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Which Cube Should I Get? Up To Date Recommendations

pjk

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Last updated January 26th 2023 - If you suggest any changes to these recommendations, please comment below which your recommendation and reason for the change. These suggestions are for the community and by the community, so please help keep these suggestions up to date by replying here with changes.
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Budget - Dirt Cheap Cubes only
Great - Pretty good and you won't have to sell your house
Expert - The best cube on the market

Recommended 2x2x2:
  • Budget: QiYi MS 2x2 - $6.95 - A smooth cube with decent performance.
  • Great: MGC 2x2 - $9.99 - Fast cube, corner-cutting is legendary.
  • Expert: QiYi Valk 2M - $19.95 - Used by current world record average holder Zayn Khanani - or YJ MGC2 Elite - $20.99 - Crispy fast cube, corner-cutting is excellent.

Recommended 3x3x3:
  • Budget: Yulong V2M 3x3- $7.95 or QiYi MS 3x3- $7.95 - Cubes that feel crispy and smooth with ok corner-cutting, excellent for the price.
  • Great: MoYu RS3M 2020 3x3 - $8.95 or MoYu RS3M 2021 MagLev - 13.99 - Both are very good cubes with very good corner cutting, the maglev adds more stability.
  • Expert: GAN 11M Pro 3x3 - $64.95 or X-Man Tornado V3 - $24.99-$39.99 or MoYu Weilong WR M (2021 Maglev) - $38.99 - All very stable cubes, the Gan is fast, the Tengyun is controllable, and the WRM is a little bit of both. - The gan is used by many world-class solvers.

Recommended 4x4x4:

Recommended 5x5x5:

Recommended 6x6x6:

Recommended 7x7x7:

Recommended Megaminx:
  • Budget: Qiyi Qiheng - $7.95 - A poor-performing budget megaminx, very slow and locky.
  • Great: YJ YuHu Megaminx V2 M - $13.99 - The fastest megaminx on the market, excellent corner-cutting, and a very crunchy feel.
  • Expert: X Man Galaxy v2 M - $29.99 - or Dayan Megaminx V2 M - $32.99 - Slow cubes, that can be set up to be fast, good corner-cutting. - A moded X Man Galaxy was used by current average and single megaminx world record holder Juan Pablo Huanqui.

Recommended Skewb:

Recommended Clock:
  • Budget: Lingao Clock - $9.95 - Very locky, performance is poor.
  • Great: Shengshou Clock - $9.95 - Locky, overall poor performance.
  • Expert: QiYi Magnetic Clock - $34.95 - Very smooth, honestly your only option if you want to get serious about clock. - All world-class solvers use this clock.

Recommended Pyraminx:
  • Budget: Yulong v2 M Pyraminx - $7.99 - A slower option, poor corner-cutting, but very consistent and good for it's price.
  • Great: Yuxin Little Magic - $8.99 or QiYi MS Pyraminx $9.99 - Both feel cheaper but very smooth and fast. - Both cubes have or are mained by Tymon Kolasinski, a former pyraminx world record holder.
  • Expert: GAN Pyraminx- $18.95 - Very smooth but also unstable, corner-cutting is ok.

Recommended Square-1:
  • Budget: Qiyi Qifa S - $7.99 or Yuxin Little Magic Square 1 - $6.99 - Both feel cheap and locky, but perform well for their price, the QiYi Qifa has better corner-cutting.
  • Great: X-Man Volt $13.99 - Crunchy and good corner cutting but very unstable at high TPS.
  • Expert: YJ MGC Square-1 - $20.99 - A buttery smooth, fast cube, most people consider it the best on the market. - Almost all world-class solvers use this cube.

Recommended MBLD cubes:
  • Budget: Yuxin Little Magic 3x3 $4.95 - A cube that feels cheap but performs ok. - Used by Graham Siggins, the current Multiblind world record holder.
  • Great: MoYu RS3M 2020 3x3 - $8.95 - A hollow, snappy, well-performing cube.
  • Expert: MoYu Weilong WR M 2021 $29.95 - A very smooth, buttery cube with excellent corner-cutting. - Mostly too expensive to use in large muliblind attempts.
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There are many places to buy puzzles, and depending on what country you live in, shipping will be cheaper. Below is a list of stores to consider:
 
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cubeshepherd

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There are plenty of 3x3s between $2.99 and $24.99, maybe pick one in the $10-15 range for "great"?
I would have to agree with you @One Wheel on this. For 3x3(s) in the Great section I would say something like the YJ MGC 3x3 would be a great option, especially since it is $10 cheaper then the Huanglong M, but still really good: https://thecubicle.us/yj-mgc-p-10493.html
And although I do not own the Huanglong or YJ MGC, I was able to try out several at the last two competitions that I have been to and I think that they are both really great cubes to have, but if you are looking for a little cheaper option then the Huanglong then I think that the MGC would be the way to go...just my 2 cents worth : )

