Lego Creator 3-in-1 31148 Retro Roller Skate review

You know what we really like? Inexpensive Lego sets that are attractive for kids and adults alike. Lego Creator 3-in-1 31148 Retro Roller Skate is one such set, allowing builders to assemble their very own novelty roller skate which looks absolutely fantastic. And better still, this is a three-in-one set, so you can build a boom box instead if you want, or a snazzy skateboard.

But let’s take a closer look at the roller skate: read on for our full review of the Lego Creator 3-in-1 Retro Roller Skate.

Lego Creator 3-in-1 31148 Retro Roller Skate

• RRP: £24.99
• Number of pieces: 342
• Release date: 1st January 2024
• Age rating: 8+
• Time to build: 60 minutes

Buy Retro Roller Skate on Lego.com

Lego 31148 Retro Roller Skate review: What’s in the box?

In the box you’ll find two paper bags, numbered one and two. Needless to say, it isn’t the most complex or time-consuming build. There are some smaller paper bags in each of these, however.

You’ll also find three high quality instruction booklets – one for each possible model to be built. Thankfully, there are no stickers at all: all detail is created by using bricks.

Lego Retro Roller Skate review: The build

Building the roller skate, beginning with bag number one, you put together sole of the boot then create what is essentially the tongue separately before connecting the two together. The sides of the boot are then progressively built up. It’s quite a nice process that isn’t complex at all, but provides enough variety to keep you engaged.

Once you’ve built the bulk of the roller skate with bag one, which essentially is a shoe at this stage, you move onto adding the final touches and greater detail with bag two.

Here, you use a variety of flat coloured plates to add an attractive pattern to the heel on both sides — though it’s irritating that the instruction book guides you to create one design then leaves it until you’ve finished to tell you that you could have created another that you might find more attractive.

Another aspect of the build that you might find a bit troublesome is a solid structure that you build separately then attach to the bottom of the shoe, which you then later attach the wheels and the toe stop to. You’ll want to secure this firmly, obviously, but you’ll want to be careful about where you apply pressure to do so or you might end up breaking pieces of the shoe off. It perhaps would have been better if this part was built and connected earlier in the build.

Overall though, the roller skate is a very enjoyable build. The laces, in particular, are very clever, being quite convincing. And just look at it – you can’t deny it looks both retro and cute.

Play or display?

More than anything, we think this Lego Retro Roller Skate works best as a display piece. Whether you place it on a desk, mantelpiece, TV unit — or anywhere at all — it’s charming to look at and full of vibrant colour. It can be used for play as well, though. It does have working wheels, after all, so kids will no doubt have fun rolling around.

And while the alternative boom box build is even more geared for display, the skateboard build will undoubtedly be more attractive for play by youngsters. Ultimately, this is a set equally suitable for both play and display.

Value for money?

Consisting of 342 pieces, we feel the Lego Retro Roller Skate offers good value priced at just £24.99. Being a set that’s available at a wide range of retailers, it can be frequently found on offer, too. You be wise to shop around if you’re interested in picking it up, then, and at £20 or less, we think it’s an absolute steal. It’s a wonderful set that’s both nice to look at, fun to play with, and can be fashioned into numerous other fun builds.