What is the goal behind LaQ
The company's goal behind LaQ is that it is a high quality educational construction toy that is loved by children and adults around the world. The philosophy is to offer families a toy that is not only fun and educational, but a toy that can be enjoyed by the child and parent together.
"Toys should not be for children only, but we believe that when the parent is involved in “playing” as much as the child, we see great communication develop within the family, as the parent and child can discover and learn together through play"
The history of LaQ has many Japanese inspirations behind its invention, and the Japanese attention to detail is a fundamental part of LaQ's high quality experience.
What does it mean to be a high quality toy?
The key selection criteria when looking for toys can vary - we've referenced this great article from Cari Ebert, but some common themes are:
- The product is designed and built to be safe and durable
- The product provides delight and fun to the child through engaging all of their senses and brain
- The product actively engages the child by being open ended and flexible
- The product encourages child, their peers, educators and parents to communicate and play together
- The product provides valuable educational benefits and learning simply through play
With its unique Japanese heritage, design and values - LaQ ticks all of these boxes. Our site talks elsewhere about the educational benefits and learning journey, so here we elaborate further on the design, sensory, quality and safety aspects of LaQ.
Lastly we talk about where this can, and does, go wrong with copycat products of LaQ.
Designed in Japan
All of the wonderful LaQ products are designed and manufactured in Japan. There are exceptionally creative inventors in Japan who design new part types, colours, storage units and most importantly create incredibly detailed models that mimic realistic shapes, objects and creatures. Every year, there are many releases of new LaQ products, and all of these inventions are patented, or are subject to copyright/trademarks.
Multi-sensory play
LaQ is designed to be a high quality multi-sensory experience through sight, sound and touch.
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Sight. The visual appeal of authentic LaQ parts is that they have a gloss and sheen because of the high quality plastic used. The colours are bright and vivid, encouraging kids to build and play, but also showcase and proudly show their creations to their family and friends
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SoundThe Snap! And Click sounds are a key part of the building experience. There is a "just right" sound to connecting parts, that encourages the concentration and perseverance of kids as they build with LaQ.
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TouchThe high quality plastic means that it is a comfortable feel, and most importantly safe to handle, without the risk of parts breaking and scratching
Quality Manufacturing
The Japanese focus on quality also means that LaQ is designed for
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Reliability. Parts should reliably and consistently interconnect over many years. They should stay connected, and not easily come loose
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Precision. All wheel parts should easily rotate, and not feel "stuck"
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Japanese quality and safety. All moulds, materials, assembly for LaQ parts are handled 100% in Japan. LaQ parts are made from high quality ABS and POM resin.
Safety testing
LaQ has been around for over 25 years, and been used in kindergarten and childcare centres all around the world. It has undergone regular safety testing against major international standards in Japan, US, Europe.
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Australia.Testing of the LaQ product against AS/NZS ISO 8124.1:2013 (3rd edition) has confirmed compliance to Australian toy standards.
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US Standards.LaQ is compliant to CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act) Standards. The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (CPSIA) was passed by U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Bush on Aug. 14, 2008. CPSIA is designed to allow The U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) to better regulate the safety of products made and imported for sale in the U.S. CPSIA also contains regulations that are intended to make products for children under age 12 safer by requiring manufacturers and importers to show that these products do not have harmful levels of lead and phthalates.
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Worldwide standards. LaQ has received approval for safety standards in Japan (ST), Europe (CE, EN), USA (ASTM, HR4040), China (CCC), specifically (Section 101, 108 16CFR 1303) Safety Standards.
Copycat products
As with many toys, there are inevitably copycat products that attempt to offer a similar experience to LaQ. We have found that these lower grade products have
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Parts breaking, which is a significant safety concern
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Not been through international or local safety testing, which would have picked up any breakage risks and issues
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Wheel parts that are sticky or won't rotate at all. This limits the "play" factor and the flexibility that the wheels and shafts bring
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Parts that are dull in colourand unappealing for kids to play with
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Parts that have a sticky feel, rather than the smooth high quality texture
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Instructions that are confusing to follow, nor attention to detail
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Models that are clunky or less exciting to makeor show
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Inconsistent sizes of parts that don't fit well- they sometimes click together, are sometimes loose. They may not be compatible with any other authentic accessories
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Missing parts on occasions, which means the model can't be completed
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Instructions to make 1 model per set, which is lower value for money. All of the LaQ sets, which are larger than the Mini size, have instructions for multiple models
All of these factors mean that the experience of playing with copycat products for both children and the purchaser is less than ideal, and falls short of providing a high quality experience.
By contrast, through 25 years of experience of being used and loved by children, LaQ products have addressed all of these factors and this is why it is such a high quality toy
Discover the history of LaQ