While looking over LEGO’s 2026 release lineup, the concept of examining the value of a set can definitely spring to mind. The causes for set costs are varied and constantly changing, like licensing fees or LEGO’s new SMART bricks, and piece count has never told the full story on its own.
Price per piece, however, has become one of the few transparent metrics consumers can use to interrogate abstract LEGO pricing decisions, and when it comes down to that, 2026 has some definite winners and losers.
Worst LEGO Sets by Price Per Piece
Looking at price-per-piece admittedly shouldn't be about declaring winners and losers in a vacuum. The better served goal is understanding what LEGO's 2026 sets are prioritizing and, by extension, what kinds of creativity the company is willing to subsidize. Sets that offer density, modularity, and visual longevity tend to age better both on shelves and in memory, while thinner builds often rely on brand recognition to justify their cost. These five sets, unfortunately, best exemplify the latter.
Police Train Heist (60508)
Starting off the worst-value list, the LEGO City Police Train Heist lands at roughly $0.152 per piece. While 1,313 pieces sounds substantial, the presence of large molded elements, track components, and electronics dilutes the sense of build density. The set delivers play value and spectacle, but its pricing reflects the increasing cost of interactivity rather than construction depth. Keep that in mind, because while the Train Heist LEGO play set won't hit shelves until March 1, 2026, the interactivity tax it exemplifies isn't quite done with this list.
BB-8 Astromech Droid (75452)
The BB-8 Astromech Droid set leans heavily on display appeal and mechanical charm, yet its $0.158 per-piece cost reflects a build that’s more novelty than substance. At 569 pieces, the set’s scale and motion gimmick do create a satisfying shelf presence, but not one that meaningfully competes with the other LEGO display models releasing this year. BB-8’s charm is doing all the work here, unfortunately.
SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-wing (75427)
Releasing March 1, 2026, set #75427 (on paper) promises two builds in one, but doesn’t really live up to that reality as 962 pieces stretched across a $159.99 price point. At $0.166 per piece, this set implies LEGO’s new interactive SMART play features are coming at a cost. The SMART Play: Throne Room Duel & A-wing has a strong enough minifigure lineup, but it’s just not a substantive set. SMART Brick implementation shouldn’t shift the build into feeling both visually and materially conservative.
Cobb Vanth’s Speeder (75437)
With just 207 pieces for $34.99, Cobb Vanth’s Speeder exemplifies a totally different problem: the modern franchised licensed set tax. The build is charming, but its price-per-piece lands at an uncomfortable $0.169. A unique minifigure’s appeal and The Mandalorian branding do most of the heavy lifting here. For a set that looks like it would easily fit on the checkout rack, it's certainly pricey.
SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-wing (75423)
At roughly $0.172 per piece, SMART Play: Luke’s Red Five X-wing, also releasing March 1, 2026, is the most expensive set on this list by a considerable margin. Despite the interactive ambitions, the set’s 581-piece count struggles to justify a $99.99 price tag because the SMART Brick ecosystem once again replaces traditional build complexity instead of enhancing it. The inclusion of Smart Luke, Smart Leia, and reactive components feels like LEGO testing how much physical substance it can remove while maintaining price based on SMART Brick’s perceived value.
Best LEGO Sets by Price Per Piece
The list of 2026’s worst value-per-piece sets definitely paints SMART brick sets in a particularly bad light; fortunately, the gap between newly perceived value and actual value is something that’ll fix itself with time. That said, some LEGO sets releasing in 2026 won’t actually need that luxury after the fact. Five sets in particular have a clear command of value per piece right out of the gate.
The Fox (21588)
When it comes to the best-in-value list, The Fox Minecraft set lands at fifth for having a value of about $0.080 per piece, which is an impressive feat for a $39.99 set. It's pretty thoughtfully engineered, too, with moving legs and a rotatable neck. Sets like this prove that, despite what the last list implies, LEGO knows affordability doesn’t have to come at the cost of personality or polish.
Mini Biomes (21589)
Mini Biomes quietly earns its place among LEGO’s best 2026 values at roughly $0.075 per piece. It’s a neat Minecraft LEGO set, with 797 pieces built into five distinct, modular biomes. Though it physically seems to be on the smaller side for a $59.99 set, the visual cohesion and allowance for experimentation deliver a surprising amount of value.
Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape (031218)
The Japanese Cherry Blossom Landscape strikes a rare balance between aesthetic and economic quality. Its 1,892 pieces come out to $0.074 per piece, and form a richly layered work that leans firmly into LEGO’s evolution from play to display. LEGO’s willingness to pack detail into this non-licensed, non-interactive wall art set like this speaks volumes about where it still sees intrinsic value.
Shopping Street (11371)
As the largest set on the list, with 3,456 pieces for $249.99, the Shopping Street modular set comes in at a very respectable $0.072 per piece. Its size and price feel handily earned, however, given the set’s layered interiors and minifigure-driven scene-setting. This is another great example of modern LEGO excelling with big sets that have a modular design philosophy. Every brick feels on display, and that can only be a good thing when talking about price per-piece.
Golden Retriever Puppy (11384)
Finally, when it comes down to it, the Golden Retriever Puppy build, at approximately $0.067 per piece, is (surprisingly) one of the best values LEGO has offered in years. It consists of 2,102 pieces and actually captures the realistic proportions of an actual puppy. And just like The Fox, it has poseable bits, like the paw, mouth, and ears. It may not be for everyone, given the lack of any particular license, but for anyone on the fence about buying this set, it’s undoubtedly a fair deal.
Price Per Piece Takeaways
Some clear patterns emerge after breaking down the best and worst of what LEGO has to offer in 2026. Non-licensed, display-focused builds overwhelmingly dominate the best-value category, while licensed SMART Play sets and electronics-heavy sets cluster at the bottom. Anything pushing past $0.15 per piece should be noted, as collectors might be paying for branding or technology over quality. It may seem trivial to break down costs so acutely, but the truth is, some sets are built to last and some are simply asking fans to pay more for less.