We’re continuing with our guide to the top puzzle brands on the market today. In the last breakdown, we looked at independent, up-and-coming brands. This time, we’re checking out the big-name brands that we all know and love.
These are the brands that you can easily find in stores, and they are more affordable than boutique brands. They typically have a huge range of themes and release new puzzles seasonally. Most of the brands started as small businesses before they blew up, so they’re clearly doing something right.
Just like the last breakdown, we’ll tell you a little bit about each brand and the quality of their puzzles. We’ll also explore their selection and what makes them unique. Let’s jump in.
Founded in the US in 1983, Bits and Pieces has a huge selection, and they release new puzzles for every holiday and season. Currently, their winter puzzles feature snowy landscapes, cozy fireplace scenes, and more. If you’re into folksy Americana images that take you back to a simpler time, you’ll love their selection.
Their shaped puzzles are also considered the best in the industry by pro puzzlers. Challenge yourself with a puzzle shaped like an animal, cottage, Christmas tree, and more.
The downside to Bits and Pieces is that their boxes are pretty weak, and they don’t include any additional materials besides the puzzle pieces. However, their pieces have a perfect fit. A 1000-piece rectangular puzzle is $17 and measures 20 x 27 inches when completed.
Pop culture fans will love the selection from Buffalo Games. They feature superheroes, Star Wars characters, Pokemon, and other entertainment staples. The US-based brand also has other themes that range from cats to destinations, and when you shop their website, you can filter your search by artist.
Buffalo Games puzzle pieces are smaller than average, but they fit well and have plenty of variety. Their website claims to source their materials sustainably, but they don’t go into any details about their methods.
The puzzle boxes are sturdy and compact, making for easy storage. The box includes a poster of the puzzle image. A 1000-piece puzzle is extremely affordable at $15, and it measures 26.75 x 19.75 inches when completed.
Since the late 80s, US-based brand Ceaco has been beloved for its wide range of puzzle themes. From Disney characters to Thomas Kinkade paintings, there’s something for everyone. Unfortunately, the quality of Ceaco puzzles has slipped.
Their pieces are on the thin side, which makes the whole puzzle flimsy. The image often lifts off the pieces as well, and there’s quite a bit of puzzle dust in the box.
A 1000-piece Ceaco puzzle costs $13 and measures 27 x 20 inches when completed. If you’re looking for inexpensive puzzles with a huge selection of images and don’t mind lower quality construction, you may like Ceaco.
Cobble Hill is a popular Canadian puzzle brand that was founded in 2005. They have a wide variety of the expected puzzle themes, including home and garden, transportation, animals, holidays and seasons, and destinations. Vintage lovers will also love their selection of vintage poster puzzles.
The puzzle pieces are thick and come in a wide range of shapes, especially for ribbon-cut puzzles. Cobble Hill is committed to sustainability, and all of its puzzles are made with recycled and biodegradable materials.
A 1000-piece Cobble Hill puzzle is $19 and measures 19.25 x 26.6 inches when completed.
Old school wooden puzzles meet folk art with Dowdle Puzzles, a US-based brand that exclusively features artwork by Eric Dowdle. Along with high-quality wooden puzzles, Dowdle also sells traditional cardboard puzzles and “mini-puzzles.”
Eric Dowdle’s art features cityscapes, landscapes, and family traditions. Folk art is meant to tell a story, and that’s what you feel from these puzzles that reflect the best things in life. You can even submit your own photo for Eric to paint and turn into a puzzle.
A 1000-piece cardboard Dowdle puzzle is $25 and measures 19 x 26 inches when completed. The back of the puzzle box has fun facts about the subject of the puzzle
Travel junkies will love Educa’s beautiful selection of European landscape and landmarks puzzles, such as the breathtaking St. Basil’s Cathedral in Moscow. The Madrid-based company also offers fine art, fantasy, and animal-themed puzzles. Their puzzles come in a variety of sizes, including panoramas and animal shapes.
Educa’s puzzle pieces are thick and sturdy, but they do have a glossy finish that creates a glare. Additionally, their pieces do not have enough shape variety, so it’s easy to confuse where they go, especially in a puzzle with large sections of the same color.
The puzzle boxes are sturdy and include a packet of puzzle glue so you can save your completed puzzle. A 1000-piece Educa puzzle is $25 and measures around 27 x 19 inches when completed. Prices in the US vary by availability.
Eurographics is a Canadian puzzle brand with a huge variety of images. Their themes range from vintage art to cat yoga, and everything in between. They also specialize in educational puzzles, including maps, the periodic table, animal species, and more. If you’re looking for a specific puzzle theme, this brand is a great place to start your search.
They are a high-quality brand with thick puzzle pieces with plenty of shape variety. However, you can expect some glare and puzzle dust from Eurographics puzzles, and they don’t include anything in the box other than the puzzle pieces.
A 1000-piece Eurographics puzzle is $19 and measures 26 x 19 inches when completed.
Galison is an art-focused puzzle brand based in New York City. When the brand was founded in 1979, they worked directly with art museums to create products based on lesser-known pieces. Today, the brand has grown exponentially, but they stay true to its mission to bring art into everyday life through puzzles, stationery, and other gifts.
Galison offers an array of unique puzzles, such as double-sided puzzles, foil puzzles, and wooden puzzles. Each one is packaged in a sturdy matte-finish box that’s lovely enough to display, and it includes a poster insert of the puzzle image.
