Customer reviews from shop.spinmaster.com
Spin Master - Star Wars BB-8 Droid - White/Orange
Average customer rating
4.1
(35 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 35 reviews
5 Stars
10
4 Stars
19
3 Stars
5
2 Stars
0
1 Star
1
97%of customers recommend this product.
(
33 out of
34)
Customer Reviews for Spin Master - Star Wars BB-8 Droid - White/Orange
Customer Rating
4
Hero Droid BB-8
on October 24, 2017
Posted by: RJason
from Liverpool, NY
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First off, you do not have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate this toy. As far as remote control toys go, this one is just plain FUN!!
Unboxing was pretty straight forward, protected well in a quality package. Once you get everything out of the box, one of the first things you notice is how big this really is. This is not a "mini" toy by any means. The Droid stand almost 18" tall and weighs close to 15 pounds. Build quality is exceptional.
First step after reading the manual was to charge the internal batteries of the base and head unit for the appropriate time (With the supplied charger and cables) and install batteries in the remote unit itself. The manual describes how to put the head unit on in a way that all the magnets engage, otherwise the head may fall off unexpectedly (This only happened once to me until I got the hang of putting the head on). Lastly, you just have to ensure that the head unit, body and the remote are all set to the same "channel" so they can communicate with each other.
There are three "modes" that BB-8 can be controlled in. The first being a standard remote control with the handheld unit. This has two joystick type controls. The left controls forward/backward movement, and the right controls left/right movement. There is a center button that will cycle BB-8 through several emotions/movements. If you have seen the movie, you will recognize the beeps/movement because they mimic the movie pretty spot on. Long pressing on this button will make BB-8 spin his head around so he can travel in the opposite direction.
Controlling BB-8 in this mode does take some getting used to. He is FAST, and he does require a bit of space to make turns. Once you get used to controlling at lower speeds, you will be able to navigate without issue. By the end of the second day of playing with him, I was able to make near 90 degree turns very easily. He also does show some "wear and tear" marks from the hardwoods floors. But honestly, in my opinion, they just add to the authenticity of BB-8.
Did I mention he was fast? One thing you will want to be aware of is that if he strikes a couch or end table with enough force, the head will come off causing him to "scream" until you replace it (getting used to putting the head unit on pays off here). One other thing to note, if your floors have big transitions going from hardwood floors to a high pile carpet, you will need to have some speed to get "up" onto the carpet. From a standstill, he does have some issues getting "up" onto the carpet. But once he's on there, it's smooth sailing. Going from carpet to the hardwoods is not an issue at all. When stopping on hardwoods, be sure to stop early, as he "slides" since the hard plastic shell of his body doesn't really "grip" hardwoods well.
My 6 year old daughter didn't have many issues controlling him, even though it did take her a little bit longer to get used to the controls (She's still learning RC controls). The charge lasted for hours until we were told we had to go to bed, and I did put both the head unit and body on the charger so we could be ready again once she got home from school.
The next mode is called Voice Control. I think my daughter had more fun with this one. While in the mode BB-8 responds to your voice. While the light on the head is lit, you call his name and give him a command and he will do what you ask. There are several commands to choose from such as "Hello", and "Come Here" and "Closer". My Daughters favorite is "BB-8, Stand Guard". And he will scan the room, and at the first noise he hears, he will alert you. He doesn't seem to have any issues with either my voice or my daughters.
The last mode is called "follow me". Once you set this mode, you just put the remote on your belt or clip to your pocket. Like the mode says, BB-8 will follow you (keep in mind, his turns need to be a little wide). It does seem to be common sense, but the manual does remind you that BB-8 cannot go down stairs.
Really a lot of fun playing with him and listening to all his beeps and quirks. Just like the movie. Do I think this is a little expensive for a toy? Maybe it is a little pricey, but the build quality and engineering that went into this toy is absolutely amazing.
