CircuitMess makes DIY electronics kits that you build yourself, starting from a bare circuit board.We design and manufacture our kits in-house: the PCBs, the enclosures, the firmware, and the step-by-step guides that come in every box. The range now covers a family of buildable devices, including the MAKERphone, Chatter messaging devices, the Wheelson self-driving car, ByteBoi, Clockstar, Circuit Pet, our rover kits and the Artemis watch. Some need a soldering iron and some are entirely solder-free, so there is a sensible place to start whether you are eleven or fifty.The part we care most about is what happens after the build. Every kit is meant to be understood, not just assembled, so each one ships with illustrated assembly instructions and coding lessons that let you reprogram the device once it powers up. Most people who start out following the steps end up rewriting the code, and that is the whole point.Our kits get built at kitchen tables by parents and kids working together, and they are used in classrooms and STEM programmes internationally.If a kit arrives faulty, if a part is missing, or if you get stuck halfway through a build, email [email protected] or call +1 (231) 907-6433 and we will help you sort it out.
Written by the business, not verified by us.
Is CircuitMess legit?
CircuitMess (circuitmess.com) has a 4.2 out of 5 rating on OK.one, based on 101 user reviews collected here. It is listed under Construction & Manufacturing and its reputation is good. 74% of reviews are 4 stars or higher and 11% are 1 star; The business has replied to 100% of negative reviews; Reviews mostly discuss Product, Customer service, User experience. Last updated 2026-08-12.
What reviewers say
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Reviewers had a great experience with this company. People love the engaging electronic kits, explaining that they are well-made, highly educational, and provide a wonderful hands-on way for children to learn coding and building skills. Consumers often highlight the supportive community and note that the helpful team quickly resolves issues when assistance is required.
However, some people mentioned experiencing frustrating delays or receiving no response from support when trying to replace defective items and missing parts. A few reviewers also noted occasional product flaws, such as fragile components or items that failed to work right out of the box.
Auto-generated from all reviews of this business. For reference only.
Really cool kits to assemble with my kids! We have the Wheelson and ByteBoi, which are a lot of fun. The support has also been amazing, with their quick response we were able to get a part we needed. Definitely looking forward to what they come out with next.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Dan,
Thank you so much for the wonderful review and for sharing your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you and your kids are having a blast assembling and playing with Wheelson and ByteBoi.
Our family has had a wonderful experience with CircuitMess. What initially attracted us was their unique approach to teaching electronics, programming, and technology through hands-on building projects. The kits are creative, educational, and genuinely fun for both children and adults.
What truly sets CircuitMess apart, however, is their customer support. We recently needed assistance, and the team went above and beyond to help us. Their communication was friendly, professional, and incredibly responsive. It is rare to find a company that cares so much about its customers and takes the time to ensure every issue is resolved properly.
You can feel the passion behind the company. Knowing that CircuitMess was founded with the goal of making electronics and engineering accessible through real-world building experiences makes the products even more special.
If you're looking for a meaningful alternative to passive screen time and want to inspire curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills, I highly recommend CircuitMess. Outstanding products, outstanding support, and a team that genuinely cares about its community.
Thank you, CircuitMess, for creating something truly unique.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Nikola,
Thank you for taking the time to write something this thorough. Reviews like yours are the ones that genuinely help another family decide, so it is appreciated well beyond our own team.
You are right that support is where we try to make the difference. Products can be copied; how you treat someone when something goes wrong cannot be. I will make sure the people who helped you see this.
Thank you for being part of the community, and enjoy the next build.
As a father, circuitmess gave me plenty of opportunity to spend time with my son building many project together and helping him learning more about electronics. We really enjoyed many of the project we build together
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Hazel,
Thank you. Time spent at the table with your son, soldering iron between you, is really the product here. The kits are mostly a good excuse for it.
Glad you have built so many together, and thank you for taking the time to write this.
I’ve got two kids 8/10 who love tech and are starting some basic coding. They LOVE the stuff from circuitmess. Their Chatter devices aren’t just a build it, play for a few months and get bored shoving it in a closet for a year. They continue to come back to them with new ideas and ways to try coding with some of their online guides. It’s like walkie talkies but more tech and “secretive” for kids than just real voice only talkies.
It’s safer and more educational than a flip phone, that’s for sure. Decent range on these things too. Neighborhood kids always want to play with them.
Circuitmess folks provide great support for questions too!
