Are there good tensegrity kits out there?

December 7, 2024 4:35 PM

I would like to buy a crafty family member a tensegrity kit for the holidays. This could be a small single item, such as a plant stand, or a construction kit that could be used for creating multiple different tensegrity structures. Seeking recommendations for quality products.

When I look online I see a lot of tensegrity exploration kits with very bad reviews. I also see a handful of kits for things like tables of various sizes, but it is hard to judge the quality.

I want something small. Budget should be Under $75US, and ideally under $50US. The recipient is relatively handy but construction should not require the use of power tools.

Cat themed would be a plus.

Thanks in advance or any suggestions.

posted by Winnie the Proust to Shopping (3 answers total)

Grand Illusions is a UK supplier of weird and wonderful tricks and toys, and I've always found their wares to be very good. They sell a little tensegrity table that looks good (and there's a video of Hendrik showing how it works and how to adjust it).
posted by pipeski at 5:40 PM on December 7, 2024 [5 favorites]

eBay has people selling Tensegritoy kits

A long time ago, I posted a recipe on USENET for making your own Tensegritoy out of bamboo skewers, but I can’t find it at the moment.
posted by jimfl at 6:10 PM on December 7, 2024

Way back in 2006, MAKE Magazine issue number 6 had instructions for building a small tensegrity tower [pdf]. It's very similar in design to the Tensegritoy kits linked above. I recall following those instructions, and the result was pretty good! It was a fun little project and the cost of materials was low.
posted by cyclopticgaze at 4:53 AM on December 8, 2024 [1 favorite]