A 1000-piece Galison puzzle ranges from $16-24 and measures 27 by 20 inches when completed.
If you love thick puzzle pieces that feel hefty in your hand, you’ll enjoy Gibson puzzles. They use the thickest puzzle board available, and it’s made of 100% recycled materials. Founded in 1919, this 100-year old English puzzle brand is beloved around the world.
If you’ve always wanted to go to a European Christmas market, you can transport yourself there with one of Gibson’s high-quality puzzles. Their themes also include landscapes, city landmarks, nostalgic cottage scenes, Thomas Kinkade artwork, and more.
The only downside to Gibson puzzles is that their pieces are similar and it’s easy to fit one in the wrong place. Their puzzle boxes are sturdy and feature information about the artist, as well as a print-out of the image. A 1000-piece Gibson puzzle starts at $27 and measures 27 x 19 inches when completed.
MasterPieces Inc. is an Arizona-based American puzzle brand that has a huge variety of themes, from fine art to vintage cars to travel. They also have plenty to offer for nature lovers, including their National Parks series and Audubon series.
Unfortunately, their puzzle pieces are thinner than other brands, so they can feel flimsy in your hand. They also have a loose fit, so sections fall apart easily when you try to move them around.
Their puzzle boxes are study and uniquely designed, but they do not come with any extras besides the puzzle pieces. A 1000-piece MasterPieces Inc. puzzle is $15-20, and the sizes vary.
In 2007, this New York City-based puzzle brand set out to make puzzles more interesting. New York Puzzle Company believes that puzzles should be part activity and part works of art, so they offer unique images that you’d want to hang in your home. One of their popular collections is the vintage New Yorker magazine cover puzzles.
Their non-grid puzzles are fun to put together with thick pieces that have plenty of unique shapes and sizes. However, the puzzles have a loose fit and it’s very easy to see the shapes of the pieces when the puzzle is assembled. Even though they are works of art, it’s still obvious to tell that they are puzzles when you hang them up.
A 1000-piece New York Puzzle Co puzzle is $22 and measures 26 x19 inches when completed.
Peter Pauper Press has been making beautiful jigsaw puzzles in the US since 1928. Their wide variety of themes include animals, landscapes, collages, and more. Their selection is smaller than other major puzzle brands, but they stand out for their vivid, one-of-a-kind images.
The puzzles are precision-cut and made to fit snugly, so it’s easy to move around sections. The images are high-resolution and have a linen finish to reduce glare. Each puzzle is made of a thick puzzle board and includes a poster.
A 1000-piece Peter Pauper Press puzzle is $16 and measures 28 x 20 inches when completed.
Pomegranate is a US-based fine art-focused brand that’s committed to high-quality puzzles and zero-waste packaging. Since 1970, they’ve been directly working with artists, museums, galleries, and libraries to bring the finest art to life on their puzzles.
They use matte art paper for crisp colors and no glare, and their ribbon-cut style leaves minimal puzzle dust behind. They prioritize sustainability with all of their materials, including the resealable puzzle bag.
The puzzle boxes are sturdy and well designed, but they don’t include anything except for the pieces and bag. A 1000-piece Pomegranate puzzle is $21 and measures 20 x 27 inches when completed.
Ravensburger is a classic puzzle brand that you probably grew up with and recognize. Since 1891, this German brand has been known all around the world for superior puzzles. Their selection is huge, and they are always releasing new puzzles. They are a well-oiled machine, and you can always count on quality from Ravensburger.
The puzzle pieces are thick and have a great fit. The boxes are sturdy and beautiful, and they throw in multiple extras, including a puzzle poster and catalog.
A 1000-piece Ravensburger puzzle is between $20-25, and they come in a variety of sizes.
Fantasy fans will enjoy this German jigsaw puzzle brand. Schmidt offers a wide variety of themes, but the fantasy puzzles stand out.
Despite being a typical grid-cut, their puzzle pieces have tons of variety that makes putting it together more interesting. You’ll love discovering new piece shapes from this brand. Their puzzle boxes are sturdy but do not contain extras.
A 1000-piece Schmidt puzzle ranges from $20-30, and measures around 27 x 19 inches when completed.
Do you want to use puzzles to educate yourself or your kids? White Mountain, a US-based brand, has a wide selection of historical and regional puzzles, along with pop culture and other fun themes.
Their pieces have a great fit, so you don’t have to worry about sections falling apart when you move them around. The pieces are also larger than other brands, so they are great for younger puzzlers. The box is sturdy and includes a stand and brochures.
White Mountain engages their puzzle community and even polls customers about what puzzles they want to see next. A 1000-piece White Mountain puzzle is $18 and measures 24 x 30 inches when completed.
For the most part, it’s easy to see why these brands have skyrocketed in the puzzle industry. They consistently produce high-quality puzzles with beautiful images in a wide array of themes. However, it’s also easy for the big brands to slip in quality, so we hope this breakdown has helped you identify the ones that are doing it right.
For the best quality puzzles delivered straight to your door, check out our puzzle rental program. When you subscribe to Completing the Puzzle, we’ll handpick a jigsaw puzzle for you based on your preferences. When you’re done with it, simply send it back to us and we’ll send you your next one. You can try out many of the major brands and find out which one you like best. We also carry a number of independent puzzle brands you may have never heard of who are producing beautiful, high-quality puzzles. You can learn more about them in our independent puzzle brand guide.
Feel free to contact us if you want us to review other brands, and don’t forget to check out our puzzle subscription program.
