Are you new to yoyoing and want to find out the best yoyos for beginners? Go no further than here. You will find the best beginner yoyo picks to choose from depending on your basic skill level!
So let’s begin!
Absolute beginner yoyos
1.Yomega Brain
The Yomega Brain yoyo is the ideal yoyo when it comes to absolute beginners who know nothing about yoyos and don’t know how to do even the simplest trick with it. This is the yoyo to pick when you are new to yoyoing.
This is especially suited for young children who don’t know how to throw a yoyo and even to do a sleeper. You can give this yoyo to your young brother or sister or if you are a grandparent you can offer it to your grandson.
Yomega Brain Specifications
Shape: Classic looping shape.
Diameter:58.7 mm
Width:35.7 mm
Weight: 59 grams
Gap Width:2.5 mm
Transaxle configuration(fixed axle plus a plastic sleeve around the axle for reducing friction)
Response: Starburst system
Construction and design
As the yoyo is specifically designed for beginners, this toy presents rather a looping yoyo shape which makes it more comfortable to hold in your hand.
The most original element that this yoyo brings in is the auto-return system which consists of a clutch system which opens up when the yoyo spins fast and closes down when the yoyo slows down.
Thow springs hold two plastic components that hold the axle.As the yoyo spins the centrifugal force pushes the white plastic components outwards compressing the strings.
This lets the yoyo spin freely. When the yoyo slows down, the elastic force will counteract the centrifugal force and push back the white pieces of plastic locking the axle. The inertia of the yoyo will make it continue spinning and wind up, returning to your hand.
This plastic yoyo has a transaxle system which consists of the main steel axle and a plastic sleeve over it to reduce friction. The plastic sleeve also presents a rubber ring, the part of the sleeve with that ring needs to be inserted in the yoyo half with the clutch system, otherwise, the system won’t work.
Playability and feel
The yoyo is specifically designed to auto-return for absolute beginners, so if you don’t throw the yoyo with enough power it will return to your hand.
However, for beginner players, this shouldn’t represent a problem as the children will enjoy having the yoyo come back to their hands. As they will throw the yoyo better and better they will eventually make it sleep.
If you already know how to throw, how to do a sleeper or how to bind this yoyo isn’t for you. You should get something else from this list.
Before continuing, have some fun watching this video by double-clicking the image below!
The Yomega brain works reasonably well for 2A tricks, but string tricks just suck with this yoyo as it has this clutch that stops you in the middle of the tricks.
The only way you can make the yoyo spin for longer is to put the part of the plastic sleeve with the rubber ring in the other half(without the clutch system). This way the yoyo will spin twice as long and maybe you’ll be able to do string tricks.
Another tip for you is to lube the plastic sleeve as to maintain the yoyo and to make the auto-return system work properly.
Overview
The Yomega Brain is just for absolute beginners who want to know how to throw a yoyo and make it sleep. If you are this kind of guy/girl or know someone new to yo-yoing, this is the yoyo to get.
2.Duncan Butterfly
Duncan Butterfly is around 5 dollars and can be found in almost every target or Walmart retail shop. However, this yoyo model is not fashionable any more as the model is almost 60 years old and there aren’t so many Butterflies on the market so make sure you get one in time!
You can start yo-yoing very easily with this Duncan model as the package also contains instructions on how to throw the yoyo in no time and you’ll also manage to do some basic tricks.
It features a flared shape, steel axle(not ball bearing) and a durable plastic body that can resist hits to the ground. You shouldn’t worry too much about accidentally dropping it.
The yoyo feels weightless, yet also capable of performing tricks for beginners even though it doesn’t spin for long. The yoyo represented an innovation in the 60s because it had a wider shape than other Duncan yoyos at that time.
However, by today’s standards, it doesn’t feel wide. Just check the width below:
Specifications
Diameter: 57 mm
Width:32mm(quite narrow which may be a new challenge for beginner players)
Weight:48 grams(kind of floaty)
Fixed steel axle(can’t dismantle the yoyo)
material-polycarbonate(injection moulding)
As for playability, this yoyo can be used both for beginner tricks and looping(2A tricks). For newbies, this is the perfect yoyo as it does exactly what is supposed to do. It goes up and down without frustrating the new beginner players.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how this yoyo plays by double-clicking the image below!
The pros of this yoyo are that it sleeps, is responsive and has a flared style and the cons are that this yoyo has a fixed axle which shortens the spin time and the cotton string which comes with the yoyo is coarse(luckily you can replace it).
Overall the Butterfly is worth it for the price and what it offers.
3.Yomega Fireball
The Yomega Fireball was one of the most popular yoyos in the ’90s in the USA and not only and still presents great quality even after so much time.
This yoyo is another feasible option for beginner players. This time this yoyo is no longer for absolute beginners like the Yomega brain and you need to have some skill to play with it.
