2026 Winner: Loops Lab Starter Set + HedX DJ Figures
A hands-on music toy where kids build real songs by tapping character figures on a light-up stage, now with two "HedX" DJ pieces that remix the beat.
Loops Lab Starter Set + HedX, 2026 Best of the Year Award Winner, Courtesy of Loops Lab
Loops Lab is a hands-on music toy where kids make real songs by placing little character figures on a light-up stage and tapping them. One, two, or three taps trigger different instrument loops that layer into a track, so "making a song" becomes play instead of a lesson. The Starter Set pairs the signature 8-spot stage with the Lax Funkers groove band, and this set adds two "HedX" DJ figures the brand says repeat, distort, and alter the beat like a turntable.
You reach for it for a music-curious kid, roughly grade-school age, who wants to create rather than just listen. It's built for older kids more than toddlers, and it works with a free iOS and Android app that adds sounds and lets kids record, mix, and share what they make. The Starter Set + HedX has an MSRP of $159.99 and arrives on Amazon this September, with additional bands and solo figures sold separately.
Standout Features: Why It Won
Real music from physical play. Kids place the Loops figures on the stage and tap them, and the taps actually change the loops, so they're composing and experimenting rather than pressing buttons on a noise machine.
A light-up stage that shows what's happening. The signature 8-spot stage lights up to show which loop mode, one, two, or three, each figure is playing.
A full band in the box, now doubled. The Starter Set includes the Lax Funkers groove band, and the brand has added a complete second set of sounds and loops for it in the app, so it plays like two bands in one, part of a rollout that gives all seven released bands a second sound set at no extra cost.
Two HedX figures add a DJ layer. Placed on the stage alongside the band, the brand says the pair of "Music Manipulator" figures repeat, distort, and alter the beat the way a DJ does on a turntable.
Built to grow. An expanding lineup of bands and collectible figures, each with its own musical style, so a hooked kid has room to keep going, with additional bands and figures sold separately.
Loops Lab Starter Set + HedX
View on AmazonHow We Tested
Loops Lab provided the system directly to evaluators, with distribution coordinated by Best of the Year. Five consumer testers used the stage, band figures and companion app at home with their own children, spending hands-on time exploring the system and making music. Families evaluated how quickly children could get started, how engaging the experience remained over time, the quality and build of the components, the packaging and the system's overall value.
Six expert judges also evaluated the system, including its design, play experience, quality and approach to introducing kids to music-making. The HedX DJ figures were the newest addition to the platform and arrived as first-production samples, so their turntable-style functionality was considered based on the brand's submitted information and will receive additional hands-on evaluation. Best of the Year analysts and editors also reviewed the entry and submitted materials alongside the judges' and families' feedback before reaching a final decision.
What Experts and Consumer Testers Said
Judges and testers were wowed by the core invention: real, tangible music-making that's quick to get into, and fun for kids and, as more than one admitted, for the adults who tried it. One judge, a self-described tech geek, got going in seconds and handed it around his household, kids under the recommended age included: "It's fun and easy to use. It could let children who don't play a musical instrument understand some ideas of music composition." He liked that the physical figures make it collectible and expandable, seeing room for limited-edition characters down the line.
“It's fun and easy to use. It could let children who don't play a musical instrument understand some ideas of music composition.” -Best of the Year Judge & Toy Category Expert
Our packaging judge went further, calling the set his personal favorite of everything he reviewed, fun and interactive for kids and adults alike, with a top-notch, well-protected unboxing.
Parents reported real delight. Kids got going fast and had fun experimenting, and the sweet spot skewed to roughly five to eight, a younger child needed help and an older one drifted. As one tester put it, "Lots of different ways to play with it. Everything they did was a different result, which caused a lot of fun."
"Lots of different ways to play with it. Everything they did was a different result, which caused a lot of fun.” -Best of the Year Consumer Tester
A few things to weigh before you buy: depth, dependence, and price. Early testers found the built-in variety thin, one beat that could get repetitive, though the brand has since added a full second set of sounds to the included band in the app, with more variety still leaning on additional bands. It also works alongside a free companion app on a phone or tablet, so it isn't entirely screen-free, worth planning for if you were hoping to keep screens out of it. And at $159.99 it's a premium toy that pays off most for a music-curious kid who'll keep coming back.
Best of the Year Bottom Line
If you've got a music-curious kid, the Loops Lab Starter Set + HedX is one of the more inventive toys out there: place a figure, tap it, and real music happens, so kids compose and experiment instead of pressing buttons, and they have a blast doing it. Keep three things in mind: it works alongside a companion app rather than being entirely screen-free, more musical variety leans on add-on bands (though the app now doubles the sounds in the included band), and at $159.99 it's a premium buy that rewards a kid who's really into it. For the right kid, it's a standout way to make music their own.
Loops Lab Starter Set + HedX
View on AmazonWhy Trust Us?
The Best of the Year Media team comprises award-winning editors, analysts, subject-matter experts and consumer specialists who have built their careers helping people make smarter, more confident decisions. With deep expertise across consumer lifestyle categories, our team brings decades of experience evaluating products, brands and services. Our recommendations are grounded in rigorous evaluation combined with expert judgment and consumer insights, giving readers trusted guidance on products, services, and experiences worth bringing into their lives.
Explore all 2026 Best of the Year Award winners!
2026 WinnersP.S. We use affiliate shopping links where possible. We may earn a few dollars if you click them. It’s one of the reasons we're able to give you a calmer site experience, with fewer ads and distracting pop-ups.