More Building Brands We Love: 12 Brick Brands Worth Discovering

Discover 12 building brands we love: JIESTAR dinosaurs, LOZ mini blocks, CLC food figures, YKO ships, TUOMU STEM sets and more, from just €4.95.
8 min read
LOZ 1059 Carousel, an assembled mini block fairground carousel with a blue and gold canopy and carousel horses

Beyond the big names, we stock a dozen smaller building brands that each do one thing really well: dinosaur skeletons, Christmas villages, tiny food figures, micro-block parrots, mini-block ships, trucks, motorbikes and more. This guide introduces all 12, with the standout sets, current prices and who each brand suits.

None of these brands is part of LEGO. All 12 come from China, and many are based in Shantou, one of the country's biggest toy-making centres. If you are new to non-LEGO bricks, our overview of alternative brick systems explains the basics.

The 12 brands at a glance

  • JIESTAR: brick-built dinosaur skeletons on museum bases, €14.95 each.
  • LELE BROTHER: Christmas boxes that combine into one winter scene, €14.95.
  • CLC: tiny smiling micro-block food figures, €4.95.
  • LOZ: detailed mini-block models, from a wedding car to a 4,515-piece carousel.
  • MEKANSM: micro-block parrots with their own dust cover, €4.95.
  • Balody: micro-block dinosaurs, Doraemon and a light-up astronaut.
  • Forange: 2-in-1 motorcycles that rebuild into a plane, helicopter or robot.
  • Kqiboxxr: big display builds: a light-up steam train, a pirate skull, a tiger and a panda.
  • Wekki: fairy-tale and playing-card builds, including a 1,900-piece Pinocchio.
  • YKO: mini-block ships of over 1,000 pieces for €9.95, plus a flower vase.
  • TUOMU: a 5-in-1 programmable STEM truck and a 66 cm light-up rocket.
  • Xbert: American and European truck models and a tanker trailer.

JIESTAR: dinosaur skeletons for young palaeontologists

JIESTAR is a building-block brand from Shantou. Its Dinosaur Museum series builds fossil skeletons in sand-coloured bricks, each on a brown museum-style base with a name plaque. Start with the 57035 T-Rex (€14.95) (289 pieces) or the 57040 Brachiosaurus (€14.95), which is about 32 cm long. There are six to build, including a Triceratops, Spinosaurus, Mosasaurus and Pterosaur, so a whole museum shelf grows one box at a time. For Christmas, the 89142 Christmas Railway Station (€54.95) has 1,362 pieces, a steam train, track and LED lighting.

Suits: dinosaur-mad kids aged 8+ and quick weekend builds.

JIESTAR 57039 Spinosaurus Skeleton, an assembled sand-coloured brick fossil skeleton in a museum display scene

LELE BROTHER: build your own Christmas village

LELE BROTHER sets are made by Shantou Chenghai Lele Brother Toys. Its 8967 Christmas series has seven boxes of 273 to 337 pieces, each with a main model plus small festive builds such as presents, snowmen and trees, and the boxes combine into one bigger winter scene. Try the 8967-2 Christmas Snow House (€14.95), the 8967-4 Christmas Reindeer (€14.95) with its sleigh, or the 8967-5 Christmas Food Truck (€14.95). Add a box every weekend in December and watch the village grow, then pack it away and bring it back out next year.

Suits: families who love decorating together, builders aged 6+, stocking fillers.

CLC: tiny food figures with big smiles

CLC (Chaolechuang) is a Chinese micro-block brand. Micro blocks are much smaller than standard bricks, so a couple of hundred pieces build a detailed figure only 6 to 9 cm tall. The Super Delicious series turns food into happy characters: the 8922 Avocado (€4.95), 8924 Fries (€4.95) and 8926 Cheeseburger (€4.95) are among six to choose from. For a bigger challenge, the 6757 Panda Jailbreak (€9.95) has 1,098 pieces: a panda climbing out of its enclosure with a sparrow on its paw.

Suits: party bags, desk buddies and a first try at micro blocks (best for older children, teens and adults).

