Slinky Extreme—About as Extreme as a Goatee
Written: May 24 '03 (Updated May 27 '03)
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Pros: Great for younger kids, fun to juggle, conversation-starter
Cons: Not very extreme, overpriced, won’t go down stairs as well as others
The Bottom Line: If you want something extreme, go skydiving. But if you want a perfect starter slinky for the toddlers, you’ve found it.
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| ericgoldman's Full Review: James Industries Slinky Extreme |
I am a slinky addict. I have hundreds of slinkies of all types and flavors. For a more general discussion about slinkies, see my comprehensive review on slinkies at http://www.epinions.com/kifm-review-BB3-9C5F04C-39627E04-prod4—at 1,600 words, I venture it’s one of the most loquacious and obsessive slinky reviews on the site.
The Slinky Extreme first hit the market in the late 1990s, about the time when the X-Games were a hot thing. I can only imagine the James Industries product marketer thinking “We should put out something extreme to capture some new customers from the skateboarding Y-generation crowd!”
From such inspiration comes a standard plastic slinky covered in a padded multi-hued fabric. Product-wise, the Extreme is a compromise between the normal metal or plastic slinky and the plethora of plush slinky pets that have flooded the market—it’s obviously softer than the originals, but it’s not a stuffed animal.
So what makes this slinky “Extreme”? I’ve wondered about that for years. The fabric used to cover the slinky is more provocative than the plush slinkies, but it’s far from extreme. Indeed, it most directly reminds me of the fabric used to make the tight spandex exercise pants that heavy metal rockers wore back in the 1980s. Perhaps the design was extreme back then, but today it’s dated and a little cheesy.
As a result, I doubt this slinky will appeal to the teeny-bopper snowboarding set that it was targeted for. In an ironic twist, this slinky is actually best enjoyed by pre-schoolers who will find this a safer alternative to the standard plastic or metal slinky. Usually, slinkies are a potentially dangerous gift for young kids, but this one is much less so—the padding eliminates sharp edges and substantially reduces the tangling risk.
Personally, I like my Slinky Extreme OK. The Extreme makes a comforting “woosh” when juggled (compared with the harsher “clank” of the metal slinky) and is a great conversation-starter among folks who’ve never seen one before. But because of its padding, it doesn’t walk down stairs nearly as well as the metal or plastic versions, and the design reminds me too much of a bad Def Leppard video to enjoy on an everyday basis. Also, the Extreme is overpriced—often in the $7 range, compared with $3 or $4 for a classic metal or plastic slinky.
So if you’re only going to get one slinky, stick with a classic. But if you want a slinky with a smidgen more ‘tude, or if you want a safer version for the young ‘uns, the Slinky Extreme merits your consideration. But watch out—once you’ve had a taste of the Extreme, can getting a tattoo be far behind?
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 7
Type of Toy: Science and Nature
Age Range of Child: Whole Family
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Epinions.com ID:
ericgoldman
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Member: Eric Goldman
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Reviews written: 35
Trusted by: 32 members
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