As a toy company, Lego is simply built different.
Whether you’re a kid or an adult, there’s probably a Lego set that appeals to you. And with sets including everything from F1 race cars and Star Wars to house plants and classic art, there’s more than a decent chance a Lego set exists that matches up with at least one of your interests. That kind of widespread appeal is what brought the company record profits in 2025, as well as high demand across a variety of audiences.
The brand also refuses to rest on its plastic brick laurels, and this year has been especially exciting. Lego introduced the Smart Brick and broke its record for the largest Lego set of all time with the 12,060-piece Sagrada Família set (since it doesn’t come out until November, we haven’t included it here). The company is always coming out with new product lines and collabs, and no matter your level of Lego knowledge, it’s an overwhelming catalog. So, as someone who’s been tracking the best Lego releases for the better part the past year, I decided to round up the best new Lego sets of 2026 so far.
To narrow down the pool, I only included sets that are currently available for purchase (so that means no preorders). Below, find my top nine picks in no particular order, plus one honorable mention.
Lego Star Wars Smart Play: Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter
Credit: Lego
Lego announced their first ever Smart Play series with three Star Wars sets at CES in January 2026. The sets brought a new level of interaction to Lego, working with smart bricks that prompt Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags to react to movement and positioning with sound and light. In other words, gone are the days of you having to create your own homegrown sound effects (though you can always add to the Smart Play symphony).
Lego Art Claude Monet Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies
Credit: Lego
The Lego Art series isn’t a 2026 release, but the plastic brick rendition of Claude Monet’s impressionist Bridge Over a Pond of Water Lilies is, and it is, in fact, stunning. Given that it was created in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, that shouldn’t be too much of a surprise.
Among the existing line of Lego paintings, which includes the Mona Lisa, van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and Hokusai’s Great Wave, it’s the most expensive. That said, it’s also the most impressive in size and scope, coming out to a whopping 3,179 pieces and 21 by 17 by two inches. The result is a burst of color that can be hung on your walls as legit art, which probably helped it earn its spot as one of the current bestsellers on Lego’s website.
Lego Botanicals Magnolia Branches
Credit: Lego
The Lego Botanicals doesn’t miss, and while it was a challenge to narrow down which 2026 release deserved a spot on this list (the peace lily is huge for cat owners everywhere), the Magnolia Branches set exemplifies the best Lego Botanicals has to offer.
Plastic flower that’ll never die? Check. A tasteful design that provides a pop of color and personality to a space? Check. A 435-piece build that takes some effort, but not so much that it ruins an afternoon? Kind of specific, but check! To top it all off, I especially appreciate that (as the reviews of this set on the Lego website show) the branch design encourages the builder to find the vase that suits them best, allowing for a fun personal touch.
Lego Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise
Credit: Lego
How Lego made it to the big year of 2026 without a Pokémon collaboration is actually a mystery to me, but if it took the 30th anniversary of the trading card game to get this match made, then so be it.
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Obviously, a $650 is nothing to scoff at — but then again, neither are the plastic brick replicas of three Kanto region icons. At 6,838 pieces, this set is a commitment, but I’m betting if you’re committed enough to grind to build up a team in the games or buy the trading cards at retail price, these Legos should be no problem. If you’re looking for something a little more lowkey, the Evee and Pikachu sets are also very cute.
Lego Ideas Floating Sea Otters
This set unlocks my maternal instincts.
Credit: Lego
When it comes to adorable animal sets, you really do get your pick of the lot with Lego, but even among the fantastic work the brand has already done, the Floating Sea Otters are a standout. If you’re viewing the image above, you probably don’t need me to describe why.
Still, I’ll do my job and justify its place on this list. First, sea otters are probably one of the most adorable creatures on the planet, and this Lego set captures that. That’s enough of a reason for me, but there’s also something to be said for being able to pose the otter pup and mom, or swap in a clam with a pearl, to give you some options in how you display it. But ultimately — Lego otters. How can you not love it?
Lego Icons Project Hail Mary
Credit: Lego
Obviously, Project Hail Mary was delightful, and obviously, the appropriate reaction upon walking away from a viewing is knowing in your heart of hearts that you would die for Rocky.
What better way to hold on to that feeling of movie magic by recreating a model of the ship that serves as one of the major settings of the movie? Complete with a mini Ryland Grace and Rocky, this is a set that screams 2026 excellence.
Lego Technic McLaren MCL39 F1
Credit: Lego
Calling all Lando Norris, Drive to Survive, F1, and fast cars doing cool things fans: this is your Lego set. Fans probably clocked it already, but this Lego models the exact car that Norris won the 2025 season in.
Along with being a great reminder of the feat, the classic Lego attention to detail comes through strong here. The removable engine cover lets you get a closer look at the V6 engine, or you can opt to check out the steering, or push-rod and pull-rod suspension.
Lego Minecraft The Fox
Credit: Lego
With the first Minecraft theme park in the works, clearly, there’s an appetite for bringing one of the most popular games of all time into the real world. The virtual block world is a match made in heaven with the real blocks of Lego, and the design of The Fox set proves it.
Beyond this set looking like it came straight from the game, it has some pretty sweet functionality — the legs and head can move, so you can pose it however you prefer it, whether that be with a curious head tilt or fast asleep. At $39.99, it’s one of the more affordable sets on this list and is sure to please any video game fan.
Lego Icons The Lord of the Rings: Minas Tirith
Credit: Lego
A quick glance at this set instantly tells you that it’s not for casual fans of Lego or The Lord of the Rings. And that’s before looking at the $649.99 price tag.
This set is one of the more recently released on this list, and as such, is currently sold out. LotR fans will want to set up that restock notification, though. With 10 minifigures and 8,278 pieces that make up the capital city of Gondor, this is one of the more jaw-dropping sets from J.R.R. Tolkien’s iconic series.
Honorable mention: Lego Pokémon Smart Play
Credit: Shannon Connellan / Mashable
I know I said I wasn’t going to include any Lego sets that weren’t properly out yet, but it feels criminal to omit trainable Lego Pokémon. Hence, the Lego Pokémon Smart Play sets earned a spot as the somewhat unofficial, honorable mention, 10th best set of 2026 so far.
Lego announced the newest Smart Play line in early June at SXSW London, which includes 12 sets that allow you to battle IRL with Pokémon like Mewtwo, Garchomp, Bidoof, Gengar, and more. These sets are available for preorder now and will be available on August 1.
Starting at $14.99 per set
