LEGO Reviews Star Wars75187

BB-8

Name: LEGO BB-8 75187
Brand: LEGO
SKU: 75187
Rating: 4.8 (1379 reviews)

84 · HIGHLY RECOMMENDEDINVESTMENT GRADE: A20171,106 pcsHigh agreement · 93%

Expert reviews

3analyzed

Owner ratings

1.4K+

Consensus

BUY

BrickScore

Highly Recommended

Owners

Synthesized Verdict

"The BB-8 set earns a BrickScore of 83.9 and a 98% owner recommendation rate for good reason: the internal head-wobble mechanism is a legitimate engineering feat, the display result is striking, and the overall build delivers well above average satisfaction for a $99.99 Star Wars display model."

The LEGO BB-8 (75187) is widely praised as one of the most technically impressive Star Wars sets of its era, with reviewers singling out the internal gear mechanism that produces the droid's signature head-wobble as a standout engineering achievement. At 1,106 pieces and $99.99, it delivers a satisfying display model that captures BB-8's character in brick form. Owners fully back this verdict with a 4.8 out of 5 average from nearly 1,400 ratings and a 98% recommendation rate, the highest would-recommend figure in this batch.

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LOVED (6)

01Internal gear and elastic band mechanism that makes the head wobble realistically
02Extendable welding torch that pops out of the body, mirroring the movies
03Striking visual result that accurately captures BB-8's proportions and character
04Layering technique used to approximate the spherical shape with standard bricks
05Included BB-8 mini-figure as a bonus alongside the large display model
06Challenging but rewarding internal mechanism build with minimal repetition in the core sections

CRITICIZED (5)

01The outer shell panels are repetitive to build, with many reviewers noting the similarity of multiple side segments
02Final model is somewhat smaller than it appears on the box art
03Minifigure scores are the set's weakest aspect, as the large model includes no character minifigures beyond the BB-8 brick-figure
04Placement on the display stand is occasionally imprecise
05Welding torch mechanism does not fully retract automatically when pushed back in

What reviewers are saying

"This is a truly fantastic set."

Brickset Reviews

"this is so so exciting guys"

Solid Brix Studios

"the build was pretty good though it was enjoyable going through the body especially"

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Ecosystem

10225 R2-D2 — Both models depict well-known droids and rely upon traditional combinations of bricks and plates to form curved surfaces. The two sets are appropriately scaled; the top of BB-8's head reaches just over half way up Artoo's shoulder matching the film perfectly and they could certainly be displayed together.

UCS R2-D2 (Ultimate Collectors Series) — BB-8 is perfectly scaled 1:1 to the UCS R2-D2 set (released ~2012). Dave confirms the scaling is almost exact, suggesting these two sets are designed to stand together. BB-8 shows design improvements over R2-D2 in terms of features (automatic arm extension vs manual opening) and stability improvements.

General Grievous statue — Similar curveball in Lego's marketing strategy from ~10 years prior—an unexpected collectible character set released alongside standard wave sets rather than as an exclusive UCS release.

Star WarsTier 2Investment Grade

By Reviewer · 3

Avg score

Consensus

BUY

Brickset Reviews

Editorial Source

BUY

"This is a truly fantastic set."

Key Pros

✓Spherical shape rendered very effectively using Lowell Sphere technique
✓Highly detailed tool bay discs with unique designs matching the film
✓Realistic head-bobbing mechanism with transverse movement

Key Cons

✕Some may be disappointed by the size (25cm in height)
✕Inevitable jagged edges visible on sphere from close distance

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Solid Brix Studios

Expert Video Source

BUY

"this is so so exciting guys"

Key Pros

✓Spinning head with bobbling motion that gives BB-8 personality and life
✓Extending lighter arm feature is innovative
✓Perfect 1:1 scaling to UCS R2-D2 set

Key Cons

✕BB-8 minifigure is standard version with no exclusive printing
✕Lighter must be closed manually (only opens automatically)

JUMP TO REVIEW

JANG's LEGO Reviews

Expert Video Source

BUY

"the build was pretty good though it was enjoyable going through the body especially"

Key Pros

✓Engaging internal mechanisms with well-designed gear train
✓Head movement adds liveliness and puppeteering capability
✓Retractable torch with new color piece

Key Cons

✕Smaller than expected relative to box size, which impacts perceived value
✕Door on torch compartment doesn't auto-close

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Dimensional Analysis

Investment Layer

Buy now (2)Wait for sale (0)

Exclusivity

Brickset Reviews: Wide retail release; Force Friday II exclusive release initially

Solid Brix Studios: Unusual exclusivity—marketed as standard retail release (Target, Walmart, Toys R Us) unlike typical UCS sets which are online/Lego Store exclusive. This may affect collectibility differently than traditional UCS releases.

Resale

Brickset Reviews: Reviewers in comments speculate this will be THE Force Awakens set that inflates in value in the future

Minifigures & Standout Parts

In this set (1)

BB-8 (Small Photoreceptor and Small Black Circle)

Standout parts (per reviewers)

Lowell Sphere construction
Clever technique used to form the curved spherical body of BB-8
Trans-medium blue flame piece
Used creatively to depict the welding torch; a spear tip is used instead of the standard flame piece as it is the better shape
Intricately printed BB-8 minifigure pieces
Two unique pieces with detailed printing including metallic silver tool bay panels with different designs on all four sides
Technic liftarms and gears
Used within the body to create the head-bobbing mechanism and ensure stability
Bobbling/wobbling head mechanism
New feature on this set—allows head to spin AND bobble simultaneously, creating lifelike motion that goes beyond simple rotation
Extending lighter arm mechanism
Replicates the famous thumbs-up lighter scene from The Force Awakens; automatically extends when rotated but requires manual closing on retraction

What Owners Say · summarized from 60 written reviews (LEGO, Amazon, Walmart)

LEGO 75187 BB-8 is overwhelmingly praised for clever engineering, especially the head-moving mechanism, and delivers excellent build quality and value despite some predictable repetition from the spherical shape.

COMMON PRAISE