I distinctly remember how toys like yo-yos and Koosh Balls were big in the 90’s. I was one of the many kids with memories of learning how to do simple yo-yo tricks and tossing about a Koosh with a dangling dinosaur head and limbs back in the day.
After spending some time with a vibrant variety of Waboba’s Moon Balls, I can safely say that they would’ve been a staple of the 90’s if they existed back then. What initially caught my attention were the multiple knockoffs being sold in dollar and convenience stories across America, and if these cheap models fly off the shelves, I had a feeling that the Original Moon Balls had to be stellar — or maybe lunar? — and I was right.
Waboba Moon Balls
What are real Waboba Moon Balls?
There are a few key design factors that sets a real Moon Ball apart from the junky fakes, other than the Waboba name of course, and if you’ve held both, you’d instantly know the difference.
A real Moon Ball has an ultra-light feel and is made of super-compressed Polyurethane (PU) foam, and its rigid and porous structure traps gas and is ultra-impact-resilient, which translates to an impressively high bounce when compared to denser rubber superballs.
Specifications
- Price: $10.99 (average.).
- Variants: Original, Metallic, Rainbow, Ultraviolet, Bounceback, Martian, Mini, Dark Side of the Moon, and more!.
- Size: 2.48 inches.
- Age: 3 and up.
- Waterproof: Yes, and they float!.
Pros
- Bounces like crazy without any effort, bounces to the moon when thrown like a gorilla.
- Its extreme bounciness makes it a stellar outdoor toy.
- Surprisingly durable.
- Floats, making it a solid pick for pool-time games of catch.
- Literal rainbow of brilliant color options.
- Cool popping sound when craters hit a flat surface.
- Worth the price for an all-around premium bouncy ball.
- Makes an excellent gift.
- Funky cratered surface provides unpredictable trajectories, making it fun to chase, roll, and bounce in wild ways.
Cons
- Far less bounce on soft surfaces like grass or carpet, but Moon Balls are still much bouncier when compared to the average ball.
One aspect of real Moon Balls that caught my attention is the sheer number of attractive colorways Waboba has released. With shimmering metallic and models with colors that fade into each other, to ones illuminated with LED lights and classic colorways, there really is a Moon Ball for everyone.
My favorite is the slick metallic green, but the funky purple, red, and yellow starry Sunset edition was a close second!
Do Moon Balls live up to the hype?
In a nutshell, if you lightly drop one on tile, concrete, or asphalt, expect it to return to at least the height which it was dropped. if you smash it into the floor, I hope you’re ready to watch it leap into the stratosphere! Although Moon Balls effortlessly ricochet off of walls too, these are probably best reserved for outdoor play unless you’ve got a dedicated room of unbreakable stuff.
I’m happy to say that after many hours of slamming, tossing, rolling, punting and tossing Moon Balls, they look about as good as they did when they first arrived, so they’re a top pick for kids who are rough with their toys.
I also liked the cartoony “suction cup” POP sound these balls make when one of their craters hits the ground just right, and their many faces give them a fair bit of unpredictability as they bounce and tumble around, but that only adds to the frantic fun when you’re throwing a Moon Ball between friends.
What about other Moon Balls?
I’ve described the Original Moon Ball throughout this story, and although there are many vivid color options to choose from, they all sport the same ultra-bouncy and rock-solidly durable design.
Waboba also features a lineup of Bounceback x Moon Ball editions; each one is a Moon Ball attached to a 47-inch-long elastic cord, connected to a highly adjustable Velcro wristband.
Fusing together the world’s bounciest ball to a super-stretchy rope makes for a fun active “fidget” toy that tests your hand-eye coordination, and it’s a fun thing to play with while walking, taking a break on the job, or just because.
I really dig the LED Lightup Bounceball Moon Balls- they glow brightly and for seven seconds at a time, making them great for anyone who wants to play long after the sun sets.
Luke, my mom’s adorable puppy, helped me to test out the Waboba Tailwind Ball too. These traffic cone orange balls sport even more faces than a Moon Ball, which gives it even more unpredictability as to where it’ll bounce.
We had a fun time watching Luke make hairpin turns to chase his Tailwind as it shifted directions mid-roll, and while it’s not nearly as bouncy as a Moon Ball, it’s even more durable to withstand mild chews, and its bold coloring makes it easy to find in the grass at a glance. The unpredictable rolling and easy to clamp onto design made it an instant-hit with Luke!
Waboba Moon Balls
At about 11 bucks a pop, a Moon Ball may sound like a steep investment when compared to a run-of-the-mill rubber ball or knock-off “moon ball,” but if you’re looking for an attractive active toy that was made to last and easily outperforms the competition in every way, a Waboba Moon Ball is a must-buy. That is, as long as you can keep it from bouncing over the neighbor’s fence at best, or onto a passing asteroid at worst.
Great stocking stuffer, excellent “just because” gift, a cool idea to get anyone up and playing outside, and I’m looking forward to the fun new ways they’ll reinvent the Moon Ball next.
