Hey there, fellow parents and STEM enthusiasts! If you‘ve been on the hunt for a way to keep your curious kiddos engaged and learning while having a blast, boy do I have a treat for you. I‘m talking about CrunchLabs, the monthly engineering toy subscription box that‘s been blowing up my social media feeds and wowing parents everywhere.
Founded by YouTube sensation and former NASA engineer Mark Rober, CrunchLabs is on a mission to inspire the next generation of innovators with hands-on building kits that make engineering concepts fun and accessible for kids ages 8-12. Each box comes jam-packed with everything your mini maker needs to assemble an awesome STEM toy from scratch, plus a fun video lesson from Rober himself explaining the science behind the project.
I‘ll admit, I was skeptical at first about signing up for yet another subscription box. But as an avid fan of Rober‘s educational YouTube content and a mom to a 9 year-old boy who‘s obsessed with building anything he can get his hands on, I decided to take the plunge. And let me tell you, it was the best decision I could have made for my little engineer-in-training!
In this in-depth CrunchLabs review, I‘m going to share my family‘s first-hand experience with three months‘ worth of boxes, along with everything you need to know to decide if it‘s the right fit for your own budding builder. We‘ll dive into the nitty gritty of what‘s included, how the subscription works, what other parents are saying, and how CrunchLabs stacks up to other popular STEM subscriptions on the market. So grab a coffee and let‘s get ready to geek out together!
First Impressions
Our first CrunchLabs box arrived on our doorstep with much fanfare – my son could barely contain his excitement as he tore into the bright teal packaging. Right off the bat, I was impressed by the high quality of everything included. The box itself is made of sturdy 100% recyclable cardboard printed with fun science facts and cheeky jokes that got a giggle out of both of us.
Inside we found a gorgeous 20-page full color booklet with step-by-step photo instructions for assembling the month‘s project. The writing has a fun, relatable vibe while providing clear guidance that my son was able to follow with minimal supervision from me (though he did need a bit of help with a couple of the trickier steps). I appreciated the thoughtful details like a difficulty rating for each step, helpful troubleshooting tips, and even extension challenges to take your build to the next level.
But the real star of the show was the project itself – a motorized cardboard robotic arm! The box was packed with everything we needed, from the laser-cut wood and cardboard pieces to the circuit components, even down to the tiny screwdriver and spare batteries. You can tell the CrunchLabs team put a ton of thought and care into getting the difficulty level just right – challenging enough to stretch my son‘s problem-solving skills but not so complicated that it ever got frustrating.
Assembling the robot arm took us about an hour working together at a leisurely pace. I was genuinely astonished by how professional the finished product looked – it wasn‘t just a cool-looking toy, but a real functioning robotic arm complete with a controller to open and close the claw and rotate the shoulder joint. Already I was starting to see the educational value as my son started asking questions like how the motor and gears worked together to create the smooth, strong motion.
But the real aha moment came when we scanned the QR code in the booklet to watch Mark Rober‘s accompanying video for the project. In his characteristic goofy yet super knowledgeable style, he broke down the engineering concepts we‘d just put into action, from simple machines and mechanical advantage to electricity and circuits.
My son was riveted as Rober walked us through real-world examples like the robotic arms used on the International Space Station and high-tech assembly lines. The best part was seeing my kid making connections between the toy on our kitchen table and the science that powers so much of the world around us. The look of excitement and pride on his face as the lightbulb went off in his head? Absolutely priceless.
Since that first box, we‘ve received two more projects from CrunchLabs – a compressed air rocket and a light-up lightsaber complete with a color-changing LED – and the wow factor hasn‘t diminished a bit. Just like the robotic arm, each one has combined a satisfying build with solid STEM learning and endless play potential.
But you don‘t have to just take my word for it. CrunchLabs has racked up over 40 glowing reviews from parents and kids alike on their website – and after trying it for ourselves, I can see why. Check out this rave from Ryan, dad of an 11 year-old CrunchLabs fan:
"My son has always been into science and engineering, so we‘ve tried a few different educational subscriptions over the years. CrunchLabs blows them all out of the water! The projects are so engaging and creative – he can‘t wait to rip into the box as soon as it arrives each month. And I love that he‘s learning real STEM concepts in a way that doesn‘t feel like homework. The videos from Mark Rober are fantastic too – he has a gift for explaining complex topics in a way that‘s super relatable and fun for kids (and grown-ups!)."
How It Works
Signing up for CrunchLabs couldn‘t be easier. Just head to their website at crunchlabs.com, choose your subscription frequency (monthly, quarterly, or annually), and enter your billing and shipping info. Boxes ship out on the 15th of each month, so if you sign up before then you‘ll get your first delivery that same month. Shipping is always free in the US, which is a nice perk.
One of my favorite things about CrunchLabs compared to other subscriptions we‘ve tried is how transparent and flexible they are. There‘s no tricky fine print or hoops to jump through if you need to pause or cancel your plan – just log into your account dashboard or shoot their friendly customer service team an email.
Another huge plus? The fact that each box is a flat fee with no hidden costs and every single thing you need is included, right down to the batteries. As a busy parent, there‘s nothing more annoying than realizing you‘re out of some random material or tool to finish a project with your kid. With CrunchLabs, you can just open the box and dive right in without a ton of prep. Easy peasy.
Educational Value
Since this is a STEM toy subscription, I‘m sure you‘re wondering – what exactly are kids learning from these CrunchLabs projects? The short answer is: a whole lot!
I was blown away by the breadth of engineering disciplines the kits managed to incorporate in a way that felt natural and fun. Even in just the first three months, we covered everything from simple machines and mechanical engineering with the robotic arm, to aerodynamics and pneumatics with the compressed air rocket, to electrical engineering and optics with the LED lightsaber.
Don‘t be fooled by how cool the finished toys are – there‘s some serious science backing up every project. CrunchLabs consults with a team of educators and STEM experts to carefully design each one around specific learning objectives that align with Next Generation Science Standards. The goal is to build a strong foundation of STEM skills and science literacy, one monthly project at a time.
A big part of what makes the educational content so effective is how seamlessly it‘s integrated with the hands-on building. The video lessons from Mark Rober do an amazing job of not only explaining potentially tricky concepts like circuits and forces in kid-friendly terms, but showing how they apply to real-world engineering and technology.
Hearing Rober geek out about things like how the same pneumatic principles in the compressed air rocket are used in industrial machines definitely helped the science come alive for my son in a way that felt relevant to his interests. He was making all these great connections between the projects and examples from Rober‘s videos even days later – the kind of authentic, sticky learning you just can‘t get from a textbook.
Customer Experience
In the interest of providing a balanced and comprehensive CrunchLabs review, I scoured the web for any red flags or negative experiences that potential customers should be aware of. And I have to say, I came up mostly empty-handed!
The vast majority of reviews I found were overwhelmingly positive, with parents calling out the high quality components, clear instructions, educational value, and most of all, how much fun their kids were having with the projects. Several reviews mentioned how the boxes have become a fun monthly bonding ritual, with the whole family getting into the build process together.
One thing to note is that, because CrunchLabs is still a relatively new product, there were a few hiccups with shipping speed when they first launched. A handful of early customers reported longer than expected wait times to receive their first box. However, it seems the CrunchLabs team was super responsive to the feedback and has ironed out those kinks as they‘ve grown. We had no issues with timely delivery for our first three months.
The only other caveat I‘ll mention is that, while CrunchLabs is designed to be as accessible as possible for kids in the recommended age range, some children might need more hands-on help from an adult for certain builds depending on their level and fine motor skills. There were a couple finicky steps in the robotic arm project that my son got a bit frustrated with, for example.
But in general, I‘ve been nothing but impressed with the thought and care that CrunchLabs puts into every aspect of the customer experience, from the project design to the quality of materials to the responsiveness of their support team. You really get the sense that everything they do is in service of the larger mission to empower the next generation of STEM superstars.
