Interested in juggling and taking it to the next level? Here are a few things to look for when choosing the best juggling balls so you get your money’s worth.
The first time you juggle, you might have learned on one of those inexpensive dollar store juggling sets. They’re usually less than $10 and are made of a material that doesn’t last for very long. You can see an example of these, the Duncan Juggling Balls – Multicolor Vinyl Shells here.
If you choose to go with these juggling balls, just know that the material is a sort of vinyl shell that has plastic beans on the inside. These work significantly better than trying to juggle with tennis balls, or racquetballs.
My issue with this type of ball is that they aren’t comfortable for longer-term juggling sessions. They also don’t mesh into your hands as easy as another option (the one I will recommend later).
If and when you choose to move onto juggling 4 or more balls, the issues with these tend to get a little more important. While they don’t bounce as much as tennis balls when they hit the ground, when you are juggling larger numbers of balls, when they collide in the air, it isn’t always a predictable bounce.
You might not be thinking about the mess-ups while you are juggling, but I do. When I juggle 5,6, or 7 balls I often mess up the pattern and the balls collide in the air. When this happens with these balls, it sometimes bounces farther than expected and messes up the whole pattern.
I know this isn’t a common thing for most people, but for those of you who are serious about getting good at juggling, this will come into play.
What size juggling balls should I buy?
This is a question that varies depending on the age of the person learning, along with the size of your hands.
For younger kids, you can get smaller balls because their hands aren’t big enough to hold the regular-sized juggling balls yet. But the average ball that works best for both kids and adults is sized at 2.5″ in diameter.
They do have smaller juggling balls, around 1.97-inch diameter, which I actually used pretty often when I was around 10-14 years old. I only used these when I was learning 5 and 6 balls though because my hands weren’t big enough to hold all of the balls otherwise.
The smaller juggling balls actually made it a bit more difficult for me to juggle because there is less surface area to catch the ball, so there’s less room for error. If you are going to be juggling less than 5 balls, you should get juggling balls that are 2.5″ in diameter.
Click here to see our top recommended juggling balls.
What is the ideal weight of juggling balls?
A question that not many people ask, but a good one. Did you know that there are actually weighted juggling balls? This set is advertised for baseball and softball but can be used for juggling. They weigh 1 lb and can be used to build up strength and endurance when juggling.
My dad actually bought us these when I was younger and it helped with developing the muscles that are used in juggling so that I could juggle longer.
But, those aren’t the best for just your average juggling session. Ideally, you’ll want to get a set of juggling balls that weigh anywhere from 120 to 130 grams per ball. The set from the Higgins Brothers fits that perfectly and I recommend them.
The reason for this weight is because it provides a consistent feel when juggling. They are squishy, not firm and don’t require you to break them in. The size and weight allow you to get better, and they don’t roll away when you drop them.
What Juggling Balls Should You Buy?
In conclusion, I recommend buying the Higgins Brother’s juggling ball set because it fits the ideal criteria for most people who are beginners as well as experienced jugglers.
