What is a yo-yo? Yo-yo (yo-yo) - a toy of all times The main modern styles of playing with a yo-yo

The Yo-Yo models included in this review are:
YoYoFactory
YoYoFactory Velocity, YoYoFactory FAST 201, YoYoFactory FAST Spinstar and YoYoFactory FAST Spinstar Ball Bearing.

Aero
Aero Shuriken, Aero Dragon, Aero Katana, Aero Striker, Aero Blue Sky, Aero Hill & River, Aero Eagle.

YoYoJam
YoYoJam Lyn Fury, YoYoJam Journey, YoYoJam Kick Side.

Duncan
Duncan is not in the review

Let’s immediately brush aside the worst part: the Yohi Aero Shuriken, Aero Dragon, Aero Katana, Aero Striker and Aero Blue Sky, YoYoFactory FAST 201 and YoYoFactory Spinstar are money thrown away. There's not much you can do with these yohs and I wouldn't recommend starting with them.

First, the F.A.S.T system from YoYoFactory was invented for beginners, for those who picked up a yo-yo for the first time after seeing and being impressed by the play of pro players. On this Yoha you will never be able to do more or less normal tricks that can be done on pro models of yo-yo like California, Skyline and other normal Yohas. Even the pros can't.

The FAST system consists of plastic teeth around the bearing, between the halves of the yo-yo. When a person has already learned to throw a yo-yo, he needs to do different tricks, the yo-yo must spin for a long time. But the FAST system slows down the bearing, and at the same time makes a sound as if you are drilling a hole in the wall. FASTs maintain balance and do not fall on their side, unlike the Aero Striker.

Of the Yoh from Aero, I only held the Aero Striker in my hands. Because Aero Striker (600 rubles) costs more than Shuriken, Dragon, Blue Sky and Katana, I can conclude that they are even worse than Striker. Yes, the Aero Striker does not have a FAST system like the YoYoFactory 201 or Spinstar and it does not scream like a drill, but it rotates in even less time than the Fasts from YoYoFactory. It spins and spins and then falls over on its side. There is, of course, a plus: with Striker in the box there is a set for Freehand, Ball and Monkey counterweights, additional stuff for bearings and brakes. But this whole set does not save the situation.

From all this I would make the following TOP “Least Worst of the Worst”:

• 1. YoYoFactory FAST 201 and YoYoFactory FAST Spinstar
• 2. Aero Striker (for a set in a box)
• 3. All the slag from Aero (Aero Shuriken, Aero Dragon, Aero Katana, Aero Blue Sky)

The result is a top yo-yo with a price of up to 800 rubles.

It’s more difficult here, the Yohs are quite good, compared to the Yohs of the TOP “Least Worst of the Worst”.
Because We choose a Yoha for a beginner, in first place I would put the YoYoFactory Velocity, a plastic Yoha that has a system that allows you to twist the YoYo. This makes it easy for a beginner to customize the yo-yo. It spins long enough to learn and perform complex tricks. At the same time, it is enough to spin it to the sides and it will qualify for a pro-model.
In general, further placing yo-hee on the list is a purely personal matter for everyone. They're all pretty much the same. YoYoJam Lyn Fury and YoYoJam Kick Side are made of heavy-duty plastic (Celcon). YoYoJam in Russia stands somehow apart. They don’t have a team in Russia, but they are very good Yohi. Aero Hill & River and Aero Eagle are composites and have metallized rims. I don't know what to write about them. I like Hill & River better than Eagle because of the design.

Complete TOP of the best Yo-Yo for a beginner

• 1. YoYoFactory Velocity
• 2. YoYoJam Lyn Fury
• 4. YoYoJam Kick Side
• 5. YoYoJam Journey
• 6. Aero Katana
• 7. Aero Hill & River
• 8. Aero Eagle
• 9. YoYoFactory FAST 201
• 10. Aero Striker
• 11. Aero Dragon
• 12. Aero Blue Sky
• 13. YoYoFactory FAST Spinstar
• 14. Aero Shuriken

I will accept any additions and criticism in the comments. Perhaps someone can write about Duncan models?

