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…
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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 : ) -
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!