The 10 Best Arduino Starter Kits - Guide 2020

     Arduino is the largest open-source hardware platform in the world which offers unlimited possibilities that can be realised using microcontroller-based products.Do you want to start making your own electronics projects? An Arduino is a good starting point. Therefore, we did some research and found for you the best arduino kits for you or for your child.

     Because there are so many Arduino Starter Kits available online, each offering a variety of components, you just need to choose the right one for your needs and for your future projects.

     The biggest different between the available kits is the number of items, the quality of the components, if it comes with an original Arduino or a clone and if it comes with instructions or not. Additionally, some kits come with more expensive sensors and displays.

      So, here is a list of the 10 best Arduino starter kits that are perfect for beginners.

FIGURE NAME PRICE NUMBER OF ITEMS LINK
Official
Arduino Starter Kit
$$$ 40
Elegoo Complete Starter Kit $$ 63
Elegoo Super Starter Kit $ 36
DFROBOT Arduino Starter Kit $$ 20
LAFVIN Project Super Starter Kit $$ 42

UNIROI Ultimate Starter Kit

$$ 50

kuman Complete Starter Kit

$ 44

Smraza Ultimate Starter Kit

$ 29

SunFounder Project Super Starter Kit

$$ 60

REXQualis Complete Starter Kit

$$ 67

 

1. Official Arduino Starter Kit

The first kit on the list is the Official Arduino Starter Kit. It has more than 750 customer’s reviews, which makes the users trust the item and buy without hesitation. This kit includes a lot of components and a 170-page Project Book which contains 15 different projects you can make using the components with step-by-step tutorials.

The projects book that is provided along with this kit covers some basic theory on electronics, and gives you an insight on the basics of programming, by explaining the codes of all the projects in the simplest way possible. This is pretty cool if you’re an absolute beginner, because you’ll be able to learn how to do amazing projects with the components provided.

Another great thing about this kit is that the projects book is available in other languages besides English, like German, Italian, French, Spanish, Chinese and Korean.

The Official Arduino Starter Kit contains the following components:

  • Arduino Projects Book
  • Arduino UNO R3
  • USB cable
  • Breadboard 400 Pins
  • Easy-to-assemble wooden base
  • 9V battery snap
  • Solid core jumper wires (70)
  • Stranded jumper wire
  • Phototransistors (6)
  • 10KΩ Potentiometers (6)
  • Push buttons (10)
  • Temperature sensor TMP36
  • Tilt sensor
  • Alphanumeric LCD (16 × 2-character display)
  • LEDs (1 x Bright White, 1 x RGB, 8 x Red, 8 x Green, 8 x Yellow and 3 x Blue)
  • Small DC motor (6-9V)
  • Small servo motor
  • Piezo capsule
  • H-bridge motor driver L293D
  • Optocouplers 4N35 (2)
  • MOSFET Transistors IRF520 (2)
  • Capacitors (5 x 100nF, 3 x 100µF, 5 x 100pF)
  • Diodes 1N4007 (5)
  • Transparent gels (red, green, blue)
  • 40 pin male header strip
  • Resistors (20 x 220Ω, 5 x 560Ω, 5 x 1KΩ, 5 x 4.7Ω, 10 x 10KΩ, 5 x 1MΩ, 5 x 10MΩ)

 

All the components are neatly packed in a box along with the 170-page book.

There are so many reasons for listing this kit in the top, such as: the high-quality components, the great performance of the kit as it features 2KB RAM for storing the information, and the well written book which is very easy to follow.

The downsides of the product are that it’s a bit expensive compared to the other kits on this list and it doesn’t come with the programming software. Still, you can download it for free from the official Arduino website with full instructions on how to install it.

So, if you have a bigger budget and want to get one of the easiest to use kits on the marker, this one’s for you.

