LEGO Harry Potter 75979: Hedwig Review

Released earlier this year, LEGO 75979 Hedwig is a rather unique entry into the Harry Potter series. It’s a model of Hedwig, Harry’s beloved pet owl and, most pleasingly, it has moving parts.

Most sets in the Harry Potter series focus on characters, buildings and scenes. So to see a model as different as this is extremely refreshing – especially considering its rather conservative price point of £34.99. Let’s have a look at it in more detail, shall we?

What’s in the box?

Opening up the box of LEGO Harry Potter 75979: Hedwig, you’ll find four numbered bags. There’s also an instruction book and a small sticker sheet. There’s only three stickers here, thankfully, and they’re for decorating Hedwig’s base.

There’s one minifigure included: a Harry Potter minifig complete with a wintery Gryffindor outfit. He’s accompanied by a miniature Hedwig.

You can see the contents of the box in the image below.

The build

The Hedwig set is aimed at children, with a suggested age of 10+. As such, there’s nothing too complicate here, but it’s also a bit trickier than your standard LEGO City build, for example. That’s thanks to Hedwig’s moving parts. Before building the owl herself, you’ll need to work on the base, which includes a series of cogs and cranks in order to make Hedwig’s wings flap.

There are a few fiddly bits here that younger builders may struggle with, but the instructions are, for the most part, very clear. So nothing should be too much of an issue. The numbered bags split pieces up into manageable sizes, too, so you’ll likely complete each section in half an hour or so.

Bags one and two focus on the base and the mechanisms, while bags three and four are all about constructing the owl. Her wings and tail are rather delicate, and it’s easy to knock pieces off as you’re trying to place others. But take your time, and you should have no problem.

Play or display?

Being a set aimed at children, it seems strange to call LEGO Harry Potter 75979: Hedwig a display set. But that’s what it is to us. Sure, the moving parts make it fun to play with, but mostly just to see it in action. It’s not a set that can really withstand prolonged play.

On the contrary, however, it makes a wonderful display piece. When finished, it’s very eye-catching thanks to its impressive-looking stand detail, and Hedwig herself is striking thanks to the detail in her feathers. It’s the sort of thing you can easily stand on your desk or on a mantelpiece and it won’t look out of place amongst more expensive trinkets.

Value for money?

We think LEGO Harry Potter 75979: Hedwig is exceptional value for money. With an RRP of £34.99, it’s at the cheaper end of the Harry Potter range of sets. And considering how unique this set is, it’s well worth it.

We typically expect to pay more for licensed sets simply because of the licensee fee involved, and yet this one manages to hold great value. There’s a lot more to it than meets the eye thanks to its working parts, too.

It’s makes the ideal budget-priced adult-focused build thanks to its emphasis on being a display set. Though it’s great for Harry Potter fans of all ages, too.