The review did not include new models from YYF Die-Nasty, Counter Attack and Pocket Change

Another dissertation about yo-yos - terminology, types of yo-yos and play styles, which yo-yo to choose... And in the end, a small review;-)

Hi all! I'm with you again with a review of a yo-yo, but this time for a more expensive and higher quality model. And yes, I don’t think that brevity is the sister of talent, so get ready for a lot of letters :)

A little more about Yoing in general.

The first part of my yo-yo guide, as well as a review of a simple plastic model.

About yo-yo styles and shapes.

There are a large number of playing styles, but there are only 5, the most basic, for which official competitions are held:

1A (string) - the main and most popular style. There is a rope tied to the finger and a yo-yo on the rope. Most yo-yos fit this style. I play almost exclusively 1A and the reviews will be on yo-yos created for this style.

0A or 2A (looping) - a style almost entirely built on the same movement, turning a yo-yo around the hand, but it is much more difficult than it seems. One or two yo-yos (one on each hand) with high recoil of a special shape are used, something like this. One-handed is called 0A, two-handed - 2A.

3A (double string or cherry) - similar to a string, but uses two yo-yos, one on each hand. Captain Obvious warns that the style is complex and you shouldn’t learn to play it right away :)

4A (offstring) - the yo-yo is not attached to a rope, which completely changes the game. Usually they use a large (to make it easy to get on the rope) hard yo-yo, for example, but in fact you can play any yo-yo with a fairly large recoil if you are not afraid of breaking it :)

5A (freehand) - instead of a finger, a rope is tied to a counterweight. The yo-yo is used the same as for 1A. There are no counterweights in Chinese stores, but you can make your own by drilling a hole in a large dice or a small rubber ball. Well, or buy it in Russia for 50-100 rubles :)

All the videos, by the way, are from the recently completed Wold Yo-Yo Contest (World Yo-Yo Championship) and these are the performances of the winners.

Types of yo-yo.

Based on the material from which the yo-yo is made, there are three main types:
- Plastic - the cheapest and simplest yo-yos, usually made of polycarbonate or celcon (in Russia it is better known as “polyformaldehyde”). Suitable for beginners, as they cost little and are almost not damaged by impacts. The downside is the short rotation time due to b O Keeping the weight more concentrated in the center of the yo-yo rather than on the rims.
- Composite - average between plastic and metal yo-yos: the base is made of plastic, but there are aluminum rims. The slip (rotation time) is average, the price is average, you can take it if you already understand that plastic is not enough, but you are afraid to break the metal one or are sorry for the money.
- High ends (metal) - the most basic yo-yos on the market, made of aluminum. They are usually played by players with a high level of skill, although sometimes beginners also play them, which I highly do not recommend, since if you play carelessly it will quickly get scratched and this will negatively affect the game and the appearance (I know one person: I bought a high-end end for about 3000 rubles, I didn’t know how to play and in the end the rims were fully erased, which is why the yo-yo simply vibrated terribly and was barely suitable for play). Although if you still want to start right away with the high-end, you can buy it, but it’s better to play over a carpet or bed. Still, an aluminum yo-yo spins longer and generally plays better, so it’s up to you to choose which yo-yo to start with.

In fact, there are yo-yos made from other materials, for example: from derlin (a special type of plastic, but you can’t order such yo-yos from China), aluminum composite with copper rims (on TinyDeal there are also exactly the same ones in Russia, but with different colors, engravings and packaging they cost 4500-5000 rubles, 5 times more expensive), aluminum composite with steel or titanium rims (cost a lot, very rare, almost nowhere to be found), and perhaps something else, I don’t remember about that now.

Which yo-yo to choose.

