Every parent wants only the best for their child. For example, so that he has all the opportunities for diversified creative development and does not feel deprived in comparison with other children. In recent years, such possibilities have been provided by magnetic designers like Geomag Baby, or Magformers, which have become a kind of fashion trend. It's no wonder that little ones want such a gift for themselves. But the cost of a set simply scares many, because it can reach impressive amounts of tens of thousands of rubles.
At this point, many consumers, accustomed to criticizing cheaper Chinese products, begin to understand that such products also have a right to exist. In the considered segment of goods, one of the most interesting for the consumer is the magnetic constructor Mag Building.
What it is?
For those who are just discovering the world of magnetic constructors, it should be clarified that the Mag Building is a set consisting of flat and mostly perforated parts that are connected to each other using a magnetic connection.
There is a magnet inside each plastic element, so it is enough to attach the parts to each other for them to connect. This method of construction is attractive to children for two reasons: firstly, it does not require any effort or special skills, because children can buy such a gift literally from the age of one, and secondly, the invisibility of the connection seems magic to children and provokes additional interest.
The minimal sets consist of banal geometric shapes (squares and triangles), so you won't be able to compose anything complicated from them. Thanks to them, the child can put together three-dimensional geometric shapes, having received a visual representation of the three-dimensionality and the force of magnetic attraction, however, there is no question of a full-fledged game.
For those who have grown a little bigger and are ready to play with hundreds of parts, there are kits with specific parts, thanks to which you can assemble a believable-looking toy.
Differences from the original
It should be noted that the above description is suitable for both Mag Building and the famous Magformers, with the only difference that the first is just a copy of the second.
In this case, the Chinese tried to repeat the original - the plots in separate sets and even the design of the boxes are almost identical in many cases, although Mag Building does not try to hide its name, disguising itself as the original.
Nevertheless, the copy is almost always worse than the original, and therefore it can be called several criteria at once by which the Chinese product is inferior to the original.
- The manufacturer of the original designer indicates that its cheaper counterparts are of lower quality, primarily due to cheaper magnets. In Mag Building, they are ordinary, not neodymium, which are several times stronger and allow several parts to be held on weight at once. In practice, this means that rather large and ill-conceived structures from an engineering point of view will fall apart, while a similar product from the original designer could have survived. In addition, Mag Building structures are risky to touch and definitely should not be thrown on the floor - they will not withstand such tests.
- The strength differs not only in the assembled structures, but also in individual parts. The plastic used to make the Mag Building is not a model of eternal strength, therefore active children, eaten by a thirst for knowledge of the inner world of things, will probably break the parts rather quickly. Reviews of disgruntled parents indicate that not only regret about the money spent will become the only negative emotion - pointed fragments can be dangerous for the baby. In the original, judging by the same reviews, the strength is still higher, although, in fairness, it should not be idealized either.
- No matter how hard you try, it takes time to create a copy, especially since a copy can never appear before the original. Magformers offers a much wider range of products and is constantly updating themfor which this global giant of the toy industry has every opportunity. Mag Building does its best to keep up but still lags behind.
After all these shortcomings, many might have a question about the advisability of buying a copy when there is an original, however, the financial component leaves many no choice.
Mag Building is several times cheaper than Magformers, and with the exorbitant prices of the latter, for many families the dilemma looks unambiguous - either buy Chinese counterparts or leave the child without a magnetic constructor at all.
Popular models
Like the original, the simplest and cheapest Mag Building kits are kits for constructing the simplest geometric shapes. A set of 20 or 28 pieces consists of banal squares and triangles, so for a kid it is simple, but not very interesting.
Themed sets with special details are another matter. For example, a set of 36 or 48 elements already includes wheels that allow you to assemble a car. Kits of 56 or 58 pieces offer all the same possibilities, but there are more elements in them and there is an increased variety of them, which helps to connect the creative vein when creating the same typewriter.
A set of 78 elements is somewhat reminiscent of the original Carnival set - from its parts you can assemble not only a car, but also a full-fledged Ferris wheel, for which a special support is even provided.
In a set of 118 or 138 parts, the variety of components continues to grow - there are already hexagons, two types of squares and triangles, pentagons, corners and much more. It should be noted that with a large number of parts, the complexity of the game also increases, so you either need not rush to buy the largest sets, or purchase them for two children who would assemble the designer together.
There are even larger sets of 200 or 202 parts. The composition of such the largest sets may include components with real teaching value: for example, individual elements can be in the form of letters or numbers, allowing you to learn counting, the alphabet and decorate your own hand-made crafts with any inscription you want. Given the sheer number of parts, these kits are sometimes sold in special plastic boxes rather than simple cardboard boxes.
Due to the complexity of design, such designers are usually bought for children no earlier than the age of 4-5 years.
In the next video, watch the video review of the Mag Building magnetic constructor.