2. Elegoo Complete Starter Kit

This kit from Elegoo is just awesome. It comes with more than 200 components, in which 63 are different. Besides basic components like resistors, LEDs and pushbuttons, it comes with a nice set of modules and sensors like: RFID reader, water level sensor, accelerometer/gyroscope module, LED matrix, motion sensor, ultrasonic sensor and much more.

There is also a manual included with instructions for example projects to help you get started. The manual includes the code (you can copy the code from a CD that comes with the kit), and pictures of assembled circuits, so that you don’t get lost. All the code was tested, so that you don’t get compilation errors when uploading code to your Arduino board.

Everything comes in a nice plastic case to keep everything organized, plus an extra mini box to store small parts. The microcontroller is an Arduino clone from Elegoo, but works exactly the same as the official Arduino. This is a good kit not just for beginners but also for experienced makers.

The kit includes some really great stuff, including the following:

  • MEGA2560 Controller Board
  • LEDs (5 x Yellow, 5 x Red, 5 x Green, 5 x Blue, 1 x RGB)
  • Ceramic Capacitor(22pf & 104pf) (10)
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • Thermistor
  • Diode Rectifier (1N4007) (5)
  • Electrolytic Capacitor (10UF 50V & 100UF 50V) (4)
  • NPN Transistor (PN2222 & S8050 ) (10)
  • Tilt Switch
  • Button (small) (2)
  • 1 digit 7-segment Display
  • 4 digit 7-segment Display
  • Sound Sensor Module
  • LCD1602 Module (with pin header)
  • IC L293D
  • IC 74HC595
  • Buzzers (1 x Active, 1 x Passive)
  • RTC Module
  • DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module
  • Potentiometer (2)
  • Rotary Encoder Module
  • Joystick Module
  • Keypad Module
  • 5V Relay
  • IR Receiver Module
  • Breadboard
  • Servo Motor (SG90)
  • Stepper Motor
  • ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board
  • Prototype Expansion
  • Power Supply Module
  • HC-SR501 PIR Motion Sensor
  • Ultrasonic Sensor
  • GY-521Module
  • 3V Servo Motor
  • MAX7219 Module
  • Remote
  • 9V 1A Power Supply
  • 65 Jumper Wire
  • Water Lever Sensor
  • USB Cable
  • 9V Battery with DC
  • RC522 RFID Module
  • Resistor (10Ω, 100Ω, 220Ω, 330Ω, 1KΩ, 2KΩ, 5.1KΩ, 10KΩ, 100KΩ, 1MΩ) x 120
  • Female-to-male Dupont Wire (20)

 

All the items are stored in a nice plastic box to keep everything organized, and additionally you get an extra small box provided to keep widgets.

You can notice that this kit includes a lot of advanced components like joystick module, DHT11 Humidity and Temperature module, RFID module, ultrasonic sensor, servo motor, stepper motor, IR receiver, remote and much more, which are a bit complex for beginners, but once you are done with the basic projects, implementing these won’t be a problem.

Although the microcontroller is an Arduino clone from Elegoo, it works exactly the same as the official Arduino. Pins and wires on some helpful parts have been pre-soldered, which saves a lot of time and it is a proof that Elegoo pays attention to every single detail when it comes to the quality of their products.

What makes this kit so special is that this kit is awesome for beginners, and for experienced makers as well.

3. Elegoo Super Starter Kit

Next on the list is another Elegoo product. Specifically, it is Elegoo UNO Project Super Starter Kit. This kit is very popular, especially because it has helped many beginners to get a solid base on the idea of Arduino, and to move further to an advanced level.

Since it delivers a perfect combination of low price and high quality, it is considered by many to be the best value on the market. With this kit you’ll get a CD with a PDF file in it, which includes more than 20 tutorials with fun projects.

Compared to the previous kit, this one comes with UNO R3 microcontroller, and includes less items, which are just enough for beginners.