CLC 8922 Avocado, an assembled smiling micro block avocado figure next to its box

LOZ: fine detail in mini blocks

LOZ is made by Guangdong Zhenfeng Science and Educational Toys in Shantou, and specialises in mini blocks, which are smaller than standard bricks and allow finer curves and details. The 1928 Chinese Dragon (€19.95) (1,416 pieces, about 34.5 cm long) is great value, while the 1134 Pumpkin Carriage (€19.95) and 1233 Halloween House (€19.95) make a brilliant spooky-season table. The 1059 Carousel (€99.95) is the big project, with 4,515 pieces and carousel horses circling a blue and gold canopy.

Suits: patient builders who love detail; sets are rated 6+, but younger children will enjoy some help.

MEKANSM: a little aviary of micro-block parrots

MEKANSM is a Chinese micro-block brand whose Parrot series builds six birds, each perched among flowers on a coloured base and finished with its own clear dust cover. Each is about 8 cm tall and has 194 to 212 pieces. Pick the bright K394 Macaw (€4.95), the K396 Cockatiel (€4.95) or the K399 Budgie (€4.95), or build all six for a rainbow row on the windowsill. They are a thoughtful small gift for anyone who keeps a pet bird, and the small boxes slip easily into a stocking or party bag.

Suits: bird lovers, small gifts and relaxing short builds.

Balody: big micro-block builds for a small price

Balody is the micro-block brand of Shantou Liangao Toy Industry, based in Chenghai. Its tiny bricks build surprisingly large models: the 16088 T-Rex (€14.95) has 1,530 pieces and is about 28 cm long, and the officially licensed 16131 Doraemon (€14.95) stands about 12 cm tall. The 18361 Floating Astronaut (€9.95) has an LED in its visor that glows when connected by USB, and the 16409 Eiffel Tower with Roses (€39.95) (2,551 pieces) is a romantic showpiece. Love landmarks in standard bricks? See our WANGE guide.

Suits: calm, absorbing builds for older children, teens and adults.

Forange: two builds in one box

Forange is the building-block brand of Shantou Chenghai Meigaobao Toys. Its Engine Morph series builds a detailed motorcycle, and the same parts rebuild into a second model, one at a time. The FC9302 Red Motorcycle (€14.95) becomes a helicopter-style model, the FC9304 Green Sport Motorcycle (€14.95) turns into a robot, and the FC9305 Black Motorcycle (€14.95) becomes a winged aircraft. Each set has 479 to 571 pieces and is rated 6+. At €14.95, they make a great birthday present, and building both models shows young builders how the same parts can become something completely different.

Suits: young vehicle fans and anyone who likes to rebuild.

Forange FC9302 Red Motorcycle, an assembled red-and-black brick-built sport motorcycle on a dark background

Kqiboxxr: big, bold display builds

Kqiboxxr is a Chinese brand making large display models of over 1,100 pieces each. The KQ302 Steam Age Ore Train (€64.95) (1,402 pieces) has a steam locomotive, an ore wagon and a station lamp post, with USB-rechargeable lights. The KQ301 Pirate Skull (€34.95) has a removable tricorn hat and two golden sabres, and the KQ203 Tiger Jungle (€34.95) packs 1,650 pieces into a 35 cm jungle scene. If you like big display builds, our DK guide has more trains and a pirate ship. Plan a spot first: the train scene is about 52 cm long.

Suits: builders aged 8+ ready for a proper weekend project.

Wekki: stories built in bricks

Wekki is a building-block brand from Shenzhen, founded in 2020. The sets we stock each centre on a character with a story. The 506186 Pinocchio (€99.95) from the Fairy Tale Town series (1,900 pieces, about 32 cm tall) sits on Geppetto's workbench among brushes, a book, a candle and an ink pot. Three smaller playing-card sets have a built-in rotating mechanism: the 503188 Clown Party (€19.95), 503190 Knight's Triumph (€19.95) and 503191 Game of Kings (€19.95). Love Pinocchio? MGL Toys make a crystal Disney version.

Suits: fairy-tale fans; the playing-card sets are rated 6+, Pinocchio 8+.

