Raising Kids Activities Best Puzzle Subscriptions Buffalo Games is our top puzzle subscription pick due to its customized puzzles By Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley is a freelance writer with six years of experience creating personal essays, reported features, and commerce content related to health and parenting topics. Learn about our editorial process Updated on March 24, 2023 Fact checked by Michael Rosenston Fact checked by Michael Rosenston LinkedIn Michael Rosenston is a fact-checker and researcher with knowledge in business, finance, insurance, health, wellness, and travel. Learn about our editorial process Print We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Puzzle subscription boxes offer a great way for both adults and children to challenge their minds and amuse themselves. The hands-on activity provides for hours of fun, and the boxes make it easy to enjoy new types of puzzles for all different skill levels, some with special themes or accompanying kids' activities. When you sign up for one of these puzzle subscriptions, you can have a brand-new puzzle delivered to your doorstep each month. Learn more about the best puzzle subscription boxes here. Best Puzzle Subscription Boxes of 2023 Best Overall: Buffalo Games Monthly Puzzle Subscription Best Budget: Puzzle Warehouse Puzzle of the Month Club Best for Cubers: Puzzlcrate Best for Borrowing: Completing the Puzzle Best for Masters: The Thinker Box Best for Families: Puzzle Culture Best for Beginners: MicroPuzzles Best for Wooden Puzzles: Hoefnagel Wooden Puzzle Club Best Puzzle Subscriptions View All Best Puzzle Subscriptions Our Top Picks Buffalo Games Monthly Puzzle Subscription Puzzle Warehouse Puzzle of the Month Club Puzzlcrate Completing the Puzzle The Thinker Box Puzzle Culture MicroPuzzles Hoefnagel Wooden Puzzle Club See More (5) Final Verdict Compare Products Guide to Choosing FAQs Methodology Best Overall : Buffalo Games Monthly Puzzle Subscription Buffalo Games Sign Up Now Key Specs Cost: Starts at $53 for a six-month subscriptionFree shipping: One-time shipping feeFeatures: Highly customizable boxes Why We Chose It Buffalo Games allows you to choose your preferred style and puzzle image, the number of puzzle pieces, and the length of your subscription. Pros & Cons Pros Customizable for varying skill sets Subscription makes puzzles very affordable Printed on premium quality recycled materials Cons Have to sign up for at least six-month subscription No universal return policy Overview Buffalo Games & Puzzles has been in the puzzling business since 1986, so it knows how to keep the whole family entertained. There are three different tiers for Buffalo Games subscriptions: 300- to 500-piece puzzles, 750- to 1,000-piece puzzles, and 2,000-piece puzzles. Puzzles are printed on thick, durable graphic boards, and the company is licensed to reproduce some of your favorite images, whether it’s a watercolor landscape by a popular artist or a dizzying assortment of Coca-Cola bottles. Unlike many other subscription boxes, this membership isn’t available on a month-to-month basis—you have to commit to either six or 12 months upfront. The cheapest option, featuring 300- to 500-piece puzzles, costs $53 for a six-month subscription; the 2,000-piece subscription is $96 for six months. When you break it all down, though, the puzzles cost about $15 each, a bargain when compared with buying individual puzzles. There is a one-time shipping fee, and members receive an email at the start of every month allowing them to choose between three puzzle options, so you’ll always get a puzzle you actually want to work on. This is one of the best ways to get high-quality puzzles on a regular—and affordable—basis. Best Budget : Puzzle Warehouse Puzzle of the Month Club Puzzle Warehouse Sign Up Now Key Specs Cost: Starts at about $20 per monthFree shipping: Yes, except for Alaska and HawaiiFeatures: Wide selection for several skill sets Why We Chose It Puzzle Warehouse Puzzle of the Month Club has a great selection of puzzles at affordable rates, with more than one subscription option. Pros & Cons Pros Pick your challenge level Swap out selection if you don’t like a puzzle Choose from a number of puzzle brands Can choose monthly or bi-monthly Reasonable monthly cost Cons Refund not possible when canceling yearly subscriptions Overview Puzzle Warehouse is a well-established online retailer of jigsaw puzzles from all over the country, so you know it has a great selection. With the Puzzle of the Month Club, you can take advantage of all the hard work the company has done to collect the coolest puzzles around. You pick the challenge level (300, 500, or 1,000 pieces) and Puzzle Warehouse will send you a new puzzle every month. It promises that none of the puzzles are too niche for the average puzzler. In other words, there are no fluffy unicorn or anime puzzles, but you still have several ways to swap out that month’s selection if you’re not into it. A standard membership is $20 per month and gives you your choice of thousands of puzzles from top brands. You also can choose the bi-monthly membership for $35 per shipment and access even more. The low cost is enough for us to choose this subscription as our budget pick. As a member, you get free shipping on any