our top picks

The Best Kubb Sets for Backyard Viking Battles

Kubb is the Swedish block-and-baton game that turns any lawn into a Viking battlefield, and the good news is that almost every set sells you the same 21 pieces: ten kubbs, a king, six throwing batons, and four corner stakes. What you are really choosing is the wood, the size class, and how the whole pile packs up when the battle is over. Here are the five sets I would actually draft, and what separates them.

TOP 5 PICKS RANKED FOR REAL BACKYARDS 2 to 12 (1 or 2 a side is the sweet spot) PLAYERS
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The shortlist

Our top kubb picks at a glance

PickBest forScore
Yard Games Kubb Premium Size Best Overall 95 Check Price
GoSports Kubb Yard Game Set Best for Serious Players 92 Check Price
SWOOC Games Kubb Set with Wood Crate Best Showpiece 90 Check Price
Juegoal Kubb Game Set Best for Families 87 Check Price
ApudArmis Kubb Yard Game Set Best Budget 85 Check Price
MVP Pick
95 Best Overall

Yard Games Kubb Premium Size

Pros
  • Durable shock-absorbent hardwood with real heft at 13 pounds
  • Full premium-size piece list: 6 inch kubbs, 12 inch king, 12 inch dowels, corner stakes
  • Includes a nylon carrying case plus instructions and a boundary marker
Watch for
  • The carrying case is the weak point, with reviewers reporting it wears out long before the wood
  • Hardwood still dents and scuffs with hard driveway or gravel play
Who it's for

This is the set I hand to anyone who wants real kubb at a fair price, with full-size pieces and proper weight. Treat the bag gently or plan to replace it eventually.

Check Price on Amazon
92 Best for Serious Players

GoSports Kubb Yard Game Set

Pros
  • Hand-sanded, knot-free hardwood for consistent baton flight
  • Sold in both Backyard and Regulation sizes, so leagues can buy full size
  • Laser engraved team graphics and a travel carry case included
Watch for
  • Isolated reports of a baton breaking at a knot, though GoSports replaced it quickly
  • Two size options on one listing make it easy to order the smaller set by mistake
Who it's for

Buy this one when your crew keeps score and argues about throwing lines, and double-check you picked Regulation at checkout. Casual families can save with the Backyard size or the budget picks below.

Check Price on Amazon
90 Best Showpiece

SWOOC Games Kubb Set with Wood Crate

Pros
  • Sustainably sourced New Zealand rubberwood with a no-split, no-warp guarantee from SWOOC
  • Wooden crate doubles as a mallet for driving the corner stakes, with a built-in bottle opener
  • SWOOC plants a tree for every set sold and backs it with at least a 1 year warranty
Watch for
  • The mallet handle's clasp is flimsy, and reviewers say it pops loose every time the crate rides in a car
  • Wood ships unfinished, so one reviewer added a wipe-on poly coat to get furniture-grade looks
Who it's for

This is the set that lives on the patio shelf and starts conversations, with the cleverest packaging in the category. If you just want maximum wood per dollar, the value picks below win.

Check Price on Amazon
87 Best for Families

Juegoal Kubb Game Set

Pros
  • Smooth-finished rubberwood that reviewers praise for being splinter-free
  • Solid 12.5 pound weight, so it plays like a real set rather than a toy
  • Complete 21-piece roster with instructions and a carry bag
Watch for
  • The non-woven carry bag is lighter duty than the nylon cases on the pricier sets
  • The listing does not publish individual piece dimensions, so size sticklers are buying a little blind
Who it's for

The friendliest all-around family set, smooth enough for small hands and heavy enough to play properly. League players who care about exact piece specs should look at the GoSports regulation set instead.

Check Price on Amazon
85 Best Budget

ApudArmis Kubb Yard Game Set

Pros
  • Full-size rubberwood pieces with every dimension listed, down to the corner stakes
  • Plays on grass, sand, or gravel, and survives years of use per long-term reviewers
  • Waterproof zip-up nylon carry bag at the lowest price on this list
Watch for
  • The blocks scuff and pick up grass stains with heavy use; one long-term owner gave the batons a sanding after a rough night
  • One handy DIYer points out you could cut your own set for less, if your weekends are free
Who it's for

The cheapest way to find out if your backyard is ready for Viking chess, and it holds up far better than the price suggests. Buy it to try the game; upgrade to hardwood when the league gets serious.

Check Price on Amazon
From the commissioner

How to choose a kubb set

  • Count the pieces first. A complete set is 10 kubb blocks, 1 king, 6 throwing batons, and 4 corner stakes to mark the pitch. Every pick on this list ships all of that plus a carry bag or crate. Plenty of bargain sets quietly skip the stakes, and then you are pacing out the pitch with shoes.
  • Heavier wood plays better. Full-size sets on this list run about 12 to 14 pounds, and that heft is what makes blocks fall clean and batons fly straight instead of fluttering. A suspiciously light set usually means undersized pieces.
  • Rubberwood is the budget sweet spot. It is a dense plantation hardwood that shrugs off chips and splinters, which is why most of the value sets use it. The step up is knot-free, hand-sanded hardwood, which throws more consistently because there are no weak points in the batons.
  • Check the size class before you buy. GoSports sells its set in separate Backyard and Regulation sizes on the same listing, and other brands label theirs premium or tournament size. Casual family games are happier with the smaller class; league nights want full size.
  • The case matters more than you think. Twenty-one pieces of solid wood is a real haul. A zip-up nylon bag is the standard answer, and reviewers are consistently harder on flimsy cases than on the wood itself. The wooden show crate on the SWOOC set is the premium fix.
next up

Build the whole roster

Outfitting a party or a whole backyard? Grab the bundle and save a trip, or see how kubb stacks up against the rest.

Shop the bundle → More picks
Buyer's desk

Kubb buying FAQ

What comes in a kubb set?

A complete set has 21 playing pieces: ten kubb blocks, one king, six throwing batons, and four corner stakes for marking the pitch. Every set on this list also includes a carry bag or crate, and most ship with a printed rule sheet. If a listing does not mention corner stakes, assume you are improvising your boundaries.

What is the difference between backyard and regulation kubb sets?

It is piece size. Regulation-class sets use full-size, full-weight pieces that fall and fly predictably, which is what you want for competitive games on a full 26 x 16 ft pitch. Backyard-class sets shave the dimensions down a bit, which makes them lighter to carry and friendlier for kids, at the cost of some consistency.

Is kubb the same as molkky?

No. Molkky is a Finnish points game where you throw one pin at twelve numbered pins and race to exactly 50. Kubb is a two-team Swedish battle game with no points at all: you clear your opponent's blocks and then topple the king to win. They scratch a similar wooden-throwing itch, but the strategy is completely different.

Can you leave a kubb set outside?

Better not to. The wood handles damp grass during a game just fine, but living outdoors fades and roughens it. Long-term owners report blocks picking up scuffs and grass stains with heavy use, and an occasional light sanding brings beat-up batons back to smooth. Pack the set back in its case between game days and it will last for years.

What wood should a kubb set be made of?

Most value sets use rubberwood, a dense plantation hardwood that resists chipping and splintering, and it is genuinely good. Premium sets step up to knot-free hand-sanded hardwood, which matters most for the batons, since a knot is a built-in breaking point on a piece you throw all game.