12 great Arduino kits for the DIY geek to build

1. The official Arduino Starter Kit

Arduino is a great, open-source introduction to microcontrollers. Here are 12 products that can get you started working with Arduino.

Available in the U.S. as the Arduino Starter Kit and outside the U.S. as the Genuino Starter Kit, this box brings with it a 150-page book to walk new hobbyists through the process of working with Arduino. This kit is $99.

2. Make: Getting Started with Arduino Kit v3.0

This kit from Maker Shed includes everything you need to get started with what they call physical computing. It will teach you the basics of using a microcontroller to blink an LED and it costs $65. There is a special edition version available for $75 as well.

.3. Adafruit ARDX v1.3 Experimentation Kit for Arduino

Adafruit's ARDX kit is a great way to get started with microcontrollers. There are 13 circuits to play with and it starts at $85—although discounts are available if purchased in bulk.

4. Autodesk 123D Arduino Basic Kit

The $84 Arduino Basic Kit from Autodesk 123D includes more than 150 individual components for the would-be maker. The instructions offer 15 different projects for beginners to try out.

5. littleBits Arduino Coding Kit

littleBits is known for making a ton of different snap together electronics kits. Their $89 Arduino Coding Kit is more like a Lego-style approach to microcontrollers.

6. Vilros Arduino Uno Rev 3 Ultimate Starter Kit

Including a 72-page manual and almost 200 components, the Vilros kit is a good deal for the money at $55. They also have a more expensive option that comes with an LCD.

7. DFRobot Beginner Kit for Arduino

The kit from DFRobot is compatible with Arduino Uno and it can help you get started with LED projects and more. It costs $50.

8. Funduino Learning Set UNO1 Kit for Arduino

Funduino offers a few different starter kits for Arduino, but their basic set starts at $48. Additionally, Funduino offers a 10% discount for educational institutions and students.

9. SparkFun Inventor's Kit V3.2

Priced at $99, the SparkFun Inventor's Kit has more options than most with 16 unique circuits to explore. The kit doesn't require any soldering and it comes with a full-color guidebook.

10. SainSmart UNO R3+5V Servo motor Starter Kit

The SainSmart UNO R3+5V Servo motor Starter Kit is another good deal at roughly $41. It includes a Servo moto, a shield, a development board, and detailed tutorials.