YKO: mini-block ships with over 1,000 pieces

YKO is a Chinese brand whose mini-block ships are some of the best-value builds in our shop: more than 1,000 pieces for €9.95. The P1197 Dragon Boat (€9.95) (1,404 pieces) has a golden dragon head, a crew of rowers and a drummer. The P1198 Golden Sail Ship (€9.95) has billowing golden sails and lanterns, and the P1199 Junk Ship (€9.95) has tall ribbed sails. Each is under 20 cm, so all three fit on one shelf. YKO also make the P2350 Flower Vase Bouquet (€9.95), rated 6+.

Suits: the ships are rated 14+: great for teens and adults who enjoy detailed builds.

TUOMU: STEM building and a giant rocket

TUOMU is a Chinese brand that mixes building with STEM play. The T2012 5-in-1 STEM Truck (€44.95) (535 pieces) builds an excavator, dump truck, bulldozer, road roller or crane truck, one at a time; it comes with a motor and is app-programmable. The T3006 Space Rocket (€44.95) (1,201 pieces) stands about 66 cm tall, with a three-stage separable rocket and built-in lights. The T7003 Steam Owl (€29.95) is a striking steampunk display piece. For more models that move, see our Mould King guide.

Suits: curious builders aged 8+ and young space fans.

Xbert: truck models for big-rig fans

Xbert is a Chinese brand making detailed truck models. The 66026 American Truck (€19.95) (268 pieces) has the classic long bonnet, chrome grille and twin exhaust stacks, while the 66032 European Truck (€19.95) (420 pieces) is a flat-fronted cab-over design with a roof light bar. The 66033 Fuel Tank Trailer (€24.95) (699 pieces) is a polished three-axle tanker of about 34.6 cm. Building the American and European trucks side by side is a fun way to spot the difference between the two styles.

Suits: truck fans; rated 14+, or younger builders with a parent.

Which brand should I start with?

  • Under €10: a CLC food figure or MEKANSM parrot (€4.95), or a YKO ship (€9.95).
  • For young builders (6+): LELE BROTHER Christmas boxes, Forange motorcycles or a Wekki playing-card set.
  • Dinosaur fans: JIESTAR skeletons or the Balody T-Rex.
  • A big weekend project: the LOZ Carousel, Kqiboxxr Steam Age Ore Train or Wekki Pinocchio.
  • Something that moves or lights up: the TUOMU STEM Truck or Space Rocket.

Curious about micro and mini blocks? Read our introduction to microbricks and our comparison of microbricks, ribblebricks and standard bricks. You can browse every brand in our bricks collection and all small-brick sets in our microbricks collection.

Frequently asked questions

Are these brands compatible with LEGO?

It depends on the brick size. The micro and mini blocks from CLC, MEKANSM, Balody, LOZ and YKO's ships are smaller than standard bricks, so they do not combine with LEGO.

Which of these brands are best for young children?

LELE BROTHER's Christmas boxes, Forange's motorcycles and Wekki's playing-card sets are rated 6+. Micro and mini blocks have very small parts and suit older children, teens and adults best.

What is the cheapest set in this guide?

The CLC Super Delicious food figures and the MEKANSM parrots cost €4.95 each.

What is the biggest set in this guide?

The LOZ 1059 Carousel, with 4,515 mini blocks and a width of about 35 cm.

Do any of these sets move or light up?

Yes. The TUOMU T2012 STEM Truck has a motor and app programming, the Wekki playing-card sets have a rotating mechanism, and the Kqiboxxr train, the Balody astronaut and the TUOMU rocket have lights.

Where can I buy these brands in the Netherlands?

Toy Haven stocks all 12 brands online, with free shipping within the Netherlands on orders from €60.

Find your next favourite brand

Toy Haven is an online toy shop based in Enschede, and shipping within the Netherlands is free on orders from €60. You can also meet us at conventions across Europe, including FACTS in Ghent (31 October – 1 November 2026) and Milan Games Week (27–29 November 2026): pre-order online and collect at our stand. Which brand will you try first? Browse all brick brands at Toy Haven.