For this page, I have put together a collection of the best marble runs currently available.
Our Top Picks
- Best Overall: National Geographic Glowing Marble Run
- Best Value: Ucradle Marble Run
- Best Marble Run Toy: LOYO Glowing Marble Run
- Best Marble Run Game: KerPlunk Game
- Best Wooden Marble Run: Trihorse Wooden Marble Run
- Best With Chain Reactions: Galt Toys Marble Run Reactions
- Best With Storage Tub: Marble Mania Marble Run
- Best For Logic: Thinkfun Gravity Maze
- Best STEM Marble Run: Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Set
- Best For Babies: Peradix Swirl Ball Ramp
Marble runs are not only fun, but can also help to develop children’s cognitive and motor skills.
All the family can get involved in building a marble run and it is the perfect toy for a rainy day.
How We Selected
As a mum of two girls, giving them something fun to do, while staying focused and using their imagination is not always an easy task, but a marble run ticks all of the boxes.
We’ve picked the best marble runs available, all of which have excellent 4-5/5 star ratings and customer reviews.
Also see my top picks for the best roller skates for kids, dinosaur toys and kids science kits.
Marbles are a choking hazard so keep out of reach of small children and find out more about toy safety at the child accident prevention trust website.
Let’s get started!
National Geographic Glowing Marble Run
- This set has everything you need to create incredible marble runs with glowing marbles to roll down the tubes.
- Kit includes 120 Construction Pieces, 30 Glow-in-the-Dark Marbles, 1 UV Light Key Chain, 1 Storage Bag and 1 Learning Guide with Instructions.
- Available in small 80pcs, medium 150pcs and large 250pcs.
- Suitable from 8 years and up.
- Pros: Glows in the dark, comes with a handy storage bag.
- Cons: Pricey.
- Consumer Score: Buyers love this marble run with 81% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
LOYO Glowing Marble Run
- This colourful and see-through set allows kids to watch the marbles as they run down the track.
- Glow in the dark marbles are included for extra impact.
- Suitable from 4 years and up (under adult supervision).
- Available in small 64pcs and large 102pcs.
- Pros: Good value for money, glows in the dark.
- Cons: Not as sturdy as some.
- Consumer Score: Buyers like this marble run with 72% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
KerPlunk Game
- This marble run game is great for all the family to play. Pull out the sticks, but don’t let the marbles come whooshing down the chute.
- Set includes 30 Marbles (including 1 golden marble), 28 Sticks, Lid, Kerplunk Bowl, Spiral Tower Half with 4 Spirals, Spiral Tower Half with 3 Spirals, Tube, Chute and Base.
- Suitable from 5 years and up.
- Pros: It’s a game for all the family, affordable.
- Cons: Only a small marble run.
- Consumer Score: Buyers really like this marble run with 85% of buyers giving it 4-5 stars out of 5.
Trihorse Wooden Marble Run
- This marble run is made of beech wood and is great for little ones to develop their motor skills.
- The balls are 46 mm diameter so there is no risk of swallowing the balls.
- Includes a marble run, 50 cm high, which comes with six riding toys: a kaspar, a small flower and 4 balls.
- Suitable from 12 months and up.
- Pros: Made of sustainable wood, large balls mean no choking hazard.
- Cons: Pricey, children will grow out of it quickly.
- Consumer Score: Buyers love this marble run with 84% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
Galt Toys Marble Run Reactions
- This run allows kids to build a chain of fun obstacles for the marbles.
- They can send them swirling around the vortex, send paddle wheels spinning, knock over dominoes and jump from drum to drum.
- Includes 34 tubes, 10 bases, starter top, vortex, ramp, support bar, rope swing, paddle board, spiral base, chute, curve, paddle wheel, paddle wheel chute, slalom, domino track, 4 dominoes, 2 drum bases, 2 drum covers, marble catcher, finish, flag, 7 marbles, chain reaction ideas sheet and guide.
- Suitable from 4 years and onwards.
- Pros: Affordable.
- Cons: Marble run not see-through.
- Consumer Score: Buyers like this marble run with 77% of buyers giving it 4-5 stars out of 5.
Marble Mania Marble Run
- We love this marble run as it is brightly coloured and the set comes packaged in a really handy carry tub. Idea for storage.
- Set includes 90 Construction Pieces, 36 Glass Marbles, 36 Plastic Marbles.
- Pros: Comes with a handy free storage tub.
- Cons: There are 72 marbles included but this is counted as parts so can be misleading if you’re looking for more construction parts.
