Beginners YoYos

Looking for a yoyo suitable for a beginner? In this section you will find all the yo-yos that we recommend for new yoyo players.

When first learning to yoyo we usually recommend a responsive yoyo. A responsive yoyo is one that automatically returns to the hand after throwing, or returns to the hand if 'tugged' when sleeping*. Alternatively, you need a yoyo that can be made to be responsive by means of a switch, adjustable response, interchangeable bearing or other feature. Do not be put off by buying what might seem a ‘cheap’ beginners yoyo – it will let you learn the basics of yoyos and you will have a lot of fun mastering many tricks. Indeed, some tricks can only be performed on responsive yoyos (such as looping tricks). When you have gained experience with your first unresponsive yoyo, then you can look at buying a more advanced yoyo, learn how to ‘bind’ and go on to learn a whole new array of advanced string tricks.

Beginners are often tempted to buy an expensive unresponsive** metal yoyo. This may be a bad move – an unresponsive yoyo can frustrate new players. However, if you are determined to go this route because you really like the look of those shiny metal yoyos, then there are things you can do to make an unresponsive yoyo play more responsively, such as triple looping the string around the axle. See our yoyo help section for details.  

* Sleeping is a term used to describe a yoyo that has been thrown and is freely spinning whilst hanging on the yoyo string. 

** An unresponsive yoyo is the opposite of fa responsive yoyo. When thrown, an unresponsive yoyo will not return to the hand unless a ‘bind’ is done to make the yoyo return to the hand. Unresponsive yoyos are therefore best suited to players who have mastered the basics of throwing a yoyo.