Master Workbench

We got the Hape Workbench for our 2.5-year-old, and it’s been a HUGE hit in our house.What I love most is how many ways kids can engage with this. Our child spends time pretending to “fix” things, hammering, turning the little screws, and sorting pieces. It’s fun and great for developing fine motor skills and encouraging problem-solving. I also appreciate that it comes with many accessories (nuts, bolts, tools, etc.), making it feel like a real workstation.It’s the perfect height for toddlers and preschoolers, and I love that it isn’t made of cheap plastic. This is a toy that feels built to last and looks great in a playroom too!

I bought this workbench for my 17 month-old son. Suggested age is 3+ but unless your child still puts everything in his/her mouth (the bolts might be a choking hazard for little ones) I think this work bench is safe and suitable for younger kids with good hand dexterity. They probably won't be able to use right away all of the tools for the intended purpose (some abilities are not developed until age 2 or more), but kids can still have fun even if they do not take full advantage of the features of a toy (yet). This actually means the toy can "grow" with your child, which is always a plus. For example my 17 month-old son is not able to use the screwdriver to secure the screws into the bolts while holding the bolts on the other side of the wood panel (same "problem" that another reviewer's kid had), but still has lots of fun just pounding the screws with the hammer and spinning the sprockets.Height is adjustable, bench is lightweight but sturdy, and the screws/nails and little tools keep my son entertained for a long time. The bottom shelf is very useful to store the wood pieces when not playing. Price is relatively expensive, but you should expect to pay more for a well-made wood bench vs some cheap plastic one.For those who reported wobbly benches or that the holes do not line up, I want to point out that the front right leg and front left leg are not interchangeable. It is not clearly stated in the instructions or marked on the wood pieces, but if you look at the position of the front holes in the manual you will understand what is the left and what is the right leg. If legs are assembled correctly, the bench doesn't wobble and all of the holes line up perfectly. Tightening the screws little by little while assembling the bench also helps in leveling all the pieces (vs tightening one screw all the way through before moving to the next one).Overall a happy customer!

This is an awesome toy, but the assembly is tougher than it seems like it will be - and only at the last step. Here’s how I got mine together:1. Follow the provided instructions up until the last step, making sure that you align the legs properly (the bottom screw that attaches to the bottom tray isn’t centered in the leg - the wider part of the leg needs to be on the outside).2. If the top tray won’t align, remove the bottom screws from the storage tray in the back. Then, insert the top tray per the instructions and re-insert the bottom screws. Th extra horizontal force from the bottom screws was squeezing my vertical supports so much that the workbench surface couldn’t fit in its spot.I was CERTAIN that something had been mis-drilled, and I do think some of the cuts are off by a few mm, but by taking these two extra steps I was able to assemble the workbench perfectly. No wobbles, nothing crooked, nothing half-attached.Other stuff I had to fix during assembly:- I put the front legs on wrong (narrow part to the outside), which made the workbench look crooked and wobbly and made it impossible to insert the top piece- I used the short screws to add the green piece (don’t do that, they don’t reach)The provided directions aren’t the best but hopefully with these tips you will get yours together on the first try! If I had done it right the first time, assembly would have been about 15 min instead of 90.

Good quality toy work bench. Has held up well for 2+ years.