As the title says, I just can’t decide. I’ve read and read and read about them all.
I have an arctic circle and a gnarwhal and love both of them. I know everyone says a chief is hands down a must have, but right now I really like a certain color I the h5 that I can only find at One place. Chiefs and puffins seem to be all over the bst and websites. Though both I them sound like a lot of fun also
You said it, the Chief is a must have. Its EXTREMELY well rounded, floaty, fast, flowy, stable, solid, you name it, its got it. Thats why it’s VERY rare that you’ll find someone that doesnt like the Chief. It has a little something in it for everybody, so virtually everybody likes it one way or another… awesome throw, very safe choice, get one!
Is the H5xchief one of the clyw colorways or one of the C3 colorways because both companies did their own anodizing so you may be able to find a more reasonable sized yoyo in the colorway you want. I personally disliked the H5 because it’s giant and not comfortable in the hand. The chief I believe plays better than the puffin but keep in mind that the puffins size is inbetween the gnarwhal and the AC wehreas the Chief is bigger than the AC.
Whereas I LOVE the H5xChief because it’s giant and has an unconventional feel all around. 
But that’s a key point: you get the H5xChief because you’re shopping for something different from the norm, not because you’re looking for a daily carry.
As for the Puffin, that’s my PERSONAL choice if I were buying for myself: feels great in the hand, hops around lightly and elegantly on the string, and is just somehow… “fun”!
However, if I’m asked to be objective, I have to admit that the Chief is almost a no-brainer. It’s an amazing performer, will not disappoint as a daily carry… has a rare combination of “floaty” feeling and powerful spins, etc. etc… it’s really a yardstick by which other yoyos can be judged.
Puffin because then me and you would have the same clyw’s. But I love the Artic Circle but the Puffin is hands down my favorite. It is about the same diameter as the gnarwhal but wider and a completely different shape. It is so much fun to throw also it has a very wide gap. I have never tried the Cheif, or the H5x version but there are people who don’t like it. But what ever you get out of those three you will be happy.
I think a Chief is a must have. However if you have your heart set on that certain colorway then I would jump on it. The H5 Chief is a little harder to find.
I absolutely did not like the H5X Chief. Too big. I have a reputation of not buying the collabs, but I usually do like most of them. This wasn’t one of them.
The Chief is a fast yoyo. The Puffin is a slower, more floaty and precision oriented yoyo. Both offer long spins, great stability, smooth play and feel great. The Chief is more stable due to weight distribution. The Puffin is still extremely stable, but the shape and how the weight is means it’s easier to mess up the yoyo being on-axis. Chief is V-shaped, the Puffin more organic/H-shaped, kinda Peak-like but still different and way better than the Peak. Both are great for competition. As they are both so different, if you don’t have very exact preferences, either might be the way to go.
I would get puffin because the H5xChief is terrible and the chief is too stable for me, plus if you want a collab I’d get either a summit or a Wooly Markmont. Puffin is great because I think of it as a fun pocket sized yoyo that performs great, awesome on chopsticks (which I found that the chief isn’t so good at), and is a nice yoyo to look at and to show off. I also think that puffin is underrated in terms of shape and performance.
Chief is Great but too stable for me because when I’m learning or practicing a combo I want to learn and practice on a not so stable yoyo that makes you work for perfection like the project. I’ll use it for getting things flowing smoothly and speeding it up but not for practicing.
The puffin is more stable than a lot of throws or at least for me