Can we talk about wooden puzzles? Some people just LOVE them. There are a lot of online groups for wooden puzzles. Some by brand, some more general. My Facebook feed is filled with promotions and ads for all kinds of wooden puzzles. On the flip side, some people don’t like them, or don’t do them. I noticed that they are not as popular in my local puzzle groups, so I wondered why.

In my case, I tried a wooden JaCaRou and I loved it. We recently got some new wooden puzzles by Ravensburger. These are great looking, excellent quality puzzles. And yet, I have had a Unidragon on my shelf for about a year now and I haven’t even opened the box yet. 

I realized why. And I am going to give you my thoughts and perhaps you will be encouraged to give them more love in your puzzle collections.

First, they are not the same as traditional cardboard puzzles. The pieces are thicker, and they don’t snap in, they slide together. Therefore, they take more time to disassemble. If you like to take your puzzles apart, then this is a time-consuming effort. You need to do this slowly, one piece at a time. If you like to frame them, then it might make more sense for you.

They are costly. Let’s face it, you can pay under $30 for 1000 pieces. Why pay $69 for 198 pieces? We need to remember that paper and wood are not the same material. These are not manufactured the same way, the experience is very different. We cannot compare the two. Regardless, some are afraid to get started because let’s face it – we get caught up in collecting.  

Did you know that some people are allergic to different types of raw cut wood? I didn’t know this to be an issue, but apparently it is. The scent of the wood can be overpowering if you are not used to it and can limit the amount of time a person can spend in front of the puzzle until it dissipates.

As for me, I know why that Unidragon is still sitting there - I like to be fast. Like many puzzlers, I don’t have as much experience with wooden puzzles as I would like. I was worried that it would just take me too long.

I am going to throw caution to the wind and open the box next week. Will you join me? I know they are not cheap but treat yourself. Let me know what you think of wooden puzzles! I will post photos when I am done, so stay tuned.