Arduino is the best option to learn code. It’s an enjoyable way of understanding the basics of programming with hands-on experience of hardware and software. Some of the best Arduino starter kits offer ease of use to help get started with programming. Hence, it’s one of the most widely used micro-controllers for electronic projects.
When it comes to electronic projects, you can do anything with Arduino. Usually, young coders, who find their way in robotics and electronics, prefer Arduino because of its simple installation and use. It’s a plug and play device, so it saves a lot of time from software installation and hardware setup.
Whether it’s a basic LED blinking project, a 7 segment display project, or an automation project that involves a stepper motor, make it all if you have the right Arduino kit. Starter kits are great because they keep you from unnecessary complexities in hardware. Connect the components and run your code. It’s the best way to learn.
Depending on your project hardware, there is a wide range of Arduino micro-controllers you can choose from. Therefore, it allows you to select the best-suited kit to ensure effectiveness. In this post, we will focus on some fantastic Arduino starter kits for beginners and advanced users.
What’s the Best Arduino Starter Kit?
Since Arduino is such a popular name in the world of electronics, you can find hundreds of starter kits loaded with the best peripherals, sensors, and connectivity gadgets. However, not every kit is suitable for every user. Therefore, it’s critical to filter out the most useful one according to the requirement.
These kits vary in terms of the Arduino model, connecting devices, sensors, and other components. From basic to advanced, there are several addons that you can avail of. It depends on how deeply you want to study the micro-controller.
So, based on the complexity and user-friendliness, there are multiple options competing for the best starter kit for Arduino:
Elegoo Uno Project Super Starter Kit
First up, we have this fantastic Elegoo Uno Starter Kit. It’s a comprehensive kit for beginner and advanced learners who want to develop hobbyist projects. First, let’s talk about the controller. It features the Elegoo Uno micro-controller that is compatible with open-source official Arduino software.
There are so many nice things about the Elegoo UNO kit. It comes with a compact plastic storage box that contains all the modules for kids as young as ten years old. Hence, it’s a perfect learner’s kit.
The starter kit features components like a stepper motor, a breadboard, active and passive buzzers, 7-segment displays, LCD module, 65 piece jumper wires set, diodes, transistors, and so much more.
The motor driver module is perfect for learning robotics. The components include resistors, LEDs, Remote, and USB cable. Moreover, the Elegoo UNO starter kit comes with a PDF containing more than 22 lessons and proper demonstrations to help get started. It’s an Arduino UNO R3 board, which is a great starting kit for beginners.
This kit comes with a 9 V battery, and it’s fully compatible with other Arduino micro-controllers like the Nano and Mega 2560. For an Arduino starter kit, it’s quite an economical deal, given that it has such a wide variety of components. Hence, you can develop most of the built-in codes in the Arduino IDE with the given components.
It’s a compact starter kit that is easily portable and ready because of its USB interface.
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Vilros Arduino UNO 3 Starter Kit
The Vilros Arduino UNO 3 Starter Kit is a perfect combo if you want to work on basic Arduino projects. It’s a UNO 3 kit with a genuine Arduino board and compatibility to work with all the official Arduino IDE distributions.
There are 190 parts in this kit. It contains more than a 72-page manual that discusses some cool Arduino projects, so you don’t have any trouble starting with your coding adventure. The kit includes a breadboard, USB Cable, Arduino UNO3 board, BJTs, buttons, resistors, jumper wires, buzzers, and much more.
The relay modules, DC motor, and servo motors are especially worth mentioning. These components allow you to program a bit more complex hardware projects that enhance your board’s learning. It’s a useful addition, especially for experienced users, to practice in areas like automation and robotics.
Arduino UNO 3 is one of the best Arduino boards. It’s just the perfect size for both small and large applications, and it has enough pin-outs to support average-sized projects. Moreover, it’s compatible with the official Arduino IDE. Furthermore, USB connectivity allows you to plug and play your board.
