If you're looking to start yo-yoing or level up your skills with a new yo-yo, you're in the right place.

I'm Gentry Stein, 2× World Yo-Yo Champion and 4× U.S. National Champion. Throughout my career, I've competed with many of my own signature yo-yos and designed everything from beginner-friendly models to world championship-level competition yo-yos.

Today, through YoYoChampion, my goal is simple: create yo-yos that help players level up no matter where they are in their yo-yo journey.

In this guide, I'll walk you through my top recommendations for every type of player, whether you're buying your first yo-yo, learning the DNA trick, looking for your first unresponsive yo-yo, or searching for the highest-performing competition yo-yo available.

Let's jump in.

Quick Answer: What Is the Best Yo-Yo?

There isn't one "best" yo-yo for everyone. The best yo-yo depends on your skill level, the types of tricks you want to learn, and whether you're looking for a responsive or unresponsive yo-yo.

Here are my top yo-yo recommendations:

• Best Beginner Yo-Yo Set: Master Pack
• Best Beginner Fingerspin Yo-Yo: Vyral
• Best First Plastic Unresponsive Yo-Yo: Replay Pro
• Best First Metal Unresponsive Yo-Yo: G-SPEED
• Best Yo-Yo for Learning the DNA Trick: DNA
• Best Yo-Yo for Mastering the DNA Trick: DNA King
• Best Yo-Yo for Godspeed Tricks: G-SPEED
• Best Full Metal Performance Yo-Yo: Super G
• Best Premium Competition Yo-Yo: G Force
• Best Free-Spinning Outer Shell Yo-Yos: Nine Dragons and 99 Dragons
• Most Unique Yo-Yo Experience: AIRA
• Best Mini Yo-Yo: Shutter Mini

Want a more in-depth breakdown of every recommendation? Watch the full buyer's guide video below, or keep scrolling for the complete written guide.

Not sure which category fits you? Don't worry. In the next section, I'll help you choose the right yo-yo based on your experience level and goals.

How to Choose the Best Yo-Yo

Before choosing a specific yo-yo, the first thing you need to determine is your skill level.

The best yo-yo for a complete beginner is very different from the best yo-yo for an experienced player learning advanced tricks. That's why most players progress through three stages: learning the basics, transitioning to unresponsive play, and eventually discovering the types of yo-yos and tricks they enjoy most.

Let's take a look at each stage so you can determine which yo-yo is right for you.

Level 1: Learning the Basics

If you're learning to yo-yo for the first time, you'll generally want to start with a responsive yo-yo.

Responsive yo-yos return to your hand with a simple tug on the string, making them easier to control while learning the fundamentals. This allows you to focus on developing proper technique and building a strong foundation before moving on to more advanced tricks.

At this stage, your focus should be on developing consistency and control. Skills like proper throwing technique, catching the yo-yo cleanly, and maintaining a strong spin will make every trick you learn later significantly easier.

Level 2: Ready for Unresponsive Play

Once you've learned the basics and can consistently perform foundational tricks, you may be ready to move on to an unresponsive yo-yo.

Unlike responsive yo-yos, unresponsive yo-yos do not return with a tug. Instead, they require a trick called a bind to bring them back to your hand.

Learning to bind is one of the biggest milestones in yo-yoing because it unlocks the longer spin times needed for many modern tricks. While many beginner tricks can be performed on responsive yo-yos, unresponsive play opens the door to an entirely new world of possibilities and allows players to explore the full potential of modern yo-yoing.

Level 3: Choosing a Yo-Yo for Your Play Style

Once you're comfortable with unresponsive play, choosing the best yo-yo becomes less about skill level and more about personal preference.

At this stage, different yo-yos excel at different things. Some are designed for speed, others focus on power and stability, while some specialize in fingerspins, competition play, or entirely unique trick experiences.

There is no single "best" advanced yo-yo for every player. The best choice comes down to the types of tricks you enjoy, the way you like a yo-yo to feel during play, and what inspires you to keep pushing your skills further.

That's why many experienced players eventually build a collection of yo-yos rather than relying on just one. Different designs offer different experiences, and part of the fun is discovering what works best for your style.

Level 1 Recommendation: Learning the Basics

Master Pack

If you're just getting started, my top recommendation is the Master Pack.

One mistake many beginners make is buying a single yo-yo, only to quickly outgrow it and start searching for the next upgrade. The reality is that most players progress through several stages as they learn new tricks and develop new skills.

That's why I created the Master Pack.

