Pocket Puzzles

Small puzzles that travel. These fit in a jacket pocket, a backpack side pocket or a carry-on, and they are cheap enough that losing one is annoying rather than painful.

Size is not the same as easy. Some of the hardest puzzles in the shop are the small ones - Shinobi is three flat pieces at $7 and regularly takes over an hour.

What to pack

For a plane or a train, the enclosed ones are safest: Swapping Castles and Slidely Trivial keep their pieces in the frame. Turbulence and Fish Tank are flat trays that work on a tray table.

For a pocket: 2 Piece Pyramid at $6, Newton's Gravity Defying Puzzle at $9, the Impossible Dovetail at $15, and the small burrs from $13.

Best for

Frequent flyers and commuters. Parents building a distraction kit for a long journey. Teachers and managers who want a few puzzles in a drawer. Buyers assembling a stocking or a secret santa under $20.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are pocket puzzles easier than full-size ones?

No. Piece count and physical size are unrelated to difficulty. Several puzzles here are rated hard or expert despite having three or four pieces.

Which ones can I solve on a plane?

The sliding and tray puzzles, because the pieces stay inside the frame. Loose-piece assembly puzzles are risky on a tray table - pieces roll.

What is a good set to buy together?

Three or four under $15 covers different puzzle types and gives a traveller variety. Mixing one tray puzzle, one sliding puzzle and one small burr works well.

Are these suitable for children?

Most suit ages 12 and up. They are small enough to be a choking risk for young children, and the difficulty is aimed at adults and teens.