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Andrew,
This is great to read. Chatter was designed for exactly what you describe: something that keeps handing kids a reason to come back and change it, rather than a build-it-once project that ends up in a closet. Hearing that your 8 and 10 year old keep returning with new coding ideas is about the best feedback we could get.
The neighbourhood kids wanting in is a good sign too. If yours want to push the coding further, our guides go quite a bit deeper than the starter projects, and support can point you at the right ones.
Thank you for the kind words.
We picked up the Clockstar kit, Circuit Pet, and a soldering kit with goggles a couple of years ago, mostly hoping my son would find electronics interesting and It worked better than I expected.
The instructions were clear enough that he could follow along largely on his own: Real soldering, real components, and the genuine satisfaction of switching on something you assembled yourself. What stood out was that the kits are designed to be understood rather than just assembled and my kid kept asking what the parts actually did, and the material supported that instead of glossing over it.
Two years on, we're both still soldering, and the hobby started here. If you're looking for a way into hands-on electronics for a curious kid, this is the real thing rather than a toy version of it.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Marc,
Two years on and you are both still soldering. That is the review we would frame if we could.
Clockstar, Circuit Pet and a soldering kit is a great run to start on, and you put your finger on the thing we fight for in every manual: explaining what the parts actually do instead of just telling you where to put them. It costs a lot more pages, but it is the whole difference between assembling something and understanding it.
Thank you for taking the time to write this.
The electronic kits that they make have been designed and really dialed in to focus on new and intermediate electronics hobbyists. I’ve put together many of their products (both solder-free and otherwise) and thoroughly enjoyed both the process and the end result. The kits are aesthetically pleasing and highly functional and I end up understanding just a little more about our technical world than I did when I started.
I’ve been purchasing their products regularly since the 2019 kickstarter of their MakerPhone and highly recommend CircuitMess.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Willett,
Backing the MakerPhone Kickstarter in 2019 and still building with us today means a great deal, so thank you.
The line about understanding a little more about our technical world than when you started is exactly the goal. That is also the part that is easiest to lose when you are chasing something that looks good on a shelf, so we push hard to have both. Good to know it comes across.
Thank you for sticking with us all these years.
Great products, great company philosophy! I'm really into tech and DIY things, so having the opportunity to easliy share this with my nieces is awesome!
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Alex,
Thank you for the kind words. Passing a DIY habit down to nieces and nephews is one of our favourite things to hear about, and honestly it is close to why the kits exist in the first place.
If they get hooked and you are wondering what to build next, drop our support team a line and we will point you at something that fits their level.
Their kits are super fun and accessible, and their forums are very active and helpful. I was struggling with products they had discontinued for a while, but the help forums still had plenty of answers for me. I learned and enjoyed, and would definitely recommend to anyone else who wants an easy introduction to working with electronics hardware.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi Tod,
Thank you for the review, and sorry for the friction with the discontinued kits. That one is on us.
The forum has genuinely saved the day more than once in situations like that, and the people answering there deserve a lot of credit for it. Glad you got what you needed and enjoyed the process along the way.
If you ever hit a wall with an older kit, write to us directly too. We usually still have the answers, and sometimes we still have the parts.
Beautiful products that my son has had incredible fun assembling, improving his soldering and gaining a better understanding of electronics. The more difficult kits we have done together. Whenever I have reached out to Support, the CircuitMess team have been brilliant - they're prompt with their replies and extremely helpful. Could not be happier.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-31
Hi John,
Thank you for this. Watching a kid's soldering actually get better from one kit to the next is the best possible outcome for us, and the fact that you two have been tackling the harder ones together makes it even better.
I will pass your words on to the support team as well. They will be glad to hear it.
Happy building to you both.
CircuitMess gives a one of a kind experience. It's really great to have a company that provides you with technology that gives you the freedom and flexibility to make it your own. Having an easy, visual coding language available to mess around and see what all you can do with your own tech is a really nice touch. I also love the emphasis on getting hands on with the assembly of the tech as well, it's really important to the human brain to work with and create something physically, that's a unique sense of pride and satisfaction that's extremely hard to replicate.
Their customer service is also great! They work well with you and respond in a timely manner to get whatever issue you might have sorted.
If you see something that you think you might be interested in, I truly don't think you'll regret it. The experience is well worth it.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Izzie,
We are so glad to hear how much you appreciate the hands-on building and coding experience. Helping our builders experience that unique pride of constructing and personalizing their own technology is at the very core of what we do. It is also wonderful to know that our support team was able to provide a smooth experience for you!