In the comments to the last review, many (the whole ONE person! :D) asked me which yo-yo is better to choose. I thought and thought, thought and thought, then took a break, then thought and thought again and realized that there was no clear answer here. The fact is that all yo-yos are different: big or small, wide or narrow, heavy or light, fast or slow, and everyone likes something different.
If you don’t know which yo-yo to choose for starters, then, if you have money, you can order 3-5 plastic yo-yos of as many different shapes and sizes as possible from some Chinese online store and, after playing with them, understand what you need, well, then you can write a comparative review “From a beginner for beginners” :) If you don’t want to choose anything yourself, you can just buy it, I personally tested it, and this yo-yo is popular in Russia too.
To be honest, I usually choose a yo-yo simply based on its appearance. Yes, yes, I didn’t look at the characteristics at first and I don’t advise you, because when choosing the first or second yo-yo, they won’t give you anything. I made a serious mistake with my choice except for the first normal yo-yo (before that there were completely Chinese ones that could only be launched up and down). I was interested in the 2 Triple action yo-yo with a system for changing modes: either it returns as soon as it fully spins, or it spins freely at the end of the rope, or it automatically returns when it starts to slow down. In words, this is an almost ideal yo-yo for a beginner, but in reality it is terribly heavy, narrow, does not spin well, hurts the hand every time it returns, and the impact often causes the setting of this mode change system to be lost.
But let's get back to choosing a yo-yo. When I choose a model in Russian/American stores (I didn’t know about Chinese online stores yet, and yet in China there are no seriously high-quality yo-yos made in America, Canada or anywhere else) I just look at the pictures different models, usually for the right amount there are at least 1-2 interesting-looking yo-yos. Then I try to find reviews for these models, usually on the forum of the site gyroscope.ru (one of the most popular Russian forums on yo-yos, although it has not been very active lately) and already from the reviews I understand how good a yo-yo it is. With Chinese yo-yos, such a banal method most likely will not work, because... they are not particularly popular in Russia.
In general, do not be afraid when choosing a yo-yo (especially from Chinese stores), since there are almost no bad ones, except maybe a couple of models that may not even be as bad in themselves as in comparison with others, so if If this is your first yo-yo, you won't find it so bad.
Well, something like this, I hope I explained it clearly :)

Habstacks.

Hubstacks are small wide plastic rings located on bearings secured inside the yo-yo halves with small rubber rings. You can grab them while the yo-yo is spinning and it will not stop, which allows you to do special and interesting tricks. This does not happen on all yo-yos; they usually put them on metal ones, but in Chinese stores there are also several plastic models with hubstacks. The downside is the added weight and the fact that this weight is in the center of the yo-yo, which significantly affects the play and usually not for the better.


In addition to the usual ones, there are two more types of hubstacks:
- Z-stacks - in the shape of large plates (I don’t know what else to call them), which is why it’s quite easy to grab onto them even when the yo-yo is in flight, but they weigh even more than regular hubstacks.

- mini Z-stacks - reduced Z-stacks.

Relatively many people (mostly beginners) like hubstacks, although in my opinion, this entertainment does not last long, as it quickly gets boring, and it is more difficult to play with them. But you can still buy at least one yo-yo with hubstacks just for fun, but for serious, or even not very serious, play, I advise you to remove them.

Finally, the review itself.

Today I will talk about a high-end product called Spirit from Ex-5. This model is quite unusual due to its shape, size and playing on it, but first things first.
Packaging and equipment.

The yo-yo arrived in a large cylinder-shaped package. The lower and upper bases are made of hard and thick plastic, but the walls are very thin and because of this they were greatly dented and torn during transportation. Interestingly, the bases are made in such a way that they can be placed on top of each other if there is more than one such package. There was nothing inside except the yo-yo itself and the string. Another little thing, on TinyDeal it is written that the brakes are rubber (which is bad, since they give strong feedback), but in fact they are ordinary silicone, but for some reason green rings.

Characteristics and form.

Diameter: 43.5mm
Width: 39.6mm
Weight: 68.3g
Color: black or pink(not available on TinyDeal)

The diameter is approximately 10mm smaller than usual, but the width is quite large relative to the diameter.
There are hubstacks, but they are very small, so if they get lost, I don’t think they can be found anywhere.
There are also double rims, which distribute the weight a little differently. Honestly, I don’t know what exactly they offer, but lately they have been popular with well-known yo-yo manufacturers.
The diameter is small, wide, heavy, with hubstacks, double rims... Yes, you won’t find this anywhere else...