- Consumer Score: Buyers really like this marble run with 75% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
Thinkfun Gravity Maze
- This is one of the most popular STEM toys for kids.
- A gravity powered maze/ marble run game that comes with 60 challenges of increasing difficulty, from beginner to expert.
- With an educational aspect it also helps to develop critical skills.
- 8 Years +.
- Pros: Great for problem solving, STEM toy.
- Cons: Pricey.
- Consumer Score: Buyers like this marble run with 71% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Set
- This STEM set will help to teach kids about gravity, magnetism and kinetic energy as well as being fun.
- Kids can create exciting race tracks in the form of marble runs with twists and loops.
- Includes 1x Set of Instructions, 1x Set of Blueprint, 1x Exercise booklet, 4x Card Bases, 2x Transparent levels, 6x Gravity Spheres, 3x Long Rails, 6x Medium Rails, 9x Short Rails, 1x Magnetic Cannon, 21x Curved Bases, 3x ‘X’ intersection Bases, 1x Vortex Base, 2x ‘Y’ Points Bases, 1x End target, 1x 3in1 Base, 4x Bases for inserts, 1x 3 Way Starter Base Insert, 2x Catcher Base Inserts, 2x Switches, 1x Base Insert, 1x Free Fall Base Insert, 1x Target Base Insert, 40x Large Vertical Tiles, 12x Small Vertical Tiles.
- Suitable from age 8 years and up.
- Pros: Can be combined with ALL GraviTrax products, STEM toy.
- Cons: You’ll need to spend more money to add more parts as this is just the starter set.
- Consumer Score: Buyers really like this marble run with 82% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
Ucradle Marble Run
- This marble run construction set includes 152psc; chutes, curves, tubes, bases, snake pass, rotary drop, paddle wheel and roundabout.
- Plus, you get 30 glass marbles+32 white marbles
- Suitable from age 4 years and up (under adult supervision).
- Great value for money.
- Pros: Affordable.
- Cons: The size of marbles in this game are smaller than regular ones.
- Consumer Score: Buyers love this marble run with 80% of buyers giving it 5 stars out of 5.
Peradix Swirl Ball Ramp
- A baby suitable marble run.
- The ball drop ramp can be assembled for babies so that they can drop the balls and watch them swirl down to the bottom.
- Ball diameter of 5cm makes them safe for small children.
- Toddlers can enjoy assembling the ramp themselves.
- Suitable from 10 months +.
- Pros: Safe for babies over 10m.
- Cons: Kids will grow out of it fairly quickly.
- Consumer Score: Buyers like this marble run with 84% of buyers giving it 4-5 stars out of 5.
Marble Run Sale & Today’s Bestsellers
Where To Buy Marble Runs
The marble runs we’ve chosen above are from Amazon but we’ve also listed some other good retailers as additional options in your hunt for the best one!
Buy On eBay
Things To Consider When Buying A Marble Run
Safety
Marbles are a choking hazard for young children so they aren’t suitable for kids under the age of 3.
Always opt for durable and lightweight plastic runs for kids which are impact resistant as you don’t want any sharp broken edges and steer clear of glass models.
Number of Parts
If your kids are younger you won’t want loads of pieces which may be too complex for them to put together, on the other hand, you don’t want something too simple which won’t challenge the older kids, so always opt for a marble run which is suitable for your child’s age range.
Is It Translucent?
Half the fun of playing with a marble run is being able to watch the marbles as they run down the track.
A lot of marble runs incorporate translucent parts and offers the best views.
FAQ’s Marble Runs
Between the ages of six and ten years old. If the child is younger you can get marble runs more suited to their age range.
They can encourage team work, build self esteem in kids, help to improve concentration and bring enjoyment to kids.
Plastic models are the most popular as they have different features like expansion and extension. They are usually affordable and the most suitable for kids.
Final Thoughts
My top pick is the National Geographic Glowing Marble Run
Not only does it glow in the dark to add to the fun element, it also tucks neatly away into a little bag (provided) when you have finished playing with it.
Buyers love this marble run with 81% giving it 5/5 stars.
I hope this guide on marble runs was helpful.
If you think I left any out that should be included or have a suggestion for a future article, let me know in the comments below.
Nicola
Last Updated: January 2022
- Added ‘How We Selected.’
- Added link to toy safety website.
- Added Pros/Cons on all products.
- Added ‘Things To Consider’.
- Added FAQ’s.
- Added Alternative Retailer.
- Added Final Thought.
