Are you searching for your next great puzzle and want to know which brand to try? Maybe you want to check out a cool up-and-coming small puzzle business, or maybe you’re wondering why the big brands are so popular?
If you want the lowdown on the best puzzle brands in 2024, you’ve come to the right place. We’ve done the hours of research for you and are compiling it all on the blog. We think all of these brands have something unique to offer, and they all have different specialties, so you can find the perfect puzzle for you.
To make things simpler, we’ve divided the brands into two categories: up-and-coming independent businesses and big-name brands. This blog will focus on the independent brands, and the big brands will be featured in part two. Let’s get started.
There’s something great about supporting independent businesses, isn’t there? Along with creating beautiful and creative puzzles, these businesses usually have a great mission behind their brand.
Whether they donate portions of their proceeds to charity, feature independent artists, or use eco-friendly practices, you can feel good about purchasing from these brands.
Apostrophe Puzzles is a woman-owned company based in Brooklyn, NY. We love them because their business model revolves around the independent contemporary artists of color that they feature on their puzzles.
Their website prominently features each of their rotating artists, and the artists receive a 10% commission on each puzzle sold. Apostrophe also uses 100% recycled materials and eco-friendly inks for their puzzles.
When it comes to the puzzling experience, these puzzles are top-notch. Their collection is small, but they feature vibrant images that you can’t find anywhere else. A 1000-piece puzzle is $36 and measures 24 x 24 inches when completed.
Areaware is another Brooklyn, NY-based up-and-coming puzzle company, but they also have a second headquarters in Ohio. Like Apostrophe, they feature independent artists on their puzzles, which is great for puzzlers looking for something one-of-a-kind.
Along with traditional-sized puzzles, they also sell “mini-puzzles” that are meant to be completed in around 20 minutes. For example, their Cookout little puzzle series features a s’more, hamburger, beer can, and watermelon slice, and they include a scratch-and-sniff sticker sheet.
Areaware puts just as much artistry into their puzzle boxes as they do their puzzles. Each box is beautifully crafted to sit on a coffee table or bookshelf. A 1000-piece puzzle is $35 and measures 20 x 28 inches when completed. They also use thick two-millimeter pieces that feel sturdy in your hand.
If you like to escape into another world while you work on a puzzle, Art and Fable Puzzle Company is the brand for you. They specialize in imaginative puzzles that feature fine art paintings from painters you may not have heard about otherwise.
The puzzles are bold and vivid, and they have a non-glare velvet finish, so they feel great and fit perfectly. Art and Fable also go above and beyond with the extra goodies in the box, which includes a full print of the artwork, a resealable bag so you never lose pieces, and a box-top stand.
Their 1000-piece puzzles are $30 and measure at 18.9 x 26.7 inches when completed.
Founded by Vin Thomas, a “big kid at heart” in Salem, OR, Better Co. puzzles tell you exactly what you’re in for with the difficulty rating system on their website. They make small-batch modern art puzzles that feature artists from all over the world, from Oregon to New Zealand.
The company is known for difficult puzzles with lock-tight pieces, so if you’re a pro puzzler that’s bored with easy puzzles, we dare you to give a Better Co. puzzle a try. If you’re into sustainability, this brand practices what they preach. They use 100% recycled materials and plant-based inks, and they transport their puzzles by sea instead of air to reduce carbon emissions.
Their 1000-piece puzzles are $25 and measure at 28 x 20 inches when completed. The box includes a poster and a coupon, and the back of the box has a biography of the artist.
Has a puzzle ever made you question the meaning of life? Blue Kazoo’s Galaxy series may do just that. Using high-resolution images taken from the Hubble Space Telescope, these out-of-this-world puzzles are for those who are up for a challenge.
Blue Kazoo prioritizes design and precision-cut pieces, so you know you’re getting a well-crafted puzzle with them. They also design puzzle boxes that you’ll want to display on your shelf, and each puzzle includes a 2:1 poster.
Their 1000-piece puzzles are $35 and measure 20 x 30 inches when completed. The puzzle pieces are two millimeters thick.
Cloudberries Puzzles, an international brand that is based in the UK, is the first puzzle brand to make a massive earth-saving pledge. For every puzzle sold, they plant a tree through the Eden Reforestation Project.
