💻 Coding · 🤖 AI robots, toys and kits · 🏫 Classroom tools
VEX IQ
By VEX Robotics. Visit VEX IQ
Desk research from the maker's own pages. Not yet tried by us. Checked 2026-10-24.
VEX IQ is a snap-together plastic robot kit for classrooms and competition teams, aimed at grades 5-8. Students build a robot from 750 or more parts with a brain, motors, controller and sensors, then drive it or code it in VEXcode IQ using blocks, Python or C++. Kits come with STEM Labs lessons, and teams can enter the VEX IQ Competition, a game-based engineering challenge.
Our take: A strong pick for schools and clubs teaching robotics to middle schoolers; families wanting a cheap home toy can find simpler kits.
| Ages it suits | grades 5-8 (maker's target) |
|---|---|
| What its terms say about age | No age rule in the site terms; the VEXcode apps need no account. (terms) |
| Price | Paid. Education Kit $499.99, Competition Kit $729.99, classroom bundles from $2,739.99; optional PD+ teacher training $999 a year (Oct 2026). |
| Works on | A device, Chromebook, iPhone and iPad, Android, Windows, Mac |
| Account | No account needed |
| Ads | None |
| In-app purchases | None |
| The AI in it | No AI. |
What's good
- Real engineering with sturdy, reusable parts
- Coding grows from blocks to Python and C++
- Apps collect no personal data
Watch for
- Expensive for home use
- Works best with an adult coach or teacher
- Competition teams take a big time commitment
Data and privacy
VEX says its VEXcode and classroom apps collect no personally identifiable information from adults or children, only anonymous Google Analytics usage and anything you type into the feedback tool; it says this complies with COPPA and FERPA. Read the privacy policy.
Does it work?
The maker's own claims only; no independent study found.
In the Big Index
- The maker in the who's who: VEX Robotics
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Where these facts come from
- https://www.vexrobotics.com/iq
- https://www.vexrobotics.com/software-privacy-policy
- https://www.vexrobotics.com/terms-of-use
Prices, terms and features change. Nobody paid to be listed, nothing here is an affiliate link, and Peabody never rates itself. Where we and the maker disagree, the maker's own pages are the ones to trust.