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Original poster

Galt, Hubelino or other marble run?

21 replies

Nomsdeplume · 09/12/2025 20:18

to as if you’d recommend any of these?

I have had a Christmas request for a marble run from my five year old. They have some sensory issues around wood, so plastic is our preference.

Can you please let me know if you would recommend the Galt or Hubelino, or have had success with another plastic marble run? Also, can you please let me know which sets / add ons have been the biggest hit.

also, we have lots of duplo blocks which is why I had considered Hubelino.

thank you

OP posts:
Solentsolo · 09/12/2025 20:19

A friend has the John Lewis one - it’s terrible. The plastic is flimsy and buckles and breaks. I played with a really old Galt one and it was good. Solid.

DillyDallyingAllDay · 09/12/2025 20:20

We had the galt one as kids and now my children play with it. If highly recommend but don’t know if the newer ones would be as robust!

parietal · 09/12/2025 20:58

Galt is excellent

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 09/12/2025 21:17

Tammygirl12 · 09/12/2025 20:19

Thank you - this looks like lots of fun!

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BertieBotts · 09/12/2025 21:21

Another vote for Marble Rush. It's brilliant, my only gripe is it doesn't work with normal glass marbles, only their own plastic slightly bigger balls. It does mean it's less of a choking hazard for younger children or older ones with pica but I do miss the weight and sensory feedback of glass marbles.

However - yep. DH has gone mad for it so we have about 8 different sets and we're always building big combo things with them.

Runrunrudolph · 09/12/2025 21:24

My son's in his 30s but I've kept the Galt Marble run he had when he was a youngster.
They are absolutely brilliant and I used to thoroughly enjoy playing with it myself. Which is really why I kept it!

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 09/12/2025 21:43

BertieBotts · 09/12/2025 21:21

Another vote for Marble Rush. It's brilliant, my only gripe is it doesn't work with normal glass marbles, only their own plastic slightly bigger balls. It does mean it's less of a choking hazard for younger children or older ones with pica but I do miss the weight and sensory feedback of glass marbles.

However - yep. DH has gone mad for it so we have about 8 different sets and we're always building big combo things with them.

Edited

Thank you - this is really helpful. I wasn’t sure if it could be added to like the Galt one! Haha, I feel like it’s an even tougher choice now 😂

OP posts:
BertieBotts · 09/12/2025 21:56

It definitely can and there are loads of different sets, though I feel like the newer ones are much more flimsy and not as well designed. We got DS3 the dinosaur one for his birthday and although it's fun to play with, it feels like some of the major "custom" parts are too carefully calibrated to last very long, whereas we have a second hand version of the ferris wheel and that's really well designed and sturdily built. The older sets also seem to have more of the full size base plates, which are more stable. The newer sets have had more of the 2-square filler pieces, which I think is poor.

I never found an equivalent to the Galt marble run I had when I was a child. With DS1 we had various different sets and they were mostly flimsy and broke really easily.

NannyR · 09/12/2025 23:33

Galt is brilliant, it's the sort of toy that everyone, young and old enjoys playing with. The more pieces you've got, the better, especially if you've got a couple of kids playing together (or a competitive adult!). You can buy second hand sets on Vinted, a good way of building up a good set.

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 10/12/2025 09:47

thank you so much!

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Peridoteage · 10/12/2025 09:49

Vtech marble rush is fabulous and you can add more sets. My kids play with it loads & its great from probably age 5 to about 12 so its got a really long shelf life.

We had another more traditional one and marble rush is miles better.

Peridoteage · 10/12/2025 09:50

Ps the galt one is nice quality but much more basic, an older child would be quickly bored.

Marmite27 · 10/12/2025 09:51

Not one of your listed ones, but we have (so much) Gravitrax. We got this at about age 6 when the DC had outgrown the more traditional marble run.

My nephew has it too, there are so many add ons, we’re never stuck for a present.

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 10/12/2025 15:20

Thank you - all of these are great. I think that we’ll go for the Galt at the moment since we’ve also got a younger child.

For those who have the Galt, is one run enough? Or do you have several packs?

Thank you again

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BertieBotts · 10/12/2025 16:28

IMO the Marble Rush is better for younger children - I wouldn't agree with 5 as a minimum age at all! I'd say it's fine from about 2, a 3yo can build it with help.

The first set we got for Christmas when DS3 was 2.5 and he loved it instantly.

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 10/12/2025 19:48

BertieBotts · 10/12/2025 16:28

IMO the Marble Rush is better for younger children - I wouldn't agree with 5 as a minimum age at all! I'd say it's fine from about 2, a 3yo can build it with help.

The first set we got for Christmas when DS3 was 2.5 and he loved it instantly.

Fab - thank you so much! That’s really great to know and you’ve totally sold it to me 😂

OP posts:
namechangetheworld · 10/12/2025 19:53

Hubelino is AMAZING. Seven years later ours is still going strong.

I had HUGE paranoia around actual marbles (I refuse to have them in the house) and numerous boxes of Duplo so it worked well for us. Definitely worth the price tag.

My friend had a John Lewis one for her DC and it was terrible quality, and really frustrating to put together.

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 10/12/2025 22:09

namechangetheworld · 10/12/2025 19:53

Hubelino is AMAZING. Seven years later ours is still going strong.

I had HUGE paranoia around actual marbles (I refuse to have them in the house) and numerous boxes of Duplo so it worked well for us. Definitely worth the price tag.

My friend had a John Lewis one for her DC and it was terrible quality, and really frustrating to put together.

can I ask which sets / add ons that you have? It’s pretty pricey, but it would be worth it it lasts us for many years.

extending the use of our duplo was the main attraction of the Hubelino.

OP posts:
Pryceosh1987 · 11/12/2025 01:58

I have no idea what these things are, seek and you will find.

Original poster
Nomsdeplume · 11/12/2025 16:26

I didn’t either until I had a marble run request and now I’m at the point of drawing the brand out of a hat and they all seem to have fans 😂

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