Saving the world aside, they also make great puzzles (using sustainably sourced materials, of course). Their puzzles have a linen finish to prevent glare, and the pieces are extra-thick. Their modern designs are directly inspired by the world around us; plant-lovers will especially love their collection.
Cloudberries 1000-pieces puzzles are $25 USD and measure at 27 x 19 inches when completed. The box includes a poster, and they ship their puzzles carbon-free.
ColorCraft Puzzles creates vibrant puzzles on premium poster boards, and each one is a work of art. They specialize in collage puzzles, like the Delightful Door and Windows or Turkish Plates puzzles. If puzzle dust is your puzzling pet peeve, you’ll be thrilled with ColorCraft’s low-dust recycled cardboard.
The brand features independent artists, uses soy-based inks, and uses an advanced printing process that produces vivid images. A 1000-piece puzzle is $20 and measures 27 x 19 inches when completed. It includes a poster.
Mia Gallison founded eeBoo Piece and Love 25 years ago in the basement of her home after she became a mom. Refusing to choose between work and family, she built her business from the ground up while she raised her children.
In 2017, eeBoo launched its line of whimsical puzzles for children and adults. Designed by children’s book illustrators, eeBoo puzzles are perfect for anyone who loves fantastical depictions of real life. They range from 20 to 100 pieces, so there are puzzles for every age.
A 1000-piece eeBoo puzzle is $24 and measures 23 x 23 inches when completed. The box includes a full-color insert.
InnerPiece Puzzles has one main goal: to spread more quiet time in a loud world. They create calming puzzles that inspire puzzlers to slow down and take care of themselves, and they are all beautiful enough to frame.
They also donate one dollar for every puzzle sold to youth mindfulness programs, and they prioritize sustainability as 1% For The Planet members. InnerPiece puzzles are matte coated and come with a reusable pouch so that you never misplace pieces.
A 1000-piece puzzle is $35 and measures 19.75 x 27.5 inches when completed. The pieces are one-sixteenth of an inch, which is slightly thinner than two millimeters.
Have you heard of whimsy puzzle pieces? They are animal and character-shaped pieces that were hidden inside of old-school wooden puzzles back in the day. Liberty Puzzles is bringing them back with their premium handcrafted wooden puzzles featuring classic and vintage art.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, each puzzle is made to order, and you can even order a custom puzzle using your own image. The wood pieces are hefty and feel great in your hand, and each puzzle is truly a unique piece of art.
Liberty Puzzles sizes and prices vary, but you can get a 500-piece puzzle for $115 that measures 18 X 12.75 inches when completed.
If you’re ready to go beyond classic rectangular puzzles, try one of MaddCapp’s realistic animal-shaped puzzles next. They use premium high-gloss images on dust-free chipboards, and each puzzle comes with a fun fact sheet about the animal you’re putting together.
A 1000-piece MaddCapp puzzle, such as the grizzly bear, is $27. They also sell 100-piece junior puzzles, which make great educational tools for kids. The completed size of each puzzle varies by animal.
Mintyfizz Puzzles founder Kelly is an entrepreneur, artist, mom, and expert puzzler who’s making one-of-a-kind puzzles that you can’t get anywhere else. The puzzles feature her own abstract art, and they are so unique and beautiful that framing them is a no-brainer. They also make great gifts for your artistic friends.
All Mintyfizz puzzles are made with sustainably sourced materials and include a poster of the artwork. The 1000-piece puzzles are $30 and measure at 27.5 x 20 inches when completed. The pieces are 1.8 millimeters thick.
Ordinary Habit was founded by a mother-daughter team on a mission to spread mindfulness through puzzling. The designs, created by independent artists, are feminine and serene, and they’re printed on recycled materials. The brand also donates portions of its profits to The Loveland Foundation, an organization that helps black women and girls receive therapy.
The puzzle pieces are finished with a soft-touch and glare-free coating, and the box includes a postcard of the artwork and a cotton drawstring bag. The boxes themselves are pieces of art that you will feel proud to display on your bookshelf.
A 1000-piece puzzle is $48 and measures 27 x 19 inches when completed. The pieces are two millimeters thick.
