LEGO July 1 releases: Everything you need to know before you buy

Not sure where your LEGO budget is going in July? We've broken down the headlines for all the upcoming LEGO releases next month.

From the critics' comments to the biggest compliments each set can get, we've broken down the LEGO sets about to hit shelves on July 1. Although next month is set to be a bit quieter than some, especially after a busy June, there are still plenty of sets competing for your LEGO budget.

LEGO Icons 10375 How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless

10375 How to Train Your Dragon: Toothless is the first attempt to recreate the HTTYD franchise in LEGO form, debuting a brick-built figure of the central dragon, complete with articulated joints, plus fish and plasma-blast attachments. You'll need to look elsewhere at the many, many other dragon LEGO sets for a movie-accurate dragon form; this LEGO Icons set instead pursues a chibi design style.

That's not to say there aren't recognisable details from the movie, however, with accessory elements bringing the Night Fury dragon flame into the set, as well as Toothless' unique saddle and prosthetic tail fin, as well as his favourite fishy snack that can be attached inside the mouth like the flame. The head, jaw, wings and tail can all be posed as well, cementing it as a clear display model.

What are people saying?

The main points of contention around 10375 How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless are about the age ranking, which is 18+. On the face of it, it doesn't look like an adult model, nor does it have a complex build that you might expect. LEGO Designer Jae Won Lee has his reasons for the rating but ultimately this set will work for builders of a wide variety of ages.

When we had it for an early review, we were surprised to be impressed with the build. It's even cuter than in the pictures in real life and does manage to capture Toothless' on-screen personality, despite not attempting movie-accurate aesthetics.

Whether or not you’ll like 10375 How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless really comes down to what you’re expecting. If you’re a fan of the franchise and you want to put some of its heart and soul into a LEGO display, this will scratch that itch for sure. However, if you’re looking for a one-to-one recreation of Toothless the dragon, it’s not attempting to do that.

Brick Fanatics

Nonetheless, some people are frustrated at both the 18+ rating and the design choice.

If this was meant to be an 18+ model, the LEGO Group should have gone for accuracy when comparing the model to the character of the franchise, increasing its size to make it closer to 43269 101 Dalmatians for instance, and dropping the cutesey look all together. I wouldn't mind if there was an age marking between nine and 12 but, as it stands, I don't see what makes this LEGO Toothless a model for adults.

Tiago Catarino

Ultimately, you can probably tell from the box whether you're going to love or hate this set. There aren't a ton of surprises under the hood, but if you can get past what you expected from 10375 How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless and see it for what it is, it's a worthy LEGO set for the HTTYD community.

Our verdict: It's catching a lot of flak for the design choice but, looking past that, there's still a lot to love about 10375 How To Train Your Dragon: Toothless.

LEGO Icons 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C

The latest LEGO Icons car racing to shelves this July is the 1,241-piece 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C. This £139.99 / $159.99 / €149.99 model depicts the iconic vehicle with an incredible level of detail and faithful touches. It’s one for car enthusiasts to admire in July, including some Easter eggs for the most dedicated of Shelby fans.

For the LEGO Icons car collectors, 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C is a perfect purchase, satisfying with interesting building techniques while maintaining faithful features that are iconic to the car.

What are people saying?

Early reviews for 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C are almost entirely positive, praising the accuracy of the LEGO Icons set compared to the car, as well as the thoughtful Easter eggs. Functionality is praised across early reviews, too, showcasing some simple but effective features. They help the reliable concept work just as well as usual, in line with the rest of the LEGO Icons car collection.

From the first brick to the final sticker, this is a build that’s pure joy for car lovers, LEGO fans, and anyone who just appreciates great design. The shaping is excellent and the functionality is just right. What was already a seriously cool car is now a seriously cool LEGO set too.

Brick Fanatics

Overall, 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C has made a good first impression, followed up by some stellar early reviews. It’s launching on July 1 for LEGO Insiders or July 4 widely, and it’s going to be a must-have for anyone collecting the LEGO cars at this scale.

Our verdict: Don't think that 10357 Shelby Cobra 427 S/C doesn't bring anything new because of its familiar colour scheme; this LEGO Icons set is well worth a closer look for car fans.

LEGO Marvel 76329 Miles Morales’ Mask

Miles Morales has surged in popularity in recent years, thanks in no small part to the incredibly well-animated Spider-Verse movies, which has a third on the horizon to close out the trilogy. It was only a matter of time before the LEGO Group remixed 76285 Spider-Man's Mask to become Miles’ mask, and that’s precisely what 76329 Miles Morales' Mask does.

There are no additional prints, elements or any differences aside from the colour scheme and an appropriate nameplate. When the old model wasn’t broken, though, the LEGO Group didn’t need to fix it. The £59.99 / $69.99 / €69.99 sets are sure to pair perfectly together when the new entry is released next month.

What are people saying?

