So you've just seen some awesome rubber band magic and not sure what type of bands to get, or where from? Read on, we could save you some serious dosh!
Looking for the BEST rubber bands for magic tricks?
Not sure what SIZE or COLOUR to go for?
What's the DIFFERENCE between the cheap and branded ones?
Can you get NON-LATEX elastic bands?
A common scene after watching Dan Harlan doing some epic rubber band magic is to rummage through the cupboards trying to find some bands.
Either you don't find any, or the ones you do find are too big, or small. Other times the bands are made from super cheap material and they end up snapping in a matter of seconds.
SO WHAT ARE THE BEST BANDS?
Well, the best bands we found are Size 19 elastic bands. You can find these in Staples, Home Depot or Amazon, which is where we get ours. There are a number of different brands on Amazon, so find one that has good reviews and is reasonably priced.
We found that a 500g bag of No.19 - 88.9 x 1.6mm (3 1/2 x 1/16), will yield around 1500 single elastic bands at around £6 - 8 or $7 - 8.
This is enough for a lifetime of magic and you could just use the rest to ping at people.
WHAT COLOUR IS THE BEST?
We normal go for the standard Brown ones, however, you can get them in Yellow, Orange and Blue. If you're working somewhere with low lighting or want additional impact, we recommend the Yellow or Orange.
The Blue ones are great too for high contrast magic, where they pass through one another.
The only issue is these cost double the price off normal bands, probably around the £12/$15 mark for a decent brand.
I CAN GET THESE FOR £1/$1
If you get the el cheapo ones from Poundland or the dollar store, get ready for SNAP CITY, these bands couldn't hold a pair chopsticks together! As the old saying goes, buy cheap, buy twice!
Stay well clear of these are invest in some decent branded elastic bands that will last ages if kept away from sunlight and high temperatures.
Buy cheap, buy twice!
WHAT ABOUT NON-LATEX BANDS?
Well you're in luck, as a company called Alliance make Non-Latex Rubber Bands. Their bands are made from a synthetic rubber compound that helps to prevent allergic reactions.
Again, these are priced around the £12/$15 mark and can be found easily on Amazon.
ONE LAST THING!
Finally, you can also buy expensive rubber bands from magic shops, however, they do not have any clear advantage over the standard ones described above. If you're a serious rubber band manipulator you may wish to consider shelling out for these, but until then, grab a bag of Size 19 elastic bands and go crazy... man's handcuffs!
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All the best from the Neo Magic team!