Small Gray Flexi Trilobite Flexible Toy
[Image descriptions: the image on the left is of a pile of gray plastic trilobite skeletons. They are segmented so they can bend and flex without breaking and they lay on top of each other in various degrees of bent. the image on the right is of one of the gray plastic trilobite skeletons in the palm of a white person's hand, it is about the same length as their palm. It is bent so that its head is pointing slightly to the right of the frame.]
Type: Tactile and moving stim.
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Price: $4.00 (plus shipping and handling).
Pros:
Very wiggly. I had a somewhat disappointing experience with a 3-D printed stim toy I got in the past (didn't review it bc I got it for Christmas and didn't know where it came from) so I was worried that the movement of it would be stiff and not fluid. I'm so glad I ordered it anyway because this is the opposite of that. It moves so nicely, it almost looks alive with how fluid the motion is.
Seems sturdy. When it arrived it was a little concerned about how delicate it looked but once I started playing with it I was no longer worried because it was quite resilient.
Good size. I was worried it might be too big or too small but it's just the right size to play with, you can easily use one or two hands without it feeling too fiddly or hard to control.
Smooth. Sometimes 3-D printed items can be rough, but I believe the surface of this was sanded. It has a little texture but not enough to make your hands uncomfortable.
Cons:
Can be noisy. When the plastic rubs against itself it makes a rustling noise. This can be reduced by playing with the tool slowly, but fast stimming with it will be quite loud. The noise is satisfying and could be part of the stimming experience, but it wouldn't be great for a classroom or business meeting setting.
Irresistible to cats. My cat is obsessed with the noise and movement of this stim tool. I offered it to her to sniff and she grabbed it in her teeth and ran away with it and I had to chase her to get it back. Every time I bring it out she stares at it. I would recommend storing them out of reach of cats as I'm not sure if they're cat-safe, the small plastic pieces could break off with rough play and get swallowed.
Overall:
Great, well-made, and low-price stim tool! I would definitely recommend this shop for 3-D printed items, I got two (only ordered one but they sent me an extra by accident I think) and one of them had a slight printing mistake on the underside but it's a lot better than 3-D printed items I've received in the past and I can't really complain since it was extra. I can see myself using it quite a bit.