Thank you for being such a valued part of the CircuitMess community, and we hope you have an absolute blast with your next build!
Amazing people, I had a few questions and support responded and answered me very quickly while being super friendly and understanding, if there is any company I would love to buy from again it's CircuitMess, my order (Bit2.0) came quickly and it is the perfect little device, I am addicted to Blocks (their version of Tetris).
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Martin,
We are delighted to hear that you had a great experience with our support team and that your Bit 2.0 arrived quickly. It is fantastic to know that you're enjoying Blocks it is definitely an addictive classic!
My son recently built the Mars Rover and really enjoyed it. It was a challenge for him but not one that was overly frustrating. What really sticks out to me though is the customer service. Towards the end, he realized the kit was missing a couple of pieces. I emailed customer service and spoke to a human almost immediately. They then sent the missing pieces, no questions asked. I would always recommend CircuitMess.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Melissa,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review!
We are so glad to hear that your son had a great time building the Mars Rover. Providing quick, human support whenever a builder needs a hand is something we take great pride in, so it means the world to know we were able to help out smoothly.
Thank you for your recommendation and for being a part of the CircuitMess community!
I bought the Artemis Smartwatch for my 8 year old.
I bought the Artemis Smartwatch for my 8 year old son after he complained that his (very nice) old school Swatch couldn’t do stuff like his friend’s cheap, Temu style smartwatches. Reluctant to go down that route, I thought the Artemis would be fun for him and me to build and program together and would be cool for him to show his friends. My son has experience with scratch programming and things like Lego Spike so was well set to start on the Artemis. We have programmed some of the examples and my son has experimented independently with some customisations. The kit works very well and is a good platform for learning and fun. It also tells the time :)
The customer support has been fantastic, helping me resolve a minor issue with one of the watch controls. Really quick and helpful responses.
I am very happy with this product and company. I will be looking out for other products to continue enjoying with my Son.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Andrew,
We are delighted to hear that you and your son had such a great time building and programming the Artemis Smartwatch together. It is fantastic that he is already diving into customisations and making the watch his own and of course, keeping track of the time while doing it!
We are also glad our customer support team was able to help you out quickly with that watch control. Creating engaging, high-quality experiences for young builders and providing dependable support along the way is what we strive for every day.
Hi Albert
I bought the rover kit as a Christmas 2026 present for my daughter who is studying AI and Robotics at the University of Canberra. She likes to tinker so I figure she will love this when she gets it.
I'm 61 and in my younger days, before computers, I loved making radio controlled model boats from scratch. Not long ago I walked into a hobby store. There was not a single model that needed construction just a bit of "assembly". Boring!!!. All the fun of building had been taken away.
Your company has brought the fun of building back and increased that fun with modern computing to add an extra element.
I look forward to seeing that rover in action early next year.
I have not looked in detail on your site but is there the ability of someone like my daughter to download the necessary compiler onto her laptop so she can create her own code rather than relying on your site. For advanced level customers?
Thanks for bringing the fun back.
I live in Australia and the speed with which it was dispatched and arrived was impressive. The shipping company used took good care of it. No damage visible and that is saying something since it came such a long way.
Regards
Mauro
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Dear Mauro,
Thank you for sharing your story with us!
To answer your question regarding advanced coding: yes, absolutely! Your daughter won't be limited to block-based coding. Advanced users can write custom code directly from their laptops using:
MicroPython: Great for text-based programming, giving her direct control over the board's components and logic using Python.
Arduino IDE: Ideal for traditional C/C++ programming. She can write, compile, and upload her own custom firmware entirely offline.
We are also glad to hear that your order arrived quickly and safely down in Australia!
Thank you again for your kind words.
Great products and when I have had any issues the customer service has been phenomenal
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Jenn,
We're so glad to hear that you're enjoying our products and that our customer service team was able to support you whenever you needed a hand. Knowing that our efforts make a positive difference for our builders means the world to us!
We've bought several kits over the years for our one kid, especially, who is interested in coding and electronics. I love that the company is responsive and that they stand behind their product. Their integrity is admirable. Their desire to share their knowledge in a way that makes sense to kids is fantastic!
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Jess,
We are so glad to hear that your child is enjoying our kits and diving into the world of coding and electronics. Bringing complex technology to life in a way that is fun and accessible for young builders is at the core of everything we do. Knowing that our efforts and integrity resonate with you means the world to our team.