Yoyo specifications
Diameter:58.30mm
Width:35.01
Trapeze width:12 mm
Gap Width: 2.5mm
Weight:52.3 g
Shape: Normal., better for looping.
Material: Polycarbonate
Bearing: Plastic spool(that’s why the yoyo is called a transaxle)
Response system: Starburst
This yoyo is especially suited for looping tricks when you put some oil onto the steel axle that holds the two halves of the yoyo together. There is also a brown axle that let you transition from transaxle to ball bearing yoyo.
This yoyo remains popular even after so much time, even though better versions appeared such as the Yomega Raider which has a ball-bearing instead of a transaxle system.
Yoyo construction and specific design
The yoyo is made from durable polycarbonate plastic making the yoyo able to take some damage when hit to the ground. The plastic sleeve was an innovation in the ’90s when the most used yoyos were the fixed axle ones.
The plastic sleeve was before the introduction of the ball-bearing yoyos so this yoyo doesn’t have side cups for fingerspins like other yoyo models made of polycarbonate have. You can still play happily with the Fireball even though it has the less durable Starburst system response.
Playability and feel
The Yomega Fireball lets you do fancy beginner tricks like the Walk the dog or Around the world(learn these here). You can also perform better string tricks because you don’t have the auto-return system like the Yomega Brain.
Before continuing, have some fun watching this Yomega Ad by double-clicking the image below!
As the yoyo is more looping centred, it doesn’t have such a catchable shape for string tricks and you’ll find the Man on the Flying Trapeze significantly harder and other similar tricks.
Overall for around 12 bucks, you don’t have so many reasons to complain about. You just have one of the best beginner yoyos.
As a side note, to maintain the yoyo you need to put some oil on the steel axle to reduce the friction between the steel axle and the plastic spinning axle.
Starter yoyos
4.Recess First Base
The Recess First Base is, in my opinion, the best yoyo for beginners who want to transition from the ultrabasic tricks to more advanced ones. Why? Because the yoyo comes with two bearings for each type of play.
The slim bearing allows for responsive play as if you would play with a Yomega Fireball but better(you have the bearing, duh!). The larger bearing is perfect for more unresponsive yoyo tricks to step up your game. Not only that, but you also have a comfortable shape that is better to hold in your hand, plus the hits will feel less painful.
Let’s see the yoyo’s main characteristics that make it so special|!
Main characteristics
Diameter:57..5 mm
Width :44.70 mm
Gap width:5mm(quite wide ,ideal for unresponsive play)
Slim bearing-flat C bearing + CBC Centre Trac bearing
Construction and design
The yoyo presents an organic O-shape that makes your play more comfortable so you won’t feel as much pain when the yoyo returns in full force to your hand as you would feel by playing with the YoyoFactory Wedge.
The Recess First Base is one of the favourite yoyos for famous champions like Tyler Severance(who founded the Recess manufacturing company). You would say that this model is Tyler’s model but there are still many yoyos produced by his company to admire.
The yoyo presents a step up an outline which interrupts the regular O-shape giving the yoyo more unique feel.
As for the playability, the yoyo spins pretty smooth for a 20 dollar yoyo and you can’t complain about this little price about a tiny vibe.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how this yoyo plays in this player’s hands by double-clicking the image below!
The response pads are reasonably good, even though a bit grippy. The axle sits next to some kind of rings that hold the tiny bearing and prevent it from touching the polycarbonate.
Some may argue that the side cup shape is similar to that of the Magic yoyo Skyva with the exception that this yoyo doesn’t have a fingerspin dimple. You can get a version of this yoyo with this kind of feature for and extra 5 bucks but the fingerspins dimple sucks because you have to hit it exactly in the middle, otherwise the yoyo will wobble.
Playability and Feel
With this yoyo, you can do the simplest yoyo tricks starting from Rock the Baby, the Elevator yoyo trick, Walk the dog or other tricks just by using the narrow bearing.
If you want to level up just swap the narrow bearing with a wider one and you are ready to learn more advanced and cool tricks like the Double or Nothing, Kamikaze Mount or the Gyroscopic flop. There is no limit on how many tricks you can do!. Maybe just your skill.
Overall,this is the starter yoyo I would highly recommend to you to buy. It is certainly worth it!
5.YoyoFactory Velocity
This is another starter yoyo that fascinates me and will certainly fascinate you too! Why? just look at the photo below to see the original way to transition from responsive play to unresponsive play! It can do that just by rotating the dial to the right or the left depending on how you want to play!
Check out the specs to see what else Is special.
