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CrunchLabs Review

Depends

Should I use CrunchLabs?

Best gift ever! CrunchLabs offers monthly STEM subscription box (toys & robots) for kids, teens & adults, designed by former NASA engineer and YouTuber Mark Rober. With our fun AND educational Creative Kits, Build Boxes, and Hack Packs, you'll learn to think, create, build, and hack like an engineer! - crunchlabs.com

· 2 days ago

Buy this for kids or teens who love building and want a year of guided projects from Mark Rober's team. Skip it if you need responsive support, a one-off gift, or guaranteed delivery timing.

Confidence

Medium. Based on 12 public sources

Ratings

  • Value for money
  • Ease of use
  • Feature depth
  • Support quality
  • Security posture

Pricing

Build Box

Guess: roughly $25-$30 per month

ModelNot disclosed
Monthly feesNot disclosed
HardwareNot disclosed
Free tierNo
Hack PackGuess: roughly $60-$80 per month

Best for

  • Kids 8-14 who love building
  • Mark Rober fans
  • Parent-child weekend projects
  • Teens ready for Hack Pack robotics

Not for

  • One-off gift buyers: it is a subscription, not a single box
  • Anyone needing fast support or easy refunds
  • Homeschool parents wanting a full curriculum; this is a toy box
  • Discount hunters: lookalike shops make cheap deals risky

Gotchas - check before you buy

high

Support tickets take about a month per user reports. Order gifts early

high

Lookalike shops like and sell discounted boxes. Buy direct

medium

Annual plans lock you in; the refund policy says CrunchLabs inspects returns first

medium

Excitement can fade after year one for some subscribers

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Kids love the kits per independent reviewers
  • Designed by former NASA engineer Mark Rober
  • Hack Pack builds teach Arduino and real hacking skills
  • Escalating difficulty keeps builders engaged across levels
  • Over 100,000 subscribers served per Recharge case study

Cons

  • Users report month-long customer service waits
  • Shipping delays and wrong boxes reported by subscribers
  • Some subscribers call it a disappointing gift after one year
  • Reddit threads question company stability and order fulfillment
  • Hack Pack ships with kinks needing fixes

Sources & method

- 10 sources - CrunchLabs publishes a privacy page. One threat-intel post lists it among Scattered Spider targets. No confirmed breach details appear in sources reviewed.

official x2review x6security x1news x1
  • Scattered Spider target listing, A FalconFeedsio post lists CrunchLabs among the group's targets. No confirmed breach details appear in these sources.

Key stats

  • Value for money: 3/5

    Rating

  • Guess: roughly $25-$30 per month

    Starting price

  • 10

    Sources

  • Analyzed

  • Value for money: 3/5. Kids love kits; some cancel feeling let down
  • Ease of use: 4/5. Reviews say kids build with little help
  • Feature depth: 4/5. Difficulty escalates; Hack Pack teaches real hacking
  • Support quality: 2/5. Multiple threads report month-long support waits
  • Security posture: 3/5. Privacy page published; one threat-listing unverified
  • 100,000+ Customer base Per Recharge case study
  • 3 Product tiers Creative Kits, Build Boxes, Hack Packs
  • Mark Rober Founder Former NASA engineer and YouTuber

Pricing

Build Box

Guess: roughly $25-$30 per month

  • Monthly engineering toy box for kids
  • Annual billing option exists

Hack Pack

Guess: roughly $60-$80 per month

  • Robotics and hacking box for teens and adults
  • Multi-level progression system

Security

CrunchLabs publishes a privacy page.

  • Scattered Spider target listingA FalconFeedsio post lists CrunchLabs among the group's targets. No confirmed breach details appear in these sources.⁸

One threat-intel post lists it among Scattered Spider targets. No confirmed breach details appear in sources reviewed.

What users say

Builders and kids praise the kits, while Reddit users report slow support, shipping delays, and year-two disappointment.

“After one year, one of the most disappointing presents I've”
Reddit, r/crunchlabs
“Why do they have the worst customer service I've ever”
Reddit, r/crunchlabs
“Got our first CrunchLabs box. Very satisfied with it.”
Reddit, r/MarkRober

Alternatives

Compare CrunchLabs with each alternative.

  • KiwiCo

    Popular STEM crate rival; parents compare it for homeschool use

    CrunchLabs vs KiwiCo

  • One-off STEM kits

    Guess: single-purchase kits skip subscription lock-in for gifts

Full analysis

Based on 12 public sources

Kids love the builds; parents report slow support and delays. Great gift for builders, risky if you need quick help.

Methodology

Based on 12 public sources

Read how a report is made.

Sources

  1. CrunchLabs review: STEM toy kit that kids lovereviewed.com
    review
  2. After one year, one of the most disappointing presentsreddit.com
    review
  3. Why do they have the worst customer servicereddit.com
    review
  4. What's up with Crunchlabs? Long delays and wrong boxesreddit.com
    review
  5. Crunchlabs HackPack: A fun robotics kit with a few kinksreddit.com
    review
  6. CrunchLabs Trustpilot reviewstrustpilot.com
    review
  7. CrunchLabs leverages Recharge for over 100,000 customersgetrecharge.com
    news
  8. Scattered Spider new targets identifiedx.com
    security
  9. CrunchLabs product security pagecrunchlabs.com
    official
  10. CrunchLabs refund policycrunchlabs.com
    official

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