The two best-supported material upgrades are Swirler 2.0 at eight Magnetic Pulse Bolts plus 4,250 Shellings, and Glider 1.0 at four Bolstered Wood plus 1,200 Shellings. Independent launch guides agree on those totals. Builder 1.0 is reported at 800 Shellings and Fishing Rod 1.0 at 1,500, but higher-level public tables remain incomplete.
Cross-checked early requirements
Swirler 2.0 requires eight Magnetic Pulse Bolts and 4,250 Shellings in two independent current guides. Those bolts require 16 Refined Metal in total, which expands to 96 Scrap at six Scrap per Refined Metal. Glider 1.0 requires four Bolstered Wood and 1,200 Shellings. Four Bolstered Wood expands to 12 Woodthorn and 12 Refined Wood, and the Refined Wood expands again to 36 Driftwood.
These expanded totals are more useful than the final card because they tell you what to gather before standing at the bench. Open the Upgrade Planner, choose the target, and enter what you already own. It subtracts your stored raw materials without inventing requirements for levels the public sources have not documented consistently.
A practical upgrade order
A hands-on tips guide recommends prioritizing the Swirler, then Scooper, Glider, Fishing Rod, and Builder. That is a player's route, not the only correct build. The logic is sound for material progression: the Swirler opens heavier deposits, the Scooper opens better underground nodes, and the Glider improves movement. The Fishing Rod and Builder remain important, but they usually solve narrower collection or construction tasks.
Your current quest can override that general order. If a story objective requires a fishing catch, the rod jumps ahead. If exploration is blocked by vertical movement, the Glider matters sooner. Use the priority list to break a tie, not to ignore the next concrete gate in your save.
Swirler 2.0 opens the Heavy Ore loop
The Swirler is the strongest early planning target because its next level changes which deposits you can harvest. Current guides connect Swirler 2.0 with Heavy Ore in the Lou's Island cave, Pulsitium on Gleam Reef, and Woodthorn on Lou's Island. Those materials then feed later upgrades and Power Source crafting.
Gather the 96 Scrap while completing other early routes, refine it into metal, manufacture the eight bolts, and save the 4,250 Shellings. Crafting can continue while you leave the menu according to a current video guide, so queue the refinement work and use the waiting time for another objective.
Glider 1.0 has a hidden wood bill
Four Bolstered Wood sounds modest until the refinement layers are expanded. Each unit uses three Woodthorn and three Refined Wood. Each Refined Wood uses three Driftwood. The full raw list is therefore 12 Woodthorn, 36 Driftwood, and 1,200 Shellings. The 36-Driftwood figure is the one most likely to be missed if you gather only what the last recipe card displays.
Collect Woodthorn and Driftwood during the same Lou's Island circuit, then start the Refined Wood batches. Keep the finished components in plane storage if portable slots are tight. The upgraded Glider improves traversal, but the current community thread also contains a simpler control reminder: on Switch, one player reports activating the glider with Y from sufficient height. Check controls before assuming the item is unavailable.
Builder and Fishing Rod
One current upgrade guide lists Builder 1.0 at 800 Shellings and Fishing Rod 1.0 at 1,500 Shellings without added materials. We include those published prices here but do not expand later levels because the public tables stop short. Check the upgrade station for the exact requirement in your build.
The Builder supports the construction side of island progress. The Fishing Rod opens catches that also feed crafting, including Bronze Scales in the current recipe guide. Neither is optional forever; they simply tend to unlock fewer raw material classes than the Swirler and Scooper at the beginning.
Where the public tables stop
Public launch-week guides are incomplete for higher gadget levels. Filling those gaps from guesswork would make the table look comprehensive while sending players on bad routes. We would rather show a shorter, traceable board and tell you to check the live station for the rest.
If you can supply a current screenshot or public video timestamp for a missing level, use the contact page. We look for a second independent source before placing exact multipliers in the calculator. That standard keeps a useful forum lead available without letting it silently become machine-readable fact.
Quick checks
Frequently asked questions
What should I upgrade first?
A current hands-on guide recommends Swirler first, followed by Scooper and Glider, but the quest blocking your own save should take priority.
How much Scrap is behind Swirler 2.0?
The eight required bolts expand to 96 Scrap through Refined Metal.
How much Driftwood is behind Glider 1.0?
The four Bolstered Wood expand to 36 Driftwood plus 12 Woodthorn.
Sources checked
- Lou's Lagoon Crafting Guide9Puz · checked 2026-08-29
- Lou's Lagoon Gadget UpgradesRedfreshet · checked 2026-08-29
- Lou's Lagoon — Tips and TricksTheXboxHub · checked 2026-08-29