Rather than focusing on a single stage of learning, the Master Pack is designed as a complete progression system. It gives you the exact yo-yos you need to go from your first throw and classic beginner tricks to viral tricks like the DNA before eventually transitioning into modern unresponsive play.

Instead of wondering what yo-yo to buy next, you'll already have the right tool waiting for you as your skills continue to improve.

Let's take a closer look at each of the 3 yo-yos included in the Master Pack.

1. The EZ Trick 

The EZ Trick is designed to make learning as easy as possible.

As your first yo-yo, its job is simple: help you build confidence, learn proper technique, and master the fundamentals without frustration.

Many beginner yo-yos are designed primarily for basic up-and-down play. The EZ Trick was designed with progression in mind, giving new players a responsive yo-yo that can support real trick learning from day one.

This is the yo-yo you'll use to learn foundational tricks like the Sleeper, Walk the Dog, Around the World, and other classic beginner tricks.

Think of the EZ Trick as the foundation of your yo-yo journey. Once you've built confidence and consistency here, you'll be ready for the next stage.

2. Vyral

Once you've mastered the basics, it's time to start exploring the tricks that inspired many players to pick up a yo-yo in the first place.

That's where the Vyral comes in.

The Vyral was designed to help players continue progressing beyond classic beginner tricks while also opening the door to some of the most popular and recognizable tricks in modern yo-yoing, including viral tricks like the DNA.

Compared to the EZ Trick, the Vyral features a ball bearing design that provides longer spin times, giving players more time to learn increasingly difficult tricks and combinations.

Unlike most beginner responsive yo-yos, the Vyral also features a dedicated fingerspin hub. This specialized design helps guide the yo-yo onto your finger, making fingerspin tricks easier to learn and more consistent to perform.

While the Vyral can still perform all of the responsive tricks you'd expect from a traditional beginner yo-yo, the fingerspin hub opens the door to an entirely new category of tricks and possibilities that most beginner yo-yos simply aren't designed for.

This makes the Vyral the perfect bridge between classic beginner tricks and modern yo-yoing before eventually transitioning to unresponsive play.

3. Replay Pro

The final step in the Master Pack is the Replay Pro.

This is where you'll make the transition into unresponsive yo-yoing, the style used by most modern players, competitors, and content creators.

Unlike the EZ Trick and Vyral, the Replay Pro doesn't return to your hand with a simple tug. Instead, it requires a trick called a bind to bring it back.

The Replay Pro was designed to make that transition as smooth as possible. Its forgiving design, long spin times, and impressive stability make it one of the most popular first unresponsive yo-yos ever created.

I even used the Replay Pro to win the 2015 U.S. National Yo-Yo Contest, proving that a great plastic yo-yo is capable of far more than most people realize.

For many players, the Replay Pro isn't just their first unresponsive yo-yo. It's the yo-yo that introduces them to modern yo-yoing and shows them what's truly possible.

By the time you've worked through all three yo-yos in the Master Pack, you'll have built the skills and confidence needed to continue progressing through modern yo-yoing.

Level 2 Recommendations: Entering Modern Unresponsive Yo-Yoing

If you've worked through the Master Pack, you've already had an introduction to unresponsive play with the Replay Pro.

However, many players reach this stage using a different beginner yo-yo and are looking for their first unresponsive yo-yo. Others already have some experience with unresponsive play and are ready for a higher-performance upgrade.

No matter how you got here, this is the stage where players begin exploring modern unresponsive yo-yoing and the more advanced tricks that come with it.

At this stage, I typically recommend one of two paths depending on your goals.

If you're looking for a versatile performance yo-yo capable of handling virtually any style of modern yo-yoing, I recommend the G-SPEED.

If your primary goal is learning fingerspins and DNA tricks, I recommend the DNA.

Best First Metal Unresponsive Yo-Yo: G-SPEED

If you're ready for your first metal unresponsive yo-yo, my top recommendation is the G-SPEED.

The G-SPEED was designed for players who are ready to take the next step in their yo-yo journey. Whether you're moving on from a beginner yo-yo, upgrading from a budget metal yo-yo, or looking for a performance-focused design that can grow with your skills, the G-SPEED is built to help you progress.

Its compact 52mm diameter gives it a fast and nimble feel on the string, while the wide 50mm catch zone makes advanced tricks easier to land consistently. This combination of speed, control, and forgiveness makes it an excellent first metal yo-yo for players entering modern unresponsive play.

The G-SPEED was also inspired by my pursuit of the Godspeed trick and designed to maintain exceptional stability and control during fast-paced play. However, it's far more than just a speed yo-yo. Its balanced design makes it equally capable of handling everyday trick practice, longer combos, and advanced competitive play.

