Jay's Brick Blog

A blog about LEGO bricks

  • Home
  • About Me
  • LEGO Reviews
  • News
  • SW Advent Calendar
  • HP Advent Calendar

LEGO Power Rankings – January 2021

January 31, 2021 By Jay 12 Comments

Introducing a new monthly feature on Jay’s Brick Blog – monthly power rankings!

At the end of each month, I’ll re-assess this Top 10 list of the best LEGO sets of 2021, and re-rank them as new LEGO sets get launched/my opinions change.

What are Power Rankings?

Essentially, they’re commonly used in sports leagues like the NBA to track and compare the best/worst performing teams, often changing weekly based on results and how teams play.

I often get asked via email or on social media what the best sets of the (insert current) year/month are, and I usually rattle off what I personally like, so to start 2021, I’ve decided to start a regular series where I track and rank what the best 10 LEGO sets are at the end of each month.

This isn’t meant to be scientific or data-driven (some of these I haven’t personally built/own yet) – just my personal opinion of what I think are the best LEGO sets of 2021!

Of course, for a more comprehensive evaluation of LEGO sets, you can read my LEGO reviews for more detailed opinions. For sets that I’ve reviewed, I’ll also include the scores next to the power rankings, but it’s quite unlikely that I’ll get to review every amazing set of 2021 – I sometimes build and miss out reviewing due to time/scheduling issues.

January 2021 LEGO Power Rankings

Top 10 LEGO sets of 2021

  1. 10281 Bonsai Tree
  2. 80107 Spring Lantern Festival [Review] [Rating: 5/5  ★★★★★]
  3. 10278 Modular Police Station [Review] [Rating: 4/5 ★★★★✰]
  4. 71741 Ninjago City Gardens
  5. 71738 Zane’s Titan Mech Battle
  6. Series 21 Minifigures [Review] [Rating: 4/5 ★★★★✰]
  7. 10280 Flower Bouquet
  8. Harry Potter Moments Books
  9. 75299 Trouble on Tatooine
  10. 76171 Miles Morales Mech

It’s only January, and already the list is packed with some heavy hitters. For me, the Bonsai Tree easily takes the top spot, beating out the Spring Lantern Festival (which I loved), as the best LEGO set of 2021 so far.

It’s an incredible set, that packs so much enjoyment, value and promise into a fairly inexpensive set. No wonder it’s sold out everywhere. Expect a full review soon!

That’s my Top 10 for January 2021 – check in on 28 February for an updated list – we should see some new entrants such as the Medieval Blacksmith, or the recently announced Porsche 911 Turbo!

Don’t forget, the Medieval Blacksmith is released on 1 February 2021, and should be available just after midnight AEDT.

Other interesting LEGO finds from around the web you should read from January 2021

  • What if they introduced a new Technic pin, and nobody noticed? by the Rambling Brick
  • Destiny’s Bounty (71705) Review by True North Bricks
  • LEGO Ninjago City Gardens designer interview by New Elementary
  • Minifigures Series 21 review by Tips and Bricks
  • LEGO Ideas: Original Projects vs. Final Sets by Brickset
  • Mastering the Art of Bonsai – by BrickNerd
  • LEGO 31111 Cyber Drone references by LEGO designer George Gilliatt
  • LEGO Ideas 90th anniversary survey: Bionicle wins 1st round, but nearly half the users want a castle by Stonewars.de
Read January 2021 reviews

It’s been a busy month for reviews! In case you missed anything, check out all sets I’ve reviewed in January 2021 below!

Thanks again to everyone who has participated in the conversation, on the blog, Facebook or Instagram. This has been THE biggest January on the blog in terms of traffic numbers, so I’m excited to see what the rest of the year brings!

Let me know in the comments what your favourite sets or builds from January 2021 were!

Review: LEGO Ideas 40448 Vintage Car (January 2021 Gift with Purchase)
Review: LEGO Minifigures Series 21
Review: LEGO 40466 Chinese New Year Pandas
Review: LEGO 71736 Ninjago Boulder Blaster (2021)
Review: LEGO 80106 Story of Nian
Retro LEGO Review: 6973 Deep Freeze Defender
Review: LEGO 40417 Year of the Ox

Filed Under: LEGO Power Rankings, News Tagged With: january 2021, lego, lego news, lego reviews, news, power rankings, wrapup

« Presenting the two-in-one LEGO 10295 Porsche 911 Turbo and 911 Targa!
LEGO Ideas Medieval Blacksmith (21325) now available! »

Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Mark P says

    February 2, 2021 at 9:57 AM

    What a cool concept, I like it! Though I think it might make for some heated discussions… For instance, how is Ninjago Gardens not number 1?!? 😆
    Also, sharing interesting articles is such an awesome idea, thanks! There is so much Lego news/reviews that comes out constantly, I’ve unsubscribed from almost all of it, so having someone share the good stuff is golden. And that first link, about the new Technic pin, I knew something was going on there!

