Head to head
Magna-Tiles vs Magformers
These two are not competing versions of the same toy. One makes walls, the other makes domes.
By Sawyer V. · Published
The short answer
Magna-Tiles are solid panels: they build enclosed rooms, roofs and walls you cannot see through. Magformers are open frames with rotating magnets and twelve pentagons in the 62-piece set, which is what makes curved and domed structures possible. Buy tiles first, Magformers second.
Block & Beaker earns a commission when you buy through our links, at no cost to you. It never changes a ranking, and we say so plainly when the right answer is the cheaper set, or nothing at all. Full disclosure · How we pick.
At a glance
The picks, ranked
Tap any row to jump to the full reasoning. Prices come live from Amazon where we have them and read “check price” where we don’t — never a number we cannot stand behind today.
| # | Product | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Best first system MAGNA-TILES Classic 100-Piece Set Solid panels with a published shape mix — the set that builds enclosed things you can put something inside. | A household with no magnetic building toy yet | |
| 2 | Best second system Magformers Basic 62-Piece Set Twelve pentagons and rotating magnets — geometry a square-and-triangle set physically cannot produce. | A collection that has run out of new shapes to make | |
| 3 | The third option CONNETIX Rainbow Creative Pack, 100 Pieces Solid tiles like Magna-Tiles, plus windows, doors and fences that neither of the above includes. | A child whose building is really storytelling | |
| — | The one to skip in this matchup PicassoTiles 100 Piece Magnetic Tile Set A cheaper solid-tile set that publishes neither a shape breakdown nor a magnet retention method. | Topping up, not choosing between these two |
4 picks, including 1 we tell you to skip. Ages shown are the manufacturer’s own rating, not ours.
Solid panels versus open frames
This is the whole comparison and almost nobody states it plainly. Magna-Tiles are solid panels with a face. Magformers are open frames with a hole in the middle. Everything else follows from that.
| Published detail | Magna-Tiles Classic 100 | Magformers Basic 62 |
|---|---|---|
| Piece count | 100 | 62 |
| Shape mix published | Yes, in full | Yes — 30 squares, 20 triangles, 12 pentagons |
| Pentagons | None | 12 |
| Panel type | Solid face | Open frame |
| Magnet behavior | Fixed; a piece can need flipping | Rotating — pieces always attract |
| Named safety standards | Not named on the product page | CE, ASTM and EN71 |
| Stated age | 3-99 years | 3+ |
What each one can physically build
Solid tiles build enclosures. A garage with a car inside it. A house with a toy in it. A box with a lid. The face of the tile is what makes the inside a real inside, and for a three or four-year-old that is most of the point of building at all.
Open frames build curves. Twelve pentagons plus triangles closes a ball. That is genuinely impossible with squares and triangles alone, and it is the reason a household with a hundred tiles should add Magformers rather than more tiles.
The arithmetic
Why twelve pentagons is the number
| Pentagons needed to close a dodecahedron | 12 |
|---|---|
| Pentagons in the Magformers Basic 62 set | 12 |
| Pentagons in any Magna-Tiles Classic set | 0 |
| Triangle types in Magna-Tiles Classic 100 | 3 |
| Triangle types in Magformers Basic 62 | 1 |
The rotating magnet, and whether it matters
Magformers publishes neodymium magnets that rotate inside the frame so pieces "always attract". On a fixed-magnet tile set, a child sometimes meets two faces that repel and has to turn a piece over.
How much that matters depends entirely on age. At three it removes a genuine source of frustration. At six it is invisible — the child flips the piece without noticing they did it. Do not pay a premium for it for an older child.
Worth knowing before you buy
Magformers is the only set in this comparison that names its compliance outright: CE, ASTM and EN71. Magna-Tiles does not name a standard on its product page, though it does publish its magnet retention engineering — a lattice plus fastening rivets.
Both answers address the same question, which is how the magnet stays inside the piece. The hazard in this category is two or more loose magnets, which can attract through tissue. Check pieces at the corners and seams periodically, and retire anything cracked rather than taping it.
Say the unwelcome thing
Do not buy both at once
Two systems arriving together is worse than one now and one at the next birthday, and the reason has nothing to do with money. The second system is what restarts play when the first has gone quiet, and it only does that job if it arrives at that moment.
Buy the tiles first — they are the better foundation and the higher piece count. Add the pentagons when the tile castle has started looking the same every time.
