Five LEGO June 1 releases worth buying at full price

While it’s generally good practice to wait for a discount on brand new LEGO sets, these five June 1 releases are arguably worth the full price of admission.

Not every LEGO set stands out as an example of great value for money, but occasionally the LEGO Group will launch a product that’s a must-have regardless of price – or a set that represents such strong bang for your buck that you don’t need to wait for a discount. And with more than 70 sets on the way later this week, chances are you’re going to find at least a few models like that in the mix.

The good news is that you don’t need to pore through the entire list (although you can do that too if you like), because we’ve already picked out five new LEGO June 2023 sets – across five different themes – that are worth splurging for on day one.

5 – LEGO City 60377 Explorer Diving Boat

Price: £24.99 / $39.99 / €29.99 Pieces: 182 Release date: June 1 (UK/Europe), August 1 (US), 2023

This summer’s LEGO City sets may just be the best single wave in recent memory, but their prices are still pretty contentious – for the most part. One exception is easily 60377 Explorer Diving Boat, which belies its perhaps unfavourable price-per-piece ratio with three groovy minifigures, plenty of colourful pieces, a large boat base and – most importantly – an ocean of awesome animals, including a brand new adult sea turtle.

At just £24.99 in the UK and €29.99 in Europe, there’s plenty of plastic here to make 60377 Explorer Diving Boat an easy impulse day one purchase. The US price of $39.99 is a little trickier to justify, but the City range doesn’t launch stateside until August, so you’ve at least got a little time to save up… 

4 – LEGO Disney 43227 Villain Icons

Price: £124.99 / $129.99 / €139.99 Pieces: 1,540 Release date: June 1, 2023

Representing a unique concept for the LEGO portfolio (76391 Hogwarts Icons Collectors’ Edition tried the same thing, but exclusively with in-universe items, compared to this set’s meta VHS tape), 43227 Villain Icons is among the best LEGO Disney 100th anniversary sets so far. It’s a colourful and unique build anchored around four very cool villain minifigures, and by all accounts is worth every penny.

That’s not only in the volume of pieces – 1,540 parts for £124.99 / $129.99 / €139.99 is solid, especially in the US – but in the size of the finished product, and the details and variety baked into it. A discount would be the cherry on top, but if you’ve got your eye on this one already, you likely won’t regret paying full price.

3 – LEGO 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure

Price: £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 Pieces: 654 Release date: June 1, 2023

Eyeing up 40504 A Minifigure Tribute, but unable to visit the LEGO House any time soon? The LEGO Group has an alternative in 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure, a LEGO.com and LEGO Store exclusive that offers a more universal take on the giant character design. Instead of Captain Redbeard, here’s a blank slate of a minifigure, complete with plain red torso and blue cap.

There’s a little bit of magic hiding under that hat – check out our review for more – but the bottom line here is that 40649 Up-Scaled LEGO Minifigure comes in at only £44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99, which is cheaper than the equivalent DKK price for 40504 A Minifigure Tribute. Plus, it’s unlikely to ever be discounted (as an exclusive), so you might as well buy it day one anyway.

2 – LEGO Friends 41757 Botanical Garden

Price: £74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99 Pieces: 1,072 Release date: June 1, 2023

One of the stand-out LEGO Friends sets in a summer wave full of highlights, 41757 Botanical Garden should bring the rebooted mini-doll theme to a wider audience than ever before. This is a set that wouldn’t feel out of place slotted straight into a regular LEGO city, or even displayed solo with minifigures instead of mini-dolls, and is packed with all manner of creative techniques and element uses.

It’s also priced very attractively at just £74.99 / $79.99 / €84.99 for 1,072 pieces, which makes buying multiples for a complete, enclosed garden an enticing prospect…

1 – LEGO NINJAGO 71799 NINJAGO City Markets

Price: £319.99 / $369.99 / €369.99 Pieces: 6,163 Release date: June 1, 2023

One of the most expensive sets launching on June 1 is also one of the most fairly priced, which isn’t something you can take for granted in 2023. But 71799 NINJAGO City Markets offers much the same value proposition as 10316 The Lord of the Rings: Rivendell – 6,100+ pieces and around 20 minifigures – for £100 / $130 / €130 less than the Middle-earth set, so you’re already off to a great start.

Factor in that this set – like 70620 NINJAGO City, 70657 NINJAGO City Docks and 71741 NINJAGO City Gardens before it – offers an almost unrivalled building experience, and you’ll struggle to find anything that provides better value than 71799 NINJAGO City Markets on June 1. If you’ve got the budget for it, don’t be afraid to dig deep for this one.

Five LEGO June 1 releases worth buying at full price

Click here for the full list of LEGO sets launching June 1 (but note that some themes aren’t arriving until August 1 in the US).

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