The 7X7 Rubik’s cube is the largest cube that is accepted at the official WCA competitions. Meaning that there is no official discipline for bigger cubes.
I welcome you to the world of the 7X7 speedcubes. It is so awesome that you are here and that you are ready for the challenge the 7X7 is.
But first things first, you need a cube and I am here to help you get the right one and not something that will get stuck, lock up or worse. You don’t want these.
As you probably already know the bigger the cube the harder it gets to design and manufacture it. Smaller cubes like the 2×2 or 3×3 are so much better than the bigger cubes because they are easier to make.
In this buying guide, I will share with you what are the important characteristics you need to pay attention to and what are the best 7X7 cubes on the market.
Table of Contents
The Most Important Features of the 7X7X7 Rubik’s Cube
These characteristics will determine the overall cubing experience on your 7X7 speed cube and if you already don’t know about how these impact the cube’s performance I suggest you read this part of the buying guide. If on another hand you are experienced then just skip down to the actual reviews.
I wrote more about the essential speedcube characteristics in this Rubik’s cube buying guide here where you can also read the reviews for the awesome 3 by 3 puzzles too.
Control and Speed
When it comes to control and speed with the 7X7 rubik’s cube you will want to have a good balance of those. Unless you prefer having as much of speed or control possible its best to have a balance of the two.
Adding lubes and tensioning the speedcube will help you get the balance that works for you.
Just keep in mind that with so many layers it is very easy to overshoot and lose control. Without enough friction between the layers you will risk getting the layers to mess up.
Corner Cutting
Corner cutting is one of the most important characteristics for speedcubing regardless of the puzzle size. However, it is definitely one of the most important features of the 7X7X7 puzzles because it is important for at least the outer layer to be able to complete the turn even if the vertical face is not properly aligned.
With cubes that have manly layers like 5×5, 6×6 or 7×7 it is not realistic to expect the quality of corner cutting that you will get with the cubes of smaller dimensions. Unfortunately, that’s the way it is.
But thanks to the advancements some 7×7 manufacturers have been making there are now pretty good options on the marketplace.
7X7 Cubes Stability
Stability of the 7X7 needs to pass these checkmarks:
- It shouldn’t feel rigid but instead should be a bit flexible
- It must not have significant deformations when cubing. You don’t want pieces twisting or catching.
- Most importantly your 7X7 speed cube should not pop up
Their complex design will always have these cubes in danger of experiencing pop ups which means that the piece of the puzzle can pop out of its place when you are solving the cube.
But there have been many improvements in the design of these puzzles and thankfully there are now bigger cubes available which are way better than what they used to be. Meaning they will experience significantly fewer pop ups.
Reviews of the Best 7X7 cubes:
The cubes below are the best options you can get today in my humble opinion. They offer varying degrees of quality and features so you should choose based on your budget and your cubing style. If you are unsure I highly advise going with either the number 1 or number 2 from the puzzles below.
I would like to be open with you and let you know that I might earn a small commission if you purchase a cube through the affiliate links below. This helps me to keep the site running and it doesn’t influence which cubes I recommend. These are the top 7x7s you can get in my opinion.
I advise buying your cube at TheCubicle (cubes linked below). They are a time tested US-based puzzle shop led by passionate speedcubers. You will get excellent service. They are loved and trusted by the speedcubing community.
1. X-Man Design Spark 7X7 M
Last update on 2024-07-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
X-Man Spark 7×7 M is definitely my favorite and all round best 7X7 in my opinion. It has a great combination of speed, control and stability.
It is the fastest of the cubes listed here.
This 7X7X7 is very fast and has a very nice crispy feel to it. But aside from its speed it is also quite smooth and controllable. The magnets are quite strong and they get stronger as the layers progress inwards. This is a good thing because it helps you keep what you solved while working on the outer layers.
The corner cutting on the Spark is pretty good for a 7×7. It can corner cut a little bit more than one layer.
The Spark’s dimension is 66.5mm and it weighs 196.1 grams. This makes it the most compact and the lightest 7X7 on the market. This is actually an important metric. Just practicing your speedsolving on the 7×7 can cause your hands to get fatigued so it is good when the puzzle is lighter.
When it comes to the pop ups and the lock ups I have to say that they do happen but not as often as you would expect from the 7x7s. The overall design of the puzzle is great and if you tension the cube a bit it will help to reduce the pop ups even further.