The fact that 76329 Miles Morales’ Mask is an exact copy of the 2024 build isn’t entirely positive. Some early reviews called out that this would have been a chance to remedy the errors of the older model, from some of the crucial decorations being stickers to the price.

They also recognise that changing anything aside from the colour scheme and nameplate would have created a less favourable comparison between 76285 Spider-Man's Mask and 76329 Miles Morales’ Mask. Ultimately, 76329 Miles Morales’ Mask is the same as 76285 Spider-Man's mask, for better and worse.

76329 Miles Morales' Mask is a lovely companion to last year's Spider-Man mask, sharing the same realistic shaping and attractive patterns, but also the same gaps and ridges on the back, unfortunately. Part of me wishes the design had been refined between the duo, although I can see the advantages of identical sculpting if they are displayed together.

Brickset

Our verdict: LEGO Marvel 76329 Miles Morales’ Mask has a reliable foundation and opts to stick to it, except for when it has to change to stay true to the character, opting to display perfectly with the 2024 Spider-Man set.

LEGO Star Wars 75428 Battle Droid with STAP

LEGO Star Wars continues its crusade to turn every memorable droid and alien from a galaxy far, far away into a buildable character with 75428 Battle Droid with STAP. This set isn’t necessarily what we expected from initial rumours of a buildable B1, though, downscaling the Battle Droid in order to squeeze a STAP into its 1,088 pieces.

The result is a more dynamic display piece than might have been possible with a Battle Droid on its own, and the Trade Federation soldier can still stand independently of the STAP anyway, with plenty of articulation across its head, arms and legs – but the shift in proportions means it’s inevitably not to scale with (for example) last year’s 75381 Droideka. It’s up to you whether that’s a dealbreaker or not.

What are people saying?

While most early reviews highlight the bulky arms and legs of the B1, a perhaps unavoidable compromise to ensure its structural integrity – particularly when freestanding – opinions on 75428 Battle Droid with STAP are pretty positive on the whole. Initial reactions point to the engaging build experience, the B1’s articulation and the solid execution of the STAP’s relatively curvy design.

Despite certain issues with the Battle Droid, 75428 Battle Droid with STAP has exceeded my expectations. The vehicle is exceptionally detailed and uses some clever building techniques, achieving a standard similar to Ultimate Collector Series models, in my opinion! The droid is a little underwhelming by comparison, thanks primarily to those bulky arms.

Brickset

Where 75428 Battle Droid with STAP falls down is in the price, which is pretty par for the course for LEGO Star Wars sets these days. At £119.99 / $139.99 / €129.99, though, this 1,088-piece buildable character – which includes zero exclusive minifigures and only a handful of printed pieces – feels especially egregious.

I love to be surprised by a LEGO set. This was a surprise when it was revealed, and I was constantly kept guessing by the build. I found myself enjoying it more and more as I went… Nevertheless, I can’t help but feel that $140 for what’s already the fourth buildable droid this year is a bit much. It’s not far off: $120 would have been fair, and $100 would be a pretty good deal for what is a very fun build.

The Brothers Brick

Our verdict: Another solid LEGO Star Wars set hampered by its sky-high price tag. You’ll have fun with it either way, but the most enjoyment will come from grabbing it on sale.

LEGO 43008 Nike Dunk

Representing the first physical offering from the LEGO Group and Nike’s multi-year collaboration is a set that’s likely to be a somewhat divisive release. Many will proclaim 43008 Nike Dunk a must-have purchase, while others may bemoan the arrival of yet another brick-built shoe. The model could well appeal to many true sneakerheads though, with a price tag of £89.99 / $99.99 / €99.99 making it more affordable than most pairs of actual Dunks.

Throw in a spare pair of laces for customisation and an exclusive B’Ball Head minifigure, plus additional ‘Dunk’ logo and basketball side builds, and it might be easy to see why the partnership between the two companies could be off to a championship start.

What are people saying?

In our review of 43008 Nike Dunk, we noted that the 1,180-piece set may be perfectly aimed at its sneaker fan demographic, but there might be little appeal for most LEGO builders. However, the brick-built shoe does at least prove that corporate brand logos can be recreated in a dynamic way and the model certainly isn’t boring to look at.

A logo set that actually makes a statement, 43008 Nike Dunk will appeal to fans of the brand – but it’s hard to see what would draw in a typical LEGO fan.

Brick Fanatics

Other reviews echo similar sentiments about 43008 Nike Dunk’s potential target audience and what the draw might be to a wider demographic, although there has been some praise for the LEGO set’s exclusive minifigure, enjoyable construction and bold colour selection.

It’s an eye-catching build, thanks to both the colours used and the configuration of the set. It’s also fun to build, but it isn’t easy to pinpoint who the set is aimed at. The Adidas set had an appeal beyond LEGO fans to those who enjoy collecting footwear. But with this, the shoe is a smaller focus of the set. The minifigure is excellent, and it’s a shame it’s not better integrated into the set.

Brickset

Our verdict: One for sneakerheads only, but it’s just the start of the LEGO x Nike partnership.

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