Thank you for being such a loyal member of the CircuitMess community over the years. We can't wait to see what your young engineer builds next!
The most human service I have had from a tech company
We have bought a number of CircuitMess kits over the years and never had a single one give us trouble, so when one finally arrived with a faulty component in the box, I had no idea what to expect. I had never needed to contact their support before. What I got was quick replies from actual people, no arguing, no hassle.
When they learned my son's birthday was coming up, they rushed the replacement to make the date, and threw in a bonus on top just to make it right. He has barely put it down since!
It says something that the most human customer service I have had in years came from a tech company, of all places. They stand behind what they sell, and that is exceptional in today's retail.
The staff are friendly and genuinely knowledgeable. The products are exciting and stimulating, and my son and I both enjoy them.
Looking forward to new releases!
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi Franco,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a thoughtful and generous review!
Hearing that your son enjoyed his birthday build and hasn't been able to put it down since brings a huge smile to our entire team. We always aim to treat our builders like real people rather than just ticket numbers, so knowing that our support lived up to your expectations during a time-sensitive moment means everything to us.
Thank you for being such a valued part of the CircuitMess community over the years. We can't wait to share our upcoming releases with you and your son for your next building sessions together!
The products are great, and the company itself was so pleasant to deal with. I had a small issue with one item (seemingly caused by the shipping, not CircuitMess's fault), and they were super responsive and generous in replacing it quickly.
The products themselves are fun to use and have pushed me to learn some new skills, as I had hoped.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Dear Nicholas,
Thank you for leaving a review!
We are so glad to hear that you are having fun with our kits and learning new skills. We are also happy that our team could quickly help you out with the shipping issue.
Thank you for being part of the CircuitMess community!
Just finished the rover build with my 4 year old daughter and it was a blast. Challenging enough that we both learned something real, but never frustrating. Watching her face when it actually drove was the best part. These kits have become our favorite time together, and we're already picking out the next one. Highly recommend.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-30
Hi JM,
Thank you so much for leaving such a wonderful review!
We are so happy to hear that you and your 4-year-old daughter had such a great time building the Mars Rover together. There is nothing quite like that moment of magic when a kit comes to life after all the hard work putting it together!
Unopened return received weeks ago—still no refund ($150+) and zero communication
I am writing this review after completely running out of patience with CircuitMess customer support. I have returned my unopened order worth over $150, their team explicitly confirmed receipt of the package, and I have received no response to my emails and phone calls. I have been forced to file a formal chargeback dispute with my bank. Here is the exact timeline of my experience:
May 12, 2026: Placed and paid for my Order.
June 11, 2026: Order was finally delivered. On this same day, I initiated a refund request for the unopened products via customer support email.
June 29, 2026: Finally received approval to ship the return back (took 18 days to get approval after my initial June 11 request).
June 30, 2026: I paid to ship the order back via USPS.
July 9, 2026: Customer support emailed me stating: "I checked the tracking and can confirm the warehouse has received your return... I will issue your full refund right away. This should happen very soon, at the latest tomorrow".
July 15, 2026: No refund arrived. I reached out for an update.
July 17, 2026: Support blamed a system issue, stating their internal automated notification hadn't synced yet, but promised an immediate refund once manually confirmed.
July 20 & 23, 2026: I sent follow-up emails and tried calling them directly. Absolute radio silence.
It has been weeks since CircuitMess physically took back their inventory. Holding onto a customer's money after confirming you have the returned items is completely unacceptable business behavior. Avoid ordering from them if you expect reliable customer service.
Reply from CircuitMess2026-07-24
Hi Isaiah,
I'm Albert, the founder and CEO of CircuitMess, and I'm sorry — this is not how we should have treated you.
You returned everything unopened, we confirmed the return, and then we left you chasing us for weeks with promises that didn't hold and, worse, silence when you followed up. That's on us. You shouldn't have had to write this review to get movement.
Where things stand: your full refund has now been processed back to your original payment method and should land within a few business days. I've also just sent you a personal email — please check your inbox (and your spam folder, in case it landed there). I saw that you opened a dispute with your bank, and I want to make sure the refund and that dispute don't collide and leave you tangled up, so let's sort out the details directly from there.
We got this wrong, and I'm using it to fix how we handle returns so the next person doesn't go through the same thing. Thank you for holding us to account.
Albert
Founder & CEO, CircuitMess