This kit contains the following components:

  • Elegoo UNO R3 (Compatible with Arduino Uno)
  • 16x2LCD Module (with pin header)
  • Breadboard
  • Expansion Board
  • Breadboard Power Supply Module
  • Joystick Module
  • IR Receiver
  • Servo Motor (SG90)
  • Stepper Motor
  • ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board
  • Ultrasonic Sensor
  • DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module
  • 9V Battery
  • 65 Jumper Wire
  • USB Cable
  • Buzzer (Active and Passive)
  • Potentiometer
  • 5V Relay
  • Remote
  • Tilt Switch
  • Button (5)
  • 1 digit 7-segment Display
  • 4 digit 7-segment Display
  • LEDs (5x Yellow, 5x Blue, 5x Green, 5x Red, 1x RGB)
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • Thermistor
  • Diode 1N4007 (2)
  • P2N2222 NPN Transistor (2)
  • IC 74HC595 Shift Register
  • Resistor (120)
  • Female-to-male DuPont Wire (10)

 

All parts come with header pins, so you don’t need to worry about soldering. Additionally, everything comes organized in a handy plastic case.

The greatest advantage of the Elegoo UNO Starter Kit that makes it so special is that it is not only for beginners, but also for advanced users. The overall performance of this starter kit is great, and has no major flaws, so if you are working on a budget, we highly recommend this kit.

4. DFROBOT Arduino Starter Kit

This Arduino Kit from DFRobot comes with 20 different components. Everything comes clearly labeled and organized in a plastic box, so you don’t have trouble finding the right parts for your projects. They provide flash cards and instructions (on their website) to build 15 different projects. These are good resources for both teaching and learning. It comes with an Arduino clone compatible with the original Arduino UNO.

This kit contains the following components:

  • DFRduino UNO R3 (Compatible with Arduino Uno)
  • Prototyping Shield
  • Jumper Cables M/M (30)
  • Jumper Cables F/M (10)
  • Resistor 220R (20)
  • Resistor 4.7K (20)
  • Resistor 10K (20)
  • Resistor 1K (20)
  • 5mm LED (10)
  • IR Reciver Diode
  • Mini Push Button (4)
  • Ambient Light Sensor
  • Tilt Switch Sensor
  • 8-Segment LED
  • LM35 Temoerature Sensor
  • Relay
  • Buzzer
  • Fan
  • 130 Motor
  • 10K Potentiometer (3)
  • Micro Servo
  • Mini Controller (with battery CR2025 inside)
  • 6x AA Battery Holder
  • 400 Tie Point Interlocking Solderless Breadboard

5. LAFVIN Project Super Starter Kit

This kit comes with everything you need to get started with Arduino. The microcontroller is not the official Arduino, it is a fully compatible clone. Everything comes really well packed and organized in a plastic case, and in a smaller plastic box for small components like LEDs, resistors and pushbuttons. It brings nice modules and sensors.

This kit contains the following components:

  • LEDs (5x White LED, 5x Yellow LED, 5x Blue LED, 5x Green LED, 5x Red LED, 1x RGB LED)
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • Thermistor
  • Diode Rectifier 1N4007 (2)
  • NPN Transistor PN2222 (2)
  • Tilt Switch
  • Button (5)
  • 1 digit 7-segment Display
  • 4 digit 7-segment Display
  • Sound Sensor Module
  • LCD1602 Module ( with pin header)
  • IC L293D
  • IC 74HC595
  • Active Buzzer
  • Passive Buzzer
  • DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module
  • Potentiometer
  • Joystick Module
  • Membrance Switch Module
  • 5V Relay
  • IR Receiver Module
  • UNO R3 Controller Board
  • 830 Point Breadboard
  • Servo Motor (SG90)
  • Stepper Motor
  • ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board
  • Prototype Expansion
  • Power Supply Module
  • Ultrasonic Sensor
  • 3V Servo Motor(Soldered Wire)
  • Fan Blade
  • Remote
  • 65 Jumper Wire
  • Water Lever Sensor
  • USB Cable
  • 9V Battery Connector with DC
  • Resistor 10R (10)
  • Resistor 100R (10)
  • Resistor 220R (10)
  • Resistor 330R (10)
  • Resistor 1K (10)
  • Resistor 2K (10)
  • Resistor 5K (10)
  • Resistor 10K (10)
  • Resistor 100K (10)
  • Resistor 1M (10)
  • Female-to-male Dupont Wire (10)
  • Resistance Identification Card
  • CD with Totutial

Perfect choice for beginners to learn, electronics and program. This kit with tutorial user manual containing more than 20 lessons,code,Libraries, datasheets, and so on.

