How We Tested

Stapelstein provided the Rainbow Sets directly to evaluators, with distribution coordinated by Best of the Year. Nine consumer testers with children ranging from toddlers to school age used the set indoors and outdoors for open-ended play, including balancing, building, obstacle courses and imaginative games. They evaluated its quality and durability, ease of use, play value and how their children engaged with it over time.

Six expert judges with parenting and product expertise also evaluated the set, including its design, safety, inclusivity, differentiation and value. Best of the Year analysts and editors reviewed the entry, marketing claims and submitted materials alongside the judges' and families' feedback before reaching a final decision.

What Experts and Consumer Testers Said

Our reviewers were taken with how open-ended and durable it is: light enough for a toddler to carry, strong enough for an adult to stand on, wipe-clean, and built to last for years. One category expert described watching kids of every age reach for the set over and over, using it at the beach and in the pool, sorting toys into the pieces, collecting shells, building obstacle courses, and turning a piece into a chair or a hat, and kept coming back to how sturdy and versatile it is. As she put it, "The original of a category it invented: a beautifully simple, near-indestructible open-ended toy with endless uses across ages and settings, outlasting a house full of disposable toys."

"The original of a category it invented: a beautifully simple, near-indestructible open-ended toy with endless uses across ages and settings, outlasting a house full of disposable toys." -Best of the Year Judge & Parenting Category Expert

A child-development specialist looked at the same set through a developmental lens and landed in the same place. She pointed to how the lightweight, modular pieces invite sensory-motor input and help kids self-regulate through climbing, balancing, and stacking, which can be especially supportive for sensory-seeking and neurodivergent children, and how the open-ended format follows the child's lead and meets each kid at their own level. She called it "A rare, open-ended, child-led play material with real sensory-motor value that adapts to every child's developmental level, inclusive by design rather than by add-on."

"A rare, open-ended, child-led play material with real sensory-motor value that adapts to every child's developmental level, inclusive by design rather than by add-on." -Best of the Year Judge & Child Development Specialist

The same child-development specialist noted that the premium price is a real access barrier for many families, and that the open-ended format can feel unstructured at first, so some caregivers may need to model following the child's lead before it clicks. It is worth noting Stapelstein does have a guide you can purchase with some ideas, and a host of ideas readily available on their website.

Parents similarly landed on the same two things again and again: it holds up, and kids keep finding new ways to use it. One family called it "extremely well made and durable, with endless possibilities for creative and imaginative play," and another praised it for gross-motor development, noting it felt light yet durable. Households with kids from three to nine described the whole range playing together on obstacle courses and balance challenges, and several found their older kids stayed interested well past the age they expected. As one parent put it, "This product can be enjoyed by children 0-10, which is rare. I thought they would be too old for it, but both kids have really enjoyed making obstacle courses together with it."

"This product can be enjoyed by children 0-10, which is rare. I thought they would be too old for it, but both kids have really enjoyed making obstacle courses together with it.” -Best of the Year Consumer Tester

The way it meets different kids came through most clearly from one parent of a child with autism, who tested it with her two children: "It was definitely a toy they both could play with. My daughter could use her imagination and create an obstacle course while my son could simply use them to balance and stand on." The wishes across testers were small and consistent: a few more ideas for things to do with it, and a nod to the fact that it's a splurge.

Reviewers also noticed the details behind the scenes. One packaging expert was impressed that the product box doubled as the shipping box, with no extra outer carton or void fill, right-sized and relying mostly on recyclable cardboard, a smart example of designing the packaging and the shipping together.

Best of the Year Bottom Line

If you want one toy that keeps paying off for years instead of weeks, the Rainbow Set is an easy one to recommend: kids never seem to run out of ways to use it, it holds up to all of it, and it works across a wide range of ages. It's a real investment at $318, yet the parents and experts who used it kept coming back to how durable and open-ended it is. For open-ended play that lasts, it delivers.

Why 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.

P.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.