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:34 AM

      I’ve only seen photos, so maybe my mind will be changed when I get up close and personal with it…

      Haha yeah, there’s just SO much going on now, and I myself find it hard to keep up, so it’s a great opportunity to highlight some of the cooler articles from around the web!

      Reply
  2. Angela Errington says

    February 1, 2021 at 8:06 AM

    Hi thanks for another great article. Its absolutely Ninjago City Gardens for me. I’m half way through and the details and build elements are amazing. I would say even though I love my modular buildings the Ninjago sets have more detail than anything else. I thought the Ninjago City was going to be the best, and then along came the gardens.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:27 AM

      You’re welcome! I was umming and ahhing about it, but I haven’t really seen it in the flesh yet, so maybe once I get up close and personal, it might shoot up next month’s rankings 🙂

      Reply
  3. Andrew says

    February 1, 2021 at 7:59 AM

    Great post and thanks also for the tidbits around the web section, some interesting reads there. I hadn’t realised the 90th anniversary model survey had generated so much, umm, interest ;). All I can add to a lot of the tirades floating around about various themes is that if you don’t like the chosen set, don’t buy it ;).

    For me Ninjago City Gardens is the pick of the month. Looks awesome and if the build is half as good as Ninjago City it’ll be a hoot. They kept the same price point too which was a nice touch. I’d like to get the Bouquet as well, but it’s been perennially out of stock.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:25 AM

      Thanks Andrew! I think I’m most thankful for the focus back on Vintage LEGO, which I personally love, as well as an increased spotlight on Bionicle, and the passionate community behind it.

      Reply
  4. Gina says

    February 1, 2021 at 7:33 AM

    There are a few good sets out, I am lucky as my partner and my mum have bought the majority for me, the Chinese New Year sets, Ninjago city gardens, Harry Potter books. Number one for me is definitely Ninjago city gardens, I have yet to build it, my partner built Ninjago city, when he was off work and had a lot of free time, so this one is mine to build.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:22 AM

      Oh nice! I’m still weighing up on getting Ninjago City Gardens, as it’s a big purchase, and I have no space to display it. If I had the Docks and City on display already, it would be a no-brainer purchase, but I’m likely to just wait for a good discount.

      Reply
  5. David says

    February 1, 2021 at 4:05 AM

    I recently purchased the Bonsai Tree (together with Trouble on Tatooine, Mandalorian and Child brickheadz double pack, a little Easter bunny set and little monster truck set for my son- this gave me the free 50s sports car).
    The delivery took way longer than normal- three weeks or so. I think Lego are/were currently inundated with orders.
    Anyway, although I think the Bonsai is really good I was hoping it would be better if I’m honest, I was hoping for it to be ‘fuller’ in the foliage, if that makes sense, I think the marketing team have done a real good job in their clever angles of the press pictures and on the box. The pictures make the tree look more leafy than it is in real life. I went with the green leaves. It’s really cool how they give you all the cherry blossom bits to change the tree if you wish.

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 6, 2021 at 11:22 AM

      Are you in the UK? Our deliveries were bad due to various lockdowns, but things have definitely calmed down on our end.

      Definitely right on the fullness of the foliage, but I think it’s a great opportunity for you to customise and add to it to truly make it your own.

      Reply
  6. Catherine says

    January 31, 2021 at 11:02 PM

    Do you know if they’ll be restocking the bonsai tree? I’ve just decided I’ll allow myself to get it and of course it’s sold out everywhere 😭😭

    Reply
    • Jay says

      February 5, 2021 at 11:26 AM

      Hey Catherine, just saw this pop up, it’s now available on the Mr Toys website: https://www.mrtoys.com.au/lego/lego-creator-expert/lego-creator-expert-tbd-lifestyle-2-2021-10281-47622.html

      Reply

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to Jay's Brick Blog. In here, you'll find independent LEGO set reviews, commentary on LEGO trends & news, bargain hunting tips and an inside look into the life of an average LEGO fan. Find out more about me here

Subscribe for updates

Enter your email address here to receive updates about new posts from Jay's Brick Blog - straight to your inbox!

Join 1,926 other subscribers

Like my page on Facebook

Facebook Pagelike Widget

Buy LEGO

Buy LEGO

jayong28

Jay Ong | Jay's Brick Blog
Atomic batteries to power... turbine to speed! Fa Atomic batteries to power... turbine to speed!

Fans of 1960s Batman and Adam West rejoice! I've got an early review copy of the soon-to-be-released 76188 Classic TV Series Batmobile which launches on 26 April!

