Hexbug Junk Bots Large Dumpster Review (Age 3+) - sent for review

We've not reviewed a lot of toys this year, but the latest additions to the Hexbug range are always welcome, and we've been sent Hexbug Junk Bots and Hexbug Nano Orbit to review. Both are suitable for age 3+, and while the Orbit opens up a new world for familiar Hexbug Nano bots, the Junk Bots are something entirely new and different... 

Both the Junk Bots and the Nano Flash are collectibles which can expand with more sets. They are available in different sized packs at different prices, with different features included. You can find my Hexbug Nano Flash Orbit review here... 

The Junk Bots Large Dumpster (£16.65rrp) has over 50 pieces included inside, and it's really cleverly designed to be very exciting to open. Shaped like a bin and full of 'junk', which is familiar and often quite cute. You really still have no idea what you have until you've opened all the little trash bags and examined all of the pieces. 

There are 4 different bot designs in the set, and you can create all 4 at once, and there's also an 'Energy Module' (ours is a light) and a 'Motion Module'. Some pieces are necessary, some really are trash, and some are spares for creating your own design of bots. 

Once complete, you can attach the 'Energy Module' or 'Motion Module' and animate the models, 'bringing them to life'. These are battery powered tiny engines, and the batteries are included. Our light was actually switched on when we opened the pack, but it's still working now, so I'd imagine lifespan is very good. 

It's a fantastic little set for any young designer, engineer or robot-maker, which will teach them a lot about what is possible, and what isn't. They'll have to rearrange and rebuild to make their own model designs work, and some of the parts are genuinely very well made. For example there's a great little pneumatic piston (above) that you can use to alter the angle of an arm for example. 

We loved this set. The grown ups here (including our grown up engineering uni student) were so excited by this that the 10 and 11 year olds barely got a look in at first. I would suggest that the age group should be higher - a child under 7 is going to find this frustrating. Some joints are a little slack and can fall apart, whereas others, especially some ball joints, are incredibly tight and need a lot of finger strength and dexterity to put together. It would be wasted on most 3 year olds - although their parents might enjoy it once they've gone to bed... 

It's an unveil, it's a toy, it's self-contained and easy to put away for storage and the possible creations are multitude. Sure it's plastic, but it's not single use, and your child can play with this over a long period, including collecting other sets and making bigger and better bots. Genuinely pleasing. 

Prices vary, but Junk Bots start at under £5 for a Trash Bin with 15+ pieces and 1 bot, and our Large Dumpster costs £19.99rrp. The Flash Nano sets start at under £7 for a starter pack. Replacement and additional Nano Bots are under £5 each. Here's a handy affiliate link to the Hexbug Official Store on Amazon. 

We are big fans of Hexbug and have been playing with them for a long time. We've reviewed several sets which we've been sent - you can find all of my Hexbug reviews here. 

We were sent our Hexbug Junk Bots Large Dumpster for review. Amazon links are affiliate, which means I earn a few pence thank you if you order through my link, but you don't pay any more.