6. UNIROI Ultimate Starter Kit

Highly recommended to beginners who want to experience electronic and robotic projects, Uniroi may be one of your choices. Uniroi kit is designed to be 100% compatible with Arduino.

The package comes equipped with free 20 tutorial lessons guiding beginners on projects, codes and so on in detailed explanation.

It features RAB holder that includes Arduino UNOR3, Mega 2560 and breadboard. Additionally, it is equipped with ATmega16u2 chip for larger memory. Arduino motor and wire are included. No soldering is required as modules come with a pin header.

This kit contains the following components:

  • LEDs (5x White LED, 5x Yellow LED, 5x Blue LED, 5x Green LED, 5x Red LED, 1x RGB LED)
  • Ceramic Capacitor (22pf & 104pf) (10)
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • Thermistor
  • Diode Rectifier 1N4007 (5)
  • Electrolytic Capacitor (10UF 50V & 100UF 50V) (4)
  • NPN Transistor (PN2222 & S8050) (10)
  • Tilt Switch
  • Button (5)
  • 1 digit 7-segment Display
  • 4 digit 7-segment Display
  • Sound Sensor Module
  • LCD1602 Module
  • IC L293D
  • IC 74HC595
  • Active Buzzer
  • Passive Buzzer
  • RTC Moduke
  • DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module
  • Potentiometer (2)
  • Rotary Encoder Module
  • Joystick Module
  • Keypad Module
  • 5v relay module
  • IR Reciver Module
  • MEGA2560 Controller Board
  • Breadboard
  • Servo Motor
  • Stepper Motor
  • ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver BOard
  • Prototype Expansion
  • Power Supply Module
  • HC-SR501 PIR MOtion Sensor
  • Ultrasonic Sensor
  • GY-521 Module
  • 3v Servo Motoro
  • MAX7219 Module
  • Remote
  • 9V 1A Power Supply
  • 65 Jumper Wire
  • Water Lever Sensor
  • USB Cable
  • 9V Battery with DC
  • RC522 RFID Module
  • Resistors(10R/100R/220R/330R/1K/2K/5K/10K/100K/1M) (120)
  • Female-to-male Dupont Wire (20)
  • Flame Sensor
  • Firm packing
  • Resistence card

There are just a ton of additional sensors, inputs, motors/servos, and basic components. Then there are the little touches. The case is absolutely brimming with stuff, but they include dividers so that even once you organize everything, you can customize the case to hold whatever needs holding. The pots include nuts and washers to let you mount them to your creations.

The CD containing the datasheets & lessons is very well laid out, especially when compared to other offerings of this nature. All the components datasheets are included. Frankly, that's all I was hoping for. The lessons are of good quality, but kits like these don't seem to include datasheets as often as they should. I wasn't expecting much in the way of documentation and was pleasantly surprised.

The Arduino Mega is also really cool. It's great for complex projects when you don't want to bother with shift registers. I'd never seen the prototyping hat for the Mega before, but it's pretty wicked. It takes the already great Arduino and adds a bunch of through-hole and SMD mounting points for when you're ready to take your project past the breadboard stage. The SMD contacts map out to through-hole contacts on the board. They're too hard to see in the picture, but they're there.

Other components range from crucial (resistors, capacitors, breadboards), to useful (stepper motors, IR receiver + remote control, keypad), to fun (there's a little servo motor with a propeller you can attach to it). There's also all the extras you'll need like a 9V battery + the connector for it, a 9V power brick, a USB A to B cable. Literally all you need is a computer to plug the thing into. Everything else is in this kit. All the sensitive components are individually packaged in anti-static material.

7. kuman Complete Starter Kit

In fact, Kuman Arduino kit is the only kit that has all the desired components in one package, and is one of the best sellers in its category.

The kit provides a total of 44 components and you can make a total of 23 projects using them. It also provides eBooks, detailed tutorials including project circuits, source codes, and step-by-step instructions, all in the form of PDF files.

This kit contains the following components:

  • Kuman UNO R3 Development Board
  • USB cable
  • Prototype extension board
  • Mini breadboard
  • 5V stepper motor
  • ULN2003 stepper motor driver board
  • LEDs (5 x Red, 5 x Green, 5 x Yellow, 1 x three color)
  • Vibration Sensor (2)
  • Flame sensor
  • LM35 temperature sensor
  • Infrared receiver
  • Photoresistor (3)
  • Key cap (4)
  • Key switch (4)
  • Adjustable potentiometer
  • Passive buzzer (piezo buzzer)
  • Active buzzer (tone generator)
  • Jumper cap
  • Large breadboard
  • Remote Control
  • 16 x 2 Screen LCD
  • Breadboard module
  • HC-SR04 module
  • Component box
  • DuPont line 10pin
  • Breadboard line (30)
  • 8*8 dot matrix
  • 1 digit 8 segment tube
  • 4-digit 8 segment tube
  • IC 74HC595
  • Battery Holder
  • Resistors (5 x 220Ω, 5 x 330Ω, 5 x 1KΩ, 5 x 10KΩ)
  • Battery 9V
  • 40pin pin header
  • Thermistor module
  • Touch sensor
  • CD with tutorial
  • Plastic box

 

Once you look over the list of components you can notice that the most common and useful electronic parts are included. Nothing extra or necessary that you don’t need if you’re an absolute beginner. Also, all of the pieces fit in the convenient plastic storage container which helps you be more organized.

Moreover, the performance of this kit is fantastic as it features hardware parts made out of the finest materials and they’re flexible as well.

The only downside is the box, which although practical, it is a bit tiny and it can be a n issue to get all the components back into the box.

8. Smraza Ultimate Starter Kit

Another great Arduino starter kit for beginners is Smraza Ultimate Starter Kit.

In particular, it contains over 30 parts and 150 common components for creating unique Arduino projects.  Also, it comes with a PDF with detailed tutorials for more than 15 projects with all instructions and source codes included. Additionally, the kit comes packaged in a convenient storage container.

This kit contains the following components:

  • R3 Controller Board
  • Breadboard Holder
  • 400 tie-points Breadboard
  • Servo Motor
  • 5V Relay
  • IC 74HC595
  • 5V DC Motor
  • Precision Potentiometer
  • Active Buzzer
  • 2N3904 Transistors (2)
  • 1N4148 Diodes (2)
  • DHT-11(Temperature and Humidity Sensor)
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • LEDs (5 x Yellow, 5 x Red, 5 x Green, 5 x Blue, 1 x RGB)
  • 12mm Buttons(large)(4)
  • 9V Battery adapter
  • USB Cable
  • 65*Jumper Wire
  • Resistors (50 each 330Ω, 10KΩ)
  • Fan
  • Key cap ( 1 x White, 1 x Yellow, 1 x Green, 1 x Red)
  • 4 digit 7-segment display

 

All the components are already soldered, and are also compatible with many other external sources. In addition to that, this kit is easily expandable, just update it with some sensors, and you’re ready to do more advanced Arduino projects and explore more possibilities.

One drawback is the absence of capacitors, but a servo motor and a DC motor are provided instead.

9. SunFounder Project Super Starter Kit

This is another type of Arduino starter kit with a huge collection of components.

