Rate your Yoyo Collection

As my collection continues to grow, I find myself frequently comparing various yoyos in terms of everything from performance to general aesthetics. Some are better at certain tricks than others - which of course is one reason why it’s fun to own several… That said, I thought I’d share my list ranking my throws, with #1 being my overall “favorite”.
I invite others to do the same, along with some thoughts about each. I think a thread where we maintain our opinions on our favorite yoyos will be an interesting read, and help members get to know one another in terms of what we’re throwing, and why.

I’m going to focus on my top 5, but if you choose to add to the thread, feel free to list as many or as few as you’d like. So without further ado, here’s my (current) list…

  1. Werrd Irony JPX
    This yoyo is amazing. It’s the most stable yoyo I’ve ever thrown, and is the perfect balance between solid/predictable, and nimble/fast. It is dead smooth - I tested it when I first got it, and it spun for 8-1/2 minutes before stopping (it never spun out… just spun and spun at the bottom of the string). The dimensions are perfectly to my liking, and it looks and feels like an extremely high-quality hunk of 7075 in the hand; this is my all around favorite yoyo for just about type of trick.

  2. Yoyo Empire Rainfly
    This was my second yoyo (I bought it shortly after joining this forum, thanks to several recommendations from forum members), and is the one with which I significantly improved my skills, as I learned most of the tricks in the Advanced sections of the YYE tutorials. I’ve bought some great yoyos since the Rainfly, but I keep coming back to it as one of my favorites. It’s very stable and long-spinning, with a generous width/catch zone; it’s also a bit on the heavy side… all of which, I think, make it extremely forgiving to learn with. Aesthetics are good - although it doesn’t ooze quality like the JPX. But for the price, it can’t be beat.
    The Rainfly earns my number 2 slot because my number 3 and 4 yoyos are very similar to the JPX. So for a slightly different feel this is my go-to throw.

  3. Yoyo Recreation Draupnir
    Widely regarded as one of the best out there, I was expecting to be blown away by the Draupnir. It certainly is a great yoyo, but I feel like the JPX beats it at its own game. If it weren’t for the JPX, this would be my overall favorite, as it’s very stable and long-spinning, and very fast and nimble without compromising on a predictable/solid feel. Build quality is also exceptional, but it’s just not as smooth, or quite as awesome as the JPX.

  4. Yoyo Factory Titanium Dream
    This is my most recent acquisition, so it’s tough to rank it 4th. It’s actually very similar in feel to the Draupnir, and while it’s a bit smoother, it’s not as long spinning, and not quite as stable. The coolest part about this yoyo is the sound of the string pinging against the titanium as you play! Similar to the Draupnir, this could easily be my favorite if it weren’t for the JPX. (I do like the titanium concept, so I’m very interested to see how the One Drop version turns out : )

  5. Chico Yoyo Company Bulldog 225
    My first unresponsive yoyo - bought it in Chico, CA, from the shop where Gentry works - this is what started my interest in this hobby. For this reason, it will always have a significant place in my collection. In addition, it’s so different than my other yoyos - narrow catch zone, playful on the string, relaxed-playing - that it’s very enjoyable to go to in order to change things up.

Thanks for reading, and looking forward to seeing others post their lists as well!

2 Likes

That collection is top notch!

I’ll rank my collection in just a bit…

This is my current order, though it constantly changes:

  1. YYR Draupnir
  2. OD Sovereign
  3. YYF TiDream, raw
  4. Anti-yo Stealthzilla
  5. G2 Marvel
  6. SPYY Addiction
  7. OD Markmont. Next
  8. YYF Space Cowboy
  9. OD Markmont. Classic
  10. SPYY Orbitron 5000
  11. Anti-yo Viszilla
  12. OD Cascade
  13. YYF TiDream, blue
  14. Anti-yo Bapezilla.2
  15. OD Rally
    16/17. YYF Aluminum Dream
  16. Werrd Irony GBA
  17. YYF Big Dream
  18. YYF Regen
  19. YYF Super G
  20. OD Code 1
  21. YYF Horizon

Soon, I’ll have a Luftverk Evora and 3yo3 Ti5 that will likely breach the top handful. And then the OD CiTizen when that drops, if I can snag one.

Um ok

  1. General yo KLR
    Just about perfect for me. I just wish it was a bit lighter.

Yyr Messiah
Super stable and awesome undersized, but is much too heavy.

  1. CLYW Avalanche
    Feels weird to me, but is a good player.

  2. Polished dv888
    Surprisingly fun to play with. Solid and quick.

  3. Half of a popstar.
    Not really much to say about this one.

That’s it. I have a tiny collection. I do have a horizon in the mail though. I fully expect it to crack my top 5, it would be hard not to though.

Amazing list, FRS… Is your ranking primarily playability-based, or are you taking aesthetics into account? (I noticed that your 2 Ti Dreams are far apart on your list… )

This is very difficult for me to do. I’d probably say

  1. CLYW Chief
    Floaty and fun to play with at all times, but still extremely stable, long spinning, and more than fast enough to handle anything. One of the only yoyos that i don’t ever get bored of. I’ve owned like maybe 8 of these things, i just love them so much.

