So Many Frisbees, So Little Time!

Camden's Frisbee Review

Frisbees are one of the best diversions, in my humble opinion, but there are many types and styles, so I thought I'd spend some time discussing my impressions of those I've tried and those I've loved (and not so much).

The very first Frisbee I ever caught was a Pet Smart Frisbee. This is a great introductory Frisbee for the dog that doesn't really know how she feels about playing with flying objects. BUT for those passionate about Frisbee, not all Frisbees are created equally. This basically lower grade Frisbee has some positive attributes, it comes in all sorts of fun colors (not sure I care personally but humans seem to care about such things). They are lightweight, so even smaller and younger dogs can easily carry them around. And they are not too expensive, so any human with access to a Pet Smart has no excuse for not bringing one home. Again, cost is not really an issue for me, but I am reminded that humans have different priorities.

On the down side, the PS Frisbee doesn't handle freezing temperatures very well and becomes brittle. It also makes a lousy tug toy, which we discovered because my little sister Sydra has NO talent for catching Frisbees, so she lets me do all the hard work and then tries to snatch it out of my mouth. Naturally I don't always appreciate her stealing my Frisbee and a game of tug ensues. I've discovered that wherever I might have punctured it with my teeth is right were those PS Frisbees tear and then they get tossed in the trash!

The Frisbee I like best to catch is sold at SkyHoundz.com. The Jaws Hyperflight and the Jaws Hyperflex are both great Frisbees, made of a softer material that gives when I grab it out of the air. However, the down side to these Frisbees are made to hold up to Aussie Teeth, so they are a bit heavier and more resilient than the run-of-the-mill Frisbee. But I think the extra weight makes a difference, they don't catch on an air stream as well and have less lift than their lighter counter parts. Now I'm no PHD in aero dynamics or anything but I know they have less lift in the air according to my personal experience. However, that said, my human is getting better at throwing this Frisbee, she's a slow learner sometimes and it took her a while to adapt to this design.

A decent alternative to the pricey Hyperflex Frisbee (although not as comfortable in the mouth as the Jaws) is the FD 95 Champion Frisbee that is available at Sports Authority. It gets better lift and suspension in the air than the heavier Frisbees. Mom likes it because although it's 3 times the price of the Pet Smart Frisbee, it's also one fifth the price of the ones sold at SkyHoundz, and so far it's held up as well as the more expensive designs. There are teeth marks in it after months of use, but no sharp edges, rips or tears. I have no idea why money is an issue, what else does she have to do with it but spend it on Aussies???

There are some pseudo Frisbees on the market that I'll mention BUT honestly any Aussie that is serious about Frisbee is going to know these Frisbees are really a joke. Mom misguidedly bought a canvas and rope model at Target that hardly gets sufficient lift to call it fun to chase, BUT it does make a great tug toy. It's a circle of stiff rope with a swatch of canvas covering part of it, making a disk. It's too heavy to get sufficient lift. Syd and I take it outside and leave it there (Mom, can you take a hint?) and it keeps reappearing back inside. Not sure why.

There are also some semi soft varieties that are supposed to look like flying squirrels or other fun creatures. Again, entertaining for some dogs, but a serious Frisbee dog will prefer a disc with more lift and float, that can ride wind currents and be a challenge to catch.

As far as glow in the dark Frisbees (and yes, there is an occasion to play Frisbee at night!) the Midnight Sun by Hyperflight holds it's glow the longest. There aren't that many glow in the dark Frisbees around, but I did a market test comparing the Midnight Sun with a Whammo Glow in the Dark Frisbee, and the Whammo doesn't last nearly as long as the Midnight Sun. The down side of the Midnight Sun is that it's not as resilient as the other Hyperflight Frisbees, and I punctured mine right away. Darn that Sydra for wanting to steal my toys all of the time!

If you have a Frisbee you would like for me to review, please drop me a line! I can be reached via email: Camden@DancesWithHooves.net