Easy to spend hours and hours playing with him. I was downstairs playing with him and my wife called me up to do something. Next thing I knew, she was downstairs playing with him. I'll know better next time. LOL
I would without any doubt recommend this to anyone looking for a remote controlled toy. Especially a Star Wars fan.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
5
Amazing!
on October 24, 2017
Posted by: ponyboy
Gender:Male
Well this is the best version of BB-8 ever created so far! He's big, looks very accurate and behaves like the real one. I prefer the remote control versus an app. He's easier to drive around that way. The remote takes practice but once you get it, you get it. People that have said he moves too quickly must understand that the joysticks react to how much you angle them. In other words, to make him move slower, simply ease up the forward joystick slowly and BB-8 will move forward slowly. Don't just throttle up! He really doesn't need much room to turn. If you make him go forward slowly and angle the right/left joystick all the way at the same time, he actually has a nice sharp turning radius. I have a small place and he turns just fine. As for some people having issues with the head falling off, you really must make sure you're putting it on correctly. Don't just plop it on. Even if the "power up" sound comes on, it doesn't necessarily mean the head is on correctly. When you place the head on the body, turn it until you feel the magnets grab... and I mean GRAB. They will secure the head very tightly. You'll be able to turn the head slowly and it'll actually turn the body with it. I've never had the head fall off of mine. As for some saying the head falls off when you crash BB-8 into things, well, don't crash him into things! He's an expensive toy/collectible and you need to take care of him and not beat him up. I would not recommend outdoor use as the pavement will chew up the nice smooth body and paint job. It's smooth for a reason so that the head glides over the body easily. I think Spin Master did an incredible job in making this BB-8! Better than I was expecting and the "emotion" button on the remote is a great feature with so many different reactions. I counted around 50 or 60 different ones. He's really fun to drive around and watch him move. Maybe they can make a full size one down the road sometime? Hint! Hint!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
BB-8 ... Fun for all ages!
on October 27, 2017
Posted by: Reviewizard
from Oceanside, CA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This BB-8 is by far the most fun and unique RC toy I have ever used. I love how interactive it is which really brings it to life. Its response to voice commands are very entertaining and it responds accurately to various different voices in a reliable and consistent manner.
It is very fast and has no issues traveling on carpet and glides easily over transitions and bumps on the ground less than a half inch tall.
The only real flaw it has is that its head (which is held on by magnets) often pops off when it runs into objects at fast speeds which can be a bit frustrating especially for smaller children. The body is heavy and feels robust but the head and remote are very light weight. I am impressed overall by the design but my only concern is how many times the head can fall off before it breaks but so far it has fallen off multiple times and still works great.
In the Follow Me mode, it struggled a bit to follow me in smaller areas such as hallways areas but it did great in open spaces. The rechargeable battery lasts a really long time - a very pleasant surprise.
While the verbal commands are somewhat limited in number, we spent hours interacting with this toy and never got bored. Great toy overall.
It is very fast and has no issues traveling on carpet and glides easily over transitions and bumps on the ground less than a half inch tall.
The only real flaw it has is that its head (which is held on by magnets) often pops off when it runs into objects at fast speeds which can be a bit frustrating especially for smaller children. The body is heavy and feels robust but the head and remote are very light weight. I am impressed overall by the design but my only concern is how many times the head can fall off before it breaks but so far it has fallen off multiple times and still works great.
In the Follow Me mode, it struggled a bit to follow me in smaller areas such as hallways areas but it did great in open spaces. The rechargeable battery lasts a really long time - a very pleasant surprise.
While the verbal commands are somewhat limited in number, we spent hours interacting with this toy and never got bored. Great toy overall.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
5
BB8 Five Stars Fans and New Fans Alike
on October 31, 2017
Posted by: mavsman13
from Dallas, TX
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] First off I have to say I am a huge Star Wars fan, but my assistant reviewer (son 20 Months) really put BB-8 through a good test.
