Mirror 

Mirror Cubes: shape-shifting puzzles

The Mirror Cube is one of the most popular modifications of the 3x3 cube. All sides are the same colour. Instead, the pieces differ in thickness, so once scrambled, the cube loses its regular shape. Solving it means restoring the cube shape, not the colours. Inside, it works with the mechanism of a regular 3x3 cube. If you can solve a 3x3, you can also solve the Mirror with the same method and the same algorithms. The challenge lies in recognising the pieces by their dimensions. When orienting and permuting the last layer, you need to look at the height and width of the pieces, not at the sticker colours.

Classic or magnetic Mirror 3x3?

In this category you will find two groups of Mirror 3x3 cubes. The first group consists of simple models without magnets, such as the QiYi 3x3 Mirror S, QiYi Mirror, YJ Mirror and MoYu Meilong Mirror. In this category, QiYi and MoYu models are especially popular. Simple designs are a good choice for your first Mirror Cube, as a gift or for a collection. It is often worth lubing them and adjusting the screws a little.

The second group consists of magnetic models. These include the GAN Mirror UV, Cyclone Boys Metallic Mirror Magnetic and MoYu Meilong Magnetic Mirror 3x3 V2, which is also available in UV and Ball-Core UV versions. The magnets help the layer settle into place after a turn, so the cube has fewer lockups during faster turning. Ball-Core means additional magnets between the corners and the core. They improve stability and make turns easier to control. The UV coating gives a glossy, smooth surface. These versions are usually chosen by people who want to solve the Mirror against the clock.

Other Mirror sizes and variants

The shape-shifting principle also works in other puzzles. Our range includes Mirror 2x2 (QiYi, ShengShou, YJ), Mirror 4x4, the magnetic DianSheng Galaxy 5x5, Mirror Skewb, ShengShou Mirror Tower and the flat YuXin 1x3x3 Mirror Cube. Models with an unusual finish include the QiYi Tiled Mirror Cube and the QiYi Mirror with fluorescent stickers.

To start, we recommend a simple Mirror 2x2 or 3x3. Magnetic versions and bigger sizes are a good next step once the classic model is no longer a challenge.