Although it is very cheap and has just a few reviews, you can still buy this kit without having a second thought as you can make at least 25 interesting projects with more than 200 components provided in the kit. Also, it is very well documented with the included DVD that contains detailed instructions to setup the board.

Also, it includes UNO R3 controller board and USB cable, and is 100% compatible with Arduino UNO R3, Arduino Mega 2560, Arduino Mega 328 and Arduino Nano.

This kit contains the following components:

  • MEGA2560 Controller Board
  • 5V Relay
  • Remote Control
  • Servo Motor (SG90)
  • USB Cable (5)
  • LCD1602 Character Display
  • IR Receiver
  • Humiture Sensor
  • Joystick PS2
  • 74HC595
  • L293d
  • Button (small) (5)
  • Power Supply Module
  • Stepper Motor
  • Stepper Motor Driver
  • Active Buzzer
  • 4-Digit 7-Segment Display
  • 7-segment display
  • Jumper Wire (Male to Male) (65)
  • 9V Battery Clip Connector
  • Dupont wire (Female to Male) (10)
  • Breadboard
  • LEDs (5 x Yellow, 5 x Red, 5 x Green, 5 x Blue, 5 x White, 1 x RGB)
  • Resistors (10 each 10Ω, 100Ω, 220Ω, 330Ω, 1KΩ, 2KΩ, 5.1KΩ, 10KΩ, 100KΩ, 1MΩ)
  • Tilt Switch
  • Thermistor
  • Capacitor Ceramic 100nF (4)
  • Photoresistor
  • 1N4007
  • Potentiometer
  • NPN Transistor (S8050) (2)
  • Small Motor
  • Fan
  • Ultrasonic Sensor Module

 

Although it is clone, the SunFounder MEGA2560 board is exactly the same as the official board and is fully compatible with the Arduino software.

Above all, the best thing about this kit is that there is a huge number of good-quality pieces that come in a well laid out and compact plastic case.

The only downside of this kit is that the explanations in the PDF are a bit complicated.

10. REXQualis Complete Starter Kit

REXQualis is rated to be the most complete Arduino starter kit with high quality of the year, making it the number 6th amongst the top ten kits of the year 2020.

The whole package comes equipped with 67 kinds of component for modules, which is more than 200 common item pieces.

The upgraded package now includes Max7219 Led dot Matrix, MPU-6050, HC-SR501 PIR sensor, water Level detection sensor, a rotary encoder and so on.

Free tutorial lessons are provided to support your exploration and assembly. They are available on the company website.

This kit contains the following components:

  • UNO R3 Controller Board
  • Breadboard Expansion Board
  • Power Supply Module
  • LCD1602 Module (with pin header)
  • Membrane Switch Module
  • 9V 1A Adapter
  • Joystick Module
  • Servo Motor (SG90)
  • Stepper Motor
  • 3-6V Motor
  • Fan Blade
  • ULN2003 Stepper Motor Driver Board
  • Ultrasonic Sensor
  • DHT11 Temperature and Humidity Module
  • IR Receiver
  • Battery Clip with Male DC
  • 65 Jumper Wire
  • F/M Dupont Wire (20)
  • USB Cable
  • Breadboard
  • Active Buzzer
  • Passive Buzzer
  • Potentiometer
  • 5V Relay
  • Remote
  • Tilt Switch
  • 1 digit 7-segment Display
  • 4 digit 7-segment Display
  • Photoresistor (2)
  • Thermistor (2)
  • Diode Rectifier (1N4007) (2)
  • NPN Transistor (PN2222) (2)
  • IC 74HC595
  •  IC L293D
  • Button (5)
  • LEDs (5 x Yellow, 5 x Red, 5 x Green, 5 x Blue, 1 x RGB)
  • Resistors (120)

This starter kit is from rexqualis. This kit is economical and contains all components required for a beginner.It consists of UNO R3 controller board ,an Arduino clove by rexqualis. you can make 23 projects using this kit.kit consists of 30 kinds of components.This kit has 9v 1 amp power adapter.

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