Hit the link in bio to read my full review! 

A nice little update to the Classic Batcave version, especially if you missed out on the 2016 set.

Love how inexpensive this little set is, and I liked how well it functions as a display model that doesn't require a ton of space. 

#LEGO #legobatman
Can't believe it's taken @LEGO this long, but we F Can't believe it's taken @LEGO this long, but we FINALLY get Cheese Cheese Slopes.

Oh and Speedy Gonzales is pretty awesome too. 🐁💨💨💨

#LEGO #legominifigures
*bonk* *bonk*
It's finally here! So glad I can finally share my It's finally here! So glad I can finally share my review of the @LEGO Looney Tunes Minifigures!

Hit the link in bio to read my review and see all 12 characters!

Really enjoyed the insane level of detail packed into these iconic characters, and while the accessories were lacklustre, Looney Tunes has such a rich heritage of iconic designs and characters that works so well as minifigures. 

Shout out to @cheepjokes for hooking me up with a complete set because my review box hasn't made it to me just yet 🥶

#LEGO #legolooneytunes #looneytunes
Wait a minute... Something isn't quite right with Wait a minute... Something isn't quite right with this picture 🤔

#rabbitszn
Lots of stickers, lots of teeth and not enough Sym Lots of stickers, lots of teeth and not enough Symbiote tendrils.

My early review of 76199 Carnage is now live on the blog, hit the link in bio to read, or swipe through the gallery to see more photos!

If you enjoy LEGO’s Helmet collection, or are a big Carnage/Spider-Man fan Carnage will be a no-brainer addition to your collection.

With all my helmets currently on display, Carnage is the ones that stands out the most, in a good way, and I like that they’re expanding Marvel’s helmet collection.

I do think that there’s a wasted opportunity here with the lack of tentacles, or Symbiote tendrils sticking out from the back. I know it will technically break the Helmets’ style and design language, but for a character like Carnage, it feels like a massive miss to not have anything stick out.

Will you be picking up 76199 Carnage?

#LEGO #carnage
Hope you're having a Hoppy Easter 🐰 Hope you're having a Hoppy Easter 🐰
🚨 BREAKING: Effective immediately, the LEGO Gro 🚨 BREAKING: Effective immediately, the LEGO Group announced that it would be strengthening its commitment to Child Safety and Safe Play by mandating that proof of age identification be presented when purchasing all 18+ adult-focused sets, online or at LEGO Brand Retail Stores.

LEGO sets being purchased by adults have quadrupled in the last year compared to a decade ago, as adults flock towards the LEGO brick, a trend that was accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

To prevent these 18+ sets from falling into the wrong and age-inappropriate hands, The LEGO Group will now require its customers to provide the following proof of age documents: driver’s license, passport, social security card (USA) or any other valid government-issued form of identification.

“At the LEGO Group, child safety is our number one priority” says Søren Christiansen, Senior Child Safety Compliance Officer.

“Following complaints from parents, we cannot afford to expose impressionable children or teenagers to adults-only sets like Winnie the Pooh. The LEGO 18+ label has allowed us to broaden our product portfolio and explore adult-themes like 123 Sesame Street, which would be highly inappropriate for children.”

Hit the link in bio to learn more
Did you know a group of sharks is called a Shiver Did you know a group of sharks is called a Shiver of Sharks? 🦈 🥶

That'd also coincidentally make a great #LEGOVidiyo band name!
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • After massive delays, LEGO VIP Ulysses Space Probe sells out in record time in Australia
  • Review: LEGO 76188 Classic TV Series Batmobile (2021 version)
  • LEGO Double VIP points offer now live worldwide (updated)
  • Review: LEGO Looney Tunes Minifigures
  • Review: LEGO 76199 Carnage
  • Episode 1 of the Extra Pieces Podcast is now live
  • LEGO Harry Potter 20th Anniversary Golden Minifigures revealed!

LEGO Reviews

Review: LEGO 76188 Classic TV Series Batmobile (2021 version)

Review: LEGO Movie 70801 – Melting Room

Review: 71245 LEGO Dimensions Adventure Time Level Pack

Review: LEGO 75118 – Captain Phasma

Review: LEGO 9463 Monster Fighters – The Werewolf

Review: LEGO Harry Potter Minifigures Series 2

Review: LEGO Brickheadz Pets German Shepherd, Shorthair Cats, Goldfish & Budgie (40440, 40441, 40442, 40443)

Categories

Archives

Jay

Jay is passionate about LEGO and the endless creative adventures made possible by this complex interlocking brick system.
Learn more →

Popular Posts

Copyright © 2021 · WordPress · Log in We may earn a commission when you use one of our offers/links to make a purchase.