Despite its compact size, the G-SPEED still provides the width and stability needed to learn advanced tricks with confidence, making it a yo-yo that can continue growing with you long after your first metal upgrade.

If you're looking for a versatile metal yo-yo that can take you from your first metal upgrade to advanced unresponsive play, the G-SPEED is one of the best places to start.

Classic Competition Yo-Yos: Shutter & Shutter Wide Angle

If you're looking for a competition yo-yo with a proven track record at the highest levels of the sport, it's hard to beat the Shutter and Shutter Wide Angle.

These are the yo-yos I used to win both of my World Championship titles: the original Shutter in 2014 and the Shutter Wide Angle in 2019.

While some modern yo-yos push width and performance to the extreme, the Shutter line remains popular because it strikes a balance. They're not too narrow, not too wide, not too light, and not too heavy, just versatile competition yo-yos that perform exceptionally well across nearly every style of play.

Shutter

The Shutter is one of the most popular metal unresponsive yo-yos ever created and the model that helped define modern performance yo-yoing.

With a balanced combination of power, stability, and control, it became the yo-yo I used to win my first World Championship title, along with multiple U.S. National Championship titles.

The Shutter isn't the widest yo-yo, the most powerful yo-yo, or the most specialized yo-yo. What makes it special is that it does everything exceptionally well.

If you want a proven all-around competition yo-yo with one of the strongest track records in the history of the sport, the Shutter is still one of the best choices you can make.

Shutter Wide Angle

The Shutter Wide Angle was created as the next evolution of the original Shutter, adding more width, power, and stability while maintaining the balanced feel that made the original so successful.

When it was released, the wider profile helped push modern competition design forward by making difficult catches, horizontal tricks, and riskier elements easier to control.

The Shutter Wide Angle became the yo-yo I used to win my second World Championship title in 2019 and remains one of the most popular competition-focused monometals ever released.

It keeps everything players love about the original Shutter while adding a little more width, power, and stability for modern tricks.

Best Yo-Yo for Learning the DNA Trick: DNA

If your primary goal is learning the DNA trick, my recommendation is simple: the DNA.

While the G-SPEED is my recommendation for a first metal unresponsive yo-yo, the DNA was designed specifically for players whose main goal is learning the trick that inspired its name.

Its unique hybrid design combines a 6061 aluminum body with specialized polycarbonate fingerspin caps that help guide the yo-yo onto your finger and create a more forgiving fingerspin experience. The result is longer fingerspins, easier centering, and greater control while learning the DNA.

While the DNA is fully capable of performing modern unresponsive tricks beyond the DNA itself, its greatest strength is helping players develop the fingerspin control and consistency needed to successfully land the trick.

If you've watched the DNA online and want the most direct path to learning it yourself, this is where I would start.

Level 3 Recommendations: Choosing a Yo-Yo for Your Play Style

By this stage, you've already put in the time and effort to learn the fundamentals of yo-yoing and explore modern unresponsive play.

Now comes the fun part.

Rather than focusing only on increasing your skill level, this stage is all about discovering the types of tricks and styles of play you enjoy most.

Some players become obsessed with technical string tricks. Others enjoy big, performative tricks that command attention on stage. Some love learning viral tricks like the DNA or pushing their speed with tricks like Godspeed, while others simply enjoy experimenting with unique yo-yo designs and experiences.

Whatever your goals are, there's never been a better time to be a yo-yo player. Now that you have the foundation and skills needed to explore modern yo-yoing, the possibilities are virtually endless.

Here are my top recommendations based on where you want to take your yo-yoing next.

Best Monometal Yo-Yo: Super G

If you're looking for my top monometal yo-yo recommendation, the Super G is it.

To create the first YoYoChampion yo-yo, I went back to where everything began: my very first signature yo-yo, the Super G.

But this wasn't about recreating the past. It was about reimagining it.

Modern yo-yoing has evolved dramatically over the years. Tricks are faster, more technical, and more demanding than ever before. So I asked a simple question: what would the Super G look like if it were designed for the hardest tricks in the world today?

The result is a bold 56mm wide monometal built to maximize spin time, power, and stability.

The 56mm width wasn't chosen by accident. I wanted to push the limits of width to make difficult tricks easier, but not so far that the yo-yo would start feeling sluggish or awkward during play. After extensive testing, 56mm proved to be the sweet spot, creating a yo-yo that feels incredibly stable and long-spinning while still remaining agile enough for modern tricks.