Turning: Fast turning, Corner cutting: Average, Control: Great, Catching: Not often, Lockups: Rare, Popups: Rare, Speed Solving: Very good
2. YJ MGC 7X7
Last update on 2024-07-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Now let’s see something that is incredibly good with a significantly lower price. That’s right. A 7×7 that is the true value killer.
Coming from YJ and their MGC line, this 7x7x7 rubik’s cube is the best option in its price range and I would say the second best puzzle of this size on the market place.
While there are a lot of opinions in the community, the general consensus is that the Xman spark above and this cube from YJ are the best 7x7s on the market. The YJ being much cheaper and offering pretty much the same high quality but a different feel.
This puzzle is incredibly fast and all layers feel great with an equal feel between them. It is also quite stable and not very prone to popups and catching. I feel like the YJ really outdid themselves with their 7×7 puzzle. Their 6×6 and 5×5 models are also incredibly good for the money but here is where they squeezed every bit of quality that they could in this price range.
The cube feels really smooth and has a buttery quiet sound to it. The corner cutting is also pretty good.
This 7 by 7 is 68.0mm in size which is bigger than the above Xman. This could be troublesome to some people but in most cases, you will do great with it. Overall this puzzle is considered a budget option amongst the top 7X7X7 speed cubes in the speedcubing community.
Turning: Fast and smooth, Corner cutting: Average, Control: Great, Catching: Not often, Lockups: Rare, Popups: Rare, Speed Solving: Very good
3. YuXin Hays 7×7 M
Last update on 2024-07-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
YuXin Hays is also one of the best 7X7 rubik’s cubes for speedsolving.
When this puzzle first appeared on the market it absolutely disrupted the entire 7X7 production because it was so much better than any other cube at the time of its release. It is also responsible for huge drops of PB records on the official cubing competitions.
The Hays has a smooth and crunchy feeling which is very nice and satisfying. It is also very fast but in a great combination with the control. The magnets on this puzzle are much stronger in the inner layers than on the outer layers which is good and will help keep the central parts of the puzzle in place while speedsolving.
Another thing I like about the Hays is its mechanism design. This is the 7X7 rubiks cube that has the least tendency to lock ups and pop ups making it the best option for people who want the smooth cubing experience without the least amount of unnecessary frustrations.
This is the medium sized and weighted puzzle among these three. Coming in at 67.5mm in dimension and the weight of 204 grams.
Turning: Fast and smooth turning, Corner cutting: Average, Control: Great, Catching: Not often, Lockups: Very Rare, Popups: Very Rare, Speed Solving: Great
4. Moyu Aofu GTS M 7X7
Last update on 2024-07-03 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
I love MoYu puzzles but this one will have to take the fourth place in my book.
The AoFu is pretty dry and slow out of the box which does improve after you break it in and lube it but it still remains the slowest on the list. However, this should only concern you if you are an active speedcuber who is after their PB all the time.
Regardless of the fact that it is slower than the above puzzles this one still beats almost all the other 7x7s on the market except the three above.
Some cubers may actually like the slower and buttery smooth performance of the MoYu Aofu because it provides great control during the solves. Magnets on it are moderately strong on the inner layers but are actually quite weak on the outer layer which is also a minus.
The AoFu is the heaviest and the biggest of the 7X7 rubik cubes on the list with its weight of 234.1 grams and its size of 68mm. This is something you definitely want to keep in mind. Most people will tire their hands with that weight if they practice on it for longer periods of time.
Corner cutting is good like on the puzzles above. It can be done but don’t expect anything over the one layer.
The AoFu also has a tendency for pop ups but nothing that’s too bad. If you are not very rough and fast with it these shouldn’t happen very often. One thing I liked particularly about the AoFu is that it doesn’t have many lockups which means more fluid solving and less frustration.
Turning: Smooth sluggish turning, Corner cutting: Average, Control: Great, Catching: Not often, Lockups: Very Rare, Popups: Rare, Speed Solving: Good
Conclusion
Depending on your needs as a cuber you should find what works for you. These are considered overall as the best options on the market and you can’t go wrong with either of them depending on what you need.
If you liked this article please share it with your cuber buddies and leave a comment below if you would like to add anything!