Reviews and ratings reflect puzzledude’s personal opinion based on experience and/or knowledge of the items – as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
The best speed cube bundles available that include a collection of 2×2, 3×3, 4×4, 5×5, megaminx, pyraminx, and other varieties of speed cubes so that you can get all the flavors of a rubik’s cube for the best prices and get the best quality.
When deciding which speed cube bundle to get consider the following:
Variety
This depends on which type of bundle you’re looking for. Do you need one with a specific cube? Or are you looking to get the best variety for the price you pay? Puzzledude lists a variety of options to help you narrow it down.
Quality
This depends on whether you’re a casual or beginner cuber or an expert, as well as the price point you’re willing to pay. Puzzledude lists the best prices for different levels of quality to show you all the best options for speed cube bundles.
Price
Puzzledude lists the best prices for the value you’re getting
Hopefully this guide helps you pick the best speed cube bundle possible. Use it to find a gift for someone’s birthday or a different holiday, or treat yourself to set to round out your collection.
We’ve all been there looking through the best speed cube reviews. You learned to solve the 3×3 Rubik’s cube, and want to start solving it faster and after some research you learned Rubik’s brand cubes are terribly slow and stiff. If you have looked a bit into the speed cube market, you may be incredibly overwhelmed by the huge amount of options out there. Worry not, you’re going to learn what are your options are when it comes to the best speed cubes in 2017.
When looking for a speed cube, there are a couple of features and terms you are going to see mentioned. Here are the features that you want to consider when looking for the best 3×3 speed cube:
Corner Cutting is the cube’s ability to complete a rotation even when the layers are misaligned. This is very useful when trying to go fast because it means the cube will forgive inaccurate or sloppy turns and will adapt more easily. Most modern speed cubes can corner cut quite easily.
A speed cube doing an R move (Don’t know notation? Check this article here) with the U layer misaligned. This is corner cutting, in a good way. After applying some force, the piece will snap into place and will continue the turn smoothly. Modern cubes can corner cut almost anything.
An R’ turn with the layers misaligned, this is called reverse corner cutting. I’m doing this turn on a cheap dollar store cube, which can’t reverse corner cut at all, so it locked up. Modern speed cubes can do a decent amount of reverse corner cut.
Anti-Pop mechanism – Nowadays this is a non-issue, but older cubes had this problem, so you might stumble with that term while doing research. When doing certain moves, pieces will occasionally pop out completely, ruining solves. Any modern speed cube has a good anti-pop mechanism and the pieces would only come out unless you really try to force a turn.
Speed – One would think that you should just get the fastest cube out there. Well, for a beginner, sometimes a faster cube is not the best choice. Faster turns are harder to control, and you might overdo a turn and end up locking yourself in the middle of an algorithm, losing a bunch of time. I had so if you are new to speed cubing don’t try to go for a cube with lightning fast turns, maybe look for something smooth,
Feel – The feedback and sensations the cube gives when turning it. This is a very hard to describe feature, the feel is a completely subjective matter. You’ll just have to try out a bunch of cubes and decide what feel you like the most. Some cubes will give you a smooth feeling when turning, like pieces are just gliding, others will make turns with some scratchiness which to some people might be annoying. Personally I like the scratchy turns, but again, it’s just a matter of personal preference.
And those are pretty much the biggest features to look for when picking the best speed cube for you. There are other details like size, sticker colors… but those are completely subjective aspects of the cube and don’t make that much difference.
Aside from the features of a cube we talked about, once you get a speed cube you will want to know a bit about how to set it up. Although I think setting up a cube is not necessary for a beginner, it’s good to know the terms used and what “setting up a cube” means.
Lube – Although lubricating a cube is an important aspect of it and it can change a cube completely, I feel like a beginner doesn’t need to worry too much about it, and you can start really looking into lube once you had a much more definitive Idea of exactly how do you like your cube to feel. Check out our article on lubing your cube here.
Break in period – The concept behind “breaking in” a cube comes from the idea that cubes are made with imperfections, so breaking in a cube means the pieces start to sand themselves and adapt to themselves better. Some cube changes completely when broken in, some others not really much. For example my QiYi Thunderclap was super crunchy out of the box and now turns smoothly after I’ve used it a lot.
Tensioning – If you remove the centre cap of your speed cube, you can see a screw. Adjusting tensions means adjusting how tight the screw is attached to the core. The result you will get after increasing tension vastly varies between cubes, but usually a looser tension means your cube is more prone to pops, but faster and sometimes it can corner cut better. A tighter cube means it’s harder to pop and the cube is more stable, but usually you do lose on corner cutting. There is no right tension, only the one that feels right for you.
A closer look
Now onto the best speed cube reviews, with a handful of the highest regarded cubes that I’ve personally tested to build an opinion being as objective as possible.
MoYu Weilong GTS Review (4.5/5)
In a line: Give me the fastest cube
This cube came out just a little bit ago and it’s already being recommended everywhere. It’s really fast, it can corner cut amazingly well, and it feels smooth with a bit of a scratchy feel to it. The thing you have to take into account with this cube is it’s really fast. It makes it for a hard to control cube. Some people have slowed it down with some lube (Despite what you’ll think, lubricant can also be used to slow down a cube, it depends on the composition of the product used) so although the cube is great and is being recommended everywhere, beginners will probably have problems controlling this cube, so unless you have some experience with speed cubes or are willing to do some research on correctly lubricating the cube, I’ll avoid this one as a first.
Super fast cube
Can be hard to control depending on your skill (can be slowed with lube)
Highly recommend speed cube, one of the fastest out there
The feel of this cube is kind of a love/hate thing, it’s hard to describe but it has some unique scratchiness to it while keeping a smooth turning, the cube offers some resistance that makes for more controllable turns. In terms of corner cut, it performs great and can make turns with the layer pretty much anywhere. The cube out of the box is fast, but not as fast as the Weilong GTS.
The Gans 356 V2 Master Edition is the most expensive of the lot. It features a core design which uses no screws. This cube was one of the first to introduce the pieces design most modern cubes uses, with rounded centers and squared off corners which vastly improves the corner cutting. The cube is really fast, and while turning you don’t feel the pieces are sliding against each other. Make sure to get the v2, as the v1 has some problems with the center caps and some low quality stickers. Also, the Master edition V2, although a bit more expensive, comes with different spring sets so you can change them. This is pretty good because it lets you experience different configurations within the same cube, so in my opinion if you are willing to spend the extra money for a Gans, it’s worth to go the extra mile and go for the Master Edition. You can change the feel and speed of the cube however you like, so if you are not sure of what exactly you would like and are budget is not much of a concern to you, this cube is for you!
Expensive but versatile cube – in my opinion the best speed cube right now in 2016
Make sure to get the V2 or V2 master set that comes with extra springs
Very versatile and customizable with the master’s set springs
The Thunderclap (Also known as the MoFange Thunderbolt) is the best cheap cube out there. It doesn’t corner cut as well as the big guys but is pretty damn close for half the price. It’s fast and smooth, though mine was quite clicky out of the box, and got smoother after a few hundred solves. Aside from that, sometimes it can be a bit uncontrollable too, though I haven’t experienced any major lockups. It’s still my main cube – after my times improved a bunch and the cube was already broken in, I decided to lube and tension it properly and the cube really shined. So to get the most out of this cube, you will probably need to work a bit on it. Although I think out of the box it’s performance would be satisfying enough for a beginner.
Best budget speed cube – overall one of the best speed cube options either way
Great for beginners due to price and performance
Needs some setting up and breaking in to really shine
The TanLong is a bit slower than other cubes listed here, and the corner cut is definitely not among the best, although it still does a respectable amount, the thing the Tanlong has going for it is its amazing control out of the box, the best out there. The cube has a nice, smooth feeling, and you shouldn’t underestimate this cube due to it being a bit slower, because World Records have been set with this exact cube.
