Wednesday, April 19, 2017

What is the Best Hand Spinner?

Here’s a eye-catching remix of the Cog Tri Spinner, trimming away excess material to provide more tactile ridges. It also has the benefit of reducing the amount of weight at the center of the toy, allowing for faster spins.

If, like us, you are never quite able to organise your case with the essentials to hand, this new model from Samsonite is pretty useful. There’s a zip-up compartment at the top, so even when it’s in the overhead locker or under the seat, you can still reach your stuff. There’s space in there for your toiletries and boarding pass and other valuables. Elsewhere, it’s a lightweight (1.9kg-2.3kg) and durable case that comes in four colours and four sizes to suit different airlines’ cabin-bag restrictions and you can choose from four wheelers or an upright case. 

Oooh, a toy for the most dapper of fidgeters out there. United Machining's Bow Tie is made of a black hardcoated aluminum and employs a Hybrid Ceramic Bearing so it spins for a long, long time. From one to two minutes to infinity! Or maybe just long enough for you to calm down and relax.

On the wheel front, an increasing number of bags have four spinning wheels, so instead of pulling your suitcase along as you would with a two-wheeler, you can just roll it next to you. While that has its advantages, if you’re heading somewhere rugged (or cobbled for that matter) wheels might not do you any favours. Also look out for a TSA-approved combination lock, which means your luggage can be unlocked and inspected by security without damaging anything. If a bag doesn’t have its own lock, you might want to consider adding your own.  

Diving deep into B-movie obscurity, we have this hand spinner inspired by the fantasy film Krull. The Glaive isn’t encrusted with gold and jewels like the original. Nor does it have sharpened blades to slay hordes of alien invaders. But what it does have is embedded magnets to activate the (blunt) pointy bits when it spins. Also, you don’t have to dip your arm into a lake of lava to retrieve it.

Firstly, those size guidelines: the recommended world standard for luggage allowed in the cabin is now 55cm x 35cm x 20cm, though, confusingly, not all follow these guidelines exactly. It is always worth checking with your carrier before investing in a new case to make sure that there are no hiccups on your journey. 

And the EDC crowd has certainly taken notice. Fidget toys fit perfectly into the everyday carry lifestyle. Spinning tops, and spinners in particular seem to be very popular. With their sleek CNC machined looks, those closeup images are always enticing us to fork over a few bucks for the next edition of a custom Billetspin top or the newest version spinner from Rotablade.

Okay, so odds on you’re going to be printing a few different hand spinner toys to find the right one for you. Inserting and removing the bearings can be a tricky task, and they can be damaged if you’re not careful. This press out tool will ensure that you can take out the bearings with the minimum of fuss and hassle.

If you aren’t keen on the best hand spinner, then you may want to invest in a fidget ring instead. These slot onto your fingers and lock in place, and then you can twiddle them around with your other fingers, allowing you to keep busy doing something else with your other hand. Before going mainstream, fidget rings were being used by Tibetans. They believed that paying with a toy like this helped to reduce any anxiety and concerns that they may have.