A side-by-side look at the five most popular beginner electronics kits: what each one costs, who it suits, how it teaches, and where it falls short. We make one of these, and we've tried to be straight about where the others win.
$97 · Ages 6+ · 30 professionally produced video lessons
Strengths: Cinematic video production (20–30 person film crew), taught on camera by Dr. Greg Lyzenga (Harvey Mudd professor, NASA JPL scientist), sci-fi storyline that carries you across all 30 days, HERO board and components, 3 bonus e-books with 50+ extra projects, lifetime access.
Weaknesses: Fewer raw components than budget kits, and a proprietary HERO board rather than an official Arduino Uno.
~$55 · Ages 12+ · PDF manual only
Strengths: 200+ components, low price, highly rated on Amazon, wide variety of sensors and modules.
Weaknesses: No video lessons, no curriculum structure, PDF instructions can be hard to follow for younger learners, no narrative.
~$80 · Ages 12+ · 170-page printed book
Strengths: Genuine Arduino Uno R3, 15 well-designed projects, official documentation, great build quality.
Weaknesses: No video lessons, book-only instruction, fewer projects than competitors, can feel dry for kids.
~$110 · Ages 14+ · Online guides
Strengths: Excellent documentation, well-organized experiments, good for engineering students and adults.
Weaknesses: Not designed for kids, higher price point, more technical language, no video instruction.
~$45 · Ages 12+ · Online tutorials
Strengths: Budget-friendly, decent component selection, online learning portal.
Weaknesses: Tutorial quality varies, no narrative structure, instructions can be confusing, no professional video content.
If the learner is a child, or an adult who has never built a circuit: a kit with video instruction and a structured path matters far more than component count. That's the case for 30 Days Lost in Space.
If you already know what you want to build and just need parts: Elegoo or SunFounder give you far more components per dollar, and you won't miss the curriculum.
If you want genuine Arduino hardware and official documentation: buy the Official Arduino Starter Kit.
If you're an engineering student or working adult: SparkFun's documentation is the strongest in the category.
Ages 6 and up. Each lesson takes 30–60 minutes and is self-paced. The storyline keeps younger learners motivated, but the engineering concepts are real enough to hold teens and adults. Schools use it as STEM curriculum for grades K-12.
HERO board (Arduino Uno R3 compatible), breadboard, LEDs in multiple colors, RGB LED, resistors, photoresistor, phototransistor, buttons and switches, DIP switches, rotary encoder, potentiometer, piezo buzzer, 7-segment displays (single and multi-digit), shift register, display driver IC, matrix keypad, servo motor, OLED display, jumper wires, and a USB cable.
Dr. Greg Lyzenga, a physics professor at Harvey Mudd College and a scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He guides every lesson on camera. The lessons were produced with a 20–30 person film crew and professional scriptwriters — this is not a tutorial filmed in a garage.
Yes. Every video lesson is free to watch, and the browser circuit simulator lets you build and run the circuits without owning any hardware.
30 Days Lost in Space is $97 with a 30-day money-back guarantee at craftingtable.com.