Hobby 

Hobby: speed stacking, pen spinning, fingerboarding and brain teasers

Not every dexterity toy has to be a puzzle cube. The Hobby category has things that go well with speedcubing: speed stacking cups and timers, pen spinning pens, fingerboards with ramps and skateparks, yoyos and metal and wooden puzzles. Most of them train the same skills as a cube: finger dexterity, coordination and patience. They are also easy to get started with and usually don't cost much.

Speed stacking and Speed Stacks timers

Sport stacking is about building and taking down pyramids of cups in set sequences as fast as possible. Speed Stacks cups are the original set of 12 cups for this sport. They come in several colors and in a printed version. For timing, there are the Speed Stacks Pro Gen 5 sets: the G5 timer with a bag, or the G5 timer with a mat and a bag. The G5 timer has two modes. The four-pad mode is for stacking, and the two-pad mode is for solving cubes. StackMat timers are the standard at WCA competitions, so one set works for both sports. You'll also find a MoYu timer in this category.

Pen spinning: Zhigao pens

In pen spinning, you spin a pen around your fingers and link tricks into smooth combos. A regular pen quickly turns out to be too light or poorly balanced for this, so it's better to choose a pen made specifically for spinning. Zhigao pens (e.g. V5, V6, V16 and V38) differ in shape, finish and balance. One simple model is enough to start with, and you can pick more later to match your style.

Fingerboard: boards, ramps and skateparks

A fingerboard is a miniature skateboard that you ride and do tricks on with two fingers. If you just want to give it a try, there are single boards and the Mini Fingerboard set (3 pieces). The SBEGO sets are more extensive: with a longboard and accessories, with two boards and a track, or with three boards and a stand. There is also the Fingerboard Pro in a box. If you want somewhere to ride right away, choose a set with a ramp, a mini skatepark or a full skatepark.

Yoyos and puzzles

Among the yoyos you'll find simple plastic models such as NewStyle HQ and Super Yoyo Hyper Spin, as well as metal YaQiLi yoyos in the Red Edition and PRO versions. The YaQiLi models differ in size, and the PRO version is noticeably bigger. Brain teaser fans will enjoy the metal Unlock Metal Puzzle sets (8 and 12 pieces) and wooden puzzles. With these puzzles, finger speed doesn't matter. What counts is figuring out how to separate or assemble the pieces.