How To Choose The Best Bean Bag Juggling Balls?

If you are thinking about starting juggling, there is a lot to consider. In this article, I will try to help you choose the bean bag juggling balls that suit you the best and help you practise and perform better than ever.

We will talk about everything from size to designs and more. It’s essential to find the right fit for you as not all juggling balls are equal, and it will depend on them how you perform. You might hear and see that they are called thud juggling balls. 

What are thud juggling balls?

Thud juggling balls are soft little bean bag balls. They are filled with a bit less filler; therefore, they don’t roll away when they hit the ground. Bean bag juggling balls are often referred to as thuds due to their thud sounds when they land on the floor. Thud balls are great to use by beginners due to their nature of not rolling away and professionals for more technical juggling. 

Choosing the right juggling balls for you 

Not all bean bag balls are ideal for juggling. For example, tennis balls are often one of the hardest balls to juggle for a beginner. They are too large and difficult to hold even when there’s two in one hand. They are also too bouncy and can easily bounce out of your palm when trying to catch them. Finally, they do not have the right weight to help you with juggling.

Based on that example, you can see how important it is to choose the right juggling balls, especially if you are a beginner.

Factors worth considering before buying juggling balls are:

• Size
• Weight
• Softness
• Material
• Design (Color and shape)
• Stitching quality 
• Ease of catching the ball
• How many do you need

Size

 All the balls you will buy should be of the same size. As a beginner, you should focus on purchasing slightly smaller balls. For example, balls that have a diameter of around 2.25 inches will be able to help you with that.

If you are a beginner, you should easily hold two balls in one hand and the third one in the other. If you have bigger hands, you should go for slightly bigger balls to have a more comfortable grip. 

If you are interested in performing, you should focus on getting balls that are at least 3 inches in diameter. Then you can create a perfect visual effect while you are acting on the stage. However, bigger balls will not deliver the best level of support and assistance when you are juggling around seven balls simultaneously. 

Weight

The weight is another crucial thing to consider when looking for juggling balls. This is where many beginners make mistakes. The most comfortable weight, to begin with, is about 3.5 ounces. It will also come down to personal preference, but it will be a good starting point.

A lot depends on your own weight and size too. If you have small hands and a relatively short height, you should go with the lighter ball around 4.4 oz or less. If the ball is too heavy, it will mark down your performance as it won’t go so high up, and your expectation of catching it might be wrong.

If you are tall, we are talking over 6 feet; then you might be able to juggle with ball weight around 5oz. It’s usually too heavy for jugglers, but being very tall might allow you to work with it.

A lot depends on personal preference too. Many jugglers have a couple of juggling balls sets and changing them when learning different tricks and moves. 

Softness

Bean bag juggling balls are very soft and squishy; you can easily compress them in your hand, which provides a better grip. It also allows you to hold a bigger ball and have better control over it. 

There are many benefits of soft bean bag juggling balls. They are great for beginners as they don’t roll away; they are easy to catch and not bouncing off your hands.

Soft bean bag balls provide an excellent grip and overall control when juggling. They also won’t damage your house when you are practicing as they are super soft, eliminating bounciness and the possibility of breaking something while juggling.

Material

The material that juggling balls are made of is an essential factor when choosing the set for yourself. 

There are many choices regarding material that juggling balls are made of; the most common are: vinyl, suede, synthetic leather, cotton, TPU plastic, and PU material. Some materials are better for different purposes. Beginners might find the vinyl juggling balls the best, where advanced performers might prefer PU material or TPU plastic.

When it comes to filling, bean bag juggling balls can be filled with millet, birdseed, plastic pellets, sand, crushed rock, ground rubber, or other material designed to give the beanbag bulk. 

Design (shape and color)

Once you determine the size and weight, you will now need to focus on bean bag juggling balls’ design. There are bean bag balls in numerous designs available in the market as of now. You might feel overwhelmed when you are buying them as there are many, many colors. 

However, there is no need to go ahead with fancy designs when you buy bean juggling balls just for practicing. You can go on with white-colored balls (or any other color you like).

To ensure that you get the best possible experience, you should be looking for juggling balls that look flashier. Then you will be able to create a perfect impression on stage while you are performing with them. 

The most popular color for juggling balls that everyone knows is ‘beach’ – a combination of 4 panels colored red, yellow, blue, and green. Now, juggling balls are available in pretty much any possible color; thus, it is really up to you which one you’ll choose.

