LEGO Reviews Ideas21109

Exo Suit

Name: LEGO Exo Suit 21109
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 21109
Rating: 4.7 (48 reviews)

82 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: A2014321 pcsHigh agreement · 94%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"A 4.7-star owner average, a 93% would-recommend rate, and a BrickScore of 82.4 across high-agreement reviews make the Exo Suit a clear Highly Recommended verdict. It remains one of the most fondly remembered small-scale LEGO mechs, celebrated for a design that invites customization as much as it rewards straight-from-the-box building."

The 2014 Ideas Exo Suit (21109) is regarded by reviewers as one of the finest LEGO mech designs ever produced in this scale, combining a classic space aesthetic with a surprisingly capable Technic-and-CCBS hybrid build. Owners rate it 4.7 stars across 48 ratings, with a 93% would-recommend rate and a 4.33/5 value-for-money signal. The high agreement on the BrickScore of 82.4 reflects a reviewer consensus that the design punches above its 321-piece, $34.99 price point, though a recurring structural caveat is that some detail pieces attach loosely and the figure can be prone to tipping.

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LOVED (7)

01Unique hybrid Technic and CCBS mech design unlike any previous LEGO mech
02Classic space minifigures in green suits, including both male and female characters
03High degree of poseability via multiple ball joints throughout
04Small brick-built turtle companion figure
05Premium bound instruction booklet with backstory and designer credits
06Strong customization potential praised by experienced builders
07Nostalgia appeal for classic LEGO Space fans from the 1980s

CRITICIZED (6)

01Ball joints have modest clutch power, causing some small detail parts to fall off during play or posing
02Figure tends to tip backward due to weight distribution in the torso
03Small foot pads contribute to instability
04No weapon included out of the box
05No wrist articulation in the standard build
06Cockpit area leaves the pilot figure exposed

What reviewers are saying

"Mark has done an excellent job of translating Pete's vision of an exo-suit into something that's stable, poseable, and which doesn't fall apart as soon as you breathe on it."

Brickset Reviews

"whatever they did it worked cuz this thing looks great and it goes together well"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

"The Exo Suit is a set designed by AFOLs for AFOLs."

Jay's Brick Blog

Ecosystem

Pete Reid's original MOC — The official version is more stable and poseable but loses some of the charm of the barely-legal connections and creative part usage of the original design

Ninjago Mech — JANG uses shoulder articulation technique from Ninjago Mech as a reference point for how the gribling and ball-joint system works on the Exo Suit.

Metal Beard — Shoulder detail technique comparison; Metal Beard used a similar gribling approach to provide visual detail while maintaining articulation.

70807 Metalbeard's Duel — Similar size and stature; Metalbeard serves as a reference point for mech-sized builds

IdeasTier 3Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 3

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"Mark has done an excellent job of translating Pete's vision of an exo-suit into something that's stable, poseable, and which doesn't fall apart as soon as you breathe on it."

Key Pros

✓Excellent articulation and posability
✓Can stand on one leg and perform handstand
✓Greebling effectively hides ball joints

Key Cons

✕Much greebling attached at one point only and flaps about during handling
✕Holder 16 Mm arms not a tight fit on lamp holder studs

READ FULL REVIEW

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

BUY

"whatever they did it worked cuz this thing looks great and it goes together well"

Key Pros

✓Excellent articulation and poseability across all joints
✓Stands and holds poses without support on flat surfaces
✓Realistic range of motion (forward, back, side-to-side)

Key Cons

✕Modified plate pieces with studs don't clutch well on the arms (durability issue in this set)
✕Cannot achieve extreme wrist articulation (no flex/retraction up and down, only rotation)

JUMP TO REVIEW

Jay's Brick Blog

Editorial Source

BUY

"The Exo Suit is a set designed by AFOLs for AFOLs."

Key Pros

✓Green Classic Space minifigures are an excellent addition to the Classic Space family
✓Eye-opening interesting build techniques that would never have been thought possible
✓Extremely playable and posable thanks to extensive articulation

Key Cons

✕The build was an absolute horror since all the parts are grey and virtually indistinguishable from each other
✕Fiddly bits mean elements and parts will fall off when you play with it

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (5)Wait for sale (0)

Value drivers

Brickset Reviews: Classic Space astronaut minifigures and Pete Reid exclusive minifigure

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Green Classic Space Astronaut - first-ever green version of this classic minifigure.

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: LEGO Ideas exclusive

JANG's LEGO Reviews: LEGO Ideas system exclusive; limited to one-time production run.

Resale

Brickset Reviews: Strong aftermarket value expected due to uniqueness and potential supply constraints

JANG's LEGO Reviews: Set will eventually 'sell out permanently,' suggesting potential aftermarket demand.

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (2)

Classic Space - Green with Air Tanks and Motorcycle (Standard) Helmet with Visor (Pete)

$47

Classic Space - Green with Air Tanks and Motorcycle (Standard) Helmet with Visor (Yve)

$42

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Large ball joints
Used extensively for articulation and hidden via greebling, representing innovative design approach
Holder 16 Mm arms
Used for greebling on the arms, though not a tight fit on lamp holder studs
Octagonal part for claw mounting
Replaced the original steering wheel design to ensure legal part connections, made claws significantly larger
Tan light sabre blade
Used to fix the forearm to the Technic connector inside the barrel
Ball-and-socket joints (shoulder, hip, knee, ankle)
Used for realistic articulation and poseability; combined with friction to hold poses effectively.
Gribling details on shoulders and legs
Added visual detail without sacrificing articulation, similar to techniques used on Ninjago Mech and Metal Beard.

What Owners Say

The Exo Suit is cherished as a creative, detail-rich Ideas classic that nostalgic Space fans and adult collectors adore, but its fragility is a genuine and widely reported limitation that makes it a display piece rather than a toy.

COMMON PRAISE

+Exceptional detail and greebling with surprising building techniques not seen in most other sets
+Fully poseable joints and limbs with numerous articulation points make it highly customizable for display
+Classic space astronauts in green suits are a beloved callback to 1980s Space sets, praised across many reviews
+The included robo-turtle is consistently called charming and a standout bonus

COMMON COMPLAINTS

−The model falls apart frequently during posing and play; shoulder joints and lower legs in particular do not hold well, and ball joints feel underspecified for the weight
−Not suitable for children to play with given the fragility; pieces detach easily with normal handling
−Some pieces, specifically the dark gray barrels and certain arm connections, do not fit or stay firmly in place

classic spacedisplay onlyfragile jointsadult collectorhighly poseable

Buyer Ratings