Puzzling is one of those hobbies that has a stigma about being attached to a specific demographic. A lot of people see jigsaw puzzles as something to be enjoyed either by children or old women. In reality, this couldn’t be further from the case. Puzzling is for everybody! In fact, for two years running, the world champion of speed puzzling was a young man in his twenties named Alejandro. So if you’re wondering how to get started with puzzles, but you’re worried that you’re the wrong demographic, don’t let that get to you. If it’s something you think you’ll enjoy, then you should absolutely go for it.

In this guide, I’ll share everything about the weird and wonderful world of jigsaw puzzles. I’ll help you decide the best ways to begin, how to choose the right puzzle for you, how to manage your space, and more!

What are the Different Piece Counts?

Whilst you can find puzzles with pretty much any amount of pieces, there are some that are more common than others:

• 300 – Whilst not as commonly found as some of the others on this list, there are still a fair amount of these. These are great for a quick puzzling session or to practise speed puzzling. They’re also useful for people with diminishing cognitive abilities.
• 500 – My personal favourite piece count. These allow you to really get into it, and pose enough of a challenge to be exciting, without being as time consuming as the larger puzzles. These are the ones used most often in speed puzzling competitions.
• 1,000 – The most commonly found piece count. 1,000 piece puzzles are the standard amount, and these allow you to settle in to creating an image over a few hours. It’s normal for these to be built over several days.
• 2,000 – For people who fancy a challenge, a 2,000 piece puzzle could give them exactly that. These will take up quite a lot of space, so if you want to build one of these you’d need a large table.
• 5,000 – These are uncommon, but there are still several commercially produced puzzles of this size. These offer a level of challenge that you just can’t find with smaller piece counts. If you’re building one of these, you probably want to build it in sections, and you might have to put it together on the floor, as you’re unlikely to have a table large enough.

What Puzzle Brands are There?

There are so many incredible puzzle brands out there and I love discovering new ones. However, there are some brands that you’ll come across more than others. Here are some of the most well-known brands.

• Ravensburger – Probably the most well-known puzzle brand in the world. Ravensburger has a reputation for exceptional piece quality.
• Springbok – Although you don’t really find this brand in Europe, it’s very popular in the US. Their piece cuts tend to be more random than with other brands, not fitting into a perfect grid shape.
• Gibsons – This British brand has excellent piece quality and a fun range of images. They are also the hosts of a British puzzle championship. Their images tend to be quite classic, but they do have more modern artworks as well.
• Galison – Personally, I didn’t have the best experience with this brand. I didn’t like the texture of the pieces, and I don’t like how they only have the one piece shape. However, a lot of other puzzlers rant and rave about them.
• Funko – Admittedly they’re not one of the largest brands, but I love them. I’ve always been a fan of Funko pops as I love the fun designs. So being able to create puzzles with that same iconic style is a real joy for me.
• Clementoni – Although they have a wide range of images, they’re probably best known for their licenced Disney puzzles.

Which Puzzle Brands Should I Avoid?

Unfortunately, not all puzzle brands are created equal. Whilst the ones in the section above have a good reputation, others should be avoided. Some brands have poor piece quality and don’t stay together very well. However, the worst of them are the ones that steal their images. Some brands will copy artwork from other creators. Other brands will use AI artwork which is hugely unethical. Below are some of the brands that you should avoid when looking for a puzzle:

• Enjoy – Although their vibrant, colourful images can be tempting. They’re actually made with AI. There are many beautiful puzzles you could buy instead that are made by real artists.
• Yazz – Like Enjoy, Yazz uses AI artwork for its puzzles.
• Huadada – This infamous brand steals artwork from other places, and then sells it as their own.
• Cross and Glory – This company not only uses AI artwork, but lies about it by having fake artist profiles on their website. Also, their piece quality is trash.
• Dowdle – Unfortunately their puzzles have a bad reputation for pieces that don’t fit together properly, as well as unethical practices.
• Generic branding – If you can’t really see much brand information on the front of the box, this is probably a red flag. A lot of mass-produced AI/ stolen art puzzles are marketed like this.

How Should I Store My Puzzles?

Puzzle storage is up to you, but there are definitely ways to optimise your space. Before I get into that, though, you should think long and hard about whether you need to actually keep a puzzle. A lot of the joy is in putting it together, so once you’ve done it, you may not need to keep it. Sometimes doing it once is enough. You may find that aside from your very favourites, you prefer to do a puzzle and then either sell it or give it away. This clears up space for new puzzles with new images!

However, if you are set on keeping a puzzle, you have a few options. If it’s an image you really love, but you don’t see yourself wanting to put it together again, you could always frame it. Make sure to glue it securely, and then you can hang it up somewhere that it can make you smile.

Otherwise you can put the puzzle boxes on a shelf. Try to stack them neatly rather than just bunging them in there. You may need to get a little clever with it since boxes can be different sizes. Think of the storage solution as a puzzle in its own right! You should set aside a dedicated space for puzzles and try not to go over it. It’s easy to get carried away when buying puzzles since there’s so many wonderful options.

Do I Need Special Equipment to Do Jigsaw Puzzles?

Nope! Puzzling is one of those hobbies that doesn’t really require anything else. As long as you’ve got a puzzle that you want to build, then you’re good to go. Obviously you’ll still need a space to put it together, though. A table should do fine, although you might need a larger one depending on the piece count you’re going for.

However, although it’s not necessary, there are some cool gadgets that can take your puzzling experience to the next level. Here are some suggestions of extra things you could buy:

• Box holder – Puzzles tend to have their images on the front of the box. You’ll need to prop the box up to see it. You can just stand it up on its side but then it won’t be at the perfect angle. Instead you can get a box holder so that it’s at a better angle for you.
• Puzzle mat – This is a special mat, usually made of felt, that you can build a puzzle onto. The texture stops pieces sliding around, and it can be rolled up to store the puzzle out of the way. This is useful if you’ll need the table for other things.
• Sorting trays – Especially If you’re pressed for space, it can be tricky having all the pieces on the table. They can get in the way of each other, and it can be hard to spot the piece you’re looking for. Having sorting trays allows you to separate the pieces into similar groups.

Conclusion

Hopefully this guide has helped you feel more confident about how to get started with puzzles. It’s such a fun and relaxing hobby, and it’s accessible to almost anyone. If it’s something you’re interested in, you should take the plunge and give it a go. Since you don’t need to invest in any equipment, you can literally just find a puzzle you like the look of and try it out. If you end up not liking it, it’s no big deal. You’ll have only spent the cost of one puzzle, so you won’t really be out of pocket.

What kinds of puzzles appeal to you? Let me know in the comments! You can also check out our Instagram to see cool images from my shenanigans, including puzzling!