Let’s talk about shapes for a bit. As you know, and it’s obvious –  juggling balls are round. It makes them easy to catch and do tricks while you are juggling. 

There are also square ones, but it might be tricky to work with them. Many people complain that square juggling balls are often unevenly weighted, and because of that, it’s hard to predict where they will go while thrown up in the air.

Round balls are much better than square shape as with a round one, where it hits, it sits. The square ball will roll to one side when it lands on your hands. This makes it harder to manage the balls in your hand.

Stitching quality

When it comes to juggling balls, stitching is super important. It holds the ball together, making sure it won’t rip and spill the filling. 

Look for even stitching that you can hardly notice on the ball. That will ensure the juggling ball durability when you are practising. High-quality juggling balls are hand-made and hand-sewn to guarantee the value you are paying for and make sure the ball won’t rip after hitting the ground a hundred times. Stitching quality varies based on the price point.

Ease of catching the ball

I think this is one of the most important factors when you are looking for juggling balls. You always want to catch it, right? That’s why you are practising, being able to juggle without dropping the balls. Don’t worry about dropping it too much, as the known secret of juggling lays in throwing.

It all comes down to the grip. We talked before about the size, softness, and material of the juggling balls. When it’s all combined together, the ball should feel comfortable in your hand, ready to be thrown and caught over and over again. It cannot be slippery or too big.

Usually, when you are holding the ball, you can immediately tell if it feels right or not. When you throw the ball, and it keeps bouncing off your hands, that might be a sign to look for a different weight. 

Bean bag juggling balls are easy to catch due to their design and filling. They will be a better choice than plastic balls, which are lighter and might be bouncing off, especially if you are a beginner. However, if you are an advanced juggler, you might handle plastic juggling balls with ease.

How many do you need?

The majority of manufacturers are selling juggling balls in a set of three. It is a great way to learn the basics as a beginner. The easiest way to learn is to juggle with three balls.

You are starting with understanding the position and being comfortable just with throwing just one ball. Then you add the second one and then the third. From there, you keep practicing using the three juggling balls.

As you progress, you can toss more in, but at the beginning, three balls are absolutely fine. There are also available sets with more than three balls, like a pack of seven or ten, but we all have to start somewhere, and the collection of three is the best way.

Our favourite juggling sets

Editors choice:  Speevers Juggling Balls

This one is our favorite. Great for both beginners and professionals! Set of three balls which you can choose from 13 designs to match your style. Available in five different weight options to fit your needs.

They are filled with plastic beads to ensure that the juggling balls will always keep their shape and density and won’t roll away when they fall to the ground. The material used in them is a mixture of fabric and vinyl; therefore, they are waterproof and machine washable, which is a bonus if you practice outside.

Speevers juggling balls are famous for The World Swuggling Record of 3.5 km, in open waters.  

Budget choice: VRCLUB Juggling Balls

If you want to learn how to juggle or buy a set for your children but don’t want to spend a fortune, here is a great option. Soft and made from PU leather juggling balls are available in 2 weight options: 90g (3.2 oz) and 120g (4.2 oz).

VRCLUB’S juggling balls are filled with microbeads, making them great for beginners and eliminating any bounces. It is available in three colors – red, blue, and green – perfect gift idea for the kids and yourself to practice hand-eye coordination. They came as a set of three juggling balls.

Premium choice: Juggling Balls Professional Style

Those juggling balls are great for advanced jugglers who want to perform even better with those unique colors and excellent quality. But they will also work great for beginners, as they even come with a video that will cover the basics of juggling. They are hand-stitched to ensure the quality of the seams and eliminate breakage.

Each juggling ball weighs 4.6 oz and is 2.5 inches in diameter. Available in 17 different colors, I’m sure you will be able to find one that you like the most. These juggling balls are made from the highest quality polyurethane coated fabric and have been tested for stretching by running them over with a car! If that’s not a test for you, then I don’t know what it could be!

Final thoughts

As we can see, there are many things you have to consider before deciding which juggling balls to choose. There are so many available on the market it’s easy to sometimes fall for false advertisement. Before buying, it’s also worth checking if the manufacturer will replace the item or do a refund if the juggling balls turned out to be faulty. 

I hope we’ve helped you get an idea of what to look out for when buying quality juggling balls. Let us know how you are doing on your juggling journey!