Lubes 

Lubes for speed cubes and twisty puzzles

The same cube can feel completely different depending on what you lube it with. Cube lubes reduce friction between the pieces, quieten the mechanism and let you tune the feel: from light and fast to soft and more controllable. In this category you will find lubes from GAN, MoYu, DaYan, X-Man Design, MoFangGe, Maru, Z-Lube and Cubicle (including Cubicle Labs and Angstrom), as well as lubes made by Strefa Kostek: LUBEST™ and Adheron.

Viscosity: how a lube changes the feel of your cube

The most important property of a lube is its viscosity. A thin lube speeds up turning but wears off faster. A thick lube slows the cube down, but it adds control and lasts longer. The Adheron series shows this well: Lite has low viscosity, standard Adheron has medium viscosity, and Heavy is the thickest of the three. GAN uses a similar split: Lube I is a medium-viscosity silicone lube for regular maintenance, and Lube III is a thick silicone lube for springs and screws, or for the pieces if your cube needs more control.

Silicone or water-based lube?

• Silicone lubes (e.g. LUBEST™ XMT 10, Angstrom Dignitas, Cubicle Silicone Weight 5) last longer and are suitable for different parts of the mechanism. The thickest ones, such as Weight 5 or Angstrom Gravitas, are used mainly on the core and springs, or in small amounts on the pieces when the cube is too loose.
• Water-based lubes, such as Cubicle DNM-37 or GAN Lube II, are applied to the pieces. They speed up the cube quickly but need to be reapplied more often. Do not use them on metal parts, i.e. screws and springs.

There are also a few lubes with unusual formulas. Cubicle Labs Mystic is aloe-based, and Angstrom Dignitas contains nitride microparticles.

Where to start?

For your first lubing, the simplest choice is a universal medium-viscosity silicone lube, such as LUBEST™ XMT 10 or Adheron. A few drops per cube are enough, and it is easy to dose. Once you know what your cube is missing, you can combine two lubes: a thicker one on the core and a thinner one on the pieces. This is how speedcubers set up a cube for speed or for control without changing the tension settings. Start with a small amount, because the only way to remove too much lube is to take the cube apart.

The lubes in this category are grouped by manufacturer: Strefa Kostek, Cubicle, PiLube and Others.