Whether you're learning advanced horizontal tricks, pushing through long technical combos, throwing big performative tricks, or chasing personal bests, the Super G was designed to make difficult tricks feel more possible.

In fact, I used the Super G to land some of the hardest tricks I've ever learned, including combining two of the most difficult tricks from my world championship-winning routine into a single horizontal trick and breaking my finger grind record.

The result is one of the highest-performing monometal yo-yos I've ever designed, built for players who want to throw harder, go bigger, and continue pushing their limits.

Best Yo-Yo for Mastering the DNA Trick: DNA King

If you want the ultimate DNA experience, there's nothing better than the DNA King.

After the original DNA was created to make one of the world's most popular yo-yo tricks easier to learn, I started asking a different question: what would the ultimate DNA yo-yo look like?

The answer became the DNA King.

Drawing on years of experience exploring DNA tricks and fingerspin innovation, the DNA King was designed to create the most refined DNA experience possible.

What truly sets the DNA King apart are three key innovations:

• Self-centering fingerspin technology that helps guide and stabilize fingerspins automatically.
• A metal fingerspin zone that creates a precise, low-friction surface for smoother, more locked-in DNAs.
• A metal thumb grind area that opens the door to unique DNA variations and advanced fingerspin tricks.

And unlike many fingerspin-focused designs, the DNA King was built to excel far beyond DNA tricks. Drawing inspiration from my world championship-winning signature yo-yos, it's equally capable of handling Godspeed, horizontal play, technical string tricks, and high-level competition routines.

If the DNA was designed to help players learn the trick, the DNA King was designed to help push DNA tricks forward.

Best Overall Premium Yo-Yo: G Force

If you've gotten this far, you might be wondering: what is the absolute top-of-the-line yo-yo available?

The G Force was created to answer that question.

While the Super G was about pushing the limits of monometal performance, the G Force was designed to rethink what a high-performance yo-yo could be.

As yo-yos continued to evolve, they became wider, more powerful, and more performance-driven than ever before. But that also created a limitation. As width increases, more weight naturally sits in the center of the yo-yo, making it harder to push performance further without the yo-yo starting to feel heavy or sluggish.

So I started thinking differently.

What if you could remove as much weight as possible from the body and push it even further into the rims?

That idea became the G Force.

Instead of a traditional metal body, the G Force combines a lightweight polycarbonate body with oversized stainless steel rims. This hybrid approach allowed me to push significantly more weight to the rims while keeping the yo-yo fast, agile, and responsive on the string.

The result is something completely different:

• Extreme stability
• Incredible spin time
• Powerful performance without the usual feeling of weight
• A fast, floaty, powerful and gravity-defying feel that defines the G Force play experience

Most high-performance yo-yos force you to choose between power and agility. The G Force was designed to deliver both. It has the stability, spin time, and power players expect from a flagship competition yo-yo, while still feeling surprisingly fast, light, and maneuverable on the string.

As soon as you throw it, you'll feel the difference.

And unlike many hybrid yo-yos, the G Force was designed for the highest levels of modern play. Whether you're performing technical string tricks, Godspeed, horizontal tricks, long competition combos, or simply want the most advanced yo-yo in the YoYoChampion lineup, the G Force was built to deliver.

This wasn't just about improving what already existed. It was about creating something new. The G Force represents a different way of thinking about yo-yo design and helped pioneer a new direction in high-performance play.

Most Innovative Yo-Yos: Nine Dragons & 99 Dragons

The Nine Dragons and 99 Dragons weren't created to make existing tricks easier. They were created to make entirely new tricks possible.

Both use the same wild idea: a yo-yo with free-spinning outer shells that lets you touch it, grab it, catch it, and interact with it while it keeps spinning. Movements that would normally end a trick can now become part of the trick itself.

If you're looking for one of the most innovative and unique experiences in yo-yoing, these are my top two recommendations.

Nine Dragons

The Nine Dragons introduced the world's first free-spinning outer shell design and completely rewrote the rules of what a yo-yo could do.

Using a triple-bearing system, the outer polycarbonate shells spin independently from the aluminum body. This allows you to touch the yo-yo while it's spinning, catch it in midair, roll it across your arm or body, and perform tricks that simply weren't possible before the Nine Dragons existed.

The Nine Dragons didn't just change the game, it invented a new one.

What makes the Nine Dragons special isn't just the technology, it's the experience. The iconic Dragon's Roar sound, lighter feel, and expressive play style give it a personality unlike any other yo-yo on the market.

If you want the original free-spinning shell experience, the model that started the entire category, and one of the most revolutionary yo-yos ever created, the Nine Dragons is the place to start.

