I’m a desk fidgeter. These 5 fidget toys keep me sane while I work

What makes a good fidget toy?

Everyone has their preferred ways to fidget. I’ve never been much of a wrist flapper, but I’ll bounce from foot to foot and pace like there’s no tomorrow if you give me enough stress and space to do it in.

The same goes for fidget toys. There are myriad options out there that serve the different types of fidgeters. Here’s what I look for:

• One-handed. I want to use it while I work, so one-handedness lets me type or control the mouse with my other hand.
• Quiet. While I do enjoy clacky fidget toys from time to time, their noisiness tends to stress me out more than I realize.
• Durable. Some that’s mechanically simple and robust. If it can accidentally break by bending the wrong way, I just know I’m going to break it that way at some point.
• Self-contained. I don’t want to clean up a mess of beads, nor do I want to risk parts being ingested by my dog or young children. A singular all-in-one fidget device, please.
• Smooth. Sharp edges and jagged corners have no place in my arsenal of fidget toys. This is about comfort and distraction. If I wanted to flagellate myself, I’d just chew my fingers.

With all that in mind, and with the caveat that everyone’s ideal fidget toy will be different, here are my favorite fidget toys that keep me distracted while I’m busy working at my desk.

My absolute favorite one: Knucklebone

If I could only pick one fidget toy to use forever at my desk, I’d choose the AroundSquare Knucklebone. While the smooth surface is great for stroking or kneading, what I really like about it is the skill element. It took me weeks before I could comfortably roll one through my fingers both backwards and forwards, and then a few more weeks to do so in both hands at equivalent comfort and fluidity.

You can even do tricks with it, and it takes enough effort to use that it’s something of a finger workout. Even after you’ve mastered rolling without dropping, just trying to keep it going for a minute or two at a time can be tiring. It makes the backs of my hand ache in ways that I’d never experienced before. As someone who spends all day typing, a finger workout like this is helpful — and the Knucklebone is perfect for it.

And it even helps with the self-consciousness that can hit when using a fidget toy because this one’s pretty cool to flick around in your hand. I’m not saying your uncle won’t give you a funny side-eye when he sees you fiddling with one of these at a wedding reception, but it’s way more acceptable than, say, spinning a fidget spinner.

For when I travel: 3D-printed sliders

Rivaling the Knucklebone for my favorite overall fidget toy is this 3D-printed slider. It’s simple, cheap, and portable. It’s nice to keep one on my key ring, plus a few in different rooms of my house.

I picked them up on Etsy but they’re no longer available. If you want something like it, try this magnetic slider on Amazon. All you have to do is slide it back and forth. Too loud? Too much friction? You can try lubricating for even more cathartic sliding.

For when I’m anxious: Palm roller

Jon Martindale / Foundry

When I’m particularly anxious, even the most ordinary fidget toys can feel aggressive and overwhelming. Fortunately, at those times, there’s one I regularly come back to — this near-silent palm roller. You can find others like it, such as this popular one on Amazon.

My particular palm roller fidget toy is a pair of metal cylinders, and it naturally rotates as you squeeze them in your palm. It even makes a muted metallic tick as they go around.

I love it for its lack of noise and smooth motion. Also, the grip prevents me from accidentally dropping it to the floor, which makes it especially great when the world gets on top of me. Throw in some mindful breathing and I can rest assured that I’ll come out the other side of any situation with a slower heart rate and a cooler head.

For quick bursts of energy: Rocket spinner

Jon Martindale / Foundry

Not all fidget toys are for consistent fidgeting — at least, not for me. Sometimes I just feel a quick burst of physical energy that needs to be expended so I can get back to whatever I was doing. Lots of fidget toys are good for that, but the one I’ve settled on is this rocket spinner. If you want something similar, check out this one on Amazon.

I have small hands so most fidget spinners are somewhat uncomfortable to use, but not this one. It sits on my desk and, after a quick twist, spins and spins and spins. It doesn’t come apart and it doesn’t do anything except spin, but I love that it’s one-and-done. And it gets bonus point for its space theme. (Huge fan of Kerbal Space Program!)

This kinetic stress relief toy surprisingly works. I can spin it and get back to what I was doing, and I often try to finish what I’m writing or working on before the rocket stops spinning. If I do, hurray! If I don’t, then I’ve probably forgotten all about the spinner by that point anyway.

For something more classic: Fidget cube

Jon Martindale / Foundry

There’s a good reason why this one has stuck around for so long and why the design has been pirated by every 3D-printing chop shop since its inception. The fidget cube is a compact fidget toy that offers a wide range of sensations with its mini rollers, clicky switch, joystick, spinny disc, and buttons. You can get something similar like this on Amazon.

The fidget cube is a jack-of-all-trades, master-of-none type device. I like the light switch and the joystick rocker, but the overall shape doesn’t fit my hand well. In the world of intangible neurodivergencies, there’s something about this one that doesn’t fully match my hand. It’s good but not great, versatile but imperfect.

Honorable mention: Standing desk

This one isn’t a fidget device, but it enables a kind of fidgeting that would be a struggle to do otherwise. When sitting at a desk, I can usually tap my feet or fidget with the above toys, but being constrained to a chair can sometimes make me feel claustrophobic. That’s why I invested in a standing desk — and it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Part of it is due to my ongoing war with back pain, which it has really helped with. But the standing desk also lets me fidget freely, bouncing from foot to foot, dancing to music, even pacing while I work. I can step away for some squats or shadow boxing — whatever movement I need to do in the moment — without thinking twice about it.

Standing too much comes with some risks, but sitting too much also has a bunch of its own health risks. For me, standing while I work outweighs driving myself mad strapped to an office chair (even if my office chair is admittedly comfortable and lumbar-supporting).

I fidget, therefore I am

At times, I feel uncomfortable about my fidgeting habits. But as time goes on, as I get older, and as my fidget toy collection grows, I’ve grown to accept it as part of who I am. Fidget toys help me concentrate at work, help me feel more comfortable in social settings, and even help me get paid (for writing personal articles like this one).

It’s a habit worth embracing. If it gives you even a modicum of comfort, I say go for it. There’s something out there for everyone. Indeed, if you’ve got your own favorite fidget toy that you think I might like, get in touch! I’m almost certain to buy it.

Further reading: The most useful work-from-home accessories