I would also strongly suggest a cheaper option for "great" 5x5. Maybe the Yuxin Purple?
And again I agree with that. There are a few "great" options for 5x5's but that are also cheaper then the CH WuShuang M, and one of the options that I would recommend would be the Moyu AoChuang GTS M, which is a great cube, but also $20 cheaper then the CH WuShuang M; https://thecubicle.us/moyu-aochuang-p-10965.html
 

One Wheel

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I would have to agree with you @One Wheel on this. For 3x3(s) in the Great section I would say something like the YJ MGC 3x3 would be a great option, especially since it is $10 cheaper then the Huanglong M, but still really good: https://thecubicle.us/yj-mgc-p-10493.html
And although I do not own the Huanglong or YJ MGC, I was able to try out several at the last two competitions that I have been to and I think that they are both really great cubes to have, but if you are looking for a little cheaper option then the Huanglong then I think that the MGC would be the way to go...just my 2 cents worth : )

I've never tried either one, so I didn't want to pick one. My current main is a GTS2M, backup is Warrior W M. Both good puzzles.

And again I agree with that. There are a few "great" options for 5x5's but that are also cheaper then the CH WuShuang M, and one of the options that I would recommend would be the Moyu AoChuang GTS M, which is a great cube, but also $20 cheaper then the CH WuShuang M; https://thecubicle.us/moyu-aochuang-p-10965.html

I haven't heard much about the Auchuang GTS M other than prior hype. I know the Yuxin 5x5 is a very good puzzle, my custom magnetic one is possibly the best puzzle I own. The Wushuang is a good puzzle, but honestly I think if the Yuxin had come out later it would be the Wushuang that would be considered outdated.

I'm excited to get the YLM 6x6 next week: it looks to give the G6 a run for its money in the budget 6x6 department.
 

cuber314159

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1) great can be the writing gts3M for 3x3 and expert can be some custom version like the angstrom
2) for 5x5, the great option should not be more than $40, I assume it should be the aochuang gtsM but I have not tried it so would put the wushuang non magnetic
3) for 7x7, the great option should not be the non magnetic just for the sake of being cheaper than the magnetic, just put the hays 7M for great and some custom version for expert.
4) for clock, they should ALL be lingao clock M in one form or another: https://m.intl.taobao.com/detail/detail.html?spm=a1z5f.7632060.0.0&id=557815947477#
5) the links on the page should go to some Chinese cube store like cubes or magicubemall, as shipping anything out of the US is ridiculously expensive. for example, buying a yuxin little magic from the cubicle in the UK costs about $15 which is ridiculous.
 

cubeshepherd

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Is there is reason that Pyraminx is not added to the event list? I was just looking at the list and realized that Pyraminx in not added.
 

pjk

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I think budget 2×2 should be changed to qidi s, it's a good modern 2×2 that is cheap and fast.
For 4×4, I think the thunderclap mini is better, more people get the mini thunderclap compared to the full sized one, and report that it's good
Updated, thanks.

There are plenty of 3x3s between $2.99 and $24.99, maybe pick one in the $10-15 range for "great"? I would also strongly suggest a cheaper option for "great" 5x5. Maybe the Yuxin Purple?
Updated to the Yuxin Purple, great suggestion.

I would have to agree with you @One Wheel on this. For 3x3(s) in the Great section I would say something like the YJ MGC 3x3 would be a great option, especially since it is $10 cheaper then the Huanglong M, but still really good: https://thecubicle.us/yj-mgc-p-10493.html
Updated to the YJ MGC, agreed on the price point.

And again I agree with that. There are a few "great" options for 5x5's but that are also cheaper then the CH WuShuang M, and one of the options that I would recommend would be the Moyu AoChuang GTS M, which is a great cube, but also $20 cheaper then the CH WuShuang M; https://thecubicle.us/moyu-aochuang-p-10965.html
Per the suggestion above, 5x5 has been updated.

