After years of speculation on my part and finally getting more comfortable advocating for myself, I was finally diagnosed with ADHD last year when I was 28. In the months since, I've been learning to manage it through small steps.
One of my more frequent fidgeting tendencies has always been picking at and biting my cuticles, sometimes until they bleed and sting when touched, so I've been testing out ways to break that habit. The paraffin hand cream from Bath and Body Works is a game-changer for healing the skin, and working it in does give my hands something to do, but there's only so much you can apply before your hands feel slimy and I want to prevent further damage as much as possible.
When it comes to fidgets, I find I'm drawn to things like Crazy Aaron's Thinking Putty because the tins are easy to take on the go, it's quiet, can be used with one hand, and isn't limited to a small range of motion. But in recent weeks, a new option crossed my feed: the NeeDoh Nice Cube from Schylling.
Described as, "perfect for stretching, smushing, squeezing, and soothing your way to groovy good vibes," NeeDoh comes in a variety of forms. The Nice Cube (which I've also heard called the NeeDoh Cube) specifically is a rubbery cube-shaped stretchy sensory toy containing the gel-like NeeDoh substance. It's available in blue, pink, and purple at the time of writing and retails for anywhere between $5-$15 depending on where it's purchased from.
Now that I've gotten my hands on one, I figure it's time for a quick review!
Just a disclaimer before we dive in: I am not affiliated with Schylling. This post is an honest review based on my own purchase. Also, I'm not an ADHD expert or medical professional, so anything that's mentioned regarding ADHD is based on my own unique experience, has no medical backing, and is only one of a thousand accounts.
Pros
Overall, I really like the Nice Cube.
I tend to get fidgety when I'm thinking through writer's block or during slower parts of my shift at the escape room. When looking at fidget options to use at the latter especially, one of my main concerns is silence. For one thing, I don't want to distract a fellow GM, and the last thing I'd want is to have a team hear a more clickety fidget while giving them a clue and interfere with their experience. Plus that additional external noise can be even more distracting for me, which kind of defeats the purpose...
The Nice Cube is a fantastic option in that regard. It doesn't make a sound! It's going to be making a lot of appearances in video calls with my writing group from here on out.
It's also great for one-handed kneading. It's pretty common for me to have a fidget in one hand and type with the other as I'm problem-solving my way through writer's block or editing. Since a lot of my fidgets work better with two hands, I find that the Nice Cube helps me feel more productive because I can still be hands-on with whichever task requires my attention (but it's also fun to squeeze and stretch with both hands).
Speaking of which, I like the texture of the NeeDoh. It's got a consistency that's pretty easy to manipulate once you get it going (more on that later), and I like that it returns to its original cube shape quickly. I've also noticed that if you press it faster, it feels firmer, whereas a slow squeeze feels more oozy, The variation is neat and not something you get with Thinking Putty.
With anything made of a rubbery material, I tend to worry about there being a chemical smell to it; I'm in a weird phase post-long-Covid where I'm finally getting my sense of smell back but because there are a lot of "new" smells I'm picking up, they're more intense and overhwelming (green peppers in particular make me light-headed and I can't be around broccoli without feeling like I'm going to vomit).
Thankfully, there's no odor with the Nice Cube, even right out of the box, nor does it leave a weird smell on my hands.
Cons
While there are plenty of things I love about the Nice Cube, it's not perfect.
Like I said above, the NeeDoh texture is great—once you get it going.
My first time using the Nice Cube was after it had been sitting overnight in my mailbox in freezing temps, so I expected it to be a little stiff. It was easier to manipulate once it warmed up and I was playing with it on and off for most of the day. After resting for about 10 hours, it did firm up again but didn't take as long to get back to a more malleable state after sitting at room temperature. This didn't impact me too greatly, but it may be worth noting for those with weaker hands or conditions like arthritis.
The rubbery material also has a habit of picking up lint, hair, and other debris (as pictured on the right). All of this does wash off with just water, thankfully, but I don't love the feeling of a strand of hair snapping when I'm stretching and twisting the cube. Ick!
This does leave me hesitant to tuck it in my pocket or backpack; the drop-shaped NeeDoh toy comes with a little stand to rest it in. Speaking of pockets, the Nice Cube is a little too large to fit in my pants pocket so I end up carrying it with me.
I've been using my Nice Cube quite a bit since getting it, often in long stints. And that's certainly a sign of a solid product, but the material does leave my hands feeling dried out after a while.
None of these are deal-breakers for me, though they're worth mentioning.
Overall, the NeeDoh Nice Cube is a huge win. It's inexpensive and has so far been a great outlet for any nervous energy that just needs to go somewhere and giving my hands something to do when I need to focus. This was a total whim of a purchase and I'm so pleased by it, even with the few downsides.
I'm giving it a 4 out of 5 stars and recommend picking one up.
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