Starting your kendama journey is an exciting way to improve hand-eye coordination, focus, and dexterity. This classic skill toy, with its simple cup, spike, and ball design, offers endless trick possibilities. For a beginner, choosing the right kendama is key; a well-balanced, durable model makes learning foundational tricks much more enjoyable and helps you progress faster. With so many options available, it can be tough to know where to begin.
This roundup simplifies your search by highlighting nine excellent kendamas suited for new players. We’ve considered factors like build quality, design features for easier learning, and overall value. Whether you prefer a classic full-size model, a modern design with learning aids, or a compact pocket version, there’s a perfect starter kendama here for you.
Our Top Kendama Picks for New Players
- CANSHOW Kendama Maple Wood Toy – Pro Model
- Terra Kendama – The Pill – Wooden Skill Toy (Blue)
- Duncan Toys Komodo Kendama, Mystery Color
- KENDAMA TOY CO. | 2 Pack | Competition Pro Kendama
- Duncan Toys Maple Drop Pro Kendama, Mystery Color
- Lotus Kendamas Kendama Toy for Beginners and Advanced
- KROM Kendama MIKRO Dark Blue – Mini Kendama
- KENDAMA TOY CO. 2-Pack The Best Pocket Kendama
- Sweets Kendamas Amped Radar Kendama
CANSHOW Kendama Maple Wood Toy – Pro Model
This CANSHOW model is a fantastic entry point, built from solid maple wood for a sturdy and consistent feel. The deep cups are a notable feature for beginners, as they make catching the ball from various angles more forgiving and successful. This design helps build confidence early on.
It comes with a rubber-painted ball for improved grip and includes an extra string, ensuring you can keep playing if one wears out. The overall dimensions are standard, providing a comfortable and familiar feel for learning the basic swings, cups, and spikes that form the foundation of kendama play.
Terra Kendama – The Pill
The Terra Pill stands out with its complete beginner-friendly package. It includes not just the kendama, but also an extra string, bead, stringing tool, stickers, and a pocket trick guide. This means you have everything needed to start, maintain, and learn from your toy right away.
Its patented design is made for playability, helping users improve reflexes and coordination. The inclusion of a physical trick guide is particularly useful for new players who might not know where to start, providing immediate direction and a set of goals to work toward.
Duncan Toys Komodo Kendama
From a classic toy brand, the Duncan Komodo offers trusted quality for beginners. It’s constructed from premium beechwood and features a high-gloss paint on the ball (tama) that is resistant to chipping from impacts, making it durable for learning.
This model is certified for competition size and weight, which means you’re learning on a standard, professional-grade tool from day one. It’s a straightforward, high-performance kendama that grows with you, perfect for mastering the classic techniques of this Japanese skill toy.
KENDAMA TOY CO. Competition Pro 2-Pack
This two-pack is an excellent value, especially for friends, siblings, or a parent-child duo. Having two identical, competition-style kendamas allows for side-by-side practice, games, and friendly challenges, which can make the learning process more social and motivating.
Built with lightweight and durable bamboo, these kendamas are eco-friendly and tough enough to handle the drops and misses common when starting out. The set provides a direct path to improving agility and balance through shared play.
Duncan Toys Maple Drop Pro Kendama
The Maple Drop Pro represents a step up in material quality. Duncan uses strong maple wood here, noted for its consistent weight, grain, and hardness compared to more common beechwood. This consistency translates to flawless balance and an ideal texture for grip.
As Duncan’s highest-quality model, it features precise weight distribution engineered for advanced balance tricks like lunars and lighthouses. For a dedicated beginner, this means a kendama that will not hold them back as their skills rapidly improve, offering professional-grade performance from the start.
Lotus Kendamas Bloom Kendama
The Lotus Bloom is a modern kendama designed with learner-friendly features. Its new “Bloom Shape” is crafted for ultimate comfort and balance during long practice sessions. It includes big cups to make lunar balance tricks easier to learn and extended rims for improved stall tricks.
It comes with a significant learning aid: the Kendamanomics Tricklist, which guides beginners through 60 essential tricks. Paired with a longer 70 cm string for greater reach, this package is built to help a new player understand and advance their skills systematically.
KROM Kendama MIKRO
The KROM MIKRO is a fully functional, pocket-sized kendama made from quality beech wood. Its compact size (about 3.15 inches) makes it incredibly portable, allowing you to practice anywhere. Despite its small stature, it performs the same tricks as a full-size model.
This is a great option for beginners who want to practice on the go or who have smaller hands. The challenge and fun of a standard kendama are condensed into a mini format, helping to refine precision and control from the very beginning.