  2. YYR Sleipnir
    Best yoyo i have in pure performance, the only thing is that It’s a tad boring feeling on the string, and It’s a little big which makes it difficult to fit through all the string formations without messing up. If it was 1-2 mm smaller in diameter though this would be #1 on the list.

  3. CLYW Bonfire
    Speedy, nimble, long spinning, and fun to play with. Not much else needs to be said here.

  4. CLYW Avalanche
    I have this listed as my favorite yoyo because truly, it is. By that i mean that if i had to get rid of every yoyo I owned except one, I’d choose my avalanche as the one to stay. The smoothest yoyo I’ve ever used without question. My only issue with it is that It’s almost too smooth. When I’m in the middle of combos It’s so ridiculously smooth and floaty that i can’t quite feel where It’s at on the string, which can make it difficult to use at times. If this yoyo was slightly heavier, it would probably be #1 on the list. Maybe i should try a Sasquatch :slight_smile:

  5. YYF Shutter
    Great player, and something that I’m not afraid to damage on accident. I have no problem with letting someone try it out, or throwing it over concrete, or anything like that because i can replace it for so cheaply. On top of not having to worry about babying it, It plays like an absolute champ, easily as well as yoyos 3 times its price.

BONUS. (Because i sold/traded all of my marmots :() CLYW Wooly Marmot OG
Definitely not the best playing yoyo I’ve ever used, far from it actually. I’d sooner compete with a protostar than i would with one of these. It’s just so fun to use though. It has such a unique feel on the string, and just a really nice personality about it, especially the first runs.

It’s a combo of both. It’s generally in order of the playability that I like. But then aesthetics or rareness also plays into it. And for versions that I have multiples of, namely the TiDreams and Stealth/Vis/Bape, the ones I play less are lower on the list to let others be higher.

  1. Turning Point Palpitation (blue with purple acid)
    No doubt the best yoyo I’ve ever played/owned. Absolutely dead smooth, with insane stability and spin time. I also really enjoy its feel on the string. My perfect yoyo in all aspects.

  2. sOMEThING Slasher
    My preference for the Palpitation over the Slasher is marginal. It still gives awesome stability and spin time, but not to the same degree as the previously mentioned throw. I play at a medium pace, so I don’t really need the high speed that the Slasher provides. It is, however, very fun to play. For a heavily rim-weighted yoyo, it has a surprisingly light feeling.

  3. Turning Point Palpitation (green with blue acid)
    I’ve beaten some vibe into this one, but of course, all its other good qualities remain. No doubt, my most used yoyo.

  4. G-Squared Aftershock
    The Aftershock is the yoyo I grab when I need to relax. It is super comfortable at medium-low speeds. Grinds on the Aftershock are the best I’ve ever experienced because of it’s smoothness and outstanding finish.

  5. CLYW Arctic Circle 2
    Nimble, fast, and stable are the best words to describe this yoyo. i’m just not the biggest fan of the way it feels, mainly because I like heavier, solid throws.

Well this is a tough one… grr here goes.
#1. YYF Ti Dream: I have aquired this recently. But after playing with it for a week almost non stop I haven’t felt even a tinge of the magic wear off. It feels genuinely special. From the looks and the feel and especially the play. It is fast floaty and stable, somehow it predicts what play characteristics are prefferable for the trick I’m doing and feels different. It also sounds and looks incredible. I love it. The size is also perfect and it’s very comfortable.

#2 YYR Sleipnir. Performance moster. Faster than my ti dream not quite as stable and long spinning. Love the shape and feel. Read a review on it or play one for a minute and you’ll instantly understand the appeal. Also floatiest yyr I’ve owned

#3 YYF Space Cowboy. Heavier feeling on the string but extremely long spinning and stable. My go to for learning and greating tricks. Also the blue mine is in looks fantastic.

#4 ClywxOD Summit. Super light feeling, and extremely floaty. It actually feels lighter than my sleipnir but it isn’t fast. A super chill yoyo that can still handle anything and look great while doing it.

#4 YYF Shutter. Holds a special place in my heart as my first unresponsive yoyo. Also happens to play great.

#5 Al dream. Ultra Smooth blast and fantastic looks. My go to for grinds. It plays light and fast with a decent amount of float. Play wise I think it might beat my shutter.

#6 Cypher. Chill, unique nuff said

Is this for all styles?

  1. Yoyofactory Cyborg 2.0. I love it. It’s super smooth longest spin times. 7075 is super strong. I just love it. Really good for finger spins and grind.

  2. Clyw wooly marmot 2. Not the longest spin times because if it’s size and weight but it’s has a really unique feeling. Most my yoyos are solid or speedy but this is floaty easy to maneuver and good for tech. Not the best for finger spins.