puzzle you order from their site when you bundle it with your monthly club shipment, regardless of how much you spend. Best for Cubers : Puzzlcrate Puzzlcrate Sign Up Now Key Specs Cost: Starts at about $30 per monthFree shipping: No; $3 per box in the U.S.Features: Handheld, mechanical puzzles Why We Chose it This is a good option for people who like hand-held puzzles rather than massive jigsaw puzzles. Pros & Cons Pros Many handheld puzzle options Get gifts in first box Cons Monthly subscription auto-renews No jigsaw puzzle options Overview Not into jigsaws, but still like to give the ol’ noggin a good workout from time to time? Then you might be a “cuber”—someone who likes handheld puzzles like Rubik’s Cubes. If this is you, Puzzlcrate has got you covered. When you sign up for a Puzzlcrate subscription, you’ll receive a new twisty puzzle to obsess over every month. How many twisty puzzles can there possibly be out there, you wonder? Trust us. There are lots. The inventory page on Puzzlcrate is loaded with handheld puzzles in all different shapes and sizes, promising to stretch the limits of your brain in totally different ways. You might not know what a dodecahedron is now, but you will if you sign up for Puzzlcrate. Subscriptions to Puzzlcrate start at $30 per month and include shipping costs. You always get one twisty puzzle and one description card in each box. However, your first box also includes a few fun puzzle-themed gifts like cube lube, which loosens up any tough-to-manipulate puzzles and makes them easier to twist and turn. Best for Borrowing : Completing the Puzzle Puzzlcrate Buy on Completingthepuzzle.com Key Specs Cost: Starts at $28 per monthFree shipping: YesFeatures: Sustainable puzzle swap program Why We Chose It Completing the Puzzle is ideal because it’s a swap program for people who don’t want to become puzzle hoarders. Pros & Cons Pros Easy puzzle swap program so no puzzle accumulation Choose your skill set Take as long as you need with your puzzle Sustainable/reduces waste Puzzles well-sanitized before you receive them Free shipping and returns Will buy your previously owned puzzles too Cons You’re charged for missing puzzle pieces Monthly charge even when you keep a puzzle longer than a month Overview Completing the Puzzle works like a magical puzzle library. When you sign up for a membership to this family-owned online business, the company sends you a puzzle in your chosen challenge level—beginner, intermediate, and expert. You put the puzzle together, send it back with a prepaid shipping label when you’re done, and then Completing the Puzzle sends you another puzzle. Just like that! You can take as long as you need to with your puzzle, meaning you can spend two months working on it or just a few days. Yup, it’s unlimited puzzles for those of you that are super speedy. What we love about the service offered with this subscription is that it’s sustainable and reduces waste, and there are a lot of features built in for your peace of mind. The staff thoroughly checks every puzzle for missing pieces but will assist you ASAP if you find yours is missing one. If you lose a piece, the first time, the fee is waived. After that, there’s a $5 fee. Subscriptions start at $28 per month for a six-month subscription. Shipping is free, and there’s even a puzzle buyback option if you want to receive a little extra credit on your account. Best for Masters : The Thinker Box Kubiya Games Buy on Kubiyagames.com Key Specs Cost: $36 per month when you subscribe for 12 monthsFree shipping: Yes, except for Alaska and HawaiiFeatures: Handheld puzzles that will challenge pros Why We Chose It The Thinker Box puzzles offer a challenge to highly skilled puzzle wizards looking for one. You can select these wooden puzzles in age-appropriate categories. Pros & Cons Pros Puzzles for more advanced users “Master” level subscription available Variety of puzzle styles Get up to two puzzles in a box Free shipping Cons Not for jigsaw puzzle lovers On the expensive side Overview Can you complete a Rubik’s Cube in five minutes flat? Solve marble mazes with ease? Laugh in the face of 2,000-piece puzzles? If so, we have a subscription for you, courtesy of the puzzle masterminds at Kubiya Games, Brooklyn-based makers of wooden mechanical puzzles, brain games, and escape room puzzles. There are varying levels of subscriptions to Kubiya Games’ puzzle boxes, but The Thinker Box is for “masters,” meaning this isn’t your grandpa’s old wooden puzzle box. These puzzles are level four or five (five being the highest) challenges made for the most committed of puzzlers, chosen from Kubiya Games’ most popular wooden mechanical puzzles. Each box comes with one or two mechanical puzzles—think mazes, locks, and cubes—along with step-by-step solutions and a sticker. Each subscription box is $36 per month with a 12-month subscription. Shorter durations cost slightly more. You don’t have to commit upfront, and you can cancel or change your plan at any time. Honestly, good luck! Best for Families : Puzzle Culture Puzzle Culture Buy on Cratejoy.com Key Specs Cost: Starts at roughly $35 for bimonthly subscriptionFree shipping: No, charge is $5 per boxFeatures: Themed puzzles with gifts Why We Chose It Puzzle Culture offers bimonthly or quarterly plans, with