The only apparent drawback in this starter kit is the absence of the Ultrasonic Sensor. These sensors are commonly available in any other Arduino starter kit. Secondly, it doesn’t have a storage box so you might have to arrange that too.
Nevertheless, it’s still a useful starter kit for youngsters to get started.
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Official Arduino Starter Kit
The official starter kit from Arduino comprises of all the essential tools and components for effective learning. It’s one of the best Arduino starter kits as there are no unnecessarily advanced components. Hence, you pay for what you want to learn. For learners with very little knowledge of coding and electronics, it’s an ideal Arduino starter kit.
Like the Arduino IDE, it has a 170 page PDF with some fantastic projects. These projects range from the very basic to advanced applications, serving as a comprehensive learning tool for learners of all ages. Moreover, there are easy 15 projects to help you get your hands on this starter kit. These make it one of the best Arduino starter kits right now.
The starter kit contains Arduino UNO R3, with over 200 components and parts. There are various motors such as the DC, Servo, and Stepper motor for all-around learning of motion applications. This kit includes the standard USB cable for plug and play application,
The sensor kit is quite versatile that includes a tilt sensor, LEDs, resistors, and capacitors. Therefore, the kit walks you past various projects to strengthen your knowledge of micro-controllers and basic electronics. It’s a super starter kit for coders who wish to start young.
This is the only official starter kit for Arduino, still it isn’t the perfect one around. There are a couple of drawbacks to this product. Firstly, the book instructions can be a bit hard to read, so you may have to sit with your kid to help him with their initial projects. Secondly, it’s slightly pricier than some of the other generic starter kit.
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UCTRONICS Ultimate Starter Kit
The UCTRONICS Starter Kit for Arduino is the ultimate starter kit as it targets experienced programmers wishing to develop advanced projects. However, this kit has all the ingredients to help new learners understand the dynamics of Arduino programming.
This advanced kit features an Arduino Mega Board so that you can connect many I/O devices at one time. Therefore, it’s the most fitting kit for developing more extensive projects. Moreover, it has many sensors that include humidity sensor, water level sensor, RTC module, ESP8266 module, and DHT11 temp sensors.
The kit features the 1602 LCD module that allows you to visualize code outputs with minimum effort. The module is straightforward to set up to don’t spend much time on its connections and focus more on the coding.
It allows you to develop various projects that include physical quantities, giving in-depth knowledge of programming and electronics. The kit comes well-packed in a plastic box, so it’s easy to maintain and carry around. Hence, it’s an ideal product for teachers who teach programming and electronics.
It’s not a pricey kit. In fact, for the offered components, it’s quite an economical deal. Therefore, you can make your way to high-end projects at a minimal price, helping in economic project development. Hence, it’s a perfect Arduino starter kit for any age group.
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REX Qualis UNO R3
The REX Qualis UNO starter kit for Arduino is a comprehensive kit that features the Arduino UNO R3 board as its prime micro-controller board. It’s a compact kit offering the right tools for beginners and advanced learners to get their hands dirty with electronic components and coding.
It’s one of the best Arduino starter kits for many reasons. It ensures simplicity for the user featuring various sensors, such as the humidity sensor, temperature sensor, and an Ultrasonic Sensor module. Moreover, it also features three motors for motion-based applications.
A joystick module, remote control, and keypad module is a fun-way of designing essential user input-based projects. Other kit components include LEDs, breadboard, LCD module, Servo motor, and all the necessary electronic components.
The Arduino starter kit comes with a manual and a CD with tutorials for more focused learning. Unlike the official Arduino starter kit, the manual isn’t as detailed, which is one of the drawbacks of this starter kit.
There is a problem with holes alignment in the breadboard. It is one of the reasons why this starter kit doesn’t rank higher than the others. However, it’s an ideal Arduino starter kit because of the wide range of peripherals components.
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Are Arduino Starter Kits Worth It?
