The numbers
Specifications
The competition rule, in plain numbers
A standard competition boule must be 70.5 to 80 mm and 650 to 800 g. For competitions reserved for players aged eleven and under in the year, FIPJP rules allow 600 g boules of 65 mm, provided they carry an approved label.
The approved label is the deciding part. Obut’s own junior competition boule, the Match IT Minimes, appears on the federation’s label list at 65 mm and 510 g.
The Junior Espace is 64 mm and 500 g and carries no approval, so it cannot be played in a federation competition at any age. That is a deliberate design choice for a leisure set, not an oversight.
Why the magnet will not pick them up
Obut states plainly that these boules cannot be picked up with a magnet. Chrome-nickel stainless, the austenitic kind, is not attracted to one.
A hook-and-lanyard lifter works on any boule and is the way round it. If bending down is the problem the set was meant to solve, buy the hook rather than the magnet.
One listing, two sets of numbers
Obut’s English page quotes at least 73 mm and 620 g in two places, which contradicts its own size field. The size field and the French page both give 64 mm and 500 g.
The review uses 64 mm and 500 g. If the larger figures are the ones you saw, confirm the size with Obut before ordering.
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Suitability
Who it is for
Suits you if
- You are buying for a child under about twelve
- The boules will live in the garden and the park
- You want the child's name on them
- Nobody in the family plays in a club
Look elsewhere if
- The child has joined a club, or will this year
- The child is already close to outgrowing a 64 mm boule
- Somebody in the house picks boules up with a magnet
- You want one purchase to last into their teens
In the hand
How it plays
Size is the whole point
An adult boule at 700 g in a seven-year-old’s hand produces a heave rather than a throw. At 500 g and 64 mm a child can hold the boule properly with the palm down and release it the way the sport is played.
Grip and stance shows the position. Learning the motion on a boule that fits is worth more than starting early on one that does not.
They behave like real boules
Steel lands, bites and stays, so a child learns where a boule will finish. Obut’s PVC Kids set is built for indoor floors and soft ground instead.
Hollow construction keeps the weight down without making them feel cheap. The rules are short enough for a child to learn in an afternoon.
Maintenance is light
Stainless needs no oiling routine. Obut still advises a wipe after each game and its care spray once a month to prevent oxidation.
A child’s set needs it more than an adult’s, because a child’s set gets left on the lawn. Bring it in at night and keep it out of a car trunk, which Obut warns against.
Growing out of them
Obut sizes the set for children up to twelve. Most children move on around then, either because their hands have grown or because they have joined a club and need an approved boule.
There is no adjustment and no larger version of this model, so the next set is a different purchase. The beginner sets roundup covers the adult options.
The balance
Pros and cons
Pros
- Genuine Obut stainless steel, made in Saint-Bonnet-le-Château, not an imported toy
- 64 mm and 500 g is a size a young child can throw with proper form
- Stainless, so no oiling routine
- Personalization from Obut for 15 euros, which makes it a gift
- A space pattern cut into the steel, with Dino, Chevron and Unicorn versions at the same price
Cons
- Not approved for competition at any age
- Non-magnetic, so magnetic boule lifters will not pick them up
- One size only, so the set is outgrown rather than adjusted
- The bag in Obut's English listing is a temporary one
- About $59 in the United States against 45 euros in France
The score
How this review scores it
Alternatives
How it compares
| Specification | Obut Junior Espace | Obut Junior Dino | Obut Match IT Minimes | Obut Kids Indoor Outdoor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Use | Leisure | Leisure | Competition, ages 11 and under | Leisure, indoor and outdoor |
| Diameter | 64 mm | 64 mm | 65 mm | About 65 mm |
| Weight | 500 g | 500 g | 510 g | About 400 g |
| Material | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | Stainless steel | PVC |
| FIPJP approval | No | No | Yes | No |
| Guarantee | 1 year | 1 year | 3 years | 1 year |
| Price in France | 45 euros | 45 euros | 52 euros | 39 euros |
If the child is playing in a club
Buy an approved junior boule. The Obut Match IT Minimes is 65 mm and 510 g, carries approval for the Benjamins and Minimes categories and costs 52 euros in France or about $69 in the United States.
That is about $10 more than this set. If organized play is even a possibility within the year, the approved set is the better purchase.
If it is for the garden
The Junior Dino is the same 64 mm, 500 g boule with a dinosaur pattern, and Obut sells Chevron and Unicorn versions at 45 euros too. The choice is whatever the child likes the look of.
For indoor play or a younger child, Obut’s PVC Kids set is about 65 mm and 400 g at 39 euros. Obut marks it unsuitable under three.
Before you order
Buying advice
Decide on competition first
Make this decision before any other. A leisure set and an approved junior set are about $10 apart, and only one of them can be used in a federation event.
If there is a club involved, or a junior competition within the next year, buy the approved boule. The equipment page sets out what a competition boule has to be.
Personalization makes it a gift
Obut engraves a name or initials on each boule for 15 euros. A child’s name on their own boules changes how the set is treated.
Order it with the boules, because it is done at the factory. Obut’s English page allows up to 15 characters and its French page up to 8, so keep the name short.
Do not budget for a magnetic lifter
These will not work with one, and neither will Obut’s stainless junior competition set. A lanyard-and-hook lifter works on any boule and is the alternative.
If an adult in the household relies on a magnet, add the hook to the purchase.
Check the price and the box
Obut prices the set at 45 euros in France, and it sells for about $59 in the United States. Ordering from France adds international shipping, so compare the landed total before importing.
Check what is in the box. Obut’s English listing includes a temporary bag, while its French listing names only the boules and a jack.
Common questions
Questions about the Obut Junior Espace
Can a child use these in a competition?
No. FIPJP rules let players aged eleven and under use smaller boules in their own competitions, but only boules made under an approved label, and the Junior Espace has none.
Obut calls it a leisure set and says plainly it is not authorized for competition.
What age are they for?
Obut sizes the set for children up to twelve and gives no minimum age. The limit at the top end is usually that the boule starts to feel small rather than heavy.
A child who has joined a club should move to an approved junior boule whatever their age.
Why will my magnetic lifter not pick them up?
Obut says these stainless boules cannot be picked up with a magnet. Chrome-nickel stainless, the austenitic type, is not attracted to one.
A hook-style lifter works on any boule and is the way round it.
Are the Dino and Chevron sets different?
Only in the pattern, according to Obut’s listings. Both cost 45 euros, and the Dino lists the same 64 mm and 500 g.
Pick whichever design the child prefers.
Do they need oiling?
No oiling, since the boules are stainless. Obut still advises a wipe after each game and a monthly care spray to prevent oxidation.
Keep them out of a car trunk, where condensation builds up.
What should I buy if the child is competing?
An approved junior boule like the Obut Match IT Minimes, at 65 mm and 510 g. Obut says it is approved for the Benjamins and Minimes categories, which cover license holders up to eleven.
It costs 52 euros in France and about $69 in the United States.