Which to buy
First magnetic set, child aged 3-5: Magna-Tiles Classic 100. Solid panels, published shape mix, higher piece count.
Already owns 100 tiles: Magformers, for the pentagons. It is the cheapest way to make genuinely new shapes possible.
Child who narrates while building: Connetix, for the doors and windows.
For the wider category see the magnetic tiles roundup and the three-way brand comparison. If the tiles have gone quiet, things to build with them is cheaper than another set.
In full
Every pick, and what is wrong with it
Published specifications only, each linked back to the page it came from. Where a manufacturer publishes nothing, the row says so — we do not fill blanks in.
1. Best first system
MAGNA-TILES Classic 100-Piece Set
Magna-Tiles · 4300 · maker rates it 3-99 years
Solid panels with a published shape mix — the set that builds enclosed things you can put something inside.
- Pieces
- 100
- Shape mix
- 50 squares, 4 large squares, 20 equilateral triangles, 11 right triangles, 15 isosceles triangles
- Stated age
- “3-99 Years”
- Material
- “Food-grade, non-toxic MABS plastic that are free from BPAs, phthalates, and latex”
Magna-Tiles publishes the full 100-piece breakdown — 50 squares, 4 large squares, 20 equilateral, 11 right and 15 isosceles triangles — in food-grade MABS plastic, rated 3-99 years, with a lattice plus fastening rivets holding the magnets and compatibility across every Magna-Tiles set.
Solid panels are the property that matters here. A tile has a face, so a box built from tiles is a box: it holds a toy, it has an inside, and light does not pass through it in the same way. That is what a young child wants from construction.
Three triangle types is the other published advantage. It is what lets a roof sit flush rather than approximately.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended — there is no finished state to reach
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- Every set combines with every other Magna-Tiles set
Why we say so: Magna-Tiles publishes the full 100-piece shape breakdown, lists no consumable parts, and states that “all pieces are compatible with and complementary to all other MAGNA-TILES sets.”
What’s wrong with it
Squares and triangles only. Nothing in the Classic box curves, and there is no way to make one that does.
| Pieces | 100 |
|---|---|
| Shape mix | 50 squares, 4 large squares, 20 equilateral triangles, 11 right triangles, 15 isosceles triangles |
| Stated age | “3-99 Years” |
| Material | “Food-grade, non-toxic MABS plastic that are free from BPAs, phthalates, and latex” |
| Magnet retention | Signature lattice plus “fastening rivets keep magnets safe and secure” |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from Magna-Tiles, Classic 100-Piece Set. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
2. Best second system
Magformers Basic 62-Piece Set
Magformers · 63070 · maker rates it 3+
Twelve pentagons and rotating magnets — geometry a square-and-triangle set physically cannot produce.
- Pieces
- 62
- Shape mix
- 30 squares, 20 triangles, 12 pentagons
- Stated age
- 3+
- Magnets
- Neodymium rare-earth magnets that rotate inside the frame, so pieces “always attract”
Magformers publishes 30 squares, 20 triangles and 12 pentagons, rated 3+, with neodymium magnets that rotate inside the frame so pieces always attract, and names CE, ASTM and EN71 compliance.
The pentagons are the argument. Five-sided pieces are what close a dome — twelve pentagons is exactly the number needed for a dodecahedron, and a child who discovers that has discovered something real about geometry.
The rotating magnets are a genuine mechanical difference from tiles. On a solid tile set a child occasionally meets two faces that repel and has to flip a piece; on Magformers that never happens, because the magnet spins to suit.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended, and the pentagons allow curved and domed builds that square-and-triangle sets cannot make
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- Compatible with all Magformers shapes and accessories
Why we say so: Magformers publishes the 30/20/12 shape split, names CE, ASTM and EN71 compliance, and states compatibility with all Magformers shapes and accessories. The rotating magnets are a published design feature.
What’s wrong with it
Sixty-two pieces is below the hundred-piece threshold, and open frames do not enclose anything.
| Pieces | 62 |
|---|---|
| Shape mix | 30 squares, 20 triangles, 12 pentagons |
| Stated age | 3+ |
| Magnets | Neodymium rare-earth magnets that rotate inside the frame, so pieces “always attract” |
| Standards named | CE, ASTM and EN71 |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from Magformers, Designer 62-piece set. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
3. The third option
CONNETIX Rainbow Creative Pack, 100 Pieces
Connetix · Rainbow Creative Pack 100 pc · maker rates it 3+
Solid tiles like Magna-Tiles, plus windows, doors and fences that neither of the above includes.
