The QiYi HeiManBa V3 is a non-magnetic 3x3 from QiYi’s budget range. HeiManBa is the transliteration of the model’s Chinese name, and international shops sell it as the Black Mamba V3. It revives an old line from the brand, with an internal design influenced by X-Man’s Tornado V2.

• BrandQiYi
• Type3x3
• SizeAround 56 mm
• WeightAround 71 g
• MagnetsNo
• FinishStickerless

How it works

The core is dual-adjustment: it lets you set the tension (how tightly the layers are held together) and the spring compression, which affects how springy the turning feels, separately. According to specialist retailers, the compression has five settings and the cube comes with a tool for changing it. With no magnets, the layers don’t settle back into place on their own at the end of a turn, and the feel depends entirely on the setup and on your hands.

Design

It’s stickerless (no stickers: the colour is in the plastic), in bright colours. User reviews agree that it turns well for its price range, although some point out that it can come a little loose out of the box and that it’s worth checking the tension when you first use it.

What level is it for?

It’s a cube for learning and practising the layer-by-layer method or your first steps in CFOP, or for keeping as a spare. Once you start improving your times you’ll usually move on to a magnetic 3x3, but for the first few months it does its job.