PlaymagsMagnetic Tiles for Kids – 100pcs Magnet Building Set for Toddlers Ages 1-5 | Stem Montessori Toy for 2 3 4 Year Old Boys & Girls | Toys for Toddlers, Preschool & Middle School Children

Let me first say I am not getting compensated in any way for this review. I am writing this because I had such a hard time deciding what to by because of all the mixed reviews for the various brands. I hope this will help some parents with their decision.I currently have 4 different sets of magnet tile toys:- 32 piece set Shape Mags (Purchased Dec 2016)- 2 Shape Mags 12X12 stabilizers .(Purchased March 2017)- 100 + 18 piece set Playmags .(Purchased March 2017)- 8 piece polygons Magna-Tiles .(Purchased March 2017)Our first set was the 32 piece Shape Mags. I put it on the kids' (ages 4 and 2) Christmas wish list. They loved it! Even after 3 months, they still loved playing with it, when most other Christmas presents were forgotten. The only problem was the 32 piece set is too small for 2 kids to share. After lots of research, I decided to buy the other 3 sets at the same time. Playmags had mixed reviews so I opened the set and examined the pieces before showing them to the kids. They were great! The plastic is sturdy and the magnets are strong. Maybe they fixed the problems that got them the negative reviews.PricePlaymags 100 piece set + 18 click-ins (not magnetic) sells for $69.99Shape Mags 120 piece set, including 16 fences and 2 people figures sells for $69.99Magna-Tiles 100 piece set sells for $119.99Magnet StrengthPlaymags, wins, hands down. One of the reviews said the magnets are too strong and caused pinching. Even my 2-year-old didn't have any problems with that. Magna-Tiles and Shape Mags have similar magnet strengths. Both are fine for building tall structures. Playmags just hold together better.ColorPlaymags and Shape Mags have the same vibrant colors. Magna-Tiles colors are a bit muted. I prefer the more vibrant colors, but it's just my opinion.CompatibilityThe sets mix and fit together perfectly.Conclusion1st place: PlaymagsThe price is comparable to Shape Mags. The magnets are stronger, which makes for sturdier structures. I prefer the more vibrant colors.2nd place: Shape MagsThe magnets are not as strong, but still strong enough to make whatever your child imagines. The stabilizers are a great addition. I highly recommend them to complete any set.If you really want the originals and you're willing to pay the extra $50 for a set of 100 pieces, then by all means, buy the Magna-Tiles. Other than that, I see no reason to pay more. Shape Mags are of the same quality and magnet strength. Playmags' magnets are significantly stronger. I plan to keep all 4 sets. If I buy another set for a gift, I would buy Playmags.

Fantastic creative toy for all ages. Well made.Provides hours of entertainment 😁.

no need to pay for expensive ones. good quality. there is enough variety of shapes. it sticks very well and hold tight enough. safe for my toddler.

I have a set of these and a set of the 100 count magnatiles. The magnets in these (with the new stronger magnets) are definitely stronger than the more expensive brand. The colors are a little brighter as well. If you already have a set of the magnatiles, these are compatible. If you're comparing- these are a wonderful set to start with. They come with some extra window tiles as well as some hollow squares. This set also has small rectangles and a car/train magnet base. There could be more of the extra tiles, but I'm not 100% sure. I'm sure the description includes that information, but I just wanted to give an honest review and a basic comparison.The magnatiles come with just the basic squares, three types of triangles, and large squares. As I said previously, the playmags set has a bit more selection with some extra shapes. If you don't have the extra shapes, you won't miss them, and I don't know how much the extra shapes ADD to the experience, but they certainly don't detract from it. That said, I'm 30 and really just making fun geometric towers. A child might be tying to make a house with windows, or they might really appreciate the wagon magnet piece. To me, it's neat and I'll use it sometimes, but I wouldn't have noticed if it wasn't in the set. I have a 10 month old daughter for whom these were actually purchased, but really her primary source of joy with the tiles is knocking down any stucture that I or my husband have built. I expect that will change with time.Anyhow, if I was starting new without having already bought the magnatiles set, I would probably save the extra money and buy the playmags set, knowing what I know now. The appeal for me is how much stronger the magnets are. I will say that the tiles in the magnatiles are stronger than our other set (a random set from target, I believe, that someone had gifted us because they wanted us to see how cool magnetic toys were.) I enjoy this toy and the concept behind it. I bought my daughter two 100Count sets already (one set of the magnatiles and one set of the playmags) and I will probably slowly add to our collection as time goes on. I will likely buy the playmags brand over the magnatiles brand because of both the cost and the strength of the magnet. I also just purchased a set for my niece's 5th birthday (I purchased the playmags) so my sister And her family can have as much fun as we have here. I intend on buying my other niece (her older sister) a set in August for her 7th birthday as well.I'm a true fan of these tiles, and I'm really excited about my daughter growing up with a toy that encourages foresight and imagination. I knowShe already enjoys destroying our structures, so I'm sure she'll enjoy building her own. (And I'll enjoy revenge-knocking them down.)