99 at GAME. Don’t let the images on the retailer fool you – the description and price match that of the larger LEGO Friends model.
Mansions are a major focus at the LEGO Group at the minute between LEGO Ideas, Creator 3-in-1 and Friends but 42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion is a unique entry for depicting a stylish mansion complete with a sizable pool hot tub, garage and plenty of space inside. You can even switch the colourful design for a more uniform design as we reported earlier this year.
42639 Andrea’s Modern Mansion is not discounted currently but as stated in our review, it’s well-priced at £169.99 and even for new LEGO Friends enthusiasts, this set should be nostalgic for including the original cast of characters all grown up.
Alternatively, 42638 Castle Bed and Breakfast is a traditional mansion design with towers and a rustic feel that could be incorporated easily into a tavern display for the upcoming LEGO Dungeons & Dragons Collectible Minifigures.
Bed and breakfasts are rare in the LEGO portfolio and such a concept could only be brought to life in LEGO Friends where such a building feels right at home and it even has a suitably cosy interior that will fit both minifigures and mini-dolls comfortably. You can pick it up now for 20% off at GAME.
As much as many LEGO Friends sets can slot easily within a wider display, don’t forget that the base theme has many subthemes and one of the first for the reboot is inspired by an adventure camp, including 42626 Adventure Camp Water Sports with 628 pieces for £59.99. It’s on sale now at GAME for £48 too.
This camp-centric model includes all the facilities your mini-dolls and minifigures need to spend a day by the lake, including multiple kayaks, fishing accessories and a raft. As inferred in the name, all of the set’s activities are water-based and it’s a good re-introduction to the theme and the new kinds of ranges that the reboot will be exploring.
41757 Botanical Garden has been a popular LEGO Friends set since its release in 2023, especially when a rumoured expensive LEGO Ideas botanical garden model is coming in the future. It’s an affordable alternative that doesn’t skip on architectural or natural details.
There’s no doubt that it’s going to be a good fit for any LEGO city and there are dozens of alternate builds available online, even combining multiple copies of the model. 41757 Botanical Garden is out now online and in stores for £74.99 with 1,072 pieces.
Many of these introductory LEGO Friends models are on sale now, in case you want to familiarise yourself with the theme while saving some money. At the time of writing, they’re all in stock at their respective retailers but this could change at any time.
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Author Profile
- LEGO has been a part of my life ever since I was young. It all started when my brother passed down 7657 AT-ST to me. It’s guided me through my early years, through school and eventually through my degree in journalism. I still have all my collection proudly on display, including my many NINJAGO sets, my favourite of all the LEGO Group’s themes. Outside of Brick Fanatics I am an avid gamer and enjoy a good game of Dungeons & Dragons.
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