Badminton Rackets

What makes a good badminton racket?
A good quality badminton racket from a trusted brand will give you a great start in the game of badminton and doesn't need to cost the earth. Leading specialist badminton brands (such as Babolat, Karakal, Ashaway, Yonex and Victor) all make rackets that are well balanced, with a shaft that can be as stiff or flexible as you like and in a range of weights. As you imrpove you badminton shots and gameplay, you'll discover more about what suits you. Good badminton rackets for beginners will be all-rounders, while more advanced players will look to gain better control, precision and power from different weights and levels of flexibility. Take a look at our current recommendations for the best rackets to suit different levels of badminton skill and experience. 

What is the most durable badminton racket?
Quality rackets from leading brands are built to lost, as long as you take reasonable care of them. We recommend storing your badminton racket in a padded bag or case when you're not using it. Badminton rackets for more advanced players tend to have a stiffer shaft to allow more powerful smashes. Read the product descriptions and compare different features, materials and capabilities, to find the most durable badminton racket for your style of play. High-end rackets (like the Karakal BN 60 FF) can be very lightweight, so they cut through the air more quickly. They use the latest strong and flexible materials to make sure that they're up to the cut and thrust of a competitive badminton match, despite their feather weight. 

What is the best weight for a badminton racket?
That depends on your skill level and experince as a badminton player. If you're just starting out, we recommend choosing a lightweight racket, so you can get to grips with shots and manoeuvres comfortably. As you progress, you may prefer a heavier racket, for more power to go along with your increased precision. There are several weight categories for badminton rackets. 3U and 4U are the most popular, with 3U rackets (85-89g) favoured by professional singles players and 4U (80-84g) by leading doubles players.

What racket brand is best?
We recommend all of the specialist badminton racket brands we stock. There's a good reason why we stock a range of racket brands and models: every player's needs are a bit different, so there's no single type of racket that's best for everyone. We think that our curated selection for Babolat, Karakal, Ashaway, Yonex and Victor offer badminton players at every level a great range of options at various price points. To decide on the best brand of badminton racket for you it's easy to do some research - as a racket sport specialist, we've got loads of video resources, buyer guides and recommendations to help you identify your favourite brand. 

How should I dress for badminton?
Most badminton players wear shorts, or a sports skirt or skort, with a lightweight T-Shirt. You'll be moving around the court fast and working up a sweat, so choose racket sports clothing that keeps you cool. Modern wicking fabrics are great for keeping you at a comfortable temperature when you're playing hard. Reaching up and jumping for those smashes meand you'll want free arm and shoulder movement, so choose tops that give you enough flexibility - avoid tight sleeves. Supportive, grippy badminton shoes will help you move around the court securely and give your feet some cushioning and shock absorption when you're jumping and running.