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I am wondering whether there is a brick-type construction block toys on the market that would be sized between the LEGO (classic/original) and LEGO DUPLO. More specifically I am looking for a 3/4 ratio of DUPLO size.

The fact is that DUPLO is 8x the volume of the "classic" LEGO bricks. Measured in 2D dimensions, 4x4 classical LEGO "units" are the same width as a single 2x2 DUPLO brick. Also DUPLO has double brick height than classic. I wonder whether there is a brick where a single 2x2 brick would have the size of 3x3 LEGO classic units and also would have 3/4 of DUPLO height.

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  • I'm pretty sure they only went bigger, not smaller. Commented Dec 24, 2016 at 1:46
  • Ok, but I do not limit myself to the original LEGO-brand products, I am looking for "noname" clone brands too...
    – Kozuch
    Commented Dec 24, 2016 at 13:37

3 Answers 3

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One Single Stud Lego brick is 9.6mm H by 8mm W (technically 7.8mm). So at the scale you are looking for we're searching for single stud bricks that are 28.8mm H by 24mm W.

After an extensive search among multiple Lego-style building block manufacturers, I can't find any that use the dimensions we're looking for. Here is a list of companies I searched:

Best-Lock, Buggi, Built To Rule, Ciddi Toys, Hubelino, Intelliblox, Kre-O, Loc-Bloc, K'Nex, Mega Bloks, NanoBlock, Playbig Bloxx, Q-Bricks, Super Blox, Tente, Super Blocks, Unico

The Best-Lock Juniors were probably the closest I could find but the proportions are still off and I think 2010 was the last time the sold a Juniors set.

One of the biggest selling points most all of these companies made was that their blocks were compatible with other building systems (ie Legos) so chances are they wouldn't deviate from the standard sizes that Lego produces with their own special sizes.

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While I don't know the answer for sure, as I don't know every construction brand out there, I see enough problems with the brick size you mention that I doubt anyone would manufacture it.

Children older than 5 all the way to adults prefer regular LEGO elements because they are big enough to create impressive models, yet small enough to add intricate details. They are also just the right size that most children and adults can easily manipulate with their fingers (compared to, for example, NanoBlok pieces that many adults find frustratingly small).

The larger LEGO DUPLO bricks are specifically sized for young children 1 1/2 to 5 years old. They are carefully sized to make sure young children won't be able to choke on them. The larger pieces also allow young children with less coordination to work with, and gradually improve their skills. Also, DUPLO and LEGO bricks are compatible in more than just they way they can stack on each other. For example, the holes inside DUPLO studs can accommodate certain regular LEGO pieces.

There is a lot of science and research that go into making LEGO elements; they must be age-appropriate in both theme and difficulty, they must be safe for a particular age-range, and they much fit into the LEGO system by being compatible with other pieces. The brick size you are talking about would be too small for young children (and thus not safe), and too big for older kids and adults. If there is no target market, why would anyone make such bricks?

The only scenario I could think of is perhaps an old brand from the 1950s-1970s, when LEGO type construction toys were just starting out and manufacturers were experimenting with different sizes and ratios. Once the leader emerged (LEGO), it made more sense for similar brands to align their products with LEGO, or differentiate themselves with a completely unique system (i.e. K'NEX, Lincoln Logs, etc.). What you are asking for is somewhere in between (still LEGO compatible but not quite), which would make little sense businesswise.

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  • This answer has very little focus in answering the question. The question is merely asking if such a system of bricks exists, not whether or not it is practical. Of course, it is a valid point to mention that practicality would influence likelihood of existence, but going on for 3 paragraphs just to say that it would probably not exist felt like a waste of time for me to read. Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 3:55
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    I was trying to be as concise as possible, and I did say in the very fist sentence that I was not aware of the existence of such a brick size. I did feel though that it could be helpful to point out why such a building system wouldn't be too practical from three different angles; safety, ideal building element size, and business decision. Sometimes knowing why something may or may not exists can be enlightening. Hopefully someone with a more definite answer will chime in. Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 16:00
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    That is a valid point. I better understand where you're coming from now. Commented Dec 25, 2016 at 22:19
  • While I appreciate your answer I would argue over many its points. Seeing all the small niche construction toys brands (Eastern Europe etc.) I think there actually may be a market for a 3/4 Duplo brick - I would buy it straight away, because Duplo is clunky and expensive (for what you can build) and the small LEGO is just too small and difficult for a 3-5 year old. It is unbelievable that LEGO has not come up with it itself given that the market has not evolved at all it the many decades that passed since introduction of LEGO.
    – Kozuch
    Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 17:50
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    I think the issue has a lot to do with safety. For a 3-5 year old a regular 2x2 DUPLO brick size is really the smallest piece that they can't put in their mouth and choke on. Anything smaller is just not going to make it through the safety department and regulations. However if it could be demonstrated that older kids would be interested in such a size, there might be a market. For kids who are transitioning from DUPLO to LEGO, there is LEGO Juniors, which contains larger pieces that are easer to manipulate, but are fully compatible with regular LEGO (same stud sizes and dimensions). Commented Jan 2, 2017 at 22:59
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There is the Lego System at 8mm stud width, and there are others at half the size (4mm) called Nanoblocks. Between the two we have Modulex at 5mm. Now 3 studs fit underneath of 2 studs in System, inside, at a ratio of 2:3. Now there is a 10mm size, 2× Modulex should fit to Duplo in the same way, but for helping with maths, only 1×1 size. I asked question about Kids' building blocks on this website, they = between size.

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