This One's for the 300-Piece Puzzle Lovers

A while back, I wrote a blog called 300 Piece Hot Take all about my love for 300-piece puzzles. Recently, someone left a comment saying they wished I would do another blog featuring more of them. Well... you don't have to ask me twice! I am someone who genuinely LOVES a 300-piece puzzle. (And we have a whole page dedicated to them) For some puzzlers, 300 pieces are simply their preferred piece count. For others, the larger pieces are easier to see, grip, and manipulate. They can be a great option for mature puzzlers, families, newer puzzlers, or anyone who just wants something a little more manageable.

If you love 2,000 pieces, awesome. If 500 is your sweet spot, great. And if you would happily do 300-piece puzzles for the rest of your puzzling life, you're just as much of a puzzler. So for my fellow 300-piece puzzle lovers this one is for you! (Below you can find our top selling 300 piece, Cabin Crossing by MasterPieces. It's been on our top 10 best sellers for MONTHS!)

Cabin Crossing By MasterPieces
Artwork: Alan Giana

Longevity Matters in a 300-Piece Puzzle

One thing I look at a little differently when it comes to 300-piece puzzles is longevity. When I complete a 1,000-piece puzzle, it's usually a one-and-done experience for me. I finish it, enjoy it, and then it moves along. But my 300-piece puzzles? Those can get done over and over again. Some of my favorites have probably been completed 6, 8, even 12 times. Santorini Sunset by Ravensburger is one of my most redone puzzle in my collection and I've done it over a dozen times and it still looks brand new!

Santorini Sunset by Ravensburger
Artwork: Nancy Wernersbach

Because they're quicker to put together, I'm much more likely to pull one back off the shelf when I want something familiar, relaxing, and easy to finish in one sitting. That also means I care a lot about how well they hold up. I want pieces that can be connected, pulled apart, boxed back up, and brought out again without feeling like they're falling apart after just a few uses.

Another great example is I Love Cereal by White Mountain. The larger pieces make it perfect for achy days but also sometimes the larger pieces make for a super satisfying build. I've done this one multiple times and lent it out for people to borrow. It still looks brand new and has shown to hold up a lot of use.

I Love Cereal by White Mountain

I still want a good amount of puzzling time, and I want to get as much value as possible out of those smaller piece counts. A few brands I especially love for that are White Mountain, Ravensburger, and Pomegranate. For me, they've been the kinds of 300-piece puzzles I can come back to again and again. When I'm picking a 300-piece puzzle, I'm not just thinking about whether I'll enjoy it once. I want one I'll still be excited to pull off the shelf a year from now. Even though I've done puzzles from these brands multiple times - the puzzles still look brand new and could probably withstand a lot more use. 

What Have I Been Puzzling?

Since my last 300-piece blog, I've obviously done quite a few more. Apparently I practice what I preach! Rather than just telling you which 300-piece puzzles look good, I thought I'd share some that I've actually had on my puzzle table recently.

Little Feet Big Adventures by GoodWay Puzzles
Artwork: Karina Kornuta-Pigozne

First above is Little Feet Big Adventure by GoodWay Puzzles. WHAT AN ADORABLE PUZZLE!!!!! This one is tricky to keep in stock because it is so darn cute! Make sure to put it on your wishlist cause you will not be disappointed. I love the collage style, the cute little mice, and the slightly random (but nothing too crazy) piece cut. The pieces were also larger and the fit was amazing. Pretty much everything about it was amazing and I'm so glad I bought this one.

Magical Journey is an old classic in my collection and it so much fun. I originally got this puzzle in a 1000 piece (which sadly is no longer in production). It was such a cute image, when I saw it was available in a 300 piece, I needed it. It has so much detail and I love the fantasy scene. I love the train poping out of the painting, the owl, decorations and of course hot air balloons. The painting coming to life is so whimsical. I've done this one multiple times and it has held up and shows little wear.

Magical Journey by MasterPieces
Artwork: Jan Patrik Krasny

I love being able to do fun seasonal puzzles without the large commitment. I also love doing images I typically wouldn't pick in a larger piece count. Old Pumpkin Farm by Eurographics is a great example of both of these. This more traditional style image is so sweet and it's just a great puzzle for when we are on the way to Autumn. The piece count is perfect to complete something out of my norm, without getting frustrated. I also think 300 piece puzzles are great for working on strategy. I am someone who typically doesn't do a lot of foliage and trees. But this allowed me to experiment a little. Overall the image is pretty and could see me increasing to maybe a 500 piece in the future of a similar image.

Old Pumpkin Farm by Eurographics
Artwork: Dominic Davison

Pretty Peacocks is a stunning puzzle I picked up while I was shopping inside the warehouse during Puzzle Palooza. The image is a tricky one and I probably would have passed on it in a different piece count. However, it was easy to convince myself of this 300 piece and I am glad I did it! The color! THE COLOR!!! It is a beautiful image and the final puzzle was gorgeous. I enjoy the 300 piece count by Sunsout. There are a ton of images, are usually pretty affordable and the pieces are really nice to put together.

Pretty Peacock by Sunsout
Artwork: Rafael Trujillo

Gondola Ride by Ravensburger is another image by Nancy Wernersbach and I think I love it just as much as Santorini Sunset. This one is new to me, but I can see it being in heavy rotation. The different colored buildings, the water, boats, and bit of sky makes for a very quick build. I love the thick, colorful, and larger pieces and now this is going to withstand the test of time.

Gondola Ride By Ravensburger
Artwork: Nancy Wernersbach

Let's not forget what's on my wishlist! Have you seen the new Lisa Frank collection?! I am a millennial and this is just calling to me. One of my first ever puzzles was by Lisa Frank and I may need to add them all to my shopping cart. Yes - it's probably meant for children, but it's just calling to me. 

Forrest By RoseArt
Artwork: Lisa Frank

Keep the Suggestions Coming!

One of my favorite things about writing these blogs is hearing what you actually want to read about. This entire blog came from someone commenting on my last 300-piece post asking for another one, and I was more than happy to have an excuse to share even more of my love for this piece count.

I hope you found a few new puzzles to add to your wishlist, and if there's another piece count, brand, theme, or puzzling topic you'd love to see me write about, let me know! I love being able to create blogs based on what you want to see, and I'm always looking for an excuse to talk about more puzzles.

Happy Puzzling!!!

Emilee Frost
@thecasualpuzzler