A game.

I took it out of the package, put on a new string and threw it... For the first half hour, the Spirit seemed simply gorgeous, however, this happens with all new yo-yos, especially if you waited about a month for it to come from China. But then, somehow suddenly, I realized that everything was not as good as it seemed: it was terribly heavy, unstable, which is why it constantly falls to one side and, in general, it’s somehow bad to play on it. But, after getting used to it a little, most of the problems that are most likely related to size go away. The yo-yo still looks like a rock on a string, but it plays nicely.
The coverage is pleasant, the grinds are not bad, but it quickly falls off the finger. I can’t say anything about durability, because I almost never hit a yo-yo on the floor, but it seems strong.
The bearing is size C with a groove and, as is standard for China, is almost silent and without boots (rings on the side that protect the bearing from dust).
There is not enough stability, you need to hit the rope as accurately as possible, so I don’t recommend it as a first high-end.
But what Spirit is really good at is chopsticks, that is, tricks where a yo-yo flies between your fingers. I hope there is no need to explain why this is (hint from Captain Obvious: it has to do with the size of the yo-yo :))
There are also problems with fast play due to low stability; Spirit quickly crashes. With particularly long and complex tricks or combos, there are again problems, but this time due to the fault of the brakes. The yo-yo often chews on the string and either stops or returns to the hand.
In general, the Ex-5 Spirit is not well suited for a basic yo-yo, much less for performances, but the size allows you to take it anywhere, the interesting shape and the presence of hubstacks make the game unusual and therefore this is a yo-yo only or for casual play. or for variety if you are already tired of regular yo-yos, or for collection.
But still, I don’t know why, but I didn’t like the Spirit, well, it’s not worth $24 (if it had been sold for that much in Russia, then perhaps that price would have been even small, but this is China...), still for You can find better money for that kind of money. For example

Yo-yos are made from plastic, metal and composite materials. Plastic yo-yos are the cheapest and are suitable for children and beginner players. Their low weight makes them easier to handle when starting out. On the other hand, it is impossible to do complex tricks with them. Plastic yo-yos will quickly fail, but this is not a problem, because their price is very low.

The design of composite yo-yos, in addition to plastic, contains metal rims, thanks to which the yo-yo has better inertial properties. Many professionals prefer composite yo-yos.

Metal yo-yos are more expensive. They are usually made of aluminum. With their help you can do the most difficult tricks; they can spin for more than 3 minutes.

Yo-yo shape

Imperial and are the two main forms of yo-yo. Models in the shape of a butterfly are chosen if they want to perform long tricks with strong unwinding of the rope. The Imperial is good for looping, a style that doesn't require spinning a yo-yo at the end of a rope.

There are collapsible and non-dismountable yo-yos. The latter are easier to lubricate and clean, which means they remain operational longer.

A gap is the gap between the halves of a yo-yo; the wider it is, the more protracted tricks can be performed with the toy, since the risk of the rope being chewed is reduced. A narrow gap gives the yo-yo more kick. Some yo-yo models have the ability to adjust the gap width to suit a specific trick.

Bearings

The quality of the bearing determines the slip time, that is, the duration of the free rotation of the yo-yo at the end of the rope. Bearings for yo-yos are divided into three categories: A - weak bearings, designed for looping, the time of free rotation of a yo-yo with such bearings is short; C - medium bearings, they cope equally well with looping and long tricks; D - large bearings, they provide maximum slip and are suitable for very long tricks.

For players, yo-yos with bearings that have a special groove are suitable - such yo-yos are easier to control.

Brake system

The braking system is an element of the yo-yo, thanks to which the player is able to return the toy to his hand. The better the braking system, the easier it is to control the yo-yo.

Cheap models usually have a serrated braking system that is not very responsive to the player's input. More expensive models are equipped with a brake system in the form of rubber rings. Sometimes liquid silicone is used as a brake.

Yo-Yo is a classic toy consisting of two symmetrical halves connected by an axle to which a rope is attached. Yo-Yo is one of the oldest toys on Earth; it was played with in Ancient Greece!