  3. Yoyofactory Shutter. My first metal really competition oriented. Pretty solid and speedy. Not really durable. OK for finger spins. Sometimes feels a bit heavy.

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4. Yoyofactory Horizon. I sold it because I needed money but it is really good it’s unique feels light pretty long spin times.

  1. Yoyojam Classic it good a bit too slim but it’s nice.

  2. Yoyofactory Shaqlerstar. It’s good feels heavy but it’s really solid.

2A. Yoyofactory Loop 808 it’s light good for long sessions of looping.

Duncan Pulse it’s really easy to learn on it but no to master it’s heavy so not the best for long sessions. So I learn this and perfect it on loop 808 so both are good.

4A. Duncan Skyhawk it’s good for catches and easy to learn bund but it doesn’t have long spin times.

5A. Yoyofactory Regeneration I love this yoyofactory only plastic that feels like metal and super smooth good for 5a a little bead for tilt control as it loses its spin as soon it’s touches the string because of it sticky body. But love it.

The same us pretty much all my collection it also has a Duncan pro fly is also good for looping. yoyofactory fast 201 and 2 unnamed.

Sorry to ask, but why isn’t the shutter durable?

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It’s made of 6061 aluminum, and It’s got fairly thin walls.

I myself find the durability on the shutter to be just fine, but i can only guess that that’s what he meant.

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That makes sense. I was just confused is all. Its metal, and seems like it’s pretty durable. But that’s just my shutter, and my opinion. So thank you for explaining to me.

Since I have many yoyos, I’m just going to point out my highlights.

YYF Too Hot: Feels a bit weird in the hands but plays amazingly. It’s wide shape takes getting used to holding, but perches on the finger nicely for finger grinds.

YYF Czech Point: More of your typical W-shape but is a long spinner and very stable. It is one of my go-to throws for practicing new tricks due to it’s forgiving nature.

YYF Shutter: Solid throw, but took me some getting adjusted to as I find it a little less forgiving than the above YYFs. It also does play faster and plays amazingly for me when I’m doing tricks I can already do cleanly. Feels solid in the hands to me, has an amazing anodizing job (Galaxy edition)

YYF Horizon: One of my favorite ano jobs ever, another Galaxy edition. I like to call this thing a “tank” as that’s what it feels like. While this isn’t by any means anything negative, it is one of my heaviest and largest 1A throws. Because of it’s larger size and slower play, it’s one of my “relax and throw” kind of yoyos when I want to just take things at a slower pace. Spins a long time too, also good for practicing a variety of tricks as long as it doesn’t involve hopping through small triangles or openings (Like Spirit Bomb or Superman) :slight_smile:

One Drop Benchmark H: Another stable “practice throw” of mine as well as a serious player. Feels solid, feels very “Made in the USA”.

CLYW Gnarwhal: Very comfortable organic shape, one of my go-to pocket throws. One of my zippier throws, something I like to use for tricks I can do smoothly and want to take it fast.

CLYW Wooly Marmot: Another fast yoyo in my collection, a little wider and maybe a little quicker due to the rim weight’s positioning.

One Drop Y-Factor: Fast, stable. Reminds me very much of my CLYWs but is probably one of the slickest yoyos I have for finger grinds due to the grooves it has.

YYJ H3X - Since we never hear much about these yoyos (as not many were made, I believe 100 of each color?) I’d like to talk a little about this one. Very comfortable to hold in the hands, and reminds me of if the Dark Magic was reimagined. The Dark Magic was an already great all around yoyo and one of the best selling yoyos here. The H3X is YYJ’s high end Andre Boulay signature yoyo. This is also a great all around yoyo, actually like this over the Dark Magic, and one of the best YYJ’s I’ve ever played. I’ve looked everywhere, I think I may have bought one of the last (if not the last) red one with the silver titanium rings. It is my first bimetal as well.

And for fun - the Aoda Littles. Since there were no more Mighty Fleas around online, I ended up stumbling upon one of these yoyos. They’re tiny, stable, difficult to use, but very rewarding when you realized you just landed a difficult trick requiring lots of hops (like Spirit Bomb). Because it’s much smaller, it is the only yoyo I have where I had to make custom strings for it, making them thinner.

I thought of doing mine, but it would take a long time. Maybe I’ll just rate the ones in my case of mains, that’s a lot easier. I’ll come back later and post mine. Maybe a top 20 or something like that. I enjoy reading these.

Here’s my 1st to last

  1. Titanium Dream
  2. Space Cowboy
  3. Sengoku Nobunaga
  4. 6061 Supernova
  5. Tropic Spins Shipwreck
  6. Yoyofficer x Berry Nifty
  7. Code 1
  8. Shutter
  9. Gradient
  10. 2014 Benchmark W
  11. Summit
  12. Next Level

lists are boring, stories behind lists are fun :slight_smile: But don’t do a full write-up on your 12 yoyos, pick 5 at most, that way it’s much more fun to read.

Some good lists, guys (especially the ones with details on each, as to why they made the cut ; ) Lots of variety, but some consistently high ranking throws as well…