Mozi, Glozi and Flow Toys: A Guide to the Spin Shelf

Shashibo is about folding. Its neighbors on our flow and glow shelf are about motion of a different kind: rings that roll up your arms, poi that paint circles of light, a wand that seems to float. Mozi, Glozi, SPIN BALLS and Wandini come from the same family of brands as Shashibo, and TECTI is a different brand of kinetic cubes sold alongside. Here is what each one is and who it suits.

Mozi flow bracelets

A Mozi looks like a flat stack of rings until you set it moving. Slide your hand through, raise your arm and let go: the rings spring into a spinning sphere that travels up and down your arms and from hand to hand. It passes between people too, whenever fingers touch. To stop, hold the ball between your palms and turn the top hand counterclockwise; it flattens for storage.

Colors on our shelf:

• Sapphire Blue: deep, cool and hypnotic.
• White Splatter: speckled and playful.
• Black and Gold: polished and sleek.
• Iridescent: shimmers as it spins.

Singles were around $15 at the time of writing. Sapphire Blue, White Splatter and Black and Gold also come in 2-packs, around $30, which suit siblings, couples or anyone who wants a spare.

Glozi: Mozi after dark

Glozi takes the Mozi idea and adds a glow, so the spinning sphere keeps shining when the lights go down. It comes in Glowing Pink and Glowing Yellow, as singles around $16 or as 2-packs. Backyard evenings, camping trips and sleepovers are where Glozi shines, literally.

SPIN BALLS Glow.0 LED poi

Poi is one of the oldest ways to dance with motion. SPIN BALLS Glow.0 are lightweight LED poi with soft-core balls of about 3 oz., leashes that adjust from 12 to 24 inches and double-loop handles. They offer 22 light modes, 21 presets plus 1 custom setting, recharge by USB in under two hours and run up to 20 hours. They suit first-timers learning rhythm as well as festival spinners.

Wandini Glow.0 levitation wand

A levitation wand looks like magic when the balance is right, and Wandini is weighted for proper vertical balance so it floats and turns on a nearly invisible string. It collapses for travel and opens to a full 24 inches, with 21 color presets plus 1 customizable mode. It charges in under 30 minutes and lasts up to 7 hours, and a vegan leather strap with a finger loop keeps it under control.

TECTI Kinetic Building System

TECTI is the odd one out: a building set rather than a flow toy. Its hinged movement cubes come as 44 plates, 20 hinges and 1 keystone cube, enough for more than 50 kinetic designs. Builds keep flexing and shifting after you finish, until you slot in the keystone to lock them. It is designed in Sweden from recyclable ABS plastic, and it is a separate system that does not connect to Shashibo cubes.

Which one fits whom?

1. Young kids and families who want easy wins: a Mozi.
2. Night owls, campers and sleepover hosts: Glozi.
3. Dancers, festival-goers and anyone who wants a workout with a light show: SPIN BALLS.
4. Performers and people who love a trick that wows a crowd: Wandini.
5. Builders and STEM-minded tinkerers: TECTI.
6. Two players who want to share: any Mozi or Glozi 2-pack.

A few practical notes

• Give spinning toys space; clear the area around you before you start.
• Charge SPIN BALLS and Wandini with a USB cable and follow the included instructions.
• Flatten Mozi and Glozi before packing them away so the rings keep their shape.
• TECTI has small parts, so keep it away from very young children.

Pairing flow toys with a Shashibo

Flow toys and Shashibo cubes scratch different itches. A Shashibo is a sit-down, hands-close puzzle that works in a classroom or an office; flow toys want space and movement and are at their best outdoors or at a party. That makes them a good pair for gifts. A Mozi plus an OCTA, for example, covers both the quiet moments and the active ones, and the two together still cost less than many single toys.

For a family beach day or a camping weekend, a Glozi 2-pack and a classic DODECA cover the daytime fold and the after-dark glow. For a teen who already loves spinning, SPIN BALLS or Wandini are the step up from a bracelet.

Fold with a Shashibo, flow with a Mozi, glow after dark. If it doesn't flow, it doesn't go.