YoyoFactory Velocity Specifications
Weight:61.9 g(Pretty light)
Diameter:54.76 mm
Width:38.93 mm
Response: YYF 19 mm slim pads (made of silicone)
Bearing: YYF Type A bearing(smaller than most bearings)
Where to buy: Yoyo Store REWIND
Construction and design
The yoyo presents a classic butterfly/v-shape which is more flared out, making the looping tricks somewhat harder. The Velocity is durable almost like the replay pro being capable of resisting severe hits.
You can set the yoyo in two ways
- Easy mode: turn the dial in the direction indicated on the side cup to stick out the response pads and improve grip for responsive play
- Pro Mode: same thing but in the opposite direction to lower the response pad level for unresponsive play. The dial can be set in two ways:
With this yoyo, you get a type A bearing making it a spinning beast surpassing the 3 minutes average spin of a ball-bearing yoyo.
Playability and feel.
You can play responsive tremendously well, making you able to do the basic looping tricks and walk the dog, Rock the baby stuff etc..
The yoyo is light in comparison to other yoyos having only 62 grams, instead of around 65-66 grams. You can still play well with this yoyo even unresponsive.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how this yoyo plays in this player’s hands by double-clicking the image below! You will be surprised by what it can do!
Overall for its low price, I would recommend this yoyo to every starter player who wants to have both from these worlds(responsive and unresponsive).
6.Duncan Freehand Zero
The Duncan Freehand Zero is one of the most famous yoyos produced by Duncan. This yoyo was firstly introduced in 2004 and was made famous when Tyler Severance used a Freehand Zero to win the 2007 Worlds the first place in 5A division.
Construction and design
One of the most fascinating aspects about this yoyo is the interchangeable side cap system which allows for more customization done by the player, something which was barely done before.
Now we have good news as the production quality of the yoyo is more consistent along with some refinements in the moulding process that make the Freehand Zero even better. Also, the yoyo doesn’t have permanent bearing seats as the first model released did.
The yoyo comes with a set of thick spacers or thin aluminium spacers which allows you for adjustment according to your taste.
As for play the yoyo plays average as it has around 65-67 grams and it is a bit hard to catch on the string because of the narrow shape which is only 38 mm in width. Otherwise, the yoyo plays responsive pretty well.
Beginner Unresponsive yoyo
7.Replay Pro
The YoyoFactory Replay Pro is the greatest cheap unresponsive yoyo manufactured by YOyoFactory which provides high quality for the ridiculously low price. The yoyo was designed by the World Champion Gentry Stein (in 2014) for 1A play. The Replay Pro even managed to win even a National title.
Let’s see what makes this yoyo great for regular play and even competition!
SPECIFICATIONS:
They are the following:
Weight | 69g
Diameter | 58.2mm
Width | 44mm
Gap Width | 4.5mm
Bearing | CBC Large Center Trac Bearing
Response | CBC Large Slim Pads
Where to buy from| YoyoFactory Europe
Construction and Shape
The Replay Pro has a butterfly shape that makes the yoyo design elegant. The injection moulded polycarbonate halves make the yoyo so durable that I simply don’t give a damn if I hit the yoyo to the ground or against a wall or something else.
The yoyo, unfortunately, doesn’t have fingerspin cup but that doesn’t prevent you from doing extreme tricks with it. If Gentry managed to win a National Title with this yoyo, at least you can try to do more complicated tricks with this one after starting to learn unresponsive yoyo tricks.
The Replay is the yoyo that smashes the competition. It presents all the 3 aspects that you need for a competition throw: spin time, stability and catchability on the cord. Most of the times the plastic yoyos lack stability, but it isn’t the case here.
Playability and feel
The yoyo is extremely comfortable to hold onto my hands and it spins for ages, as long as I maintain the bearing.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how Gentry Stein won the Nationals with the plastic Replay Pro by double-clicking the image below!
However, not everything is beautiful. I don’t like the high walls of the yoyo that make it so subjective to tilt, but that is just my opinion. The Replay Pro is still great for beginners with the unresponsive tricks. Come on! It is less than 20 bucks!
Overall, I like this yoyo and I encourage you to buy it! Honestly, you can hardly find more durable and reliable yoyo like this!
Beginner Metal yoyos –get cheap throws
8.Magic Yoyo N12
Magic yoyo N12 is the best cheap aluminium yoyo in my opinion because you can get it less than 20 bucks. You can say that this yoyo can surpass a 50-dollar yoyo like the YYF Shutter and deliver the quality for significantly less.
See more about the specifications of the yoyo to have a greater picture of the skill toy:
Specifications:
Series: N12
Style: String Trick (1A, 3A, 5A)
Weight (g):67.58
Diameter (mm):55.00
Width (mm):44
Gap Width (mm):4.62
Body Shape: H-Profile combined with a V-shape
Body Material: 6061 Aluminum
Bearing: Concave Size C (Large)
Construction and design
The magic Yoyo N12 is made of the regular aluminium alloy used for such toys and this model presents a V-shape which is better than the shape of the Magic Yoyo N11.
