# Lego Mindstorms

15 Hacker News commenters recommended Lego Mindstorms and 6 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 7 of 13 months. It meets the Hacker Approved badge rule.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a hands-on way to learn programming and robotics, with concepts that transfer to other work. Critics say the line was discontinued without a real successor.

## Why people recommend it

- Fun, hands-on, nostalgic childhood favorite (4 comments): "I have fond memories of eagerly awaiting the launch of Mindstorms" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46609919)) "Having grown up with Duplo, Lego and Mindstorm" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46557177)) "I had so much fun with Lego Mindstorms as well" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47296590))
- Later versions praised, EV3 and NXT (3 comments): "If you can find an EV3, it's the best thing you can get." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47018030)) "then came mindstorms and it kept getting better" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46556355)) "NXT still kicks ass by the way." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47336545))
- Teaches programming concepts transferable elsewhere (2 comments): "my fluency with concepts like control flow and values output from one part of the program serving as inputs for another part of the program were largely transferable" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45865819)) "Windstorms was 100% my entry into programming through 4H." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46555920))

## What people warn about

- Lacks a successor or lasting ecosystem (3 comments): "couldn't have kept things in the Mindstorms "ecosystem" even if replacing/new" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46514452)) "had huge potential but then just sort of fizzled out" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47335679)) "discontinued it with no real replacement" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46513920))
- Offers little over digital alternatives (2 comments): "i'm a little miffed mindstorms and the 'smart/connected' lego stuff didnt take off" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=50231672)) "I don't see what technic/mindstorm offers over digital" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47337534))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Beni robot by Microduck](https://hackerapproved.com/p/beni-robot.md): 7 recommend
- [Snap Circuits by Elenco](https://hackerapproved.com/p/snap-circuits.md): 5 recommend

## Where to get it

- [See price on Amazon](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=LEGO+Mindstorms+robotics+kit&tag=hackerapprove-20) (affiliate link)
- [Official site](https://www.lego.com/en-us/themes/mindstorms)

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Lego Mindstorms", https://hackerapproved.com/p/lego-mindstorms/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).