Arduino starter kits are convenient for numerous reasons. These kits allow you to explore endless possibilities with hardware. They are a perfect add-on to learn to program and to code the fun-way. Here is why the best Arduino starter kits are worth your money:
Easy Setup
The best thing about these starter kits is that you don’t have to be a hardware expert or a geek in electronics. You can quickly assemble and dismantle the parts to create your projects. Because the kit comprises jumper wires and breadboards for connections, you don’t have to worry about short circuits.
Each kit has a breadboard, which allows you to mount each connecting device with the Arduino board seamlessly. Hence, when you set up your 7-segment display or LEDs on the board, it’s remarkably simple to connect them to your board. Moreover, it has a USB interface, so you need to plug and play the device.
Open Source Software IDE
The Arduino IDE is an open-source platform that works both online and offline. There are several versions so you can select the most suitable environment according to your Arduino board. Because it’s free software, it’s a useful tool for kids.
You need to download the IDE, and it will be good to go. Moreover, the starter kit can also work on a mobile platform, so you can write your code on your tablet or smartphone and run it smoothly.
Components on Fingertips
Gone are the days when you had to purchase and collect electronic devices from different shops. Mainly, when it comes to motors, sensors, and relays, it seemed quite hard to find the right module to work with your micro-controller.
Thankfully, Arduino starter kits have blown such worries away. Whether you need sensors or actuators, most of the things are included in an Arduino kit. Therefore, you don’t have to worry about compatibility issues as these modules work seamlessly with the Arduino boards.
Enhanced Learning
Since the kit hardware is simple to set up, and the software integration is seamless, you can now focus better on the actual learning area, understanding, and developing your code. It’s a big plus point because beginners often face hindrances caused by malfunctioning hardware and complicated setups.
In a nutshell, the starter kits ensure a focused learning environment where you can be at peace with the component connections.
Numerous Learning Resources
The Arduino IDE features hundreds of built-in examples. It’s a super starter kit where you have to run the code and see how it works. It’s the key to developing interest in beginners without asking them to write their code.
The official Arduino starter kit also features manuals and PDFs with numerous examples, so your kid only needs to type the code and watch the magic unfold.
Moreover, because Arduino is such a popular tool, learning resources are abundant online. Arduino has its official platforms where users discuss different problems and their solutions. Hence, it probably has the most prominent hub of resources to learn hardware programming.
Efficient Low-Cost Projects
An Arduino starter kit will not only help you learn to program, but you can also develop prototypes with the given components. Hence, it’s a great tool to create new ideas that can eventually take the form of a commercial product. It’s one of the reasons why we see so many Arduino based products these days.
The best Arduino starter kits come at a reasonably low price. Therefore, they have a competitive advantage over other development kits. It’s one of the main reasons why it’s the most preferred starter kit.
Perfect Tool For Program Demonstrations
Gone are the days when teachers used to fill blackboards with theoretical concepts, and you had to memorize them. Modern educational methods include practical learning. So, science teachers looking to elaborate on scientific concepts can take a lot of help from this kit.
Moreover, you can create visual examples that help the students engage better in their studies, making their learning experience more effective. Hence, these kits are pretty useful for conducting beginner level robotics workshops to teach the basics of electronics and programming.
Good for Non-Engineers
These starter kits are the ideal tools for non-engineers to understand how hardware works. It enables them to interface micro-controllers with ease. Components like a stepper motor, remote control, and LEDs help non-engineers familiarize themselves with electronic parts without learning their theoretical aspects.
Nowadays, in the era of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, it allows computer scientists to develop and test algorithms using hardware. Hence, it’s the best tool to create AI-based robots.
What Arduino Should You Buy to Start?
Because there are so many boards, each having some fantastic features, it’s easy to get carried away while buying an Arduino kit. Arduino has all the rights reserved, so you need to make sure that you accept the right board.
When we talk about which Arduino board to start with, it’s a relatively simple answer. It’s because most Arduino boards have highly standard features. Some boards are specialized to provide additional features. However, if you are a beginner, there is some time before you feel buying such specialized boards.