KENDAMA TOY CO. Pocket Kendama 2-Pack
This set offers two pocket-sized kendamas in stylish color combinations. The mini scale means you can always have one handy for quick practice sessions, and the two-pack format again encourages shared play and competition.
Constructed from durable bamboo, these small skill toys are built to last. They provide a unique challenge due to their size, which can further sharpen hand-eye coordination and offer a fun variation for someone already familiar with the full-size kendama experience.
Sweets Kendamas Amped Radar Kendama
From the renowned Sweets Kendamas brand, the Amped Radar is a popular choice in the kendama community. Sweets is known for engineering their products with specific paint and shape profiles that enhance grip and playability, features that benefit players of all levels.
While specific features for this model are not listed here, Sweets Kendamas generally offer reliable, performance-oriented designs. For a beginner, choosing a model from a dedicated kendama company often means getting a well-tuned tool designed by and for serious players, ensuring a quality experience as you learn.
Buying Guide: What to Look For in Your First Kendama
So, you want to pick up a kendama. That’s awesome. But walking into a shop or browsing online can be overwhelming with all the shapes, paints, and woods. I remember my first time; I had no idea what I was holding. Let me break down the key things to consider when looking for the best kendamas for beginners, so you can start on the right foot.
First, let’s talk about shape. Modern kendamas come in different profiles, and for a beginner, you want something that’s forgiving. Look for a “sticky” or “rubber” paint on the tama (the ball). This type of paint gives you more grip, making it easier to catch the ball on the spike or in the cups. A classic, balanced shape is also a safe bet. Some advanced shapes have deeper cups or different weight distributions that can actually make learning the fundamentals harder. Stick with a proven, beginner-friendly shape from a reputable brand.
Next is material. Most beginner kendamas are made from beechwood. It’s a great all-around wood: durable, has a nice weight, and takes paint well. You might also see plastic options. While I generally prefer wood for the feel, a good plastic model can be incredibly tough and weather-resistant, perfect if you plan on practicing outside a lot. Avoid super hard or slick woods like maple for your very first one; you want that grip to help you learn.
Finally, consider the string and bearing. The string should be firmly attached (not a cheap, easily frayed piece of thread) and have a standard length—you can always shorten it later. The ken (the sword part) should have a decently sharp spike. A dull spike makes the “spike” trick nearly impossible. Also, check that the cups are smooth and the ball rolls freely on the string. A little tuning (tightening the screw at the top) is normal, but it shouldn’t feel rickety or poorly put together right out of the box.
My biggest piece of advice? Don’t overthink it. Your first kendama is a learning tool. You don’t need the fanciest, most expensive model. You need something reliable that will help you build muscle memory for the basic pulls, cups, and spikes. A solid beginner model from a dedicated kendama company will serve you much better than a novelty toy from a generic store. Get one that feels good in your hand, and just start playing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes a kendama good for a beginner?
A good beginner kendama prioritizes forgiveness and consistency. This usually means a sticky or rubber paint finish on the ball for extra grip, a balanced and classic shape, and durable construction (like beechwood). These features help you learn the fundamental catches and balances without fighting the toy itself. It’s the most reliable tool to build your initial skills.
How much should I spend on my first kendama?
You can get a very capable, quality beginner kendama for between $20 and $40. Spending less often means lower-quality materials that can splinter, have bad paint, or break easily, which will just frustrate you. There’s no need to spend over $50 on a pro model right away. The mid-range beginner options from established brands are the perfect sweet spot.
Is it better to start with a wood or plastic kendama?
Both have merits. Wood (like beech) offers a classic feel and sound, and the sticky paint is excellent for learning. Plastic is nearly indestructible and weatherproof, great for outdoor use. For most people, I suggest starting with a painted wood model for the superior grip, but if you’re rough on gear or plan to play at the beach, a plastic one is a smart choice.
What’s the first trick I should learn?
Start with the Big Cup. Practice pulling the ball up and catching it in the large cup. Once you can do that consistently, move to the Small Cup and then the Base Cup. Mastering these three basic cup catches builds the hand-eye coordination and timing you need for everything else. After that, work on landing the ball on the Spike.
How do I take care of my kendama?
Keep it dry! Water is the enemy of wood and can ruin the paint. If it gets dirty, gently wipe it with a dry cloth. You can occasionally rub the spike on a piece of paper to keep it sharp. Tighten the screw on top if things feel loose. Most of all, just play it. The more you use it, the better it will feel as it breaks in.
Where can I find tutorials to help me learn?
The kendama community is fantastic and very online. Brands like Kendama USA and Sweets Kendamas have extensive YouTube channels with tutorial playlists that take you from absolute beginner to advanced tricks. Social media platforms are also full of players sharing tips. Searching for “beginner kendama tricks” will give you more than enough to get started on your journey with one of the best kendamas for beginners.