The Cong MeiYing is a very well regarded cube. It has a fast turning speed, corner cutting is above average, although it doesn’t reach the same amount of corner cutting other cubes like the Gans 356 or the Weilong GTS will achieve, you can definitely still hit amazing times with this cube, and you will rarely lock up while performing an algorithm. It’s the scratchiest cube I’ve ever tried, so definitely give it a shot if that’s your thing!
All in all, there are a lot of great speed cubes out there. The best speed cube for one person may not be the same for another. I always recommend trying out as many cubes as possible from your friends, family, at competitions, or wherever you can. That way you get a feel for different 3×3 speed cubes and you can find the best one for you. Upgrading from the original Rubik’s 3×3 cube to a top tier speed cube is a no brainer, so use this information to your benefit and get to cubing!
This review will cover some of the best cube lubes available and how to apply them to your cube. World record chasing speed cubers use different kinds of lube to make their cubes rotate quicker, smoother, and with greater control. The top rated choices will depend on the viscosities available, the best prices, and overall quality.
Here are the top choices at a glance:
Medium viscosity
GAN V1 Cube Lube
Top choice for a medium viscosity middle of the road option
There are different viscosity (thickness) lubes available that you can use on your cube, specific cube lubes, and general use lubricants that can all be effective in making your cube feel how you want.
Cubes, whether 3×3, 4×4,2×2, megaminx, or whatever shape all are essentially plastic parts that rub against each other while you solve the twisty puzzle. Logically, these puzzle pieces have friction between them that depending on the tightness of the screws behind the center caps can make the cube feel looser or tighter and have more or less friction. What’s suggested is to use a thicker silicone lube on the interior of the cube where the springs, screws, and washers go so they stay lubricated for longer, and use a varied weight cube between the pieces depending on how fast you want your cube to be.
Best Speed Cube Lube Reviews
Before I go on to my guide on how to pick the best speed cube lubrication, let’s go over what’s available.
Maru Cube Lube Review
Maru lube is a good starting point for cube lube – it’s a fairly speedy lube that’s friendly on the plastics and lasts a fair while before needing re-lubing. I recommend a drop or two for a 2×2, 2-3 drops for 3×3, and you should be able to figure the rest out from there. This is a good lube to use for in between the pieces themselves, it’s a bit too light to use on the interior of the puzzle as it won’t last as long as a heavier weight lube and you’ll have to open it up again.
Traxxas diff oil is an RC car axle oil that can be used on cubes as well, as the axles are also made of ABS plastic. What’s great about using Traxxas oil on your cubes is the price, and the different weights available. They stock 10k, 30k, and 50k weights – 10k is the fastest lube, 30k a bit slower, and 50k is their heaviest weight. These are all exterior piece lubes although you could probably get away with using 50k weight on the internals of the cube. This is a great value cube lube that also gives you customization on the speed and feel you want for your cube.
Lubix has sort of attempted to buy their way onto the cubing lube scene by sponsoring some pros, and getting their name out there. Howver, for 20$ you get a whopping 2.5cc’s of lube which is a really small amount. People have compared the Lubix lube to Traxxas 30k or 50k differential oil where you get several times more for the same price. Lubix is undoubtedly a great lube, but it also comes with a high price tag. If you really like Lubix and don’t mind paying the price, go for it. Otherwise just get the Traxxas 30k or 50k and save your wallet – you’re basically getting the same thing. For a long time their lube has been touted as the best Rubik’s cube lube but I just don’t think it’s true anymore, especially at this price point.
The Cubicle offers the widest range of cube lube out there. Their line consists of “Cubicle Silicone Lube” with five weights, Weight 1 through Weight 5 which are used to service the internals of cubes depending on the lubrication you want. Next up they have three lubes for the exterior pieces in their standard, gummy, and speedy options. The titles are fairly descriptive, one is gummy, one is in the middle for speed, and one is “speedy” – super fast!
Their prices are really reasonable, you’re getting good value here. You’re also getting lube that’s made specifically for cubes, by cubers. You can’t go wrong with lube from The Cubicle. They also have a few bundles and packs put together so you can get an internal lube, and an exterior pieces lube all in one go. Or you can purchase kits of all of their lubes at once if you have a lot of cubes and want to try out their different weights. Arguably they make some of the best speed cube lube out there.
How to Pick the Best Speed Cube Lube
Picking the best cube lube shouldn’t be hard, and picking a lube that doesn’t work for you isn’t really a big deal. You can simply wipe the lube off and try again with another lube. Here are some tips to pick the best cube lube:
Pick a middle of the road weight that’s not too gummy, or not too speedy.
If you want it faster or slower, adjust from there
Pick a heavy weight lube to lubricate the internals of the cube to keep things moving smoothly, and reduce spring noise
Use a lighter weight lube for the external pieces that rub against each other to get your desired speed and feel
Basically you want to preserve the integrity of the internals with a thick lube that will stay there for a long time so you don’t have to open your cube up all the time. The exterior cube pieces can be lubed frequently so find the type you like and keep it on your hand to maintain your cube.
If you want a really fast cube, try some of the faster lubes like Speedy from The Cubicle, or the Traxxas 10k Diff Oil. For a heavier weight, try Traxxas 50k, Lubix, or Cubicle Gummy.
This isn’t going to be a super in-depth guide, but here’s the information that I’ve found on lubing your cube alongside a video I used to learn from:
Fully disassemble your cube by popping off the center caps, and unscrewing the screws all the way. Keep track of the screws, springs, and washers. Use your heavy weight oil on the screws, and internal pieces of the cube that make up the core. Ensure that the lube is spread evenly and on all of the pieces. Start reassembling the cube and apply the lighter weight oil to the external cube pieces as you start getting close to having it reassembled. A good place to put it is if you have an edge piece off, put some there and then put the edge piece back in. Play with the cube, rotating in all directions to spread the lube out evenly. Add more as required. Now take a few minutes to tension your cube properly which involves tightening or loosening the screws so that the tightness is the same all around and your corner cutting is good.
Overall, there’s a fair variety of lubes to choose from but you should be able to find the best speed cube lube for you within one or two products. To be honest, The Cubicle’s support and products are so great I would probably recommend starting with one of their standard lubes and branching out from there. This way, you have a standard lube speed to start from and you can adjust from there. I hope this information was helpful – talk to your friends and hop on the forums as well to see what other lube cubers are using. Leave me a comment below if you have any lubes you love or any info to share.
Being able to pick a lock is a valuable tool to have in your arsenal as it can come in handy more than you expect. Whether you’re looking for the best lockpicking set for a hobby or for your profession, this review of the best lock pick sets available will cover everything from beginners to advanced lock pickers, and cover the best budget and highest quality options.
Includes an offset, straight, 90 degree, and a hook in one size handle length
All adults at some point in their life have lost a set of keys; sometimes never to be seen ever again, but often turning up in the most unexpected place three weeks later. Having a decent lock pick set can save you the drama of changing an expensive set of locks only to regret it once the keys turn up.
You may also be in automotive work and be looking for the best lock pick set for tow truck drivers or mechanics. This review will cover all of the top options available.
The number of pick types today is seemingly endless, but with a little knowledge you can soon understand what is what, and make a start on your lock picking journey. Ideally your set will contain a wide variety of picks and wrenches, but as a beginner you should have at least some narrow picks to give that extra bit of wiggle room while you learn.
So what does a quality lock pick set look like then?
Finding the Best Lock Pick Set
It obviously has to have the right picks for the job in hand. More options can make your life much easier. Quality is more important than you might think; after repeated use the tools can wear down with cheaper types often breaking down beyond any further use. Price will be a concern for many people, but while you don’t need to break the bank you should bear in mind that paying a little more can be worth it.
Let’s get down to checking out options for the best lock pick set for beginners and experienced lock pickers alike.
Kwok 2017 Transparent Lock Unlocking Tools
This set comes with 12 different picks in a nice little carry case. Springy, durable, and easy to use, this is an ideal package to get started. Suitable for both novice locksmiths and experienced enthusiasts; everything you need is here, including a practice lock.
