Buckyballs are a set of 216 rare earth magnets designed for grownups only. It's not because they're kinky or X-rated. Tiny, round rare-earth magnets are extremely dangerous for kids. When inhaled or swallowed, powerful little magnets connect and often require surgery to remove them. In fact, the CPSC dubbed magnets number one among their "Top Five Hidden Health Hazards." (Note that none of those injuries is associated with Buckyballs. Other toys and non-toy uses for strong magnets caused the injuries.)
Because I know that most toys.about.com readers have small kids, it's my responsibility to designate this toy in a different category. Buckyballs are recommended for ages 13 and up and they have a large safety warning right up front. That said, if you have an office environment where there are no children, Buckyballs is an incredibly addictive desktop fidgeting toy. Just check out their cool video to see all the things you can do with them.
The tiny magnets make geometric shapes, stars, polygons and long chains. They come with a little carrying case in the package, too. The company is planning to launch a 24-karat gold-plated special edition of Buckyballs this year.
You may wonder why products like this haven't been recalled. It's because they are designed and marketed for older people and have that safety message on the package. If we recalled everything on my desk that was dangerous for kids, I wouldn't have staples, thumb tacks or Cabernet, for that matter!
I played with them longer than I'd planned and I had trouble putting them down, but I do have two small kids in the house, so I disposed of the magnets after giving them a try. According to the CPSC, many of the kids injured by inhaling or swallowing magnets are older than 3, so please don't bring this product into your home if you have children.
Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
These could be dangerous for pets as well.
They look incredibly fun! A great idea for a break from work to help with stress and eye strain – something I’ve been trying to remember to do. Though I’d use them at work to avoid my kids from accidentally finding them and getting hurt. Thanks for pointing these out and for the wise words.
I recently purchased some rare earth magnets for a craft project. It is so cool, and almost unnatural, how strong they are. In fact, my husband and I were showing our 7-year-old how strong they are, and she pinched her little finger between two of them and got a blood blister. I can’t even imagine what would happen if a kid tried to swallow them! We put them up far from kids’ reach.
The toy sounds cool, but you are right, it is definitely not something to keep on the desk at home if kids are around!
Very interesting take on these. I have tried these type of things and love them! I’ll have to keep my eye out for this set.
I love this kind of fidgety, desk toy
. But I can’t help but remember that slew of toy recalls last year and the “Grey’s Anatomy” episode in which a boy swallowed a bunch of magnets and as the always-awesome Dr. Bailey operated, she could see the magnets moving toward each other, through intestinal walls and other tissue, leaving jagged tears behind. And yes, I know it’s a fictional show, but that movement was exactly what was described in the Consumer Product Safety injury notices. Horrifying!
Thanks for the heads up. It sounds like a fun toy for a working environment that’s free of kids. I’m not sure I would have picked up on how dangerous it could be for kids if you hadn’t mentioned it. Thank you!
Wow, thank you for the warning about these toys. Yes, they do look very cool, but if you have young kids in the home (or ever have kids visit your home), they would be waaay too enticing for little ones and, as you point out, could be extremely dangerous for them.
I remember reading about a magnet-related recall a while ago that also mentioned the risk to older kids. People often assume that the risk of putting stuff in the mouth is over once the child is three or so. On the recall I read about, the older kids had been trying to see if they could stick magnets to their cheeks by putting some in their mouth and others on the outside. Magnets are definitely not for kids.
RE: BUCKYBALLS MAGNETS
WHEN AND WHERE ARE 13 YEAR OLDS CONSIDERED ADULTS ?
MY 8 YEAR OLD SWALLOWED 7 OF THESE S.O.B.’s AND REQUIRED 2 TRIPS TO AN E.R. THE EMOTIONAL STRESS THAT MY FAMILY ENDURED WAS EXTREME, NOT TO MENTION THE FINANCIAL CHARGES TO US ARE GOING TO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
HE GOT HOLD OF THEM IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL THAT HE ATTENDS, WHERE THEY WERE BEING HANDED OUT TO KINDERGARTENERS THROUGH 4TH GRADERS !
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Sure, playing with magnets is fun, but this product is a tragedy and a lawsuit waiting to happen. Only a few years after a kid DIED of ingesting magnets that came loose from a Magnetix product, here we’ve got on the market, sold as a toy, loose candy-shaped powerful magnets. Even if there’s a warning label alerting people that they are for teenagers and adults only, it’s inevitable that they will get into the hands of kids and be swallowed. I see them for sale at toy stores all over the place and think it’s just plain irresponsible. Please read this link before letting your kids touch these things.
http://www.kidsindanger.org/fac/2004_Kenny.asp