- Pieces
- 100
- Stated age
- “Recommended for builders aged 3+”
- Material
- “non-toxic, BPA and phthalate-free ABS plastic”
- Construction
- “ultrasonically sealed and riveted for extra safety”
Connetix publishes a 100-piece pack for builders aged 3+ in non-toxic BPA and phthalate-free ABS, ultrasonically sealed and riveted, including window and door pieces, fences and a travel bag.
Included because the honest answer to "Magna-Tiles or Magformers" is sometimes neither. If the child narrates while they build, a door does more for the play than a pentagon.
The full three-way on the solid-tile brands is on the comparison page.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended, and the window, door and fence pieces push play toward buildings rather than abstract towers
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- Connetix publishes ball-run and expansion packs that attach to the same tiles
Why we say so: Connetix publishes the age rating, the material and the ultrasonic-seal-plus-rivet construction, and sells ball-run packs built for the same tiles.
What’s wrong with it
No published shape breakdown, so the square-to-triangle ratio is unknown until the box is open.
| Pieces | 100 |
|---|---|
| Stated age | “Recommended for builders aged 3+” |
| Material | “non-toxic, BPA and phthalate-free ABS plastic” |
| Construction | “ultrasonically sealed and riveted for extra safety” |
| Includes | Window and door pieces, fences, and a travel bag |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from Connetix, Rainbow Creative Pack 100 pc. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
Skip this one
PicassoTiles 100 Piece Magnetic Tile Set
PicassoTiles · PT100 · maker rates it 3+
A cheaper solid-tile set that publishes neither a shape breakdown nor a magnet retention method.
- Pieces
- 100
- Stated age
- 3 and up
- Material
- Non-toxic ABS plastic, BPA-free, with a smooth surface and rounded edges
- Shape breakdown
- Not published by the manufacturer
PicassoTiles publishes ages 3 and up, non-toxic BPA-free ABS and smooth rounded edges, and stops there — no shape breakdown, no magnet retention detail, no compatibility statement.
This page is a comparison of two systems on their published geometry, and PicassoTiles cannot participate in that on its own terms.
It remains a reasonable top-up purchase, which is how we treat it on the roundup.
Replay signal
- Open-ended or one-shot
- Open-ended — the same build-anything format
- Does anything run out
- Nothing runs out
- Room to grow
- PicassoTiles publishes a large expansion-pack range in the same 3-inch format
Why we say so: PicassoTiles states the ages 3+ rating, the non-toxic BPA-free ABS with rounded edges, and sells a dedicated expansion range. It publishes no shape breakdown and makes no cross-brand compatibility claim, so we do not make one on its behalf.
What’s wrong with it
In a comparison specifically about published geometry and magnet design, this set publishes neither.
| Pieces | 100 |
|---|---|
| Stated age | 3 and up |
| Material | Non-toxic ABS plastic, BPA-free, with a smooth surface and rounded edges |
| Shape breakdown | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Cross-brand compatibility | Not published — PicassoTiles makes no compatibility claim |
| Consumables | None |
Every figure above is from PicassoTiles, magnetic building tiles. Blanks are shown as “not published” rather than filled in.
We are not putting a buy button on this one. It is easy enough to find if you want it anyway — but we would rather send you to something that gets played with twice.
Questions people actually ask
Frequently asked
What is the difference between Magna-Tiles and Magformers?
Magna-Tiles are solid panels with a face, so they build enclosures — boxes, houses, garages with something inside. Magformers are open frames, and the 62-piece set publishes 12 pentagons, which is exactly the number needed to close a dodecahedron. One builds walls, the other builds curves.
Which should I buy first?
Magna-Tiles, for a household with neither. Solid panels are what a young child wants from building — an inside you can put a toy in — and the 100-piece set clears the piece-count threshold where enclosed structures become comfortable.
Do Magformers rotating magnets actually matter?
At three, yes — pieces always attract, so a child never meets two faces that repel and has to flip one. At six it is invisible; the child flips the piece without noticing. Do not pay a premium for it for an older child.
Are Magformers and Magna-Tiles compatible?
Neither company claims it, and they are different formats — solid panels against open frames — so they do not stack the same way even when the magnets attract. Each publishes compatibility only within its own range.
Sources
Where these figures came from
Every specification on this page traces to one of these. If a manufacturer publishes nothing on a point, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
Read next
Where to go from here
Back to Building Sets, or read how we pick.