Review of puzzles from different manufacturers. Our puzzles

Jeruel Industrial Company Ltd was founded in Hong Kong in 1995, the company specializes in the design and production of toys, puzzles and logic games. Today, Jeruel Industrial produces and distributes its products under brands such as Kinato, 3D Crystal Puzzle and Gamax.

Astrel is a trademark of the Russian ZAO Astrait, which, in turn, belongs to the AST publishing house (the AST publishing house also owns Best Toy LLC - Best Toy - developers of Astrel brand products). In their price category, Astrel puzzles stand out for their fairly decent quality: good level of printing, honest color rendition (i.e., the colors on the box correspond to the colors on the puzzle elements), the fit of the elements is quite good. The number of segments in puzzles produced by AST ranges from 15 pieces for the smallest ones, to two thousand elements and more.
For children, the company produces not only classic cardboard puzzles, but also soft puzzles, frame puzzles, postcard puzzles, window puzzles, clock puzzles (this is when the dial for a watch is offered in the form of a disassembled puzzle), etc. Plots for children's puzzles " Astrel" are quite standard: cartoon and fairy tale characters, animals, cars, comic book characters (in particular from Marvel), etc. In addition, the company owns a license to produce puzzles depicting pictures from the cartoons “Smeshariki”, “Shrek”, “How to Train Your Dragon”, WINX, etc.

For an adult audience, Astrel offers puzzles with such popular subjects as landscapes, castles, wildlife, still lifes, cars/motorcycles, sailboats, the underwater world, etc.

In 1962, the German Friedrich W. Heye founded a puzzle production company and gave it his own surname.
Due to the fact that HEYE puzzles are produced in Germany, we can safely say that the company’s products are made from environmentally friendly materials, and the quality of the puzzles itself is at the highest level. The subjects of the Haye mosaics are very diverse: cartoon characters, gothic, illustrations by contemporary artists, geographical maps, etc.

Step Puzzle (Step Puzzle) is a Russian company founded in 1994 and specializing in the development, production and sale of puzzles, as well as board and educational games.
In addition to cardboard puzzles (according to some sources, about seventy percent of Russian “classic” puzzles are produced under the Step Puzzle brand), the company produces puzzle books for kids, wooden puzzles, puzzle rugs, etc. The subjects of pictures for puzzles from this manufacturer are very wide : heroes of fairy tales and cartoons for children (Carlson, Leopold the Cat, “Well, wait a minute!”, The Little Engine from Romashkovo, Disney characters, etc.), flora and fauna, landscapes, castles, still lifes, geographical maps. A special place in the Step Puzzle collection is occupied by puzzles from the “Russian Museums” series with reproductions of paintings from the State Tretyakov Gallery and the State Hermitage. The number of elements in the puzzles of the Step Puzzle company varies from 24 to 4,000 pieces.

It is worth noting that despite their relatively low cost, puzzles under the Step Puzzle brand do not always have decent quality and true color reproduction (that is, color shades can differ quite significantly on the packaging and on the puzzle itself). But, to be fair, this does not apply to all SP products.

The company says that in the near future Step Puzzle will begin producing plastic volumetric puzzles.

Educa is a Spanish company founded in 1967, specializing in the production of high quality puzzles. The company’s greatest fame was brought by the “Life” cardboard puzzle, consisting of 24,000 (twenty-four thousand!) elements. To be fair, this giant puzzle is divided into four equal parts, packaged in separate bags; There are also more modest editions of the “Life” puzzle.

The company initially divides cardboard puzzles by difficulty level - Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced and Extreme; Educa applies a special glue to most of its puzzles with a number of pieces of 500 or more pieces. The subject of puzzle pictures from this manufacturer is very diverse: reproductions of famous artists (Da Vinci, Van Gogh, Picasso, Dali), landscapes, animals, everyday sketches, etc. In addition, Educa produces volumetric magnetic puzzles (the most famous product of this kind is a cube consisting of twenty-seven other magnetized cubes), fluorescent puzzles - glow-in-the-dark puzzles, etc. It is worth noting that almost any product manufactured under the Educa brand has the highest quality; Plus, the company undertakes to send at its own expense the lost element of any of its puzzles, if the client loses this very element.

