OWI 14-in-1 Solar Robot Kit Product Information
Description:
With the OWI 14-in-1 Solar Robot kit, you can build 14 different robots powered by the sun. OWI has classified the robots into two tiers: Level 1 (entry level, easy to manipulate) and Level 2 (more challenging and more difficult to manipulate).
OWI’s solar robot kit focuses on learning. Children get hands-on experience building each robot and a transparent housing allows them to see the gears operate.
Contents:
Recommended Ages: 10 years or older
MSRP: $31.95
OWI 14-in-1 Solar Robot Kit Review:
Overview
Reviews are mixed: lots of positive reviews but a lot of negatives as well. Recommendation is to avoid this kit unless you have a persistent STEMmer who is willing to carefully punch out and organize hundreds of plastic pieces. There are enough complaints about underpowered solar panels that we would be wary.
Pros
- The kit offers great flexibility and customizability. 14 different guided projects give children lots to work through even before their creativity kicks in.
- It is one of the few solar robot kits—and currently #1 in that product category on Amazon—available where users assemble the robot from scratch.
Neutral
- Users have mixed opinions on the instructions. Some claim they are similar to other modeling kits. Others claim they are overly complicated.
- Our take is that they could be more user-friendly and could easily discourage children new to building.
Cons
- You will need to plan for a lot of pre-construction time punching out plastic pieces. Many users have reported that simply punching them out is not enough. You will need to ensure the pieces are smooth, with no extra plastic hanging loose. Otherwise, the pieces will not mesh together and move.
- The solar panels used in the kit have received mixed reviews. Some people claim they work fine, but a significant number have reported that it is not strong enough to fully power the robots. Be warned that it does require solar power (sunlight) and does not charge. It requires the sunlight at all times to work.
- Once you start punching out plastic pieces, they pile up!
The company does provide baggies and labels, but it can be a lot to keep up with, particularly for younger users. Also, it can take roughly 2 hours to punch out everything if completed all at once.
