A magnetic puzzle cube starts as a compact block and unfolds into stars, rings, and other geometric forms. Fun In Motion Toys sells several product lines built around that action. Their shapes, magnet counts, and compatibility differ, so the brand name alone does not tell you which one to buy.
This is the comparison that roundup posts usually skip. Below is what each cube actually does, what’s different about it, and which one is worth your money depending on what you’re buying it for. Prices and stock move fast in this category, especially around back-to-school and gifting season, so check the listing before you buy.
What to check before you buy
Magnet count isn’t just a spec. More magnets generally means a more complex fold and more possible shapes, but it also means a stiffer, more deliberate motion. Shashibo’s 36 magnets fold quick and light. Duomoto’s 96 feel heavier and more puzzle-like, less of a quick fidget.
Compatibility is real and it’s brand-specific. Shashibo cubes connect to other Shashibo cubes, including the Octa and Artist Series, to build bigger geometric sculptures. Cubendi and Duomoto do not connect to Shashibo or to each other. If you’re buying a second cube to pair with one someone already owns, match the product line exactly.
Age range and magnet risk. The magnets are enclosed inside plastic panels, but damaged housings still matter. The American Academy of Pediatrics warns that swallowed high-powered magnets can cause severe internal injury. Follow the product’s age grade and retire a cracked cube immediately.
Novelty vs. daily-use durability. Reviewers who use these as an actual desk fidget, folding it dozens of times a day, report the magnets loosening faster than someone who mostly displays it. If it’s going to get real daily handling, that’s worth factoring in over which one just looks coolest in the listing photo.
The lineup
1. Shashibo Original Series — the one to start with
~$25 · 36 rare-earth magnets · 70+ shapes · 6 designs View on Fun In Motion Toys →
This is the cube that made the category, and it’s still the one to buy if you’re only buying one. Four art designs live on each cube: the outer face plus three more that reveal themselves mid-fold. The magnets are strong enough that shapes lock with a snap instead of drifting apart, which matters more than it sounds like it should. A cube that flops halfway through a fold isn’t satisfying, it’s annoying.
It’s also the cheapest entry point here and the only one with a real ecosystem behind it. Buy a second one down the line and they connect into bigger sculptures, which is how a lot of buyers end up with three or four of these on a desk without meaning to. Start here if this is your first one.
2. Shashibo Octa — more sides, same system
~$25–30 · pairs with all Shashibo cubes View on Amazon →
An eight-sided version of the same mechanism, built to connect with the Original Series rather than replace it. Buy this as the second cube in a growing Shashibo collection, not as a standalone first purchase. The shape-count math gets more interesting once you’re combining an Octa with an Original than either one plays alone.
3. Cubendi — the flowier, more fidgety cousin
~$30–34 · 48 rare-earth magnets · 3 designs Check Fun In Motion Toys for current availability →
Made by the same company, but the fold feels different in the hand. Less of a rigid click, more of a continuous flow between shapes. It’s marketed as the more fidget-forward option of the family, and reviewers describe it as the one they reach for absentmindedly rather than the one they display. It does not connect to Shashibo or Duomoto, so treat it as its own standalone purchase.
4. Duomoto — the most complex fold
~$30–35 · 96 rare-earth magnets · 100+ shapes · splits into two pieces View on Amazon →
Duomoto is the puzzle version of this idea rather than the fidget version. It splits into two connected halves and folds into more than 100 shapes, with nearly triple the magnets of the original Shashibo. That extra complexity is the appeal for anyone who’s already worked through a Shashibo and wants a harder problem, and the drawback for anyone who wanted something quick to fold one-handed at a desk. It isn’t compatible with Shashibo or Cubendi.
5. Shashibo Artist Series and UV Series — same cube, different finish
~$25–28 each Artist Series → · UV Series →
Neither of these changes what the cube does. Both run on the same 36-magnet Original mechanism under a different skin. The Artist Series wraps it in prints from artist Laurence Gartel; the UV Series swaps in panels that glow under blacklight. Buy either one for how it looks, not for anything new it does, and know that both still connect to every other Shashibo cube you own.
How to choose
If this is the first one you’re buying, get the Shashibo Original Series and stop there. It’s the cheapest, the most reviewed, and the only entry point into a system you can keep adding to.
Buying for someone who fidgets more than they puzzle? Cubendi’s looser, flowing motion suits absent-minded handling better than a cube that demands you look at it to fold it right. Buying for someone who already owns a Rubik’s cube collection and wants a harder problem, skip straight to Duomoto. Its two-piece split and triple magnet count make it the one actual puzzle solvers gravitate toward once the Original stops being a challenge.
And if someone already has a Shashibo sitting on their desk, don’t buy them a Cubendi or Duomoto as a “more of the same” gift. Neither connects to what they already own. Get another Shashibo instead, in the Octa, Artist, or UV line, so the collection actually grows.
FAQ
My kid is 6. Is this too young for the magnets inside? Every listing recommends ages 8 and up, and the magnets are sealed into the panels rather than loose, which is a real safety difference from magnet toys with exposed pieces. Still, an 8-and-up rating exists for a reason, and a cracked or worn panel is the failure mode to watch for on any cube that’s been through a lot of drops.
I already have a Shashibo. Will a Cubendi connect to it? No, and this trips people up constantly. Only Shashibo-branded cubes connect to each other, Original, Octa, Artist Series, UV. Cubendi and Duomoto are each their own closed system.
Which one actually has the most shapes to fold into? Duomoto, at over 100, on the strength of nearly triple the magnet count of the original Shashibo.
Mine feels looser after a few months of daily fidgeting. Is that normal? Somewhat. Reviewers who fold theirs constantly report the magnets loosening faster than owners who mostly display theirs on a shelf. It’s a wear issue tied to handling frequency, not a defect specific to one brand.
Related Guides
Compare these cubes with other desk options in the best sensory fidget toys guide. The ferrofluid desk-toy guide covers a display-oriented magnetic alternative. For squeeze toys with no magnetic mechanism, start with the best squishies roundup.
The bottom line
Shashibo Original Series is still the right default: cheapest, most proven, and the one with room to grow into a bigger collection. Cubendi and Duomoto are worth the upgrade price only if you specifically want their different feel, flowier for Cubendi, more complex for Duomoto, since neither connects back to the Shashibo ecosystem.
👉 Keep reading: Best Sensory & Fidget Toys of 2026 →
See how magnetic cubes stack up against butter squishies, NeeDoh, ferrofluid jars, and the rest of this year’s sensory-toy wave.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics: high-powered magnetic toy safety