Product test

Why I’m tempted to steal my son’s Gravitrax Junior marble run

13/2/2024

Translation: Katherine Martin

The junior edition of Ravensburger’s Gravitrax marble run is impressive across the board. I’d love to confiscate it from my son and play with it myself.

Let me start off by saying that I’ve been enthralled by the Gravitrax marble run and its variety of extensions and special features for some time now. I regularly take it off the shelf and design, build and tinker away until the big moment comes for me to test my architectural masterpiece. My seven-year-old son’s full of enthusiasm for it too – until frustration kicks in. His little hands have a tough time putting the fiddly bits together to make a functioning track. There’s a good reason the Gravitrax is recommended for kids aged 8 and up.

Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Set (New Design)

Marble runs

EUR47,13

Ravensburger GraviTrax Starter Set (New Design)

With this in mind, the junior edition of Gravitrax, developed by Ravensburger for marble run enthusiasts aged 3-7, is exactly right for us. The manufacturer provided me with one to be put through its paces.

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet

Marble runs

EUR80,79

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet

First impressions

It may come with a hefty price tag, but the Gravitrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet is a worthwhile investment for true marble run aficionados. The individual parts are high-quality and very sturdy. This large set contains enough pieces for a seemingly infinite number of possible combinations, allowing you to construct ever more impressive tracks. We found it easy and fun to put together – even very young children would manage it. Some unusual components also inject a little variety into the building process.

Ready, steady, build! Eager to get constructing, we don’t leave the components lying around for long.
Source: Anna Sandner

Here’s what’s included in the Gravitrax Junior Starter Set XXL Planet

10 bases
33 track tiles
96 height tiles
10 marbles
16 area tiles (desert, water, meadow)
16 plastic and 8 cardboard decorative elements
Instructions containing three construction templates

With the wide selection of components in the XXL set…
Source: Anna Sandner

…you can let your imagination run wild when you’re building. — With the wide selection of components in the XXL set…
Source: Anna Sandner

Unexpected injury risk

Although the marble run is high-quality, I injured my finger as soon as I took it out of the box. The culprit? The edges of the box, which gave me a nasty paper cut. Perhaps the marble run’s cardboard packaging is just a tad too robust – the edges of the box are razor-sharp. As are the edges of the stand-up cardboard figures in the set.

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Extension Trax

Marble runs

EUR22,28

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Extension Trax

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Element Trap

Marble runs

Quantity discount

EUR13,32

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Element Trap

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter-Set S Start and Run

Marble runs

EUR22,28

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter-Set S Start and Run

Marble runs

EUR22,28

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Extension Trax

Quantity discount

Marble runs

EUR13,32

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Element Trap

Marble runs

EUR22,28

Ravensburger GraviTrax Junior Starter-Set S Start and Run

I can’t figure out why the set comes with this avoidable source of danger. Especially since the adult version comes in a harmless, resealable box. This could easily be improved upon. Having said that, you’d need to be really pernickety to notice it. Besides this one point of criticism, the marble run well and truly wins me over.

Potentially hazardous cardboard box aside…
Source: Anna Sandner

…the quality of the components is really high. — Potentially hazardous cardboard box aside…
Source: Anna Sandner

Space for young creative whizzes to unleash their potential

I can’t wait to get cracking. And since my seven-year-old assistant product tester is still off doing something else, I make a start on the set solo. But my undisturbed creative freedom doesn’t last long. Apparently, the mere sight of me makes my son so desperate not to miss out on the fun that he turns off the TV and joins in. The ultimate compliment in the world of a primary school kid.

Unfortunately for me, it’s not long before I’m banished from the construction site. Having suddenly developed a very precise vision of how the track should look, my son takes the reins. He casually ignores the three design suggestions outlined in the instructions, declaring that following the template would be boring.

The instructions include three runs you can recreate, each of a different difficulty level.
Source: Anna Sandner

Letting creativity take over was more fun.
Source: Anna Sandner

The material is robust and has a nice feel to it. Base plates in the set can be freely combined, so you can choose whether to build an elongated track or a compact one. Assembling it is super easy – it comes together without issue. The track and height tiles are easy to stack, so even young children can have a go without getting frustrated.

Beautiful, colourful, varied

Once we’ve worked out the first track, we start discovering the other components. «Woah, that’s so cool!» my son exclaims, full of enthusiasm as we transform the marble run into a vibrant, colourful world in no time. The XXL version combines the starter set with the Ocean, Desert, Ice and Jungle extensions. We’re free to position the many design elements – from sand snakes to oysters – wherever we want.

Building, decorating and playing are equally fun.
Source: Anna Sandner

We really enjoy all this experimenting. It stirs up our eagerness to get the marble run functional. The cycle of constructing, testing, rebuilding, testing again, decorating, rebuilding again and experimenting never gets old, and we’re constantly creating new marble runs.

No sooner have we finished a run and tested it a couple of times, we’re already keen to tackle the next.
Source: Anna Sandner

The XXL version is always a joy. There’s a perfectly balanced number of components, with enough for any construction plan. Fortunately, the developers thought to include more than one marble. This way, it won’t be an issue if one disappears (more than likely).

Verdict: Gravitrax Junior – a hit with young and old alike

I can’t quite decide who gets more enjoyment out of the marble run – my son or me. Either way, it’s won both of us over. Working out new tracks, then rolling the marbles down the finished run have quite the appeal. The components are sturdy, beautifully designed and easy to combine. And if you ever get bored, you can bring in new elements using the various extension sets.

Occasionally, it takes a little time to create a run that gives the marbles enough momentum to reach the end.
Source: Anna Sandner

Header image: Anna Sandner

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Anna Sandner

Senior Editor

Anna.Sandner@galaxus.de

Science editor and biologist. I love animals and am fascinated by plants, their abilities and everything you can do with them. That's why my favourite place is always outside - somewhere in nature, preferably in my wild garden.

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