Jigsaw puzzles come in a variety of sizes and number of pieces. There are even several different sizes within the same number of pieces depending on the brand.
We wanted here to research the puzzle size (and piece size) based on the number of pieces. To do that, we analyzed the data of over 6,900 puzzle samples from 23 popular companies. This data was extracted from the Puzzle Warehouse.
The research involved only the sizes (i.e. piece counts) where there are enough puzzle samples from 4+ brands. Consequently, We picked puzzles with number of pieces between 100 and 4,000 as shown in the below tables.
Some examples of the puzzle brands used in the research include Buffalo Games, Eurographics, Ravensburger and Springbok.
Here are the research results;
Most Popular Puzzle Dimensions by Piece Count
The most popular puzzle dimensions overall is 24×18″ (61×46 cm). It’s used by the highest number of puzzle companies.
The most popular dimensions for jigsaw puzzles is 24×18″ (or 61×46 cm).
Here is the most popular size based on piece count:
| Puzzle Piece Count | Most Popular Size (in) | Most Popular Size (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 15×11, 19×13 | 38×28, 48×33 |
| 200 | 19.5×14.25 | 49.5×36 |
| 300 | 24×18 | 61×46 |
| 400 | 24×18 | 61×46 |
| 500 | 24×18 | 61×46 |
| 750 | 24×18 | 61×46 |
| 1,000 | 27×20, 30×24 | 68.5×51, 76×61 |
| 1,500 | 33.5×23.6 | 85×60 |
| 2,000 | 38×26 | 96.5×66 |
| 3,000 | 45×32 | 114×81 |
| 4,000 | 53.5×37.8 | 136×96 |
It’s worth noting that 100-piece and 1,000-piece puzzles each have two very popular sizes.
Average Size of Puzzle Pieces
The size of a puzzle piece varies significantly based on the piece count. The more pieces there are, the smaller the pieces are expected to be. So, we can’t just calculate an average for all jigsaw puzzles.
Here is the average piece size by number of pieces:
| Puzzle Piece Count | Average Piece Size (in) | Average Piece Size (cm) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 1.40 | 3.56 |
| 200 | 1.15 | 2.92 |
| 300 | 1.09 | 2.77 |
| 400 | 1.04 | 2.64 |
| 500 | 0.86 | 2.18 |
| 750 | 0.81 | 2.06 |
| 1,000 | 0.74 | 1.88 |
| 1,500 | 0.69 | 1.75 |
| 2,000 | 0.71 | 1.80 |
| 3,000 | 0.69 | 1.75 |
| 4,000 | 0.68 | 1.73 |
The piece size doesn’t seem to change much when the puzzle is over 1,000 pieces. In that case, the size ranges between 0.68″ (1.73 cm) and 0.71″ (1.80 cm).
There is only a little variation in piece size for jigsaw puzzles that are over 1,000 pieces.
And here is a visual illustration for the above table:
According to the puzzle samples analyzed, the smallest puzzle size is 0.43″ (1.09 cm) and the largest is 2.06″ (5.23 cm).
Most Popular Number of Pieces for Jigsaw Puzzles
Our research shows that 1,000 pieces is hands-down the most popular size for jigsaw puzzles (which is unsurprising and commonly accepted).
In fact, all the puzzle brands we researched do make 1000-piece puzzles. Also, this piece count comes in the most amount of puzzle dimensions e.g. each of MasterPieces and SunsOut make at least six different sizes.
The second most popular puzzle size is clearly 500 pieces. Only one puzzle company in our research does not seem to produce it.
The most popular size for jigsaw puzzles is 1,000 pieces followed by 500 pieces.
For the third most popular puzzle size, there is no clear winner. That spot seems to be shared by the following three sizes: 100, 300 and 2000 pieces.
Conclusion
Those are the results related to the size of jigsaw puzzles with respect to the number of pieces. The main findings are the following:
- The most popular dimensions for puzzles ever is 24×18 inches (or 61×46 cm).
- There is just a slight variation in piece size for puzzles that are over 1,000 pieces.
- The most popular piece count for puzzles is 1,000 followed by 500.
Now you know what puzzle dimensions are the most popular among the public overall and also based on the number of pieces.
Also, if you’re buying puzzles that have more than 1,000 pieces, you won’t need anymore to wonder about the piece size since it won’t change much anyway.
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