By Simon I., Founder of Opus Puzzles. Published June 8, 2026.
Key Takeaways
- Wentworth is excellent. They are the British pioneer of laser-cut wooden puzzles, founded in 1991, with a huge catalogue and sizes up to 1,500 pieces. If you love their work, keep buying it.
- Both brands make 4mm laser-cut wooden puzzles with themed whimsy pieces. On the core craft, we are cousins, not opposites.
- The real differences are art style, the cut, the size ladder, and where the parcel ships from.
- For US buyers, the honest deciding factor is often shipping. We are US-based with free US shipping over $70; Wentworth ships from the UK.
- Pick Wentworth for licensed fine art, very high piece counts, and British heritage. Pick Opus for vivid original artwork, a fully irregular cut, and a simple four-size ladder from $29.95.
Bottom line: you are choosing between two good wooden-puzzle makers, not a good one and a bad one. For most US buyers it comes down to art taste and shipping; both will give you a puzzle worth keeping.
A customer in Ohio, I'll call her Karen, sent me about the fairest question I've ever been asked. She already loved Wentworth puzzles, had a shelf of them, and wanted to know, plainly, why she should buy from me instead. No outrage, just genuine curiosity. I respect that question enormously, partly because the honest answer is not "because they're bad." They are not bad. They are very good, and I own a few myself. So let me give Karen the straight comparison I gave her over email, with nothing oversold.
Who is Wentworth, and are they any good?
Yes, properly good, and I want to say that before anything else so you trust the rest of this. Wentworth more or less invented this corner of the market.
According to Wikipedia, Wentworth Wooden Puzzles was founded in 1991 by Kevin Wentworth Preston in Wiltshire, England, and he developed their laser-cutting method in 1994. So when people talk about modern laser-cut wooden jigsaws, they are talking about a path Wentworth cut first. Their range is enormous, their whimsy pieces are lovely, they offer personalised puzzles, and they go all the way up to 1,500 pieces for people who want a serious, weeks-long build. If that is what you are after, I will happily point you their way. A good puzzle is a good puzzle, whoever made it.
What is actually different between Wentworth and Opus?
Less than you'd assume on the craft, more than you'd assume on everything around it. We both cut 4mm wood with lasers and hide themed whimsy pieces in the design, so on the bench we are cousins. The differences sit in four places.
The art is the first one. A lot of Wentworth's catalogue leans on licensed images and classic fine art, which is wonderful if you want a famous painting on your table. We go the other way and print vivid, high-colour original designs straight onto the wood with UV-cured ink, so the picture sits bright on the surface. The panel underneath is basswood plywood, which the Wood Database lists as light, fine-grained and stable. It is a taste thing more than a quality thing. Some people want a Turner. Some want a saturated dragon. Karen, it turned out, wanted the dragon.
The cut is the second. Both of us use whimsy pieces, but our whole puzzle is cut into irregular, free-flowing, organic shapes, every single piece different. It makes for a busy, surprising pour-out-the-box moment. How any maker balances shaped pieces against more regular ones is part of its character, and styles genuinely differ, so it is worth looking at a specific puzzle's photos. Ours just leans all the way into the free-for-all.
How do the sizes and prices compare?
This is where the two brands feel most different, and it is the practical bit Karen actually cared about.
Wentworth offers a very wide spread, from tiny puzzles up to 1,500 pieces, which is brilliant if you want either a quick novelty or a marathon. We keep it deliberately simple with four sizes, Kids, Small, Medium and Large, the largest landing around 500 pieces, priced from $29.95. We do not make a 1,500-piece puzzle, and if that is your dream build, Wentworth wins outright. What our four-size ladder does well is take the guesswork out of buying for someone else, because you are choosing along one clear line from quick to involved. There is more on picking among them in our piece-count guide.
So which should you actually buy?
Honestly, it depends on you, and for a lot of US buyers it comes down to one unglamorous word. Shipping.
Wentworth ships from the UK, which is no problem at all if you are in Britain, and entirely doable elsewhere, but for an American buyer it can mean longer waits and international postage. We are US-based, ship domestically, and US orders over $70 ship free. For Karen in Ohio, that was most of the decision right there, domestic delivery being simpler and usually faster than sending a parcel across the Atlantic. If you are in the UK, that maths flips and Wentworth is the obvious local choice.
Beyond shipping, choose on what you want from the picture. Pick Wentworth for licensed fine art, the biggest piece counts, personalisation, and a brand with real heritage. Pick Opus for bold original artwork, a puzzle cut into fully irregular pieces, an eco gift box, and a simple four-size range from $29.95. There is no wrong answer here. The reasons wood beats cardboard either way are in wooden puzzles versus cardboard jigsaws.
So that was my answer to Karen, and she bought the dragon, for what it's worth, mostly on shipping and the colour. But she kept her Wentworth shelf, and good on her. You can see our side of the comparison across the full collection, and decide which kind of wooden puzzle is your kind.
Frequently asked questions
Is Opus Puzzles a good alternative to Wentworth?
Yes, especially for US buyers. Both make 4mm laser-cut wooden puzzles with themed whimsy pieces. Opus is US-based with free US shipping over $70, prints vivid original artwork, and cuts every piece into an irregular organic shape. Wentworth is the British original, with licensed fine art, personalisation, and sizes up to 1,500 pieces. Neither is better overall; they suit different tastes.
Are Wentworth and Opus puzzles made the same way?
Very similarly at the core. Both laser-cut 4mm wood and include whimsy pieces shaped to match the picture. The main craft difference is that Opus cuts the entire puzzle into irregular, free-flowing pieces and prints bold original designs, while Wentworth's range leans heavily on licensed and fine-art images. Piece-shape styles vary between makers, so compare a specific puzzle's photos.
Which is cheaper, Wentworth or Opus?
It depends on size and where you live. Opus starts at $29.95 with free US shipping over $70, which is a strong deal for American buyers once international postage is factored in. For UK buyers, Wentworth shipping locally will usually work out simpler. Compare the specific size you want, including delivery, rather than the headline price alone.
Does Opus make 1,000 or 1,500-piece puzzles like Wentworth?
No. Opus keeps to four sizes, with the Large landing around 500 pieces. If you specifically want a 1,000 or 1,500-piece marathon build, Wentworth is the better choice. If you want a clear range from a quick build to a satisfying weekend, the Opus ladder is simpler to shop.
Who invented laser-cut wooden puzzles?
Wentworth Wooden Puzzles is widely credited with pioneering the modern laser-cut wooden jigsaw. Founder Kevin Wentworth Preston developed their laser-cutting method in 1994, after founding the company in 1991. Most laser-cut wooden puzzle makers today, Opus included, build on that approach.
References
- Wentworth Wooden Puzzles: founded 1991 by Kevin Wentworth Preston, Wiltshire; laser-cutting method developed 1994; whimsy pieces; sizes up to 1,500. Wikipedia, "Wentworth Wooden Puzzles".
- Basswood properties (light, stable, fine even texture), the wood Opus uses. The Wood Database.
Last updated June 8, 2026. Written by Simon I., who founded Opus Puzzles, owns a few Wentworth puzzles, and thinks the rivalry is friendlier than the internet wants it to be.