99 Dragons

The 99 Dragons takes everything that made the Nine Dragons special and pushes it even further.

While maintaining the same free-spinning triple-bearing shell system, the 99 Dragons upgrades the design with stainless steel rims to create a premium bimetal evolution focused on power, stability, and performance.

Compared to the original Nine Dragons, the 99 Dragons delivers:

• More power
• Longer spin times
• Greater stability
• Smoother play
• Quieter play 

The result is a more refined, controlled, and performance-oriented version of the original concept, capable of handling longer combos, greater momentum, and more demanding modern tricks.

The Nine Dragons introduced the idea and the 99 Dragons pushed it further than ever before.

If you want the ultimate free-spinning shell experience with maximum power, control, and performance, the 99 Dragons is the one to get.

Best Yo-Yo for Improving Accuracy & Consistency: Shutter Mini Bimetal

After placing 3rd at the World Yo-Yo Contest in 2017, I completely redesigned my routine and dramatically increased my trick difficulty for the following season.

The problem was simple: I couldn't hit those tricks consistently.

To solve that, I started experimenting with something different: training with a mini yo-yo.

A smaller yo-yo forces you to be more precise. The catch zone is smaller, your movements have to be more accurate, and mistakes become much harder to get away with. Over time, that extra challenge sharpens your control and improves your consistency.

Then, when you switch back to a full-size yo-yo, everything feels bigger, easier, and more controllable.

At the time, I had never heard of anyone using a mini yo-yo as a training tool, but the results were impossible to ignore.

I trained with a mini yo-yo throughout 2019, including on the day of the World Yo-Yo Contest and even minutes before stepping on stage.

The result? I won both the U.S. National Championship and World Championship that year.

The training concept worked, but most mini yo-yos at the time were novelty designs and weren't built for serious performance. That's what led to the creation of the Shutter Mini Bimetal.

By concentrating most of the weight into stainless steel rims, the Shutter Mini Bimetal delivers impressive power, stability, and spin time despite its compact size. It's not just a mini yo-yo, it's a legitimate high-performance throw.

And perhaps the best part is that it's incredibly fun.

Landing tricks on a mini yo-yo is a unique challenge that gives even experienced players a fresh perspective on tricks they've done thousands of times before.

If you're looking for a fun way to challenge yourself while improving your accuracy, consistency, and overall control, the Shutter Mini Bimetal may be the most effective training tool you'll ever own.

Best Yo-Yo for Developing Control & Style: AIRA

Over the last decade, yo-yos have become wider, more powerful, and more forgiving than ever before.

That has made it possible to land some of the hardest tricks in history, but it has also shifted much of the focus toward pure performance. I wanted to create something different.

AIRA was designed with a completely different goal: helping players develop greater control, style, creativity, and intention in the way they play.

At just 50 grams, AIRA is significantly lighter than most modern yo-yos. That difference completely transforms how it feels on the string.

Every movement matters more. Every mistake shows up. Nothing is hidden.

The feedback is immediate, and the more you play it, the more it teaches you to move smoother, cleaner, and more intentionally.

To make that possible without sacrificing too much stability, AIRA uses a unique metal cap design that places weight in an uncommon area of the yo-yo. Instead of following the heavily rim-weighted approach used by most modern performance yo-yos, it creates a light, slightly hollow feeling that is unlike anything else in my collection.

And that's exactly what makes it special.

When a yo-yo feels different, it changes how you play. It pushes you out of your habits, encourages experimentation, and often leads to new ideas, new tricks, and new ways of expressing yourself.

AIRA isn't designed to replace your favorite competition yo-yo. It's a tool designed to help you become a more controlled, creative, and expressive player.

Just like the Shutter Mini Bimetal helps develop precision and consistency, AIRA helps develop control, style, and flow.

And when you go back to your regular yo-yos, you'll notice the difference immediately. Your movements become cleaner, your tricks become more intentional, and your overall control improves.

AIRA isn't about choosing between style, innovation, and difficulty.

It's about developing all three.

If you're looking for one of the most unique yo-yos I've ever designed and a tool that can help you become a more creative and expressive player, AIRA may be unlike anything you've ever thrown.

Where to Get These Yo-Yos

Every yo-yo in this guide is available here from YoYoChampion.com, and this post serves as the official 2026 Yo-Yo Champion Buyer Guide.

If you have any questions about any of the models, want help picking the perfect yo-yo, or you’re not sure which one fits your skill level, feel free to reach out or leave a comment, my team and I are always happy to help.

Welcome to the YoYoChampion Family!

And as always…

Keep playing like a champion.