curated puzzle boxes and extra puzzle-themed gifts. Pros & Cons Pros Themed puzzle boxes Puzzle-themed gifts come with jigsaw puzzle Challenge cards 1,000-piece puzzles showcase independent artists’ work Cons On the expensive side No free shipping Overview Puzzle Culture subscriptions are available in both quarterly and bimonthly options. Staff curate boxes around different themes, ranging from food to world culture to nature. Along with a 1,000-piece puzzle, each box comes with three to five puzzle-themed gifts—tees, pins, trinkets, household items, and more—all matched to either the artwork of the puzzle or to the unique interests of puzzle lovers. You'll also get a challenge card, which offers a different way to approach piecing together your puzzle. A quarterly subscription is $45 plus $5 shipping per box. The 12-month prepay option is $160 plus shipping, or $40 per box. A six-month option (three boxes over six months) runs $96, or $32 per box plus shipping, while a bi-monthly option costs $35 per box plus shipping. Best for Beginners : MicroPuzzles MicroPuzzles Buy on Micropuzzles.com Key Specs Cost: Starts at close to $25 per month for an annual subscriptionFree shipping: YesFeatures: Simple, small puzzles Why We Chose It The MicroPuzzles company specializes in small, simple puzzles that are great for puzzle newbies, like young kids. Pros & Cons Pros Two easy puzzles a month Relatively inexpensive Makes a great gift Free shipping Cons Not for experts Can’t change puzzle out if you don’t like it Overview Whether you’re shopping for a kid or a beginner puzzler, a MicroPuzzles subscription box is a great way to help someone dip their toes into the wide world of puzzling. MicroPuzzles’ specialty is eye-catching mini-puzzles that can be done in just an hour or two, making an impact on your coffee table but not on your time or budget. MicroPuzzles will send you two mini puzzles of 150 pieces each, packaged in a cute and convenient test tube for easy storage. Once completed, the puzzles are 4 by 6 inches in size and feature bright, colorful, kid-friendly designs. The designs are usually themed and are also exclusive to MicroPuzzles. In fact, they can’t be found anywhere else, so you’re getting unique artwork. A monthly subscription starts at $20 with shipping included. MicroPuzzles says it occasionally tosses in extra puzzle goodies and accessories from time to time, making this a solid choice for the occasional puzzler or puzzle-loving kid in your life. Best for Wooden Puzzles : Hoefnagel Wooden Puzzle Club Hoefnagel Wooden Puzzle Club Buy on Woodenjigsawpuzzles.com Key Specs Cost: $30 to $34 per monthFree shipping: No, $10 shipping charge per two-puzzle packFeatures: High-quality laser or hand-cut wooden puzzles Why We Chose It Your subscription means you can receive as many new, high-quality, durable wooden puzzles as you like with a monthly membership. Pros & Cons Pros You can choose from a library of over 1,000 puzzles Durable, aesthetically pleasing puzzles Keep the puzzles as long as you like Cons No free shipping Have to send puzzles back to get new ones Overview The Hoefnagel wooden puzzle subscription is based on a library of more than 1,000 different hand-cut or laser-cut wooden puzzles. You can receive two as often as you like to keep as long as you need. Simply sign up for one of its monthly or annual rental periods and before you know it, you’ll get something beautiful in the mail. Each time you send a puzzle back, you’ll receive another from your wish list. It’s worth noting that you are renting the puzzles—you can’t keep them indefinitely—and you will have to pay $10 in shipping to return the puzzle each time. The same fee applies if you request more than one pack per month. Wooden puzzles aren’t cheap to buy, so this rental might be a good option. Final Verdict The Buffalo Games & Puzzles monthly puzzle subscription earned top marks because it offers so much variety, is customizable for different skill sets, and allows you to pick the puzzle you get every month. But you can't go wrong with any of the subscription boxes on this list. Whether you're a master or trying your hand at a 1,000-piece puzzle for the first time, there's a great option for you. MicroPuzzles are a great pick for young kids, while Kubiya Games' Thinker Box options are an expert challenge. Every puzzle subscription box on this list comes with some very cool, fun puzzles that will no doubt up your game time. Compare the Best Puzzle Subscription Boxes Subscription Cost Shipping Features Best Overall Buffalo Games Monthly Puzzle Subscription Starts at $53 for six months One-time fee Highly customizable boxes Best Budget Puzzle Warehouse Puzzle of the Month Club Starts at $20 per box Free Wide selection for several skill sets Best for Cubers Puzzlcrate Starts at $30 per box $3 per box Handheld, mechanical puzzles Best for Borrowing Completing the Puzzle Starts at $28 per month Free Sustainable puzzle swap program Best for Masters The Thinker Box Starts at $36 per month Free Handheld puzzles that will challenge pros Best for Families Puzzle Culture Starts at $35 per box $5 per box Quarterly, themed puzzles with gifts Best for Beginners MicroPuzzles Starts at $25 per box Free Simple, small puzzles Best for Wooden Puzzles Hoefnagel Wooden