The lock features a transparent casing so you can see exactly what you are doing. If you are successful in opening the lock it is possible to see exactly just how you did it. Being able to see the pins move will teach you how to trigger the mechanism.
This is a great product to teach yourself with, and if you’re thinking that lock picking is too hard for you, you will soon discover just how simple it is with this fantastic starter set.
This product might look like too much of a gimmick, but the reviews speak for themselves, it is actually a decent and cheap way to try your hand for a beginner.
The five-piece tool kit fits neatly in a mock credit card, which slots straight into your wallet. For the incredibly low price, and the good choice of picks provided you can have some fun with the locks around your house.
The most important and common picks are all there, and machined to a high standard to make sure they slot into the lock without any resistance whatsoever.
Being only five-piece it is obviously not a complete set, but it is enough to start you off until you’re ready for a tougher challenge.
Premium 32 Piece Lock Tool Set with Transparent Pad Lock
This 32-piece lock pick set is a serious bit of kit, for only a mid-range price. All manner of picks and wrenches are supplied with the set, as well as a practice lock with transparent casing.
Such is the quality, this could last you a lifetime, and it will certainly contain everything a locksmith from beginner to intermediate would ever need. The picks are titanium coated to prevent scratches and any corrosion, and the 6 inch zip up square case keeps all 32 pieces safely together.
For those who are ready to tackle more complex locks this kit is a fine upgrade that doesn’t require breaking the bank for what you get.
Another great product which raises the bar even higher. This 24-piece titanium plated lock pick set is guaranteed to impress. Each pick has a specially crafted handle to prevent slipping and any discomfort, allowing you to remain focused on the job at hand. The titanium coating helps to reduce bending making the task a much smoother proposition.
Unlike some of the thinner lock pick sets, this set is much more durable, making it suitable for the more advanced locksmith. Everything is included; there is nothing else you need to buy to complete the set.
Included is a transparent cased lock to practice with; in no time at all you can learn to understand how locks really work.
This pen knife style lock pick set comes with six retractable picks and a single wrench. Designed for convenience, it can be carried around without any discomfort in your pocket. At 9cm long it will even fit nicely on a key ring.
Made from stainless steel, this high-quality product has a tension screw built in to allow you to fix the required pick into position, so the rest of the unit can function as a handle.
No lock is supplied for practice purposes, but for the locksmith who never likes to be without his tools, this is an ideal purchase. The slick design and high quality finish will ensure customer satisfaction.
Best Lock Pick Set for Beginners: Longans Premium 25 Piece Tool Set
This is a high-quality set of tools which will last you a lifetime. A selection of 20 different picks, three wrenches, and a broken key extractor come in a leather zip-up case. With a practice lock and a “Pop your First Lock” guide for beginners.
The tools alone are worth the price of the set; the titanium picks will not disappoint. Why settle for cheap spring steel if you can find this kind of quality at this kind of price? For beginners looking to take their first steps into “LockSport,” you can be sure that you won’t be needing to upgrade your tools for the tougher locks. Everything you need is supplied in this set.
This middle of the road lock pick set is ideal for apprentice locksmiths not wanting to pay out too much for their first set. 12 picks with simple plastic handles, and five different wrenches make up the tool kit. Everything comes in a canvas case, which is easy to carry around with you.
A practice lock with transparent casing comes separately in its own case with two keys.
Made from stainless steel rather than the preferable titanium, the picks will not last as long, but the quality is plenty good enough to carry you through the novice stage. As you get a practice lock included in the price there really can’t be anything to complain about.
This is the Rolls Royce of lock pick sets. 60 pieces in a quality leather case make this kit worthy of a professional. There is nothing more you will ever need in your lock picking career.
40 rakes, diamonds, balls, and hooks; the selection is endless. With 14 tension tools and six extractors there won’t be many locks you can’t open after a little training.
No practice lock is included as this kit isn’t aimed at the beginner market, but there’s no reason you can’t start off with this if your budget allows. The only gripe is that the picks are spring steel rather than titanium. The price for what you get still makes this a bargain though; don’t be put off.
Any of these lock pick sets would be a good buy, with the majority of customers looking for something middle of the road. After checking through reviews for all the products listed one product stands out as the choice which will satisfy just about anybody looking to buy a lock pick set. The “Premium 32 Piece Lock Tool Set with Transparent Pad Lock” has enough to keep beginners going for a long time, while still containing enough pieces to satisfy the more advanced locksmith. For such a great price it shouldn’t be out of range for most people looking to spend money on such a hobby.
Bonus: Visual Guide to Lock Picking
No list of lock pick sets would be complete without some material on learning the craft. This 208-page book is laden with photos detailing each step of the lock picking process.
Pin tumblers, warded locks, wafer locks, tubular locks, combination padlocks, and lever locks are all explained in a simple how-to format. Why waste your time with trial and error when you can learn exactly how the professionals go about their business. There are even exercises explained to keep your skills improving all the time.
This is the premier work on lock picking. Even if you have a reasonable skill level already, there will still be plenty to take away from this book.
Hopefully our guide on picking the best lock pick set has helped you out. A great lock picking set for a beginner doesn’t have to break the bank, and we presented options for experienced lock pickers alike. Put a comment below if you have experience with any other lock pick sets you’d like us to review!
Here you can find the kendama brands that offer the highest quality, best materials, best budget options, and best overall products. There are many reliable kendama brands and this guide will help you see the top options.
Top rated kendama brands based on quality, craft, and price:
KROM Kendamas
High quality models, consistently and precisely crafted
Some companies are making handcrafted kendamas that can be quite high quality. But as the process is time consuming, the supply is limited and the prices are high.
Now we’ll go over what exactly a Kendama is, provide you with as much info as possible on the topic, and eventually get into reviews of what the best Kendama is for beginners, intermediates, advanced players, and collectors.
What is a Kendama?
Kendama is a traditional wooden Japanese toy featuring a stick with two cups and a spike on the end. A ball is attached to the stick by a string, and the goal of the game is to perform tricks in different order of jumping and landing the ball on the various cups, and spike of the toy. Let’s define the parts of a Kendama:
Main body ken
Spike kensaki
Large cup ōzara
Base cup chūzara
Small cup kozara
Ball tama
Hole ana
String ito
Cup body saradō .
Small cup edge kozara no fuchi
Big cup for lunars ōzara no fuchi
Slip-stop or slip grip suberidome
Back end kenjiri
String attachment hole ito toritsuke ana .
This ancient Japanese toy has been refined to have specific characteristics so most modern Kendamas you’ll find will all be of a standard size, around 7″ in height. Most Kendamas have the same ratios, cup sizes, spikes, but might vary in size slightly. You can see where the variations might start to come in. Also with different price points you see different material use, and different paints that can make the surfaces more grippy which can improve accuracy.
Paint – paint can make tricks easier
Premium companies have made their own slight tweeks to the toy to make the experience much better
Material can make a big difference for feel, weight, and also durability
Kendamas are fairly robust toys with only a few places that wear can occur. The first place is the tip of the Kendama which can be worn down over several thousand spike tricks, and the string can also break over time. I recommend keeping replacement Kendama string around, if you’re left handed you need to swap the string to make it the right size for the orientation.
Now that you have a decent introduction to what Kendama is, the parts of the toy, and what makes a good Kendama we can get into some reviews of the best Kendamas. We’ll start with beginner Damas, then go to mid-level, and close the article off with reviews and displays of the premium Kendamas that are mainly collectors items. Let’s go!
Beginner, novice, noob, or if you’re just looking for a cheap Kendama then this is the section for you. Here you’ll find a mix of both plastic and wooden Kendamas that are aimed at beginners mainly due to their price point. They also could be aimed at the younger crowd with some of the plastic models due to increased durability, while sacrificing the traditional feel of a wooden Kendama. If you are a beginner, there’s no reason you can’t purchase a mid-level Kendama or any Kendama you want really – this section mainly aims to keep the price point below $25 with some much below that so there’s not a big barrier for entry for new players.
Catchy Air Kendama (3/5)
Plastic doesn’t necessarily mean bad, it’s just a different feel and they certainly come in at a lower price point. This Catchy Air plastic Kendama hits a real sweet spot of performance and price at around 10 bucks for a basically indestructible dama. The cups have a rubber ring around the edge which is a treat for beginners and pros alike. Plastic Kendamas are not only great for beginners, but also great to keep on the go since they’re so light.
Yomega is a well known yo-yo company making their foray into making Kendama toys – and the Star Catch is a shooting star. This sucker is competitive with the Catchy Air for half the price! It’s blocky, stout, and a breath of fresh air into the traditional Kendama community with it’s stark color differences of black and vibrant colors, and punchy graphics. Experienced Kendama users will want to give this puppy a try and beginners will have a hard time passing up the price point.
Best budget plastic Kendama for beginners
Unique design that intermediate and advanced players may be interested in checking out
The Coyote Kendama by Yomega is a really reasonably priced Kendama with crafted beechwood construction and a sweet looking Tama. Here’s my top pick for the best budget wooden Kendama for beginners – at just a third of the price of other wooden Damas’ in this article you can’t go wrong if you want to try the hobby and specifically want wood.
Here’s another great option for a wooden Kendama that’s easy to use for a beginner and at a great price point. It’s not quite as cheap as the omega Damas but the wooden handle (ken) is higher quality than the Yomega Coyote’s which I think is an important aspect for the feel of the game.
Here we’re getting into competition level Kendamas – performance doesn’t improve much past some of these bad boys. It’s hard to say that any Kendama on this list isn’t the best Kendama because they’re all viable competition toys.
KROM Kendamas (4/5)
Coming in a bit under $30 is a really nice wooden Dama that you could use for a long time, even turning into a skilled Kendama player. It’s actually at a sweet spot where it’s a quality Dama and the price point is just past the beginner section so it’s kicking off our mid-level Kendamas.
All around solid wooden Kendamas Cool crack designs
Kaizen Kendamas are really great quality, all of their Damas are made with 100% beech wood and use silk paint on the tama in a variety of different colors, splits, and designs using silk paint which is extremely durable. Kaizen products have a traditional feel to them, and are great quality for the beginner and intermediate user – this was one of the first I purchased for myself and I still use it to this date.
The F3 line is Sweets Kendamas mid-level line that makes solid Damas very similarly to Kaizen. The plus side of these is they have a slightly rubbery coating of the Tama that can improve the accuracy of balance tricks. These are really great and a slight step up in quality from the Kaizen Silk in my opinion due to the broken in feel out of the box. The string is loose and ready to swing around, the handle feels soft and comfortable, and the ball is grippy. This Kendama is great for competition and comes in at a decent price.
In this section I’ll go over some flashy premium Kendamas. To be honest, past the Sweets Kendama, Kaizen, and KROM Kendamas you’re really not going to see a large increase in performance of the product if any – however the Kendamas can get wayyy more flashy and expensive of course. Here I’ll showcase some of the most unique premium Kendamas out there.
KROM Deluxe Line (4.5/5)
We checked out KROM’s standard Dama line, well here’s their Deluxe Kendamas. Here you’ll find Damas like the Smoked Mahagony displayed above. Coming in at around $50 each, these Kendamas feature unique paint designs, and exotic woods to round out the package.
High quality Kendamas with unique designs and exotic woods
Presenting the newest material Kendama on the list, Billet’s aluminum Kendama is a head turner that’s for sure. This is full-sized, 100% high grade raw aluminum. This sucker is heavy, and fun to play with as it has a unique feel compared to any other Kendama you’ve played with. With a hefty price point this is probably one of the most expensive Kendamas out there, it would be sweet to add to your collection and keep on display – playing with it from time to time.
Closing off the premium Kendama section we have Sweets Kendamas Homegrown line – these are limited production run Damas with some of the craziest designs I’ve seen. These are the most expensive wooden Kendamas on the list and for good reason with the amount of detail put into them. This will perform just as well as all of Sweets Kendamas products and even comes with some extra gifts like extra string, beads, bandana, and collectible pin. Don’t miss out on these limited run collectible Kendamas with crazy designs!
Uniquely designed, collectible
Most expensive and unique wooden Kendamas in my opinion
With several options presented for three different categories of Kendamas we’re left with something like this:
Beginner Kendamas – Price: $5-25, mix of wood and plastic products, good quality towards the top of the price range, great inexpensive products
Mid-level Kendamas – Price $25-$60, high performance Kendamas used in competition, all wood products, great for any Kendama user
Premium Kendamas – Price $50-???, same performance as mid-level Kendamas but using more expensive woods, paints, materials, and featuring collectible designs
I would purchase a beginner Kendama if budget is restricting you – you can get the real Kendama experience with any toy. If budget is not a problem whether you’re a beginner or pro I always recommend getting a mid-level Kendama as you can use it from beginner level all the way up to being a pro and posting vids on YouTube. Kendama USA’s Kaizen line, KROM, and Sweets Kendamas are all high-tier performance Kendamas that won’t let you down.
Premium Kendamas are mainly for show – there’s no added performance value. You’re essentially buying collectible items with cool designs and more expensive materials are used. These are great gifts for Kendama players, or perfect to top off your growing collection of Kendamas if you’re a collector like me :).
Examining a Kendama there are 5 points of contact. The Tama (ball) comes in contact with the big cup, small cup, spike, and handle cup. The three cups will see very little wear, the Tama is shaped like the cups so there should be minimal wear, however the spike tip will be hitting inside the hollow of the ball which makes the main point of wear in a Kendama the spike tip. Companies have released their own special products to protect the tip with a coating but it’s essentially super glue. Plastic Kendamas don’t have this issue as the contact is not high impact enough to damage the tip.
The next thing to look at on a Dama is the string. Strings can break – most Kendamas come with replacement string but if not there are plenty of places you can purchase extra string from. Here’s a video on YouTube of how to re-string your Kendama. This video is also useful if you’re left handed – you’ll need to remove the string and reattach it in a different way to use the toy properly.
Guide to Kendama Tricks
When I got my first Kendama I honestly just started messing around with it, and even invented some of my own tricks – but a primer video like this definitely could have helped get me started in the hobby. Here’s what I think is the best introduction video to tricking out with your Dama:
And here are 10 of the coolest kendama tricks ever recorded:
Kendama Competition Guide
Kendama is a toy, but it’s a wide-spread skill toy that’s taking the world by storm. Here’s a recap of current competitions and you can see some of the highlights from real Kendama pro players. Rules for Kendama competitions may vary from competition to competition. Often a trick list must be completed in a certain amount of time with judges determining if the trick was properly done. Players may be required to use specific regulation Damas, and ties end with trick competitions and more.
Gloken Kendama World Cup
The Kendama World Cup held in Japan is the most well known and prestigious competition of them all. Previous winners:
2014 – Bonz
2015 – Wyatt Bray / USA / KendamaUSA
2016 – Bryson Lee / USA / Sweets Kendamas
2016 Freestyle (First Time) – Nick Gallagher / USA / Sweets Kendamas
Minnesota Kendama Open
Held in Minnesota by Sweets Kendamas, this is the biggest tournament in North America where players gather from around the globe to duke it out on their Damas. Here’s the recent winner’s list:
2013 – Max Norcross / USA / Sweets Kendamas
2015 – Lukas Funk / USA / Sweets Kendamas
2016 – Zack Gallagher / USA / Sweets Kendamas
Pro Kendama Videos
Here’s a video of the winner of the Gloken World Cup in 2014, and another pro video to follow:
Wrap Up
With a ton of Kendama information thrown at you in this article – hopefully you’re able to find the best Kendama for you. It really is a fun skill toy to play with, and sweet to mess around with your friends at home or out on the go. Check out some of our other articles for cool toy reviews and more.
If you’re searching for Will Shortz puzzle books then you may already know who he is, or at least have an idea of his popularity (since you’re searching his name!). Will Shortz is an extremely popular master puzzler who is probably most well known for being the editor of New York Times crossword puzzle section since 1993.
The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges
A collection of 200 logic puzzles. Logic puzzles come at a higher price point but are a very mentally stimulating experience. Top choice for logic puzzles.
He also covers Sudoku and other puzzle books which I’ll cover in this guide. I’m a really big fan of Will’s and if you’re into his books I’m sure you are too. I want to get into the book guide and reviews first but I’m attributing a section of this article to covering Will Shortz.
Will has been the author or editor of over 1000 books so it would be very lengthy to include all of them in this post. I’ll do my best to list the best ones from each category below!
Top 5 Best Will Shortz Crossword Books
When purchasing any Will Shortz books you can expect high-quality puzzles in an accessible format – his crossword puzzle books are no exception.
New York Times Supersized Book of Sunday Puzzles (4/5)
This book is really great and it ticks all of my boxes when it comes to what makes a good puzzle book. It’s no disservice to say that the demographic of pen and paper puzzlers is aging – this increases the appeal of puzzle books with supersized fonts and puzzles largely. This crossword puzzle book features 500 puzzles (a great amount) straight from the New York Times crossword section that are ready for you to solve.
This is a great option to buy for yourself if you’re into crossword, or to purchase for the puzzler in your life. The puzzles in this book are of similar to the difficulty of those found in the NYT.
New York Times Will Shortz’s Favorite Sunday Crossword Puzzles (4/5)
Sunday must be a pretty popular day to do crosswords on since we’ve had two books tiled after it so far! This is another great option when it comes to crossword books by Will Shortz – what’s so special about this book is the fact that Will hand selected 50 of his favorite NYT crosswords and has included them in this great collection. Unfortunately it’s not supersized or packed with 500 puzzles but it’s unique and allows you to connect with the author which is important to me.
The New York Times Keep Calm and Crossword On: 200 Easy Puzzles (3.5/5)
Now on the list I need to take a step back and include an easier solution book, and I have just the one for you. In this 200 puzzle collection from the NYT will breaks it down a bit for the beginner or leisurely solver – great as a gift or to add to your collection for guest puzzlers! You don’t want to be the one gifting puzzles that are too tricky, it’s a sad sight.
The New York Times Will Shortz’s Wittiest, Wackiest Crosswords (4/5)
Up next, you guessed it! Hard hitting witty, wacky, challenging, the impossible – 225 hand picked tricky puzzles from Will Shortz himself. I wrote about not gifting a puzzle that’s too hard, but it’s also possible to gift one too easy. I recommend this Will Shortz crossword book to the seasoned expert who needs a serious mental workout (on Sunday of course).
The New York Times Monday Through Friday Easy to Tough Crossword Puzzles (4/5)
Closing off the 5 best crossword puzzle books by Will Shortz is 50 easy to tough puzzles from yep, you guessed it, the New York Times. If you’ve read any of my other articles you’ll know the best type of puzzle to give as a gift is a multi-difficulty option – like this one! With a range of difficulties there’s something for everyone so these are great for households with puzzlers of all skill, or as a gift to a puzzler with unknown skill. This would also be a great book to get for yourself if you’re getting into crosswords as you can stay with the same book as you improve.
That wraps it up for the best Will Shortz crossword puzzle books, any continuation in the series listed here will also be excellent choices. You really can’t go wrong with a Will Shortz crossword book!
Best Will Shortz Sudoku Books
If you like his crossword books, and weren’t aware of his masterful Sudoku book creations, you’ll love them too. Here are some of my favorite Sudoku books by Will – while there are numerous I’m going to narrow it down to 5 again so wish me luck!
The Little Black Book of Sudoku (3.5/5)
Starting off with a high-volume favorite we have The Little Black Book coming in with 400 quality Sudoku puzzles. This book is an easy-to-hard difficulty range which is perfect for buying for yourself, or as a gift. Improve your Sudoku and grow together with this excellent book option.
It was only a matter of time before I got into the killer difficulties, this 200 puzzle “Mind Melting” Sudoku book is only suitable for those grizzled vets looking for a serious mental cardio session. I’m talking stair master level 10 for the neurons! Only pick up this book if you’re experienced with Sudoku – that’s my recommendation.
Alright let’s tone it down a bit with this medium difficulty Sudoku book – Wild Sudoku features 200 medium difficulty puzzles for the beginner to intermediate puzzler. I personally think that the easy Sudoku puzzles are too easy to start on so I recommend at least medium difficulty to start out on, however starting on a hard difficulty isn’t unheard of if you’re a puzzle wiz!
Sudoku that gives you nightmares! 335 “Frighteningly Fierce Puzzles” comes in this edition of super hard Sudoku’s. I figured I would close out my Shortz Sudoku list with two killer puzzle books and this is the first of two – get ready for the next one!
Have you ever been out skiing or snowboarding and said “Oh Sh** I definitely shouldn’t have taken that double black diamond trail!” – well this book is kind of like that, except with Sudoku. The final Sudoku book on this list of the best Will Shortz Sudoku books is the Black Diamond book featuring 200 brand new puzzles that are extreme, to the max! I recommend this book for the black belts of Sudoku, ready to take on a “Black Diamond” trail of 200 more difficult than ever Sudoku’s.
Well that’s it for my top 5 best Sudoku puzzle books by Will Shortz, but guess what this massive guide to all books Will Shortz isn’t even over yet! If you weren’t aware, his grasp extends far beyond mere crosswords and Sudoku, Will is a master puzzler! In this next section let’s check out the best logic puzzle books by Will Shortz, and any other kind of puzzle books he’s mustered up over the years.
Best Will Shortz Logic Puzzle Books
There’s going to be a pretty wide range of puzzle book styles in this next section, and even the puzzles in each book may vary unless specified. This is my list of the top Will Shortz logic puzzle books, in no specific order! A logic puzzle is exactly what it sounds like, a puzzle that requires logic for you to solve. It could contain letters, numbers, a riddle, the alphabet, anything really!
The Puzzlemaster Presents: 200 Mind-Bending Challenges (4.5/5)
Starting off the list is one of my favorites, the Puzzle Master Shortz presents 200 challenges that range from easy to difficult. This book has a lot of different styles of puzzles from simple word puzzles, more complex logic puzzles and beyond. That’s what makes it so appealing, the diversity that allows practically anyone to pick it up and have a puzzle to solve, and the possibility for you to grow and expand your mind as you solve more and more puzzles from the book. This is the logic puzzle book I recommend to anyone interested in them – it’s a great jumping off point.
Will Shortz’s Mind Games: 100 Alphabet Riddles (4/5)
If you want something a bit more consistent, try out this alphabet riddle book that tests your brain power to come up with a two word phrase to match his clues. This book is really fun to use in a group, say on a road trip or while camping as it can be turned into a little competition to see who can blurt out the answer first! These puzzles are light, enjoyable, and easy for anyone to get into. I recommend this book to give to a beginner, someone interested in puzzles, or for yourself to use on trips and gatherings.
What’s this? A workout plan devised by the puzzle master himself? This short, or long? 22 puzzle book is a combined effort between Shortz and Huang where they deliver a complex puzzle book. The puzzles have some introduction, and also a gauge as to your expertise level depending on how long it takes you to complete. I would recommend this book for the SERIOUS puzzler who wants to up their game and see what the best are practicing on. These puzzles are also great to work together on and solve as a team if you know someone who likes puzzling as much as you.
What’s KenKen you might ask? KenKen is sort of like Sudoku, but it has a few different rules. Chances are if you like Sudoku you’ll love KenKen as I think it adds a slightly more fun mechanic than Sudoku as it can change from puzzle to puzzle with the cages – pick one up and you’ll see what I mean. Here are what I think are the best Will Shortz KenKen books, again in no specific order:
The Ultimate KenKen Omnibus (4/5)
If there’s an omnibus (massive collection) Will Shortz book for a certain category of book he writes, it’s almost always my top pick. Why? Because they pack the most content and are often multi-difficulty like this one – featuring 500 easy to hard puzzles for anyone and everyone to conquer while they improve their mental fortitude. If you want to get into KenKen, or you’re a KenKen vet, this is really a great option for anyone.
KenKen: 300 Easy to Hard Puzzles That Make You Smarter (3.5/5)
KenKen is a relatively new game on the block (read: in the New York Times) as Will only got it approved in 2009. Which is why my top two recommended KenKen books are difficulty range books. Since it’s new, fresh, exciting, and maybe a little more challenging than most puzzle games I’d say go for two difficulty range books for your first two KenKen copies.
Getting into the nitty gritty, the tough and challenging “gimme some more” KenKen we launch into the review of our difficult book in this category. Diabolical KenKen is not for the beginner and I recommend quite a bit of experience before diving into the challenging books. Pick this one up if you’re a vet or for the experienced puzzler if you’re buying a gift. Enjoy!
Note: Shortz writes/edits a ton of KenKen books so once you’ve nailed down the basics of a few difficulty range books, I would branch out to the specifically harder ones and go from there.
I wanted to include this section before I cover some more details on Will Shortz because he has two more interesting products out there that I wanted to share:
Puzzlemaster Deck: 75 Brain Twisters
Available in a deck of cards is this collection of 75 brain twisters that are great for the vehicle, around the table, or on a camping trip. If anyone’s looking for a new family game to add to their collection I always recommend this deck of awesome-ness. Check it out!
Man this guy Will, he really does it all – he even made a board game! In the similar situation that I recommended the brain twister deck, I would recommend his board game TriBond. Look at the three items and answer the question “What do they have in common?”. This is a really great group game but beware some of them are reallllly hard and might leave you scratching your head through the night.
Now that we’ve gone through the categories of the best Will Shortz crossword puzzle books, Sudoku books, logic puzzle books, KenKen books, and even a few oddities it’s time to cover Will Shortz himself. Without him, this list and article wouldn’t be possible so let’s delve into what made this puzzle master so mysterious.
About Will Shortz
It seems like I could write forever about Will Shortz, but I know you don’t have all day so lets sum of this marvelous puzzle master as best as we can.
He was interested in pursuing a career in puzzles at a oung age He is the only person to hold a degree in Enigmatology – a university program he designed himself He’s been involved in editing for magazines, puzzles, and books since he graduated in 1974 He has been the New York Times crossword puzzle editor since 1993 He has been the puzzle master on NPR’s Weekend Edition since 1987 He founded the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 1978 He founded the World Puzzle Championship in 1992 and is the director of the US Puzzle Team Shortz is the author/editor of over 100 books and owns the largest known puzzle collection in the world (over 20,000) He’s the historian of the National Puzzler’s League The list goes on but I think you get the picture. I’m so happy to be writin this article in the hopes that his reat works will continue to reach more and more people. If you have the chance after reading this article to pick up a Will Shortz crossword puzzle book, Sudoku book, logic puzzle book, or Kenen puzzle – do it. Your mind will not regret it and neither will you.
Happy puzzling – I hope you enjoy these Will Shortz puzzle books as much as I have.
Font size (sometimes important for our aging puzzlers)
Ideally you want an appropriately difficult puzzle book that has the most amount of crossword puzzles possibles (max value!).
Now, buying a crossword puzzle book for yourself versus buying one as a gift are two completely different things. When recommending puzzle books to purchase I always suggest buying ones that have a range of difficulties so that you can accommodate any puzzler’s skill. This way there will always be a puzzle for them to solve, whether they start at the bottom rung or somewhere in the middle they can always work their way up.
Top Choices
With the intro out of the way I’m going to share with you what I think are the top 5 best crossword puzzle books out there right now – with options for the beginner, intermediate, advanced crossword puzzler.
NYT Ultimate Crossword Omnibus: 1001 Puzzles (4.5/5)
Edited by no other than Will Shortz (A very famous puzzle writer) we start off with this high-volume crossword book extracted from New York Times crossword puzzles written by Will Shortz of course. From probably one of those popular news papers in the world comes this mass of puzzles with a wide variety of difficulties. The high amount of puzzles, the writer Will Shortz, and the popularity of the source makes this my top pick for the best crossword puzzle book.
Another Will Shortz New York Times crossword puzzle book is on this list for the same reasons as the last, alongside the fact that the puzzles are supersized. Sure we can go for the puzzle book that has as many puzzles crammed in as possible, but sometimes it’s just nice to work on a large puzzle – one per page. This is also an excellent option for anyone with any sort of vision impairments, you want them to have an easy time seeing what they’re doing when puzzling.
Simon & Schuster released the first EVER crossword puzzle book in 1924 – now released almost 90 years later is another 300 never before seen crossword puzzle book with crosswords constructed by expert puzzle constructor John Samson. This book isn’t anything special in any direction, you get 300 high-quality challenging puzzles for a good price – standard solid puzzle book.
Will Shortz Favorite Sunday Crossword Puzzles (4.5/5)
WOW another Will Shortz book, he must be a pretty popular puzzler – I should write an entire article just for him! This puzzle book is sort of a middle ground between the previously two reviewed Will Shortz books. A collection of popular crosswords in a slightly larger format than normal. Not quite 1001 puzzles, not quite as large as the supersize book, but it offers a bit of both worlds in this great puzzle book option.
From another renowned news outlet we have this 400 crossword puzzle jumbo sized book that’s another great option to get yourself, or get the puzzler in your life as a gift. These puzzles are similar quality/difficulty to those found in the New York Times and it’s supersized as well – another all around great option for a crossword puzzle book.
Hopefully this selection of some of the best crossword puzzle books out there helps you narrow in on a good book for yourself or as a gift for the puzzler in your life. Most of these books have several editions so if you complete them all just look for the #2, #3, #4 etc. in that specific series. Will Shortz has also released a ton of crossword puzzles books so anything by him is a great choice.
History of Crosswords
Crosswords appeared historically dating back to the 1700’s being ran in various news outlets, as they still are today. Eugene T. Maleska is often credited with the first crossword phrase in the New York Times in 1862.
A crossword style puzzle appeared in an Italian magazine in 1890 designed by Giuseppe Airoldi and was titled in Italian “To pass the time”.
In 1913 an English journalist published a crossword that has most of the features found in today’s popular puzzles. The author was Arthur Wynne and he’s often called the inventor of the crossword due to the critical features he implemented.
As you can see the puzzle books have a varying history and appeared in many geographies before becoming mainstream.
Crossword puzzles serve to pass time, enhance vocabulary, stimulate the mind, and most importantly to derive enjoyment from.
The aim of creating this review of the best crossword puzzle books was to find the top books for my readers, and also inform you all a bit of the history of these amazingly fun puzzles that are enjoyed by millions across the world.
This review of the best logic puzzle books will look at beginner to advanced difficulty levels, for children to adults, and at all price ranges and sizes. Includes logic grid puzzle variants and more.
Alright I hope you’re ready for my breakdown of the 8 best logic puzzle books out there right now. Some are new, some are old, and they cover a whole whack of different topics.
Monster Book of Ken Ken by Will Shortz
The puzzles in this book use mathematical operations to solve Sudoku-style puzzles. This style of logic puzzle will appeal to the mathematics and they’re very fun to solve overall. If you like Sudoku, or basically a crossword puzzle with a math component you’ll like this book. If you’re not into math then don’t choose this option. The downside to this book is that all of the puzzles are the same math-logic style.
The coolest thing about this book is that it includes statics on average solve time, record solve time, and other cool info for every single puzzle. Puzzle Baron’s book comes with 200 grid-based logic puzzles that are sure to keep you entertained as you try to compete with the listed stats. Record your own stats as well and compete against your friends and family to see who’s the master solver!
I really like this book as an overall great logic puzzle book option because of the variety of puzzles within it. It’s not often you find a logic puzzle book with a variety of puzzles that are all at the perfect difficulty level. This book also has a some-what sequential progression as the puzzles get more and more difficult as you work through it. Another great aspect is that all of the puzzles have their solutions inside of the book. This is a great all-around logic puzzle book option, great for all skill levels within the family, and you can try more challenging puzzles as you improve – awesome!
Of Course! The Greatest Collection of Riddles & Brain Teasers
Riddles, brain teasers, and puzzles all in one – another great variety option when it comes to the best logic puzzle books out there. For someone’s first puzzle book, or when buying a gift for someone else I always recommend going with a variety book that has different difficulties and puzzle types to keep things fresh and account for puzzlers of all skills. One of the main reasons we enjoy solving puzzles and problems as humans if because of the rewarding “Ah ha” moment that comes with the solution. This puzzle book has a really wide-range of puzzles ranging from math, reasoning riddles, logic riddles, and all types of problem solving. Cross bridges, and escape prison cells in this wildly enjoyable book – a must have!
Getting into more difficult books here, this is definitely not one I would recommend to a beginner. The author Martin Gardner has written math problems for many years of his life fine tuning his problem diversity and receiving feedback on alternate solutions. This book may not be packed with puzzles but these are 70 fine tuned puzzles that will give even the most experienced puzzlers a challenge. Pick up this book if you’re experienced and want to tune your skills.
This is an extremely popular Russian puzzle book that constitutes of a variety of puzzles styles. The book is so popular that it’s been translated to several languages and has over 8 editions. This book has been around since 1956 so it’s had plenty of time to disappoint and it just hasn’t yet. Martin Gardner, author of the previous book on this list has also edited and clarified this English version for better readability and solvability. With 359 puzzles and over 400 diagrams this simple puzzle book can keep you entertained for as long as it takes you to finish it. I would recommend this book to the math puzzler looking for a challenging book that will take some time to complete.
The Total Brain Workout written by Ph. D. author Marcel Danesi is a fun and exciting puzzle book that features logic reasoning, memory, and perception style puzzles. The unique part is that each puzzle presents information on the part of your brain that is being exercised during each puzzle. The idea behind this book is that with proper exercise of the brain you can improve mental function in several areas of your life. This book is constructed with the improvement of the human brain in mind so enjoy a targeted puzzle book that really wants to help you improve. Work through these 450 puzzles and reap the benefits!
Puzzles & Trivia Challenges Specifically Designed to Keep Your Brain Young
Another amazing 399 puzzles that are aimed at maintaining or even improving the mind is up next on the list. Science shows that middle-aged or older individuals who solve puzzles or brainteasers like the ones found in books on this list have a huge mental advantage of those who do not. Keeping your mind active may ward off mental illness, improve your quality of life, and allow you to think through problems and make optimal choices. All of the puzzles in this book are designed by a neuroscientist with the goal of stimulating neurons which restore and can even strengthen the brain. The puzzles are fun and exciting riddles, brainteasers, problems, and require different levels of decoding to solve each one. This book is a great one as a gift r for someone’s first puzzle book to develop their skills and wake up the brain again.
Brain Games #1: Lower Your Brain Age in Minutes a Day
This combination book of logic, math, sequencing, visual logic, language, cryptograms, crosswords, anagrams, and more puzzles really pushes variety to the max. Most of the other puzzles on this list aren’t very interactive in terms of putting pencil to the paper but this one has plenty of them. Solve anagrams, visual logic puzzles, crosswords, and more traditional logic puzzles within the 5 difficulty sections designed to work your brain. The author-Ph. D. duo that put together this book are both well known within the neuroscience community for developing programs to develop and exercise the mind. I recommend this puzzle for anyone who wants a huge range of puzzles to keep their mind busy – keep this one in the bathroom!
In my opinion, the following makes a good logic puzzle book:
Difficulty – The difficulty has to be close to perfect for the solver. If it’s too easy it will go by quickly, and if it’s impossible for the person to solve then they won’t derive any enjoyment at all. I find books with a range of difficulty levels the best because you can try harder or easier puzzles based on your experience.
Topic – There are a few different types of logic puzzles that we’ll cover in this post. If you enjoy mathematics and math logic puzzles then there are books of that style. There are word-logic puzzles, and all other sorts of types. If you don’t know which types you like or don’t like just yet – you’ll have to pick up a puzzle book and find out your preferences.
Variety – As mentioned in the above point there could be a topic, or there could be a variety of different types of puzzles. These are great to keep you guessing, develop different parts of your brain, or to give as gifts because the receiver will have different types and difficulties to go after.
Length – In general, the longer the better. If you have 1000 puzzles to solve the book may be more appealing than a 300 puzzle one. We want challenging puzzles but we also want value for our dollar so this certainly must be considered when choosing the best logic puzzle book for you.
Gift or for you? – If it’s as a gift, I always recommend getting multi-difficulty books so that there’s a range of puzzles for the gift receiver to solve. It’s easy to give a gift that’s too simple or too hard. When buying for yourself you’ll know what difficulty you can handle, or you can at least try a sample puzzle and read reviews (like this one!) before committing to any certain book.
The best logic puzzle books out there are the ones that keep us wanting more puzzles, more challenges, and more enjoyment after solving each problem. Based on puzzle experience – there is a puzzle book for everyone.
As I said earlier, the best logic puzzle books will vary from person to person. Books are great to keep in the car, around the house, on the coffee table, or give as gifts. For other alternatives to paper logic puzzles you could also check out apps and websites that regularly post logic puzzles of all sorts. This not only gives you access to unlimited puzzles every day, but they’re often free or very cheap and you don’t worry about using any paper or losing your books. Here are a few of my favorite sources:
Well, it was fun to write this article but I’ll have to let you go for now. The listed books are some of my favorite logic, and books in general out there right now so you can’t go wrong picking up one of these for yourself or giving one as a gift. Use this list of the best logic puzzle books out there to develop your mind and the minds of your loved ones.
In this Sudoku book review post I’ll cover some really great options for puzzlers ranging from beginner to advanced, and also give you some tips and resources for solving your Sudoku’s.
Here are our top choices:
The Largest Sudoku Book in the History of the Universe
Best value by far. 2000 puzzles ranging from novice to expert difficulty.
Depending on your skill level and experience, the best Sudoku books will be different for each puzzler. The perfect puzzle will be challenging but not too hard, and still take you a decent amount of time to get enjoyment out of it.
So what makes a “good” Sudoku book? Let’s go over some characteristics:
Difficulty – As mentioned briefly above, the best Sudoku books will challenge you and take you a good amount of time but not be overly difficult or too easy. There’s no other way to gauge the difficulty and your experience other than trying out a few puzzles to see where you stand.
Length – In my opinion, the longer and more puzzles the book contains the better. Bonus points for if it has different difficulty puzzles in the same book so you get some variety and can change up how hard the puzzle you solve is. Also multi-difficulty books are great for books that are in shared households so that everyone has a Sudoku difficulty they can complete.
Size – Typically as we get older, our vision decays and some may already have vision issues. Some Sudoku puzzles are smaller than others and not very friendly to those with vision problems. If this is an issue for you or whoever you’re buying a Sudoku puzzle for, be kind and buy them a larger book or one that isn’t super-small.
Price – In a world so dominated by the dollar, how can we forget about price? We always want the best bang for our buck so the more puzzle per dollar the better.
Materials & Sustainability – Finally we look at the materials the book is made up of, and how those materials were sourced. If you’re concerned with environmental sustainability then you could opt for book options that are conscious of those issues.
Best Sudoku Books Reviews
Sudoku Puzzle Book Volume 1 (3.5/5)
This is one of the standard Sudoku puzzle books that I recommend to anyone with a bit of experience looking to get into solving Sudoku regularly. It has 50 of each difficulty including beginner, novice, moderate, and advanced. My only complaint with this book is that it’s a little bit small and tight for writing anything additional around the puzzle, and reading the puzzles reflects that. Overall a great Sudoku book with 200 puzzles that are fairly difficult for a few bucks.
Next up I have a slightly more difficult 300 puzzle book for you to check out. This is very similar in puzzle amount, and price to the Volume 1 above but the puzzles are a fair bit more difficult. If you feel you’re getting past the more tame puzzles commonly found in the news or simple books, then this would be a great option for you. All of the 300 puzzles in this book are rated “hard” and I found most of them quite enjoying as a novice-intermediate Sudoku solver. I would not recommend this for a fresh beginner.
This option is included on the list for it’s daily challenge appeal. With 366 puzzles it gives you a challenging Sudoku for each day of the year. Will you stay on track of fall behind? This type of book is great for engaging your brain every single day and a great gift. Of course in the end it’s still a book of puzzles so if you don’t do it on the specific day it’s not a great deal. I like this book because of the 5 ranges of difficulty, easy/moderate/nasty/cruel/deadly and it’s larger size. The puzzles are very comfortable on your eyes, and there’s plenty of room for notes and side-work. I would recommend this book for those with experience solving Sudoku’s, or as a gift for the puzzler in your family or friend group.
The Largest Sudoku Book in the History of the Universe (4/5)
This book makes the list for pure value. With 5 difficulties ranging from beginner to expert, this 2000 puzzle book gives you insane value with more puzzles per dollar than any other book I’ve found. The difficulties are spread out evenly and a beginner, intermediate, or expert can pick this book up and have fun. I recommend this book for a family of Sudoku solvers, or as a long-lasting gift for a beginner. With plenty of puzzles ready to solve in each category you’ll be Sudoku-ing forever! The font used is a nice size, and this book has a lot of room for solving which is great.
So you think you’re good at puzzles and Sudoku? Try this book and talk to me again. A lot of Sudoku books, including some on this list claim to be difficult but end up not being that hard in the end. The Beyond Black Belt Sudoku book delivers on this front, fantastically. I whole-heartedly agree that this is one of the most challenging Sudoku books ever printed and it definitely will not disappoint. The sizing is not great on this book but sacrifices must be made for top-tier difficulty puzzles, right?
With a lot of complaints on the size of Sudoku books, numbers, and extra solution-space I’ve included this large print Sudoku book in my list. We also have to accept that as we age, eye-sight diminishes and so does our focus – this makes an excellent option for the older Sudoku-ist or anyone with vision problems. On each 8×10 page in this full-ring book there is just ONE Sudoku puzzle – amazing!!! The difficulty range of these puzzles would be great for someone with a bit of Sudoku experience, but they aren’t too hard to pick up and learn on the go as a beginner.
This is my one fun inclusion on the list, Sudoku variants! So you’ve been doing the same format Sudoku puzzle and you’re looking for a fun new game that uses the similar principles. This book of Sudoku variants has different grid variations, funky shapes, and difficulties for every puzzler. Pick up this book for a fresh style of puzzle that will keep you guessing at every turn of the page. This book is an excellent gift for the un-expecting puzzler in your life who you know loves Sudoku or other paper puzzles.
If you’re into Sudoku or know anyone who is, there certainly isn’t a shortage of Sudoku and number-based puzzle resources out there. Here are some of my favorites:
Sudoku Wiki Resources for Sudoku designers – Great for anyone interested in designing their own puzzles or gaining game-design insights Daily online Sudoku – A really great option for solving a Sudoku each day online and having access to reviews, solutions, the whole shebang. You can even design and submit your own puzzles and share them with friends – awesome. Any who, Sudoku is a really great game and I hope that my reviews of the best Sudoku books will help you pick the right book for you or as a gift for a loved one if that’s your intent. Happy puzzling :)!
If you want to know what is the best Pyraminx on the market right now then look at our list of the best ones available today. The top model on the market, and the best budget and beginner options of this fun and exciting twisty puzzle.
In my opinion, the GAN magnetic pyraminx is number 1. While the price tag is slightly higher than other options it’s one of, if not the best quality pyraminx. The MoYu has superior corner cutting, world-record performance, and it’s really smooth to use and solve no matter what your pace.
78mm x 83mm x 95mm
Red, green, blue, and yellow sides
Great quality cube with smooth turning and superior corner cutting
MoYu is a house-hold standard when it comes to speed cubing. This cube is available in stickerless which I know appeals to a lot of cubers and regular puzzlers, as it does to me as well. This cube is of excellent quality, and is sold at a great price making it possibly the best overall pyraminx in this review. It has an appealing color scheme and stickerless option. The only reason I would get the Moyu over the GAN is if you’re looking for a better price, are partial to the brand, or just like the colors.
This is by no means a low quality option; it’s a consistently made and good quality pyraminx, but they’re definitely the budget option as the price dictates. These puzzles could even be used to set world records so they don’t lack performance but also coming in at just a fraction of the cost of other Pyraminx brands. With similar dimensions as the other puzzles, the The Tanch Qiyi Pyraminx handles well and is very speedy. It has a more clacky feel in comparison to the other options so that may appeal to you.
The Pyraminx is a tetrahedron puzzle similar to the standard 3×3 Rubik’s cube. It was patented by the same guy who brought you the Megaminx, and Skewb, Uwe Mèffert in 1981.
He first thought of the idea in 1970 and didn’t capitalize on the unique puzzle until 1981 when it entered production in Hong Kong. Uwe credits Erno’s Rubik’s invention for the birth of his Pyraminx. You’re here to find out what the best Pyraminx is, so let’s get into the reviews. Instead of listing every single Pyraminx available I’ve narrowed it down to a few great options that should suit a wide variety of puzzler’s needs.
How to pick the best Pyraminx for you!
So you’ve read my descriptions and comments on what I think are the four best Pyraminx puzzles on the market, but maybe you’re not sure which one is for you. You could also be buying one as a gift for someone else and require a bit more guidance than has been revealed so far so here we go.
If you’re new to Pyraminx, puzzling, or speed cubing and want to try the Pyraminx I would try the ShengShou. Overall it’s a great and fast cube and it will barely sting your wallet just costing a few bucks. Once you break in the puzzle and set it how you like it – it’s an awesome Pyraminx.
If you’re an experienced cuber looking to get a top-tier Pyraminx then I would go with the MoYu. If you specifically like the Dayan brand then they’re closer enough that they can both be top tier cubes – the cube doesn’t make the cuber!
If you have a Pyraminx or a lot of other cubes already and want to try out a “superior” Pyraminx with a unique design, then I would try the QiYi Pyraminx. Otherwise unless you specifically like the color scheme of the QiYi then I would go with a MoYu or Dayan.
Pyraminx Resources
After we get our Pyraminx of course we want to solve it, here are the resources I used to learn algorithms and how to solve my Pyraminx. It’s not a super difficult twisty puzzle if you have some experience, and if not you can definitely figure it out with a bit of time.
Kewbz Learn to Solve Your Pyraminx Guide – very easy to follow along and solve
Nerd Paradise guide – step by step visual guide to solving the Pyraminx
Ruwix Pyraminx simulator – useful after you’re solving the cube and want to train
Pyraminx Cool Facts
We can’t finish off this article without some cool facts on the Pyraminx now can we?
The first official Pyraminx competition was organized in 2003 – American Andy Bellenir won by solving it in 14.09 seconds.
The max number of twists required to solve the Pyraminx is 11
The current world record single solve of the Pyraminx is 1.36 seconds set by Drew Brads in 2015. The best average is also held by the same guy at 2.52 seconds.
Higher order variations of the puzzle are the Professor Pyraminx, and the Tetraminx which is basically a Pyraminx without tips.
Wrap up
If you got this far, thanks for reading! I put together this list of the best Pyraminx puzzles available because I saw that there was a lack of reviews. Within these four Pyraminx listed here I’m sure you can find the right puzzle for you, from budget to top-tier speed cube options there’s something for everyone.
Puzzle on!
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