This toy is super durable. Sadly the head which is held on by magnets does come of fairly easy but my assistant (son) enjoyed taking the head off because it woudl make a specific siren type sound. My point to this is this toy/collectable/RC stood the test of a toddler. He would remove the head, attempt to put it back (he learned that quickly) and would drop in at times. Again this thing took a beating and is still performing to this moment. We tested it in the house which is not as much fun because you need a larger area for turning. I will mention pros and cons. We tested in a parking garage and that was the most fun. I have already had requests to "borrow" BB-8 from coworkers and friends. So as a quick summary 5 Stars, very durable but the Follow Me feature really did work well. The good news is we enjoyed the voice control and RC modes the best.
Pros:
*Durable
*Decent Battery Life (also note only batteries needed are for controller)
*Excellent replica not to scale but perfect size
*Decent Battery Life (also note only batteries needed are for controller)
*Excellent replica not to scale but perfect size
Cons:
*Hard to control indoors around couches and chairs
*Follow Me mode just did not work for us (ran into walls)
*Head falls off more often than I would like (must note still 100% worth it purchasing)
*Follow Me mode just did not work for us (ran into walls)
*Head falls off more often than I would like (must note still 100% worth it purchasing)
Overall this was a 5 star toy/collectible for a Fan and his hopefully soon to be Star Wars Fan assistant!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
BB-8 is a fun distraction
on November 1, 2017
Posted by: nashguy
from Nashville, TN
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] We had fun playing with the BB-8. I like they it was full sized, made noises, and was very entertaining/interactive. The two downsides were it scared my dog and BB-8's head kept falling off if he bumped into anything.
This is a fun toy for kids and fans of Star Wars. Good times for all!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
5
THIS IS AWESOME!!!
on November 6, 2017
Posted by: Chrispart1981
from CHARLOTTE, NC
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] This BB-8 is AWESOME, I had sooooo much fun with this. Took it for a spin in the house (the dogs didn't like it and got scared lol), The BB-8 was easy to put together after it was fully charged. I first tried it with the remote control which worked superbly well, it definitely goes to the 40 feet threshold. Next I tried the voice command at first it didn't realize what I was saying (probably my british accent lol), but after a couple of tries it caught what was I saying all the time and reacted like it said it would. Finally the follow me mode which again work superbly well and literally followed me everywhere I went. I would most definitely recommended this to any parent, I had so much fun with this, I'm gonna take this to my Brother-In-Law's so his kids can play with it. AWESOME!!!!!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
3
Making kids of all ages jealous
on October 16, 2017
Posted by: stulicker
from West Warwick, RI
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] The BB-8 droid is pretty cool. Running the remote control is a little tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is fairly easy.
Love the interaction it has. Actually an electronic toy that you don't sit in front of and rot.
Love the interaction it has. Actually an electronic toy that you don't sit in front of and rot.
The pros:
The neighborhood peeps stop to check it out
Even the dog is interested in it
Provides hours of entertainments
Turn it on and leave the room, someone who doesn't know it is there, will get spooked when it runs on its' own
The cons:
Remote is not the easiest to use
Turning is a little challenging
Provide the USB plug for the head. Don't assume everyone has one.
Overall it is a great product that will have any star wars fan running for it sooner or later.
The neighborhood peeps stop to check it out
Even the dog is interested in it
Provides hours of entertainments
Turn it on and leave the room, someone who doesn't know it is there, will get spooked when it runs on its' own
The cons:
Remote is not the easiest to use
Turning is a little challenging
Provide the USB plug for the head. Don't assume everyone has one.
Overall it is a great product that will have any star wars fan running for it sooner or later.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com
Customer Rating
4
BB8 is 8amzing
on October 18, 2017
Posted by: sporteguy03
from Davenport, FL
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I think BB8 Droid toy is a fun and exciting way to engage one of the funnest characters in the Star Wars Universe. Hs droidesque sounds are cool, and engaging and you always wonder what BB8 will do next will he spin around or lose his head literally. He will follow you everywhere you go, just try not to go off the ledge like in tattooing or BB8 will be just 8. Controls are simple and charging is simplified and easy! Have fun! C3PO will be jealous of you!
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting shop.spinmaster.com