The modern yo-yo is significantly different from those that came before. All modern yo-yos have a bearing that allows you to perform various tricks. Now the yo-yo is as popular a part of youth culture as skateboarding, BMX or snowboarding. Yo-Yo is popular in many countries of the world, such as the USA, Japan or Great Britain, and every year the World Yo-Yo Championship is held, which brings together the best players from all over the world. The Russian Yo-Yo Championship is held annually in Russia.

Yo-Yo Play Styles

There are 3 main styles of yo-yo play:

String

When playing string style, a string is tied to the yo-yo and to the finger. All tricks in this style are based on a slip - spinning a yo-yo at the end of a rope. Most yo-yos are suitable for this style of play. String is the most popular and famous playing style.

Freehand

When playing in this style, the rope is not tied to the finger, but to a special counterweight, which allows you to perform mind-blowing tricks with spins and throws. Any yo-yo will be suitable for playing in this style if you purchase an additional counterweight for it. There are also several yo-yo models that are sold complete with a counterweight. Even a beginner can learn to play this style!

Offstring

The rope is not tied to the yo-yo, but is tied to the finger. Special yo-yo models are produced for playing in the off-string style. Offstring is a very difficult playing style, which is recommended only for professional players to master.

Types of yo-yo

Based on body materials, yo-yos are divided into 3 types:

Plastic yo-yo

Great for beginners, good for simple tricks and inexpensive. The downside is its light weight, which means short rotation time. To return many models to your hand, you need to learn the Bind trick (more on this in the video above).

Composite yo-yos (metal + plastic)

The body of these yo-yos is made of a combination of aluminum and plastic. Due to the aluminum rims, these yo-yos spin much longer than plastic ones! A transitional link between metal and plastic yo-yos. Suitable for both beginners and professionals. To return to your hand, you need to learn the Bind trick.

Metal yo-yo

The body of these yo-yos is made of aluminum alloy, which makes the yo-yo durable and increases the spin time at the end of the rope. Suitable for intermediate players and professionals. These yo-yos are intended for professionals and are strongly not recommended for beginners! To return to your hand, you need to learn the Bind trick.

Yo-yo design

Bearing- the main part of the yo-yo. It is due to this that the yo-yo acquires the ability to rotate at the end of the rope. A more advanced version of the bearing is a bearing with a groove (Grooved bearing). Due to the groove, the rope is centered during rotation and does not rub against the side walls, which contributes to longer rotation and cleaner performance of tricks. In order for a bearing to last longer, it must be carefully maintained.

Brake system necessary to return the yo-yo to your hand. “Brakes” are two discs inserted into recesses around the bearing, or notches on the halves of the yo-yo. The brakes on all yo-yos are durable and rarely require replacement.

Yo-yo rope- a specially twisted rope for playing with a yo-yo. As you play, the rope wears out and frays and needs to be replaced regularly. Yo-yo strings are made from cotton or polyester. Polyester ropes are much stronger than their cotton counterparts and last longer. It is recommended to change ropes in a timely manner, avoiding their complete wear, since old rope can easily break.

The compact Yoyo stroller is extremely popular among mobile parents around the world. The Yoya stroller is not far behind. So what is the difference between Yoyo and Yoya, are there any fundamental differences?

The main difference between Yoyo and Yoya strollers

Yoya stroller comes from China. The first Yoyas were sold only there through the aliexpress website and the like. Now Yoya is sold in Russia, in well-known online stores. Usually, the name Yoya refers to all Chinese copies of the Yoyo stroller: Yoya Plus, Yoya 175, Yuyu, Babythron, Babytime and others.

It turns out that we are comparing the original French Yoyo stroller with many models of its Chinese counterpart Yoya, so we can only talk about differences in relation to “most” copies, but in most cases the difference between a Yoyo stroller and Yoya (any) is obvious.