Piecework Puzzles is a woman-founded brand on a mission to create puzzles that are the antidote to obsessive work culture. They’re all about quality time in the great indoors, so their puzzles are whimsical food, beverage, and tablescape images.
Included in the puzzle box is a poster of the image, and on the flip side, there is a QR code that will take you to a playlist curated just for that puzzle.
A 1000-piece Piecework puzzle is $38 and measures 19.25 x 26.6 inches when completed. They also recently launched 100-piece kids puzzles for ages six and up. They use thick two-millimeter recycled puzzle boards, so you don’t have to worry about flimsy pieces.
Puzz has an old-school meets modern-day approach to puzzling that blends a classic pastime with fresh and funky designs. Their small-batch collections revolve around relatable subjects that are meant to speak to adventurous and young-at-heart puzzlers. For example, their kick-off collection featured the puzzles Van Life, Plant Lady, and Taco Tuesday.
Puzz is a female-founded brand that teams up exclusively with female artists, and their puzzles use thick pieces with a slightly matte finish. A 1000-piece puzzle is $28 and measures 27.6 x 20 inches when completed.
If a puzzle can make you hungry, it’s probably from Puzzle Sensei. Their food-themed puzzles, like the Dimsum Factory and Lucky Ramen designs, are made to celebrate diversity. They even include a recipe for you to try at home.
Puzzle Sensei, an Asian-American founded brand, donates 5% of its profits to Feeding America, an organization that fights food insecurity. Every puzzle has a matte linen finish, and they’re made with thick recycled greyboard and eco-friendly ink.
A 1000-piece Puzzle Sensei puzzle is $25 and measures 19 x 27 inches when completed. The pieces are two millimeters thick.
Modern meets whimsical with Puzzledly, a brand founded by four women obsessed with puzzling. When they couldn’t find new puzzles that excited them, they decided to make their own. Today, Puzzledly designs primarily feature fruit and floral patterns.
All of their puzzles are high gloss and vibrant images printed on recycled materials. The brand prides itself on its perfectly locking pieces, and unlike most new brands these days, they are ribbon-cut.
The puzzle includes a poster, and for every puzzle sold, one dollar is donated to comedian Seth Rogen’s organization Hilarity for Charity, which raises awareness for Alzheimer’s disease. A 1000-pieces Puzzledly puzzle is $25 and measures 29 x 20 inches when completed.
Are you a pro puzzler begging for a new challenge? Try Puzzle Twist, a brand that isn’t as it appears. Every puzzle has a twist: there are 25 differences between the puzzle and the photo on the box. Instead of relying on the box to put the pieces together, the puzzle unveils itself to you as you work. Can you find all the differences?
Puzzle Twist’s large selection and variety of images can compete with the big brands, but you still get the satisfaction of supporting a small business. Animal lovers will love all of the animal collage puzzles, while travel junkies will appreciate the cityscape designs.
A 1000-piece puzzle from Puzzle Twist is $22 and measures 26 x 19 inches when completed. The pieces are one-sixteenth of an inch thick, or 1.58-millimeters.
Whiled wants to help you reclaim downtime with puzzles inspired by modern art and folklore. Their puzzles are designed to be a slow burn that requires intentional concentration to complete. Irregular-shaped pieces make them even more challenging.
The woman-owned brand creates small-batch puzzle collections on 100% recycled paper with a soft matte finish for glare-free puzzling. Each puzzle also includes a cotton drawstring bag to help you stay organized.
A 1000-piece Whiled puzzle is $37 and measures 19.25 x 26.6 inches when completed.
We hope you feel inspired to try a new puzzle brand, or even a whole new type of puzzle, after reading this breakdown of the top up-and-coming, independent puzzle brands. Each brand offers a creative new perspective on puzzling, and the innovation shines through their unique puzzles.
We love to support and include independent businesses in our Completing the Puzzle subscription program. As a small, family-run business ourselves, it’s inspiring to see other dreamers, artists, and entrepreneurs make waves in the puzzle industry.
Which one of these puzzle brands do you want to try first? What up-and-coming puzzle brands have we missed? You can try a variety of new brands when you sign up for a Completing the Puzzle rental subscription. Check it out here and feel free to contact us with any additional questions about how it works.