Ravensburger is a German company that has been producing puzzles since 1883 (!); Since 2004, the company began producing three-dimensional plastic puzzles. Ravensburger “flat” puzzles are distinguished from others by the highest quality of workmanship and the uniqueness of each element: that is, when assembling, you don’t have to worry about any part falling out of place. In addition to regular cardboard (and bulk plastic) puzzles, Ravensburger makes velvet, fluorescent and glitter puzzles that delight children and adults.

The subjects of pictures for Ravensburger puzzles are quite standard: landscapes, animals, reproductions of famous painters, everyday sketches, etc. The company's production facilities are located in Germany and China.
Official website - http://www.ravensburger.com/

Clementoni is an Italian company founded in 1963 producing goods for children: toys, children's computers, educational games, etc. The company also produces puzzles of excellent quality, and not only for the little ones - the Clementoni series of puzzles with reproductions of world masterpieces of painting from famous museums around the world (Louvre, Vatican Museum Edizioni, etc.) is in deserved demand. Among other things, Clementoni has the rights to manufacture products with characters from animated films by Walt Disney Studios - Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, characters from the cartoon "The Cars" by Pixar, etc. The company also produces fluorescent puzzles, mainly for children.
It is worth noting that Clementoni products are famous for their excellent quality and therefore cost quite a lot.

Editions Ricordi is an Italian company founded in 1808. The company currently specializes in the production of posters, custom printed products and cardboard puzzles aimed at audiences aged seven and older; Moreover, the minimum number of pieces in puzzles under the Editions Ricordi brand is 250 pieces. As illustrations for its mosaics, the company uses reproductions of both classical and modern artists, with special emphasis on the work of the Impressionists; It is worth noting that a sufficient number of plots are very dark in nature, with a huge influence of the Gothic. Well, young puzzle lovers are mainly attracted to puzzles with pictures in the “fantasy” style.
As is the case with other famous companies producing puzzles, Edition Ricordi products command respect not only for their quality, but also for their price.

Puzzle for the truly brave

Starting to put this puzzle together is almost like challenging yourself, because not everyone will undertake to put together a picture that consists of 4000 elements. This may take not just days and weeks, but even months. But if you want to test your willpower, perseverance and further develop your thinking, then feel free to purchase this set. It can also be a great gift for your friend who already has a lot of experience with puzzles. Have no doubt, he will definitely rack his brains over it and in the end will appreciate it.

Puzzles from Castorland are always distinguished by the impeccable quality of their elements. They fit together perfectly thanks to precise cutting, and due to the bright and saturated colors, they ultimately create a beautiful picture that you feel like you’re looking at in a gallery. When assembled, the puzzle is almost one and a half meters long and more than half a meter wide. Therefore, be prepared to sacrifice a lot of space in your room in advance.

The only drawback that may confuse you a little is the quality of the box itself for storing elements. It is made of lightweight cardboard that is easily deformed. But this is nothing compared to the pleasure you will get from solving this exquisite puzzle.

CubicFun St. Basil's Cathedral

Get in touch with the history of your favorite city

One of the latest words among all kinds of puzzles and logic games is 3D puzzles for adults. Those who are already tired of assembling ordinary flat pictures now have the chance to work with more complex components that are connected to each other in three dimensions. The CubicFun company gives you a unique chance to assemble with your own hands one of the most famous and ancient sights of Moscow - St. Basil's Cathedral. In such a matter, not only perseverance and perseverance are useful, but also close attention to detail. In short, be prepared to express your full creative potential.

Without exaggeration, the manufacturer treated every element of the puzzle with great scrupulousness, due to which the finished temple looks truly majestic and evokes well-deserved pride in its builder. During the process of putting together the parts, you will be able to admire the cathedral even more and realize how beautiful and unique an architectural structure it is, which occupies its place of honor in the very heart of Moscow. And at the same time, this is an excellent opportunity to get in touch with the history of your favorite city in a new way.

Trefl Lake in the Dolomites

Puzzle for aesthetes

A photo of a beautiful view of the lake, which is located in the Dolomites, can be recreated with your own hands. The Trefl puzzle gives you a landscape that you simply can’t take your eyes off. However, first you will need to try hard, since it consists of 3000 elements, and sometimes it takes weeks to assemble such a puzzle. But we guarantee that the time spent doing this activity will not seem boring or wasted. On the contrary, in such cases there may be a slight bitterness of regret that the picture is already completely ready.

Such wonderful emotions from the process are also guaranteed because Trefl have a special approach to the production of elements of their puzzles. They even use a special technology that provides them with ultra-precise joining and the absence of roughness. Assembling such a structure is a real pleasure. So, if you have friends who are sophisticated aesthetes and at the same time avid collectors of complex puzzles for adults, you can safely give them such a set. Without a doubt, they will be extremely happy with such a present.

Night New York in all its colors

The Spanish company Educa simply blew the imagination of all puzzle lovers when they released their neon line. And in our review we bring to your attention its bright representative - the Times Square puzzle. It consists of 1000 elements, so you will have something to puzzle over for a while. However, the most interesting thing about it is the result. When the light is turned off, the puzzle glows and takes on a completely different look. This happens because it is coated with paint with a special composition that accumulates light. Believe me, this is an indescribable sight! Those puzzle elements that glow are rougher to the touch. The rest of the part has a smooth surface.

It is clear that it is a pity to disassemble such beauty, so many want to leave it assembled. And especially for this purpose, the kit includes glue in powder form, which should be diluted with water before use. This glue glues all elements together in the most reliable way and, most importantly, leaves no marks on the surface. Where to hang this masterpiece depends on your imagination. The puzzle will look great in the living room and bedroom, as well as in the kitchen and children's room.

And in conclusion, we would like to say that the Educa company, in the event of a shortage or loss of one or more elements, undertakes to send them to you anywhere in the world. This kind of customer care deserves respect and trust.

Clementoni Venice, bridge

The unique spirit of Venice

It is not for nothing that Venice is the pride of Italy. It is famous for its canals and bridges of unprecedented beauty. And you can assemble one of the beautiful views of this amazing city with your own hands from puzzles from the Clementoni company. By the way, the kit itself also comes from Italy, which has a positive effect on the quality of the elements. They are made of thick cardboard, so they do not delaminate during assembly and precisely match each other. The quality of printing is also high, since the paint applied to the elements is very bright, rich and perfectly conveys the unique romantic spirit of Venice. The only thing worth noting is that under certain lighting, glare may appear in the picture, but this can hardly be attributed to tangible shortcomings.

Wooden, soft, traditional - on cardboard, fluorescent, virtual - now you can find puzzles for every taste and budget.

Invented in England as a teaching aid in geography, formerly a pastime for the nobility, and gaining popularity with the advent of cardboard, puzzles have entered our lives. The popularity of puzzles is so high that timed puzzle solving tournaments are held among fans of this activity.

How to navigate the abundance that is offered to us by numerous puzzle manufacturers?

This article will be devoted to a brief overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the world's famous puzzle manufacturers and their products.

Polish printing and publishing company "Castor Printing and Publishing House" has existed since 1989 and produces puzzles under the Castorland brand. Puzzles from this company can be easily identified on the shelves by their bright red box.

The company produces traditional puzzles - rectangular, on cardboard.

Castorland puzzles are very popular due to their excellent quality - precise cutting, ensuring the joining of parts, high quality printing, bright colors.

It is important to note one feature of Castorland products - the puzzle pieces and elements are smaller than the usual size for everyone - this makes the assembly process difficult.

The disadvantages of the product include a box made of thin cardboard - it is easily deformed and is clearly inferior to boxes from other manufacturers.

For 20 years now, puzzle lovers in Central Europe have been familiar with Trefl products. Puzzles for children and adults: framed, giant, holographic (with a three-dimensional three-dimensional image), panoramic, round, traditional - various in theme - collages, landscapes, castles, art, travel - everyone can choose a puzzle to their liking.

Puzzles included in the series "Giant", consist of very large parts, the colors are bright, the image is contrasting, the plot is simple, but at the same time attractive for a child. These puzzles are suitable for little ones - children can easily assemble such a mosaic.

Trefl has many famous licenses such as Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Barbie Fairytopia,the Magic of Pegasus And Tom and Jerry.

Trefl puzzles will delight you with their high quality: excellent joining of elements, multi-color printing, gift packaging made of thick cardboard.

Trefl products can be recommended both for gifts and for family leisure – for both adults and children.

For more than 40 years, the Italian company has been producing high-quality puzzles. In Italy, the company name is synonymous with smart and safe games.

A distinctive feature of the products is the series of puzzles - within one series products are presented that are similar in theme, color scheme and design style of both the puzzles themselves and the packaging box. When assembled, such puzzles will wonderfully decorate your interior, complementing each other favorably.

The museum collection is worthy of special words - it includes the most famous paintings from the collections of famous museums around the world - Vatican, d"Orsay, Louvre and others.

Due to the high quality of both the puzzles themselves and the packaging, these puzzles can be called gift puzzles - their cost is higher than previously described, but the quality will not disappoint you.

The German company Ravensburger presents the highest quality puzzles on the market.

The first puzzle was introduced to the market in 1883. It was “The Geography Game “Europe” in 270 Details.”

Each puzzle of the company consists of unique elements with perfect joining, which is achieved by making puzzle cutters by hand.

This company produces a variety of mosaics, covering more than 300 topics: everyday scenes, landscapes, flora and fauna, reproductions of paintings of various genres and styles, maps of the Earth and the starry sky.

Separately, velor puzzles should be noted - this is a mosaic, part of the surface of which is covered with velvety velor, pleasant to the touch and resistant to abrasion. Velor masks the joints and gives volume to the central part of the composition. These puzzles look very impressive.

Another interesting product of the company is luminous puzzles - the surface of the puzzle is covered with a special composition that accumulates light and the contours of the main plot elements glow in the dark.

2004 Ravensburger produces ball puzzles - plastic puzzles with slightly curved parts. By assembling the drawing, you get a very durable ball that does not require additional gluing and can be stored on the stand included in the kit. Currently, several sizes of puzzle balls are produced: 96 pieces - diameter 12 cm, 240 pieces - diameter 15 cm and 540 pieces - diameter 22 cm, as well as the largest puzzle ball 960 pieces - diameter 30 cm. New for 2009 textured puzzles. The surface of this mosaic is made of various materials - cork, wood or Japanese paper. Putting together these puzzles can also bring tactile pleasure - the warmth of cork, the noble structure of wood, the thinness and transparency of Japanese paper.

Since 1808, the Italian company has been represented on the printed products market. We bring to your attention puzzles from this company - reproductions of paintings by famous artists. The high quality of both the materials and the printing of the puzzles ensures an excellent result - the color scheme of the puzzles matches the original, precise and unambiguous joining of elements, and the ability to assemble the puzzle many times.

Educa Borras S.A. was created in 2001 as a result of the merger of Borras Plana (founded in 1894) and Educa Sallent (founded in 1967). All puzzles of this company are made in Spain. The company offers a series of puzzles with Spanish and French landscapes, reproductions of paintings by famous artists (Van Gogh, Dali, Picasso, Leonardo da Vinci), panoramas and luminous puzzles in the Neons series.
Educa Borras presents unique puzzles on the market - magnetic cubes. 27 magnetic cubes assemble into a cube. On each side of the cube one of 3 paintings can be presented. In total, you can collect 18 different images - landscapes or reproductions of paintings by famous artists. The cube does not require gluing; it is held in place by magnets and does not fall apart. The kit includes a plastic stand that will allow you to conveniently place the cube in the interior.
The company has a post-sales service: in case of shortage or loss of one or more parts, Educa Borras will send them by mail to the buyer anywhere in the world. To use this service, you must save the data inside the puzzle box.
Puzzles from 500 to 2000 pieces come with glue (with the exception of some series).

Puzzles Hey– another example of time-tested German quality. Currently the company's product range includes 150 different mosaics. Among the subjects are ironic and very subtle parodies, paintings by talented contemporary artists, cartoon characters, and geographical maps. The packaging of some series of puzzles also attracts attention - instead of the usual rectangular box, there is an original triangular pyramid.

Puzzles D-Toys- products of the Romanian company of the same name, which began its activities in 2001. D-Toys puzzles are now sold in 14 countries around the world, gaining increasing popularity due to their high quality and environmental friendliness. Main series of puzzles: world landmarks; horses; art; comic book puzzles; pyramid puzzles.

In Russia there are 4 largest manufacturers of puzzles - companies Astrel, Step Puzzle, Magenta And Moscow mosaic.

If we talk about domestic puzzles in general, they are, of course, cheaper than their foreign competitors, but their quality still leaves much to be desired.

Children need educational toys like air. They improve fine muscle motor skills, train visual memory and help expand their horizons. Modern puzzles are made not only from cardboard. When purchasing such games, it is necessary to take into account the child’s age, otherwise the child simply will not cope with drawing up a picture and will lose interest in it.

Employees of the Daughters-Sons online store will tell parents everything about the puzzles, their sizes and the themes of the images.

What types of puzzles are there for children?

To put the parts of the picture into one whole, the baby needs to call upon his memory and imagination to help. This will be his small intellectual victory, so encourage this kind of play and select the best quality puzzles. When choosing, it is not the brand that is important, but the content of the product, quality of workmanship and suitability for the child’s age. For small children, buy simple sets consisting of 4 to 54 elements. Some preschoolers and primary schoolchildren can cope with sets of medium complexity, which contain from 80 to 1000 components.

The game was invented in Great Britain, at first the parts of the drawing were wooden, then they began to be made of cardboard. Currently, puzzles are presented in a huge assortment, they are made from various materials. Can choose:

• cardboard (laminated cardboard is often used);
• plastic;
• wooden;
• made of foam rubber “soft”;
• made using 3D technology.

Table 1. Main types of puzzles presented by various brands

Product varieties	Material	Child's age	Peculiarities	Brand and country of origin
Classic	Cardboard	From 3 years	There are many product options with different sizes and number of elements.	Ravensburger
Puzzle box	Tree	From 3 years	You can put it in a box so it won't get lost.	Disney (China)
Origami	Thick cardboard	From 4 years	High-quality picture printing.	"Origami" (Russia)
Cubes	Tree	From 2 years	Horizontal and vertical options. The vertical one folds on a stand according to the pyramid principle.	Eichhorn, Fisher-Price (China)
Curly	Wood and plastic	From 2 years	A good replacement for toys.	YooHoo&Friends (China) Clementoni, "Tomik" (Russia)
Velcro puzzle	Polypropylene	From 3 years	Not afraid of water, has excellent packaging.	PicnMix (Russia)
Rug puzzle	Eco-friendly polymer	From 3 years	Stacked on the floor.	1Toy (Russia)
Rattles for babies	Plastic	From 1 year	Toys need to be placed in the recesses.	ABC (China)
Puzzle constructor	Plastic	From 3 years	Develops spatial imagination.	PicnMix (Russia)
3D puzzles	Laminated cardboard	From 7 years	Instructions included.	CubicFun

Important!

When choosing, you need to pay attention not only to the material and size of the elements, but also to the content of the picture. The theme of the picture is determined by gender perception, so puzzles with images of princesses are suitable for girls, and puzzles with cars are suitable for boys.

There are many educational games built on the idea of ​​a puzzle, for example, “Duck” by the Beleduc brand. The product contains elements that, when folded in layers, show the development of the bird from a chick to an adult duck. Triptych puzzles are unusual and interesting. Glowing figures made from small parts will decorate a child's room.

If your baby is a little over 1 year old, pay attention to sets with wooden elements. Natural wood will not cause harm if the baby puts a cube or part of the structure in his mouth. For such children, buy pictures from 4-8 parts. Even if all the details are large, you should always be careful that the baby does not swallow anything.

Important!

Psychologists do not recommend purchasing puzzles that are made in such a way that the cuts intersect the figures of people and animals. Children do not perceive this detail abstractly, and literal perception does not cope well with severed heads, arms and legs. This can traumatize the child's psyche.

Expert opinion

Pictures on children's puzzles should be bright and expressive, all characters should have clear outlines. If buying for children under 4 years old, avoid landscapes and abstract drawings. Let these be images of fairy tale heroes, animals and birds.

In the Daughters-Sons online store you can find kits that do not contain puzzle clasps. These products are intended for children 2-3 years old. Multi-component sets and 3D puzzles are suitable for schoolchildren. We offer only certified products. Each brand has its own characteristics, but the quality of all brands is documented.

Specialist of the online store “Daughters and Sons”
Leontovich Yulia

conclusions

By buying educational games for your child, you help him get used to the world. The baby will learn to recognize colors without stress and shock and get acquainted with many animals and plants. After completing puzzles, children not only improve their intellectual development, but also their muscle motor skills.

Students will enjoy creating three-dimensional pictures. 3D puzzles will become a real designer and guide to the world of history and culture. Here you will find an excellent collection of architectural monuments.