What is the difference between Yoyo and Yoya strollers

The design of a functional and compact stroller proposed by Babyzen has brought it enormous popularity due to its obvious advantages:

• light weight (less than 6 kg);
• compactness (52 x 44 x 18 cm for Yoyo Plus, can be carried on board an airplane as a);
• easy to fold in two movements with one hand;
• cargo capacity for older children;
• non-double wheels;
• maneuverability;
• the presence of a sleeping position (which fundamentally distinguishes the Yoyo stroller from and).

Stroller Yoya copies the design and, accordingly, the main advantages of the Yoyo stroller, and their most important difference - the price - clearly speaks in favor of Yoya!

Materials of Yoyo and Yoya strollers

The main difference between the original Babyzen Yoyo stroller... no, not the wheels, and not the frame - but textile!

The very first Yoyas came with cheap Chinese textiles heavily scented with synthetics and plastics. Next, there was an attempt to use thin textiles in Yoya - there were snags on it, and it got wet in the rain. It turns out that the most expensive component of modern strollers is high-quality textiles.

Modern analogues of Yoya have, for the most part, quite decent textiles - odorless, quite durable. The waterproof properties of Yoya are not the best - this is important, because the rain cover for Yoya and Yoyo (usually included) does not cover the entire hood, and for the Yoya stroller it is generally attached to it from below. In principle, this problem can be solved by purchasing a universal raincoat.

The quality of the textiles also affected the thickness of the mattress: Yoyo’s is noticeably thicker. But is this criterion fundamental in identifying differences?

The presence of SPF 50 sun protection on the original Yoyo visor is also not critical, given its small size. In hot countries, you will have to use additional visors, an umbrella or a snoozeshade, about which we have written in more detail.

The textiles of both Yoyo and Yoya are replaceable and can be purchased separately. The original stroller has a ColorPack at a price of 90-100 USD; The Chinese are more modest. A set of mattress and hood for Yoya can be purchased at a price of 1000 rubles. It can be elastic knitwear, canvas-like material, cotton, synthetics and even artificial leather. In this case, it is better to check with the seller for compatibility with a specific stroller model.

It is also worth mentioning stroller chassis material. Yoyo's is an impact-resistant, fiberglass-reinforced DuPont Zytel material. In the production of the Yoya stroller, of course, simpler material is used. The strength of the resulting structure, especially some of the plastic parts at the joints, is down to the luck of the stroller owner. That is, you may be lucky and the owner will be satisfied. You may be unlucky and the stroller will break. Considering also the lack of warranty for the Chinese analogue, this indicates an obvious disadvantage of the Yoya stroller.

Note that DuPont Zytel is far from the most expensive and durable chassis material. In lightweight ones, for example, the frame is made of carbon and only the joints are made of aluminum.

Compatibility of Yoyo and Yoya with accessories

For the original Yoyo stroller, you can purchase adapters for attaching popular car seat models Cybex, Maxi-Cosi and others. For original mounts Yoyo has special holes on the frame. Yoya has no holes. Therefore, similar adapters with a slightly different fastening system are produced for the compact Yoya. However, it should be noted that both the original and the analogue are quite unstable with a car seat and extreme caution should be exercised when using Yoyo and Yoya as a base for a car seat.

The cost of Yoya on Aliexpress is from 9,000 rubles. with delivery (if the seller has a good rating and reviews). Yoya Plus - less than 7,000 rubles. (under the same conditions). Considering that Yoya Plus is more functional, but less compact and heavier than the usual Yoyo counterparts, and also costs less, it becomes obvious that this stroller is only a name from Yoyo.

It should also be noted that very few strollers specifically with the inscription “yoya” are now produced. After a significant part of yoya was withdrawn from the market due to a complaint from Babyzen a couple of years ago, the Chinese became more careful and renamed their creations. This is how Babytime, Babythron, Baby Grace and others were born.

However, the scandal is forgotten, and enterprising Chinese are again starting to use the popular name “Yoya”; in any case, they write “Yoya Plus” without hesitation. Perhaps also because yoya plus is very vaguely similar to its prototype yoyo plus, in contrast to the usual yoya, which turned out to be an almost exact copy of yoyo, despite the differences that were written about above.

The cost of a certified Yoyo analog in Russia is from 5,000 rubles. So why do we need Chinese copies purchased at random?