Cubing today is quite popular, especially with the advent of speed cubes. Therefore, we bring you to the ultimate buying guide. This guide will enable you to choose the best cubes and, at the same time, understand what makes a cube the best.
If you are a novice to cubing, then it is recommended that you read through the parameters to a cube below before jumping onto the list of cubes to make a purchase. Of course, buying a cube is influenced by a huge aspect of preferences, but there are certain characteristics that all puzzles share.
The best cubes today are made by various manufacturers over the internet. Some of the most popular manufacturers (as you will see later in this article) are GAN, MoYu, QiYi, YJ. Yuxin and a few other models.
5 Best Cubes Of 2023
The cubes listed below are a great choice for beginners as well as professional cubers. I recommend you to use this guide as a reference to purchase the one that attracts you the best.
1. Cubelelo Drift Warrior 3×3
Cubelelo Drift Warrior is one of the most beloved choices amongst cubers, and this variant is definitely worth it. If you are a starter, there is no better Rubik’s cube to get started with. The cube is stickerless and comes in beautiful colours on a frosted plastic surface. This makes learning and solving great fun!
2. MFJS RS3M 2020 3×3 Stickerless (Magnetic)
This cube has performed quite well and is widely popular. MoYu never fails to impress as a brand, and this is one of the best cubes that can be bought. It comes with dual adjustment systems, and the overall design makes it a fantastic puzzle. What’s more, is that this is a fast-turning cube. You can efficiently gain control over the movements. The cube is very lightweight and of standard size.
3. Cubelelo Little Magic 3×3 Elite-M (Magnetic)
The Cubelelo Magnetic 3×3 Elite-M is highly stable as compared to the normal Little Magic with the introduction of unique magnetic elements. It comes in a compact size and with a split-piece design that offers better control and faster pace. The Cubelelo magnetic 3×3 Elite-M comes with 48 neodymium magnets that allows precise symmetric pattern during rotation. The size makes it suitable for one-hand solving. What’s more, is that it comes with lubes and adhesives that optimize speed and stability for an enhanced speedcubing performance.
Read More – 14 Coolest and the Most Interesting Cubes of All Time
4. GAN 356 M 3×3 Stickerless (Magnetic)
GAN is one of the best manufacturers of cubes and easily is among the top of the market. The GAN 356 M 3×3 Cube is definitely one of the most popular speed cubes ever and doesn’t seem to go out of the market anytime soon. You want to ensure that you are getting value for money, and this cube, hands down, is truly innovative. The GAN 365 M is a premium cube overall and the most adjustable cube with over 72 configurations! The dual adjustment can help you modify the magnet strength easily. Corner cutting is, no doubt, incredible as it doesn’t pop and is ideal for speedcubing.
5. GAN 11 M PRO 3×3
The GAN 11 M PRO is quite a news release from the GAN production. The cubes come with a corner-core magnetic positioning system, which encompasses 64 magnets that are placed omnidirectionally from the core. This creates a consistent magnetic movement without any aggressive snap. What’s more, is that you can easily adjust the tension to your liking to execute perfect algorithms. Overall, this is a phenomenal cube and especially for those who are looking for a compact and smaller design.
What to look for in a Rubik’s cube?
Everyone has their own considerations when it comes to choosing a cube. However, it is a mix of traits, features, or characteristics that influence this decision. They help in determining the overall quality and seamless functionality the cube has to offer.
Turning
Cubes can generally fall into two categories when it comes to the speed of turning. These categories are fast turning cubes and smooth turning cubes.
Fast turning cubes
Such cubes that are optimized for speed, have lesser friction between the layers. This means there is minimal resistance. Therefore, turning the layers feels light, fast, and requires very little effort. With such a cube, you can quickly perform algorithms and reach your goal at the earliest. However, you might not always be in control of the layers if you are a beginner. You can also also check the speed of solving cube using cube timers.
Smooth turning cubes
The cubes that fall into this category have more friction between the layers. It gives a smooth feeling and provides precise layer turns. Even though such cubes have more resistance, you will have quite a control over the movements.
Between these two categories, there is no better choice. It is important to understand whether or not the cube is integrated perfectly with such characteristics. For example, a fast-turning cube that provides no control is definitely poorly made and will not help in the execution of algorithms. Similarly, if a smooth turning cube requires a lot of effort to turn the layers, then it has been poorly designed as it will cost you a lot of energy and speed.
Corner cutting
Corner cutting is the ability for a cube to make a turn even if the vertical face is not completely aligned while performing an algorithm. In the event that you are speedcubing, corner-cutting is a characteristic that you must look-out for as it is an essential factor.
This characteristic offers room for flexibility and fluidity. In fact, the cubes today allow for 45 degrees corner-cutting. It means that the cube can realign when the top face is turned over 45 degrees forward.
But how can you recognize a good corner-cutting? Well, corner-cutting is executed effortlessly! You can tell a poor design if it interrupts your algorithm execution. A poorly designed cube will eventually slow you down and distract your movements.
Stability
Who doesn’t want a stable cube! The stability of a cube is determined by its flexibility and frequency of deformity. In simple words, Rubik’s cubes with poor stability can result in an unsolvable puzzle if one or more corner pieces twist.
Whether you are a novice or want to compete in solving competition, it is always a safe bet to opt for a stable cube.
Control
We have seen above how important it is to have control over your movements. However, the new and growing trend of magnetic cubes gives a lot of control to the player. In fact, you can even magnetize cubes yourself! But that might prove challenging because of the inner design.
There are many magnetized cubes in the market today that give you great control while applying an algorithm. As overwhelming as it is, if you are a beginner, we wouldn’t recommend it because you should ideally start out with a natural feel of the movement of each block and layer. However, if you want to learn speedcubing, magnetic cubes will truly help.
Catching
Catching is when a layer of cube catches onto another layer. This can disrupt the execution of your algorithm and can distract you. Cubes that are perfectly designed have minimal catching. But the ones that are poorly designed will have a higher frequency of catching, thereby running your experience. Essentially catching is caused by bad corner-cutting in fast turning cubes.
Lockups
This characteristic is clearly evident in cubes of higher dimensions like 4×4, 5×5, and more. This is because such cubes have complex designs. The more layers a cube has, the more often it will lockup.
Tensions
Tensions are what hold the entire cube together. When you make adjustments to the tensions, you bring all the layers together and give them more room between each other. One surprising aspect is that making these adjustments would automatically affect all the characteristics we discussed above! However, not all cubes require manual adjustments.
Stickers
Stickerless cubes are quite a popular choice nowadays. However, some people still prefer cubes with stickers. But none of these determines the quality of the cube. Opting for a cube with or without stickers is completely your decision. Stickers come in different shades from half-bright to full bright.
However, one good thing about stickerless cubes is that you don’t need to worry it will wear off in the future. But with stickers, it becomes easy to catch colour in the fast movement. Nevertheless, stickers on a cube don’t influence the decision of opting for it.
Continue Reading – 9 Different Types of Rubik’s Cube In 2021
Conclusion
After reading through this Cube buying guide, you can now make your purchase and enjoy a great cubing experience. Checkout out our bundle offers. You need to remember that what might be the best cube for one might not suit your preferences. You should consider buying a cube that brings along features that appeal to you the most. This is because the quality of the cube will determine the beginning of this journey if you are a beginner. Keep in mind that you can tweak the features and functionality of a cube to some extent and give it more smoothness. Happy cubing!