Currently, as a beginner, here are some of the best Arduino boards for your kit that you can try:
Arduino UNO 3
The UNO 3 from Arduino is probably the most popular board by this company. It’s an ideal beginner product for many reasons.
- Firstly, it’s compatible with all the components such as remote control, motors, relays, etc.
- Secondly, it has the perfect dimensions and pinouts.
Therefore, you can run an average-sized project with ease.
Arduino Uno has 20 I/O pins. Moreover, it lies in the mid-range of Arduino board prices, so it’s the best Arduino starter board for beginners.
Arduino Mega 2560
The Arduino Mega 2560 is another excellent option for any Arduino kit. As compared to the UNO 3 board, it has a lot of pin-outs. With the MEGA 2560 board, you get nearly 70 I/O pins. Hence, it’s ideal for developing more extensive projects such as autonomous robots, etc.
Understandably, the MEGA board is slightly larger than the Uno board, but it’s still compact enough to fit in your palm.
Arduino Nano
Perhaps the tiniest of Arduino boards, the Nano board is just as capable as any other board. It has around 10 I/O pins, making it a useful board once you have finalized your projects and are now looking for permanent implementation. These are the cheapest Arduino boards that are compatible with the latest Arduino IDEs.
Arduino Leonardo
The Leonardo board is another excellent option for your Arduino starter kit. Typically, these boards don’t feature in a standard kit, but they are equally effective as any other board. These boards have 20 digital I/O pins so you can connect multiple components at one time. Moreover, they are small-sized, so they fit perfectly in any starter kit.
What Can You Make with Arduino Starter Kit?
The best Arduino starter kit will give you endless options when it comes to designing any project. Therefore, it’s up to your imagination; creatively, you can think and develop any idea according to the given components. Here are 15 projects that you can try with standard starter kits:
- LED Chaser requires LEDs, resistors, and the Arduino board to create a running LED chaser.
- Calculator – Use a 4×4 Keypad and LCD module to design a basic calculator.
- Voltmeter – You will need a couple of 7-segment displays, a potentiometer, and the Arduino board for this one.
- Distance calculator – Use the ultrasonic sensor and your board to measure distance.
- IR Obstacle Detector – With IR sensors and a buzzer, you can detect an obstacle in a given range.
- LCD Voltmeter – Use the LCD module to display a voltage value graphically
- Servo Motor Gates – Servo motors can work as gates that trigger signals from the Arduino board.
- Joystick Snake Game – Create your very own snake game with the joystick module and LEDs
- Button Controlled LEDs – A basic project to understand the working of buttons
- Arduino Clock – Use the LCD module and built-in Arduino libraries to display time and date
- Stepper Motor Control – Show the working of stepper motors and position control applications.
- DC Motor Driving – Learn the use of motor drivers for speed and direction control.
- Smart Bins – Use the ultrasonic sensor to design an intelligent dustbin that open and shuts automatically
- Pick & Place Robot – Use components like servo motor and claw gripper to make a pick and place robot
- Remote Control Application – You can automate any application, such as turning On/Off lights with a remote.
These 15 projects may be quite simple, but they will help you understand Arduino programming’s core elements. Hence, you can better grasp more advanced topics after completing these basic projects. Give them a try!
Moreover, every Arduino kit in this list is flexible enough to allow modifications in the pre-designed projects. So, you can play around with the kit components to experiment and come up with something new.
Conclusion
Now that you know all about the best Arduino kit and where to buy them, it’s time to explore the world of electronics. The Arduino starter kit is an excellent place to begin your coding adventure and projects because of its simple design, friendly interface, and high effectiveness.
Arduino is a state-of-the-art product featuring its starter kit with a 170-page manual and having all rights reserved. Its first 15 projects give you a good idea of how good an Arduino starter kit can be. Therefore, you can put complete trust in the related products and starter kits. The ones we discussed are the best Arduino kits for 2021 because of price and usability.
Our composed list features the best Arduino starter kit options in the market. These are super starter kits because there is no age limit, and the prices are fantastic. So, let’s get started with your very own personalized Arduino starter kit.
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