The Ametoys company who produces Magic Yoyo models nailed it with this yoyo as it got the yoyo weight right at 67.8 grams which is not too light but not extremely heavy, giving the yoyo extra stability and more spin time.
The best aspect about this yoyo is the matt finish that improves finger grinds for lasting longer. The fingerspin design is better than that of the N11. However, the laser engraving design makes it somewhat harder to do such tricks.
Playability and Feel
When you play with this yoyo, you can see its force of spinning and the smoothness of play, making you want to play with it even more.
Finger spins work OK, finger grinds even better and the thumb grinds are also doable if you throw the yoyo at an angle.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how this yoyo plays in Luke Renner’s hands by double-clicking the image below!
Overall, if you want to start playing with a metal yoyo and don’t want to break the bank you should get the Magic Yoyo N12.
9.Magic Yoyo N8
The Magic Yoyo N8 is another model form the budged line series from the manufacturing company Ametoys. For around 13 bucks, you just can’t go wrong with this yoyo as this represents a great start in unresponsive play. It is especially good if you want to get a pocket-sized yoyo to drop it in your pocket and forget about it!
Let’s see what makes it so special!
Magic Yoyo Dare To Do N8 Specifications:
Diameter: 47.40 mm
Width: 41.00 mm
Gap Width: 4.70 mm
Weight: 64.00 grams
Body Shape: Modified (butterfly)
Body Material: Aluminum
Bearing: Size C large flat bearing
Response: Silicon Pad
Play: String style (1A, 3A, 5A)
Bind Required to wake yoyo
Includes: 1 yoyo string
Construction and design
This pocket-size throw is smaller even than the famous YoyoFactgory Boss or the YoyoFactory Dv-888 by almost 5 mm in diameter.
This yoyo is made of the regular 6061 aluminium alloy and presents a V-shape which is somewhat better for catching the yoyo onto the string. It may look a bit like the YoyoFactory Wedge(weird), but you will have more stability and spin power.
The anodization which is so shiny is one of the things I particularly enjoy about the yoyo, even though it makes it harder to do the finger grinds.
What I also like is the Magic Yoyo Bearing which is Konkave and centres the string even better than Center Trac bearing.
The axle of the yoyo half short, but it can hold tight the halves of the yoyo. The response system is okay and good to go.
Playability and feel
This yoyo is unresponsive and plays pretty smooth for a $13 yoyo and the thumb grinds are easy on this toy because of the inner rim shape. All in all, a great throw to get which barely has any vibe.
Before moving on , have some fun watching how this yoyo plays in this kid’s hands by double-clicking the image below!
It is even better to get this yoyo than the YoyoFactory Boss or the DV-888.
10.Magic Yoyo N5 Desperado
The Magic Yoyo Desperado is the beginner unresponsive yoyo for both 1A and 5A. Why? Because of the wide shape that helps you catch the yoyo extremely easy and you just pay around 15 bucks for it. Plus, you don’t regret anything if you break it. You just buy another one!
Desperado yoyo specifications
Diameter:50.8 mm(significantly smaller than the average diameter which is around 55-56 mm)
Width:45.5 mm(just about average, maybe a little wider)
Gap width:4.72(a bit wider than the average yoyo)
Weight:49.5 grams(kind of heavy)
Bearing: Magic Yoyo Concave bearing
Response system: silicone 19 mm ring pads
Design and construction
The yoyo has a W-shape (kind of a wider v shape), which is ideal for Freehand play at least when you start and you don’t know how to do it.
The surface of the yoyo is smooth to allow you to do finger grinds and palm grinds, maybe even arm grinds. The laser engraving shows the name of the yoyo model which looks pretty cool.
The side cup isn’t the best one for fingerspins but you can do them as the cup is deep.
Playability and feel
The Magic Yoyo Desperado plays OK for the price and it is worth looking at. The stability of the yoyo is outstanding due to the low walls that help with keeping the yoyo on the same spin plane.
The yoyo also feels a bit rim weighted even though the diameter of the yoyo is small. Take care not to venture too much into technical tricks as not to hit more strings than necessary. Otherwise, this is a great throw for the price.
Before continuing, have some fun watching how this yoyo spins by double-clicking the image below! There are also other models presented.
Overall, the Shape weight and smoothness make the Magic Yoyo N5 Desperado the perfect cheap option for 5A and beginning 1A string tricks!
Conclusion
The yoyo models presented before are the best options for beginners. If you are just starting, get a Yomega Brain to start to throw properly. If you want to step up your game and play both responsive and unresponsive, get a YoyoFactory Velocity or a Recess First base (the best choice I would say).If you want to get a beginner metal yoyo just get one Magic Yoyo N12 or N5 for high quality at a great price.
If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t hesitate to leave them down in the comments!
