Double the Fidget with Stimara Dubz
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I’ve written before about my enjoyment of Stimara’s fidget tools, both their (now discontinued) Classics, and their second generation Stimagz (previously called Series II or SII.) I also posted an unboxing video last May when I was lucky enough to receive an early prototype set of their then-Kickstarter follow-up project, called Dubz. Since then, Dubz shipped out to backers earlier this year, and my personal collection has grown a bit as more colors have been released, and I’m finally ready to share my thoughts with you, after having had some form of Dubz in hand for over a year. And just to be clear, since Stimara has updated their product names over the years, I’ll be referring to the original shorter Stimagz as “Classics”, and the updated longer Stimagz as “Stimagz” through this review, as I compare both to the newer Dubz.
To be entirely up front, I love Dubz. They have almost entirely replaced Stimagz in my daily usage. They are a different product, which I’ll get into below, and there are times when I still choose to reach for the slimmer Stimagz to scratch a certain itch, but if I’m gathering gear for my day and I want to minimize what I’m carrying, Dubz will be my priority 95% of the time.
A big part of that for me is the size. While the current Stimagz are a bit longer than the original Classic Stimagz (about 1.5x the length), Dubz are almost exactly twice as long as Classics. They are twice as wide too, owing to their dual magnetic cores (hence the name “Dubz”.) One Dub is essentially the exact same size as four Classics put together, which feels very nice in my larger hands. Dubz come in a pack of six, compared to Stimagz, which come in a pack of twelve, but because of those dual cores you ultimately get the same number of magnets either way. I usually use 24 Stimagz at a time, minimum, so I originally assumed I’d need to double up my Dubz as well, but I found that the larger size of Dubz makes six of them enough for most of the patterns I do, and I actually mix Dubz colors less often than I used to do with Stimagz. After all, six Dubz are equivalent to twenty-four Classics.
The dual magnetic cores also make Dubz stand out from Stimagz. The double metal cores give a noticeable heft to Dubz, which I really enjoy the feel of in my hands. The two cores within a single Dub have opposite polarity, but something about having them both present results in Dubz having a noticeably stronger “end to end” attraction compared to their “side to side” attraction. This means there is a slight learning curve coming from Stimagz, but it’s a feature, not a bug. Fidget patterns like sliding the sides of the Dubz against each other or flipping from side to end work exceptionally well, keeping the magnetic attraction present without attracting so strongly that you’re fighting against too much resistance to get the magnets where you want them. You may need to be a little more deliberate and use two hands, especially if you have smaller hands than mine, but I personally enjoy the types of patterns that this difference in attraction between ends and sides allows for.
Dubz also originally launched in two different material choices: a softer “Quiet” material, similar to the current Stimagz offerings, and a harder “Clicky” material, similar to the original Classic Stimagz. Of the two, Quiet is my preference, which is no surprise as I also considered the SII material change to be an upgrade from the original Classics material. In particular, I like the feel of the softer plastic, and I find that the surface gives a bit more friction, which helps me keep better control of the magnets, especially when I’m attempting one-handed maneuvers. Still, the Clicky material has its fans out there, and the sound it makes can be pretty satisfying, if you aren’t using them in the middle of a public space. My understanding is that Stimara has no plans to restock the Clicky Dubz when they sell out or to release the Clicky Dubz in any additional colors, so if you are the type of person who would prefer the Clicky magnets you should keep that in mind. Quiet Dubz will continue to be restocked and released in new colors, however. I haven’t experienced any issues with either my Clicky or Quiet Dubz material wearing out over time. I tend to carry my Dubz in the Stimara Zipper Case when I take them out of the house, which may have helped with their longevity. Stimara does offer a lifetime warranty on their fidget magnets, though, so if they ever were to wear down I’d feel confident in reaching out for a replacement.
The price of Dubz has actually been reduced since their original announcement last year. Originally advertised as retailing for $58 for a pack of six Dubz, Stimara made the announcement at the beginning of this year that they would actually be setting Dubz MSRP at $44 (the same price offered to Kickstarter backers) thanks to improvements in manufacturing that reduced their production costs. Stimara gave some extra coupon codes to their Kickstarter backers to make up for this (I’m always impressed at how they go above and beyond for their Kickstarter backers), and also reduced prices on their Stimagz line, which benefits from the same manufacturing improvements. I could go on and on about Stimara’s consumer-friendly business practices, and how they could have kept their prices higher considering the fact that they’ve been routinely selling out of product releases this year, so demand would have supported a higher price. But this is a review of a product, not the company, so that’s all I’ll say there. In the interest of full disclosure I’ll also add that I’ve become friendly with Stimara founder Kody Lukens over the past couple of years, and I’ve also recorded some voice over for a marketing video for the company in the past.
So, who are Dubz for? Well, my easy answer is that Dubz are for me. If you find that you generally enjoy the same things that I do and you’ve been happy with my recommendations in the past, you should probably go buy a set or two of Dubz. If you have smaller hands and prefer lighter one-handed fidget tools, then Dubz may not be your best fit. But the better answer is that Dubz are for people who are looking for a bit more complexity in their fidget tools. People who enjoy having a bit of a new learning curve to master, and who like to feel the size and weight of an object in their hand. People who enjoy feeling the difference in magnetic force depending on how they orient the magnets. That’s not to say that Dubz can’t still be fidgeted with mindlessly, but the extra complexity that they have allows for a sort of “mindful fidgeting”, if you will, that can be very satisfying.
If you’re interested in purchasing a set of Dubz for yourself, or anything else Stimara has to offer, feel free to use our Penquisition affiliate link, which will get you 15% off of your first order with Stimara.
Some of the fidget toys reviewed above were purchased at regular retail price or using publicly available discount codes., and some of the fidget toys were provided to the reviewer as a pre-release preview by Stimara. Please note that the above post contains affiliate links.