Puzzle Club $30 to $34 per month $10 per two-puzzle box High-quality laser or hand-cut wooden puzzles Guide to Choosing the Best Puzzle Subscription Boxes Puzzle subscription boxes can be an excellent family bonding activity. They can foster collaboration and teamwork, and they can boost your child’s problem-solving skills. Just bear in mind that not all puzzles are appropriate if you have young children that like to put things in their mouths. If you have a child under 2, keep your puzzles well out of reach and make sure you don’t drop pieces (or maybe wait until your child is a little older). What to Look for in a Puzzle Subscription If you’re considering a puzzle subscription, there are a few things to consider, including: Cost: Puzzles aren’t generally that expensive to buy individually, ranging in price from $12 to $40 or more, depending on how many pieces they have. So when you’re looking for a puzzle subscription, make sure you’re actually saving on the per-puzzle cost or, at the very least, getting something with value. Some subscriptions allow you to “rent” the puzzle rather than buy it.Payment renewal: Some puzzle subscriptions renew every month, while others renew every three, six, or even 12 months. Make sure you’re considering how often you want to be billed. It might be more cost-effective to sign up for a 12-month subscription, but you’ll likely have to pay for the whole year upfront and may not be eligible for a refund if you change your mind later.Puzzle difficulty: If you’re an expert with puzzles, you might relish the challenge of a 2,000-piece puzzle, but if you’re shopping for kids or the whole family, consider a difficulty level that's appropriate for everyone.Artwork: Some puzzle subscriptions offer cool or unique artwork that might be hard to find in a store. Frequently Asked Questions Why Should I Buy a Puzzle Subscription? With most subscription boxes, a membership gets you some kind of discount on the products included. For example, a new 2,000-piece Buffalo Games & Puzzles puzzle bought online could cost between $20 and $30 plus shipping, as opposed to $15 with the subscription. Subscriptions also offer unique designs and products. Are Puzzles Good for Your Child's Development? As long as your child is past the age where puzzle pieces are a choking hazard, puzzles can be a great activity for kids. They can teach your child cognitive and problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, discipline, and pattern recognition. Handling small pieces also helps them work on their fine motor skills. How Often Will I Get a Puzzle? Most puzzle subscription boxes are monthly. So, you’ll get one or two puzzles every 30 days, depending on the shipment schedule of the company you choose. Some subscriptions, though, are only delivered quarterly, while the lending subscription available through Completing the Puzzle is unlimited—you set the pace, getting a new puzzle each time you return one you've finished. How Do I Buy Good Puzzles? When shopping for good puzzles, first research products and reputable companies and learn about the materials used in making puzzles. You'll also want to choose puzzles that match the interests and skill level of those playing with them. Methodology We looked for subscription boxes that not only offer different challenge levels to members—like beginner, intermediate, and expert—but also give you a lot of options when it comes to the artwork or themes featured. These boxes mix up their selections frequently and, in some cases, allow you to swap out that month’s puzzle for one that better suits your preferences. Likewise, puzzles aren’t as inexpensive as many people expect them to be. A high-quality, 1,000-piece puzzle can cost at least $20 in a store or online, so a puzzle subscription box should offer you decent savings along with a large or unique selection of offerings. Whether it’s through other shop discounts, prepay options, or the inclusion of additional goodies, these seven boxes all maximize the value of your puzzling costs when you sign up. Verywell Family / Design by Amelia Manley By Sarah Bradley Sarah Bradley has been writing parenting content since 2017, after her third son was born. Since then, she has expanded her expertise to write about pregnancy and postpartum, childhood ages and stages, and general health conditions, including commerce articles for health products. Because she has been homeschooling her sons for seven years, she is also frequently asked to share homeschooling tips, tricks, and advice for parenting sites. Updated by Steven Rowe Steven Rowe Steven Rowe is a New York-based parenting writer and toddler dad. Learn about our editorial process Edited by April McCormick April McCormick April is the health editor for performance marketing at Verywell, where she oversees family health, wellness, and lifestyle content. Her work has appeared in Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Verywell Mind, Verywell Family, Verywell, Fit, Verywell Health, Time, Parents, Parents Magazine, The Straits Times, The Huffington Post, TripSavvy, Parenting, First Time Mom and Dad, Mama Mia, All4Women, the New York Times Bestseller, A Letter To My Mom, and more. Learn about our editorial process See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies