They’re the latest craze to take Australia by storm and they’ve been mesmerising people from the boardroom to the classroom.

Known as fidget spinners, the small triangular devices have been proclaimed as the ultimate answer for those prone to fidget.

The premise of the device is simple: hold it in your hand, flick it and watch it spin. Proponents have claimed that the devices can do everything from eliminate distractions to help those with ADHD and autism, and Australians have fallen for them in droves.

Such is the demand, the devices have sold out in stores nation-wide and shops are scrambling to replenish stock. The spinners range in price from $2 to $300.

Mo Merhi, from Gex Spinners, is one of the few suppliers with spinners still available. He has compared the sudden explosion in popularity to the hoverboard craze of December 2015.

“In Australia, mate, it just went boom three weeks ago. The past three to four weeks it’s just unbelievably skyrocketed. The phase of these compared to the hoverboards last year, these are 10 times worse, or better, depending on how you look at it.”

The devices have become a status symbol, with businessmen and women purchasing spinners to flash their status, while they are the must-have item in the playground.

“It’s become a luxury item as well I’ve realised. It is very interesting. Someone’s got a gold watch on, ‘This would look good if I had a gold spinner in my hand’.”