These Are Our 10 Favorite Jigsaw Puzzle Brands for Adults

It doesn’t take much to get hooked but you’ve got to start somewhere. Here’s an appetizing introduction for the novice but also provide heaps of gratification for seasoned puzzle heads.

Your puzzling adventures begin with Le Puzz’s vibrancy, wit, and overall energy. Its irreverent, fun, and community-focused sensibility is well-articulated on each sturdy box, each decorated in hilarious text, worthy of a stand-up routine, and jokey designs like Howdy Pawtner remind you to have a little fun.

Big fan of the extra large poster, too. While some users prefer little to no visual assistance, others benefit from posters, in addition to the image on the front of the box. What really makes Le Puzz stand out are the graphics—hyper-realism has never been so alluring—though they offer a lot of other looks. Infectious and addicting.

Springbok is a legacy brand that has undergone several corporate ownerships since it made a splash in the 1960s and ’70s with monochromatic puzzles such as “Little Red Riding Hood’s Hood.”

In its current iteration, Springbox offers a wide variety of styles; their puzzles are more traditional than the boutique competition, but no less enjoyable. Yes, there is some puzzle dust, and the boxes are flimsy, but their puzzles are challenging and graphically enjoyable. Also, Springbox offers puzzles for families (which include large and smaller pieces), as well as a line for those suffering from dementia. Thoughtful and smart, this trusted brand provides no frills diversion.

Surprisingly challenging pieces—some resting against each other instead of snapping together. White Mountain offers the most group friendly puzzles that are designed for adults but are inviting for kids. Not the scenic ones but the ones with pop culture ephemera—old food labels, movie snacks, or this paperback book example—provide an opportunity for a generational bonding activity that no one else provides in the quite the same way.

The quality of the images isn’t always stellar. Yet the lo-fi production doesn’t take away from the fun. If anything, it added to the vibe. They’re the kinds of puzzles you’d be stoked to find at that summer beach rental. Or to bring and leave behind as a good neighbor for the next guests. Comfort food for the mind and soul.

For options you’ll want to glue together and frame instead of breaking down and donating, we love brands like Pomegranate and Blue Kazoo. Here’s what we've been loving.

From a company that deeply cares about art and artists comes a puzzle-line that is endlessly satisfying. These aren’t easy puzzles. But what’s extra cool is that while you’re assembling one, such as this featured gem from Kathryn Freeman (with its ode to Georges Seurat’s “Sunday in the Park”), you find that along the way, you’re deeply absorbed in observing the painting too. It’s the visual equivalent of close-reading. So the puzzle becomes something more than a task to accomplish; the satisfaction of finding the right pieces is heightened by the extra sense of really being able to see each corner and space of light in a painting. Good poster, no puzzle dust. Stellar.

We also love some of Pomegrante’s smaller puzzles, such as this 120-piece double-sided Henri Matisse jammie. A low lift, difficulty-wise, but aesthetically drop dead gorgeous.

More from Pomegranate, for those of you looking to cultivate a decidedly fine art approach to your puzzles, you can find puzzles from legends such as Wassily Kandinsky and Edward Gorey and plenty of modern masters. These puzzles help you look at art more carefully and with a deeper appreciation. A Mondrian puzzle would be a similar challenge to this Kandinsky.

The attention to detail is apparent in everything Blue Kazoo does. The durable puzzle boxes are more compact than most, a conscious nod to sustainability. But it is more than their whip smart marketing, of course, the puzzles themselves are terrific. They come with a big, useful poster, and the selection of art is lively—they’ve got Richard Scary for crying out loud! The pieces look—and feel great, too. An altogether winning product.

How about this for a challenge? A 2,000 piece puzzle. Not for amateurs. But what a rewarding lift. Overall, Cloudberries puzzles are so well-made—the top sides of the pieces have an inviting, velvety feel—and come in degrees of difficulty. We are especially drawn to the artistic sensibility of their puzzles, offering plenty of white space or entire puzzles of color gradient patterns. No puzzle dust and comes with a large, glossy poster which is really helpful when assembling this meticulous beast. Impressive all around.

This section features brands that make fail-proof, cream of the crop, leaders of the pack puzzles. All three brands we find irresistible in their excellence.

It starts with the smell. Those who know, know. When you unfold the tissue paper that wraps each Liberty puzzle, you’re hit with the aroma of wood and something else harder to pin down—varnish maybe? Regardless, it’s a distinct sensation and a pleasant greeting to these ridiculously fabulous wooden puzzles. The shapes of the pieces are so inventive, clever and weird.

These aren’t easy puzzles at all; there’s a small image on the front of the box but no accompanying poster. Some beauty you’ve got to work harder for. There might be no accounting for taste but to our mind, Liberty has exquisite taste; their puzzles, small or large, are sparkling. You can see why people hang and display them, and Liberty sells excellent double-sided frames to make that happen.

Ravensburger, in continuous business since 1883, started making jigsaw puzzles in 1964. It’s a big company that still has its eye on sustainability. The sponsor of the USA and Canadian Jigsaw Puzzle Championships, Ravensburger flat-out makes a superior product. You go down the line of things that matter—graphics, not just in taste but diversity and range; quality-of the pieces and variety of shapes; sturdiness of the box; lack of puzzle dust, degree of difficulty—and it delivers.

The only drawback is that it only comes with one poster and a small one at that. But it’s a minor complaint to a company that is synonymous with excellence.

This jigsaw-gaming-magic mash-up knocked us out. Okay, first—the artwork is superb, as are the physical pieces (no puzzle dust). Each puzzle comes with two nice-sized posters, ideal for working with a partner. The difficulty level is considerable but not daunting—you can forget about all the straight-edged pieces only fitting on the perimeter.

But the puzzle is only part of it. First, the art tells a story, combining a narrative, graphic novel, dimension you don’t see with other puzzles. You’re given a list of Easter eggs to discover in the image and then a final magic surprise once you’ve completed the puzzle. We won’t spoil it but needless to say it flips puzzling on its side—resulting in a new image! It’s like a variation of the old Mad Magazine back page fold outs. Brilliantly conceived and executed.

These puzzles are meant to break your mind and spirit. Do you have what it takes?

Not many puzzle companies find themselves featured on CBS Sunday Morning, but over a decade ago, Stave did. Founded in 1974, it specializes in wooden puzzles that are hand cut. The high-price point may narrow the clientele—Bill Gates is a customer—which is why Stave’s puzzle rental programs is such a shrewd, welcome option. The quality is superb. (And the custom-designed puzzles are a huge draw as well.)

What distinguishes Stave, however, is just how freaking hard the puzzles are. In fact, they’re designed to break you. That’s the appeal, the whole point! The people at Stave take great pride in torturing their clients; none of their puzzles come with a picture. The Stave puzzle culture its own thing. Beautiful, mind-bending, hardcore.