Many of you may have noticed that the LEGO Group has created detailed user profiles for its potential customers. Their product sets are designed to cater to a wide range of age groups and interests.
Different LEGO Sets for Different Ages
The main categories can be summarized as follows:
- LEGO Duplo: For toddlers aged 1.5 to 5 years old
- LEGO Juniors: For children aged 4 to 7 years old
- LEGO City, Friends, Ninjago, etc.: For kids aged 5 to 12 years old
- LEGO Technic: For teens aged 9 and above
- LEGO Architecture: For those interested in building and architecture
- LEGO IDEAS: For fans aged 10 and above
- LEGO Education: Designed specifically for educational institutions
- LEGO Star Wars UCS: For advanced collectors
- 18+ Sets: Targeted at adult fans
Through its diverse and segmented product lines, the LEGO Group caters to the needs of consumers of different ages, interests, and skill levels.
LEGO Sets for 18 Plus
In particular, the 18+ sets within various themed series strongly appeal to adult fans who want something distinct from typical children’s products.
Recently, LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen noted that the audience for the 18+ market is evolving, and this group can no longer be defined by a single “18+” label.
As early as the 1980s, LEGO recognized the importance of its older user base with the launch of the Model Team series. Two decades later, in the 2000s, they introduced the LEGO Star Wars Ultimate Collector’s Series (UCS). However, it wasn’t until 2020—almost 40 years later—that LEGO began targeted marketing efforts specifically aimed at adult consumers aged 18 and above.
The first widely acclaimed 18+ black-box set was the LEGO IDEAS 10273 Haunted House, released on June 1, 2020. The colorful, story-rich packaging was replaced with a uniform black design. LEGO then went all-in on this style, applying it across all sets aimed at AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) — whether it was the UCS sets or world-famous architectural models. Soon, the shelves were filled with the distinctive 18+ black-box packaging.
This shift is closely tied to LEGO Group’s deeper segmentation of its user base. The 18+ LEGO sets now include a wide range of products, from botanical flowers and buildable animals to supercars and art pieces. As LEGO views its 18+ adult market as a diverse group, it’s no longer possible to categorize them simply as “18+” like it was 10 or 20 years ago.
Reveal from LEGO Group CEO Niels B
LEGO Group CEO Niels B. Christiansen told the BBC, “We’ve always had AFOLs (Adult Fans of LEGO) in our user base. Historically, it may have been more male-dominated, but that’s changing. I don’t think we can categorize them as one single type of user anymore—now, many women are also building LEGO sets.”
Many adults build LEGO sets with their families as a way to interact with their children, but there are also more and more adults who build on their own. I believe that in a world where things are changing so rapidly, the process of building, creating, and coming together is what truly holds the appeal.
LEGO Group is generally tight-lipped about specific data regarding user demographics and set sales, making it difficult to accurately determine the market share of 18+ adult users in 2024. According to data intelligence firm Circana, by 2022, the “children’s” market accounted for 28% of total market sales (this includes more than just LEGO Group’s sales data).
Earlier this year, Fortune magazine estimated that LEGO sets for ages 18+ account for about 15% of LEGO Group’s total product sales. However, a spokesperson for LEGO Group told Fortune that children will always be their primary focus. While the adult market is important, their main target remains creating LEGO sets for kids.
Niels B. Christiansen said last year that LEGO Group is expanding its market share for both children and adults in a “balanced way.”
This essentially means that we may continue to see LEGO Group evolve, seeking new ways to attract a broader audience—something they’ve been doing for the past four years. After all, even LEGO designers themselves admit that no single LEGO set is suited for everyone.
What themed series do you mostly play with? Do you know any female LEGO players?
Let us know in the comments!