Comparative Analysis
Now I know what you might be thinking – with so many kids‘ subscription boxes and STEM toys on the market these days, what sets CrunchLabs apart? It‘s a fair question, and one I certainly asked myself before taking the plunge.
We‘ve personally tried a few other popular subscriptions like KiwiCo and Groovy Lab in the Box. And while they each have their own unique projects and selling points, I have to give the edge to CrunchLabs for a few key reasons:
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Expertise – Don‘t get me wrong, the other boxes we tried were put together by talented creators and educators. But there‘s something special about getting to learn directly from a science communicator and engineer as renowned as Mark Rober. You can tell he‘s genuinely passionate about the STEM concepts behind each project.
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Quality – Not to knock the other guys, but CrunchLabs definitely stood out to me in terms of the fit and finish of the components, the durability of the finished products, and the overall design. Everything just feels very carefully considered and polished in a way that made the building process extra satisfying.
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Extensions – While most of the other STEM subscriptions we‘ve gotten are pretty much one-and-done, CrunchLabs projects are designed with tons of replay value. Each booklet includes ideas for ways to experiment with your creation and modify it to do new things – like swapping in a different projectile for the compressed air rocket or changing up the gearing in the robotic arm. It really encourages curiosity and creative problem solving.
That‘s not to say that CrunchLabs is necessarily the be-all end-all perfect fit for every child and family. At $30/month for a single project, it‘s definitely more of a premium offering compared to some other subscriptions that may provide a higher quantity of smaller activities for a similar price.
There‘s also something to be said for branching out and trying new subscriptions to get exposure to different kinds of projects. For example, while CrunchLabs mostly focuses on engineering and physics concepts, KiwiCo offers a broader range of projects in things like art and design as well.
At the end of the day, which box is right for your family will depend on your child‘s specific interests, your budget, and your learning goals. But if your kid is an analytically-minded tinkerer who loves taking things apart to see how they work (and maybe putting them back together even better), I really can‘t recommend CrunchLabs highly enough.
Looking Ahead
One aspect of CrunchLabs that really impressed me is that the company itself seems to be built with the same spirit of innovation and continuous improvement as the projects it puts out into the world. When I reached out to the CrunchLabs team for this review, they were so transparent about their process and eager to share their future plans to make the product even better for families.
Over the next year, they‘re hoping to expand the range of build categories to include even more STEM disciplines like chemistry and environmental science. They‘re also exploring ways to incorporate more digital components like mobile apps and augmented reality to further enhance the hands-on learning.
Excitingly, CrunchLabs is in talks to partner with some leading STEM organizations and even school districts to get the kits into more classrooms and educational programs as a supplemental teaching tool. I love the idea of empowering teachers with such an engaging, professionally developed resource to get their students pumped about STEM subjects and careers.
Through it all though, the heart of CrunchLabs‘ mission remains the same – to inspire the next generation of creative problem solvers by equipping them with the skills and confidence to tackle any engineering challenge. It‘s a pretty incredible thing to witness as a parent – seeing your child‘s eyes light up with that sense of accomplishment and newfound understanding of how the world works.
So if you too want to raise a mini maker who looks at everyday objects and wonders how they could build it bigger or better or faster? I can‘t think of a more impactful investment than a CrunchLabs subscription. The delight of unboxing a cool new project every month is just the cherry on top of the rich STEM learning and family bonding you‘ll get to savor together along the way.
Trust me, once you catch the CrunchLabs bug, you‘ll never look at a cardboard box the same way again – you‘ll be too busy dreaming up all the amazing contraptions your little inventor might create with it! And really, isn‘t that what childhood (and parenting) is all about?
So from one STEM-loving mama to another – if you‘re on the fence about trying CrunchLabs, I hope this honest review has given you the inside scoop you need to make an informed decision for your family. And if you do decide to give it a go, I just know you‘ll have an absolute blast geeking out and building amazing things together. Happy tinkering!
