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Skill level or age don’t play a factor in diabolo recommendations. A quality diabolo is a quality diabolo.
To choose a good diabolo, there are 3 things to consider:
- the size: you want a big diabolo
- the axle: a fixed axle you can tighten
- the cups: smooth, monochromatic rubber cups
| SIZE | AXLE | CUPS |
| Height between 5 and 6 inches (13 and 15 centimeters) | A way to tighten the axle | Smooth cups |
| Weight between 245 and 270 grams | No wide axle | Monochromatic |
| Fixed axle | Flexible, rubber cups |
My recommendation for brand new players is the Circus by Henry’s with ultra-light kit (here on Amazon). It’s not the cheapest but it’s reliable (almost indestructible), you won’t have to change as you get better and it meets all the criteria described below. Here you can read why I think it’s the best diabolo for beginners.
Diabolo Size
Height
The best height for a diabolo is between 5 and 6 inches (between 13 and 15 centimetres). Smaller diabolos are harder to control and make the learning process more difficult. Bigger diabolos will make you exagerate your movements to successfully land tricks and you won’t learn proper technique.
Choose a 4 inch diabolo only for small children, under 6 years old or smaller than 3’9” – 110cm.
Weight
The other important characteristic is the weight. You can get the right height but with a diabolo that is either too light (will lose speed faster and be less stable especially if you play outside in windy conditions) or too heavy (will tire you faster and increase the risk of injury).
Your diabolo should weigh between 245 and 270 grams. It might not seem to be a big range but you can feel the difference (even one of 5 grams) when you juggle. If you mainly juggle outside, consider buying a diabolo closer to 270 grams because the wind will affect the diabolo less if it’s heavy.
The Axle
Can you tighten it?
The first thing you need to look for regarding the axle is if there’s a way to tighten it.
With time your diabolo will loosen, because of drops or too much friction with old string. Every so often, you will need to tighten your diabolo otherwise the diabolo will be less stable (and at worst can completely fall apart) and the tricks will be harder to perform.
Depending on the brand of your diabolo, you will need two Allen keys (usually 5mm or 3/16″) or socket spanners (size 9 or 10mm). A simple wrench will do if you don’t have a socket spanner, but it’s harder to use because the cups get in the way.
Width
Another thing to consider is the width of your axle. Wide axles will make learning grinds way easier, but it will make all the rest harder especially correcting the diabolo. So until you really mastered diabolo corrections, I would advise against wide axles.
You can learn all the tricks with a narrow axle, even finger grinds and vertax.
Bearing vs Fixed Axle
The last important criteria is the type of axle : fixed or bearing. When you’re starting out, I really believe you should learn with a fixed axle.
In addition, bearing axles are also, most of the time, wide axles too.
A fixed axle will force you to master acceleration and develop good technique for your tricks. Because you’re not relying on the diabolo keeping its speed (and therefore its stability) you will have to learn proper technique to land tricks.
Once you have learned the building blocks of diabolo, the type of axle you choose is a matter of preferences. The bearing axle helps to keep speed longer and helps with vertax play, but it’s noisy and requires extra care (it often needs cleaning to clear off dust or dirt).
To read more about the pros and cons of bearings vs fixed, check out this article
The Cups
Texture
The most important criteria for cups is that they have to have a smooth surface. Cups with holes or with a golf ball like texture is a big no-no ! It will make it almost impossible to correct your diabolos.
Color
The second thing, which is not as important as the texture, is the color of your cups. If you choose multicolored cups, you will be able to see how much speed the diabolo has and it will make it harder if you change to a monochromatic diabolo.
I think it is better to develop a feel for the speed of your diabolo rather than relying on a visual cue. My advice : choose monochromatic !
Material
The last characteristic to consider is the material : hard cups or flexible. The flexible, rubber cups are better if you play on hard surfaces like concrete (because they won’t break and will have fewer scratches) and hurt a bit less if you happen to hit yourself with the diabolo (which almost never happens). Otherwise it’s a matter of preferences.
Final Thoughts
My first diabolo was a big Harlequin from Mister Babache, it was too big, too heavy and multicolored. I had to change for a lighter diabolo pretty quickly because of recurring shoulder tendinitis. I then bought a Circus by Henry’s, which is a great diabolo and my recommendation, but I had to adjust to the monochromatic cups because I couldn’t see the speed anymore. I probably lost weeks in my diabolo journey by choosing my diabolo randomly.
So don’t make the same mistake, choose a good diabolo from the start. Shop on Amazon
