If you have ever found yourself mindlessly scrolling on social media platforms, you will have no doubt come across bottle flipping videos at some point. If you haven’t, well bottle flipping is a craze that sees players take a partially filled plastic bottle, toss it into the air so it rotates and lands upright – an act that combines skill and timing with good old-fashioned physics. A simple idea that can actually be fun and be harder than you think. Now, while that is all well and good, how about taking it to the next level for some fresh, flipping fun? You can, and it comes in the form of FLIP EMS from John Adams.
So what are FLIP EMS? FLIP EMS is one of those toys that takes a simple idea and turns it into something far more entertaining than you expect. Inspired by the bottle‑flipping craze that swept through playgrounds and social media, these soft, squidgy characters are designed to make flipping easier, more consistent and, most importantly, lots more fun.
FLIP EMS is a fun, skill‑boosting flipping toy with scented bottle-shaped characters, weighted feet and endless trick‑shot challenges. A great pick for kids and families. They come in two characters, each a different colour and a different scent: the green one has a lemon & lime scent, while the purple one has a cherry cola scent. They are lightweight and portable, each coming in its own reusable bottle case for storage or display (or you can remove the bottle and the base can be used as a stand).
These FLIP EMS characters measure about 16cm tall (out of their bottle and with their hands up – in their bottle they measure about 21cm), they have squishy bodies, moveable arms, weighted feet and a subtle scent. Their bodies can be squished down on to their feet so they “pop up” on landing, their arms can be rotated to perform different “tricks” when landing – just grab ‘em, throw ‘em and land ‘em. The trick is to land them standing upright on landing – and that is a lot harder than you think, taking practice and skill.
Overall, the FLIP EMS are lots of fun – they can be played with solo or against your friends and family. Because the characters are lightweight and well-balanced, you can experiment with different throwing styles – gentle arcs, fast spins, low flicks or even freestyle trick shots. The toy encourages experimentation and it doesn’t take long before you start trying to out-flip your last attempt (or your friends attempts). It’s great seeing that successful upright landing, especially when you have moved the arms so that it rolls over on its hands when landing to stand up. They do provoke plenty of cries of “just one more go.”
The portability also helps; each FLIP EMS comes in a reusable bottle‑style case, making it easy to toss into a backpack and bring along to the park, a friend’s house or even a family gathering.
They can be used indoors or outdoors, although we did find then to be better used outside where there is a bit more space (kids can get a bit enthusiastic indoors with their throwing, so move the breakables!).
They are easy to use, just pick them up, throw, flip and land. And then you can try to master those trick shots – putting hand-eye coordination, focus and creativity to the test.
With all that throwing, flipping and bouncing off different surfaces they are extremely durable. The build quality is excellent. The soft, squishy body helps absorb those impacts.
We also love that these characters can be displayed on their stands or in their bottles. Plus they are portable so can be played anywhere.
We found the FLIP EMS to be a surprisingly engaging little toy as well as a competitive game. They deliver far more fun than its simple concept suggests. It’s tactile, portable, easy to learn and endlessly replayable. Whether you’re looking for a quick solo challenge, a party‑friendly competition or a toy that kids can enjoy both indoors and outdoors, FLIP EMS is brilliant. It captures the spirit of the bottle‑flipping craze but refines it into something more reliable, more creative and ultimately more enjoyable.
FLIP EMS are so easy to use but mastering those trick shots will take patience and practice (which may frustrate some younger players). Great for outdoor play, as well as indoors if you have the space, or even as a travel game. At first, I thought they were just a novelty toy – something to try for 5 minutes and get bored with. But they are strangely addictive, especially if you have 2 and are competing with someone else.
Rating: 5/5
RRP: £12.99
For more information, visit www.johnadams.co.uk. Available to buy from Amazon here.