Aggregated review · Christmas, Secret Santa, Birthday
Rubik's Cube (original 3x3)
The original puzzle cube. Cheap, hard to put down, and a good stocking filler from about age 8.
$13 Under $25
The verdict
Hit: 4.7 out of 5, from 2 sources and 70 reviews. The ratings are high wherever we looked.
Thin evidence
Where the score comes from
- Speedsolving forum No star rating. Cited for what it says.
Based on 70 John Lewis reviews. One source has no star rating and is cited for what it says.
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Cheapest we found: John Lewis at $13. Prices checked October 2026. We earn a commission if you buy.
- Reviews aggregated
- 70Reviews counted
- Sources
- 2Sources
- Gift mentions
- 5 Oct Last checked
John Lewis has 70 reviews averaging 4.7, and it costs about £10. For a stocking filler, that’s a safe bet.
The criticism comes from people who solve cubes for speed. On speedcubing forums the official cube is often called stiff, and it catches if you turn a face before the last one is lined up. That matters for a fast solver, not for someone trying to solve it for the first time.
It suits a curious 8 to 12 year old, or an adult who never managed it as a kid. If they get hooked, a cheap magnetic speed cube is the obvious next present.
What reviewers praise
- Cheap
- Keeps people busy for hours
- Durable
What they complain about
- Stiff to turn compared with speed cubes
- Locks up if a face isn't lined up exactly
- Keen solvers soon move on to a speed cube
- Not for
- Someone who already solves cubes. They'll want a magnetic speed cube, not the original.
- Price checked
- October 5, 2026
- Image
- Photo by Lars Karlsson (Keqs), via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped by review.gift.
Where to buy it
Cheapest we found: John Lewis at $13. Prices checked October 2026. We earn a commission if you buy.
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