The community seems to unanimously agree that a new Lego Wallace & Gromit set is amazing… but that Buddy the Elf leaves something to be desired. I guess Lego giveth, and Lego taketh away.
The toy-maker has finally pulled back the curtain on Lego Wallace & Gromit after it won a fan-design challenge to become a real set, and I've yet to see a bad word said about this model online. Whether it's the clay-like figures or very reasonable price for a set of this size ($99.99 at Lego, or £89.99 in the UK), the ode to Aardman animation is hitting all the right notes. I've been very vocal about how I don't think humanoid figures work very well in Lego form, but this kit? Wow. It makes me want to eat my words.
UK: £89.99 at Lego
Based on a model designed by Sébastien Esnault for Lego's '90s Throwback challenge, this set is made up of just over 1,000 pieces and features posable figures. The kit also has a few surprises up its sleeve; lift up the seat hatch to find a diamond, crackers, and a yarn ball for Gromit to work on. Gromit's goggles also flip down to cover his eyes, if you want to show them in motion. (Speaking of which, the wheels actually move so you can trundle them along the shelf if you so choose.)
Which brings us neatly to Lego Buddy the Elf, which you can see for yourself on the Lego store. I don't want to dogpile this model because it's already getting plenty of that online, but let's just say it hasn't received a glowing reception. Criticisms range from the fact the model "doesn't look enough like him" (via IndianaJoes on reddit) to how it seems as though he's flipping the bird.
Speaking of birds, one thing everyone can agree on is that the included puffin looks perfect. (They're right, it does.)
"Buddy vs Wallace and Gromit… The duality of buildable display figures," writes thriftstoremando on the same reddit thread. You can judge for yourself below.
UK: £34.99 at Lego
This 12+ kit is 713 pieces, and stands proud on a miniature ice shelf with candy canes (presumably from the Candy Cane Forest) and a puffin that's a dead ringer for the ones seen in Elf.
Fortunately, the reception to Lego's other Christmas sets has been far more warm. The new "Santa's Holiday Countdown" kit at the Lego store is adorable, showing St. Nick climbing down a chimney which doubles as a calendar. He's joined by a scaled-up Mrs. Claus big figure, a collection of adorable ornaments, a classic stocking accompanied by a toy soldier minifig, and a "Santa's Sleigh Adventure" with the big man himself, Mrs. Claus, and a couple of reindeer. There's a lot of choice if you want to decorate your home with Lego this festive season, and it makes me excited to see what the company has cooked up for its annual addition to the winter village range.
Like the look of these models? All of them hit shelves on October 1, 2026 – including Lego Wallace & Gromit.
In the here and now, the best new Lego sets in September 2026 are cracking; there's everything from a fantastic Spongebob kit to the Enterprise bridge.
- See all the latest Lego kits at Lego
