Baby & Family · Head-to-head
BRIO Starter Travel Train Set vs Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set
Which should you buy? Our verdict on both, pulled from our full The Best Train Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.
BRIO popularized this system and makes well-finished wooden track. Melissa & Doug's 130-piece railway delivers the most layout per dollar. Buy the table bundle only if the table itself is the goal.
BRIO Starter Travel Train Set
Buy itThe original wooden railway: a 22-piece figure-8 with a tunnel, bridge and platform.
- Wooden track that owners describe as fitting together smoothly and holding up well over time.
- 22-piece figure-8 layout includes a tunnel-and-bridge intersection, station platform, train and two figures - a real play scene, not just a loop.
- Part of the BRIO World system and, in practice, compatible with Melissa & Doug and many wooden-track brands, so the set can grow for years.
- Expensive per piece next to the others here; expanding a BRIO layout costs real money.
- No storage solution in the box, just the cardboard packaging.
- The push train is unpowered, which is the point, but some kids expect motion.
Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set
Buy it130-plus pieces - roundhouse, suspension bridge, trestle, turntable - premium tier against BRIO's mid-range starter.
- Melissa & Doug counts 100 wooden track sections and supports plus more than 30 accessories: a roundhouse engine shed, suspension and trestle bridges, turntable, switches, T-junction, magnetic cranes, trees, workers and signs.
- Three trains in the box - a six-piece freight train with cargo, a four-piece passenger train and a three-piece flatbed truck - and instructions for four track layouts; serious layouts happen on day one.
- Standard wooden-track dimensions, so it mixes with BRIO and other wooden railways; the maker pitches it for 3- to 7-year-olds.
- Wood and finish are a step below BRIO: some pieces arrive with minor roughness that a sanding pass fixes.
- The box is 28.75 by 17.75 by 6.25 inches and the set still needs its own bin for storage; Melissa & Doug does not publish a weight.
- So many pieces that a 3-year-old's first layout needs an adult's help.
Side by side
The 7 criteria below are the ones our full comparison judged every product on, narrowed to these two.
| BRIO Starter Travel Train Set Our pick | Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set | |
|---|---|---|
| Our verdict | Buy | Buy |
| Best for | The first train set for a 3-to-5-year-old, or a gift where build quality and longevity matter more than piece count. | The family gift for a train-obsessed kid: enough track for real layouts without buying five starter sets. |
| Price tier | $$ · mid-range | $$$ · premium |
| System type | Wooden track, push trains | Wooden track, push trains |
| Track compatibility | BRIO World + most wooden brands | All popular wooden railways |
| Pieces | 22 | 100 track + 30-plus accessories |
| Powered | No (push play) | No (push play) |
| Ages | 3+ | 3 to 7 |
| Build quality | Wooden track, snug connectors | Good wood, minor rough spots |
| Best for | The heirloom starter | Maximum layout per dollar |
Which one is right for you?
Pick the BRIO Starter Travel Train Set if
the first train set for a 3-to-5-year-old, or a gift where build quality and longevity matter more than piece count.
Know before buying: expensive per piece next to the others here; expanding a BRIO layout costs real money.
Pick the Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set if
the family gift for a train-obsessed kid: enough track for real layouts without buying five starter sets.
Know before buying: wood and finish are a step below BRIO: some pieces arrive with minor roughness that a sanding pass fixes.
The bottom line
Our overall pick is the BRIO Starter Travel Train Set - The original wooden railway: a 22-piece figure-8 with a tunnel, bridge and platform. Choose the Melissa & Doug Wooden Railway Set instead if the family gift for a train-obsessed kid: enough track for real layouts without buying five starter sets.
Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Train Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).