1) great can be the writing gts3M for 3x3 and expert can be some custom version like the angstrom
2) for 5x5, the great option should not be more than $40, I assume it should be the aochuang gtsM but I have not tried it so would put the wushuang non magnetic
3) for 7x7, the great option should not be the non magnetic just for the sake of being cheaper than the magnetic, just put the hays 7M for great and some custom version for expert.
4) for clock, they should ALL be lingao clock M in one form or another: https://m.intl.taobao.com/detail/detail.html?spm=a1z5f.7632060.0.0&id=557815947477#
5) the links on the page should go to some Chinese cube store like cubes or magicubemall, as shipping anything out of the US is ridiculously expensive. for example, buying a yuxin little magic from the cubicle in the UK costs about $15 which is ridiculous.
1) Great was just updated. Why change the expert to Angstrom?
2) Agreed, was updated per the suggestion above.
3) For Great 7x7, the Hays 7M is more expensive than the Hays 7. What custom version for expert do you suggest?
4) Are the current links not for that product? If not, does the Cubicle or SCS stock the M?
5) Agreed, we should provide multiple buying options, but not sure of the best way to format that. Should we make a table and have links to just other buying links? If so, can you copy and paste the post and add new buying links to it?
 

pjk

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Is there is reason that Pyraminx is not added to the event list? I was just looking at the list and realized that Pyraminx in not added.
No, we need to add it. Can you please suggest a Budget, Great, and Expert? Thanks.

You might want to add the 'M' to the GTS3 as the link leads to the GTS3M
Done, thanks.
 

cubeshepherd

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No, we need to add it. Can you please suggest a Budget, Great, and Expert? Thanks.
Done, thanks.
For Pyraminx's, here is what I would recommend.
1. Budget Pyraminx, I would recommend the QiYi QiMing and it is $7.99 at the cubical.us
2. Great and Expert the Moyu magnetic and X-man bell are both very good pyraminx's, and for which should be in the great and expert category, I think that it comes down to personally prefernce (or at least what the majority of cubers recommend). And they are also really close in price with only a difference of 50 cents.
I like the X-man Bell better then the Moyu magnetic and so I would have Moyu in the great category and X-man bell in the expert category, but that is my opinion and I would like to see what others think as well.
 

pjk

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For Pyraminx's, here is what I would recommend.
1. Budget Pyraminx, I would recommend the QiYi QiMing and it is $7.99 at the cubical.us
2. Great and Expert the Moyu magnetic and X-man bell are both very good pyraminx's, and for which should be in the great and expert category, I think that it comes down to personally prefernce (or at least what the majority of cubers recommend). And they are also really close in price with only a difference of 50 cents.
I like the X-man Bell better then the Moyu magnetic and so I would have Moyu in the great category and X-man bell in the expert category, but that is my opinion and I would like to see what others think as well.
Great recommendations, I've updated the main post with Pyraminx.
 

Trexrush1

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Ayy its the list I helped start! Nice to see that my original notes about each difficulty are still there lol
Squan is not on the list, so lets fix that.

Formatting is done, I believe all you have to do is copypaste into the list.

Square-1:
  • Budget: Qiyi Qifa S - $6.99
  • Great: X-Man Volt - $13.99
  • Expert: Cubicle Labs X-Man Volt $59.99
Alternatively, for great or expert you can put the X Man Volt MS $31.99
Dang, the Cubicle volt M is expensive
 
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pjk

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5x5 (budget) : Yuxin Cloud
Done.

Great megaminx: the current link says Galaxy M and goes to Galaxy v1. I suggest the Galaxy v2 sculpted.
Updated.

Ayy its the list I helped start! Nice to see that my original notes about each difficulty are still there lol
Squan is not on the list, so lets fix that.

Formatting is done, I believe all you have to do is copypaste into the list.

Square-1:
  • Budget: Qiyi Qifa S - $6.99
  • Great: X-Man Volt - $13.99
  • Expert: Cubicle Labs X-Man Volt $59.99
Alternatively, for great or expert you can put the X Man Volt MS $31.99
Dang, the Cubicle volt M is expensive
Excellent, added.
 

pjk

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Agreed, we should provide multiple buying options, but not sure of the best way to format that. Should we make a table and have links to just other buying links? If so, can you copy and paste the post and add new buying links to it?
To go on with this further, what other buying sites do you guys suggest? Should we list shops depending on what continent their on? Or just a full list of puzzle shops to search from? It is a good point that if you're in Asia there are better buying options than buying from the US or Europe.
 

cuber314159

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To go on with this further, what other buying sites do you guys suggest? Should we list shops depending on what continent their on? Or just a full list of puzzle shops to search from? It is a good point that if you're in Asia there are better buying options than buying from the US or Europe.
Definitely cubezz.com as they have free international shipping.
 

pjk

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Definitely cubezz.com as they have free international shipping.
I"ve added a section at the bottom of the post with links to various shops around the world. What am I missing? What are the biggest shops in Europe? Let me know and I'll add them to the thread.

Also, you have any other suggestions to make, please post them here.
 
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