My Personal Guide to Rubbers on Aliexpress

[Lazer]

I can see it as a fun diversion for people who already largely know what works for them, or people with money to burn and nothing better to do, or pros looking for that tiny extra edge. But I see threads here and elsewhere where people ask which rubbers to use for this or that specific purpose and they get 2 dozen different answers. It all leads to the confusing impression that equipment is the most important thing but there's no agreement on what's best and trying numerous rubbers is the only way to advance.

In ignorance,

Desertman

That should tell you there is no absolute right or wrong answers…

L-zr

 

[Grumms]

I can see it as a fun diversion for people who already largely know what works for them, or people with money to burn and nothing better to do, or pros looking for that tiny extra edge. But I see threads here and elsewhere where people ask which rubbers to use for this or that specific purpose and they get 2 dozen different answers. It all leads to the confusing impression that equipment is the most important thing but there's no agreement on what's best and trying numerous rubbers is the only way to advance.

In ignorance,

Desertman

Your W968 is worth 3 times everything I bought for my tests. I'm not sure I'm the one with money to burn.

Curiosity is what drove me, and my tests might prove useful for my club mates. I'll probably end up leaving my rackets there for people to try them.

 

[desertman]

Your W968 is worth 3 times everything I bought for my tests. I'm not sure I'm the one with money to burn.

Curiosity is what drove me, and my tests might prove useful for my club mates. I'll probably end up leaving my rackets there for people to try them.

Oh yeah, about that W968. I should probably change that but I don't see how. When I signed up it required me to put something and I just chose whatever I saw on the first post I looked at. I have no idea what a W968 even is, but I'm pretty sure I don't have one.

In ignorance,

Desertman

 

[JJ Ng]

Here is my opinion. My honest opinion.

I tried so many things on Aliexpress. I do not like Yinhe blades at all. I got 4 and none of them has rubbers on them so you don't I don't like it.

My Gambler blades suite me just fine.

I tried various cheap alternatives on Aliexpress: AK47 blue, Big Dipper (two sheets with two different sets of hardness), CJ something, Rxton 3 pink, etc. etc. None of them can replace either hurricane for my forehand or ESN rubber (like Fastarc C-1 or Xiom Vega Japan/Asia) for my backhand.

In other words, my exploration into Aliexpress has been a waste of money. But at least I know what I like.

So been there, done that. Not experimenting anymore for me.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Here is my opinion. My honest opinion.

I tried so many things on Aliexpress. I do not like Yinhe blades at all. I got 4 and none of them has rubbers on them so you don't I don't like it.

My Gambler blades suite me just fine.

I tried various cheap alternatives on Aliexpress: AK47 blue, Big Dipper (two sheets with two different sets of hardness), CJ something, Rxton 3 pink, etc. etc. None of them can replace either hurricane for my forehand or ESN rubber (like Fastarc C-1 or Xiom Vega Japan/Asia) for my backhand.

In other words, my exploration into Aliexpress has been a waste of money. But at least I know what I like.

So been there, done that. Not experimenting anymore for me.

That's too bad. I really like AK47, Big Dipper, Rxton Pink

 

[Grumms]

Here is my opinion. My honest opinion.

I tried so many things on Aliexpress. I do not like Yinhe blades at all. I got 4 and none of them has rubbers on them so you don't I don't like it.

My Gambler blades suite me just fine.

I tried various cheap alternatives on Aliexpress: AK47 blue, Big Dipper (two sheets with two different sets of hardness), CJ something, Rxton 3 pink, etc. etc. None of them can replace either hurricane for my forehand or ESN rubber (like Fastarc C-1 or Xiom Vega Japan/Asia) for my backhand.

In other words, my exploration into Aliexpress has been a waste of money. But at least I know what I like.

So been there, done that. Not experimenting anymore for me.

I will enjoy the discovery, the test process, and the probable disappointing conclusion. I'm already with a very very nice setup, and I don't expect any of those rubber to replace it permanently.

I'm a little more enthusiastic with the blades, I'm really eager to test them. And in order to prevent me from highjacking this thread, maybe you would be interested in a dedicated one?

 

[desertman]

Tell me there isn't really an AK47 rubber...

 

[TensorBackhand]

Tell me there isn't really an AK47 rubber...

why not? Sounds better than rubber HK1997.

Personally I think Blue Whale and Shark are cool rubber names.

 

[desertman]

Personally I think Blue Whale and Shark are cool rubber names.

Much better than a killing machine

 

[Grumms]

I received the 802-40. I measured the hardness with my durometer and I find... 55°, which seems quite high. I might not use it properly but I can't figure what I'm doing wrong. User manual say to put the Durometer gently on the rubber, but if I do so, I measure nothing, and I have to push hard enough for the bottom plate to touch the foam.

Edit : I think I bought the wrong type of Durometer (Shure C), being mislead by the Amazon description. I'm ordering a Shure A that I will receive tomorrow.

 

[Grumms]

I received half of what I ordered. Here are my hardness measurements (Shure C Durometer, 6-10 measurement points on each rubber, all measured the same way). You'll be surprised :
Yinhe Big Dipper 38 : 47°
AK47 Yellow : 42°
Presto Max Speed : 41°
Loki Rxton 5 : 42°

My 2 Gewo EL Nexxus 43 are 38° (but they are far from new).

About the blades, after sealant application :
Stuor Long 5 : 87gr
Stuor Zhang Jike : 84gr
Yinhe MC-4 : 91gr
729 KLC Rosewood : 92gr

I tried the following setup yesterday => Stuor Long 5 + FH:Big Dipper + BH:Gewo Nexxus 43

The first thing I noticed is the amazing control of the blade. I was already satisfied with my usual Dicon, but the Stuor is above. The downside is that I lose the amazing touch and feeling I have with the Dicon. Every stroke feel stiffer, "dryer", probably because of the carbon.

It's my first try of a chinese and sticky rubber, and it's a very weird feeling. I almost don't feel the ball. Moreover, there was a big inconsistancy from the rubber response depending on where I was hitting, like if I did not glue it right. I removed the rubber after my training to glue it again for tomorrow, just to check. Anyway, I played well. It took me some time to get used to the stiffness and dryness, but it went well. Biggest difference is in FH, in the short play and the counterloops (for which I'm far from a specialist). Flicks were almost consistant. I'm eager to test that against stronger opponents.

 

[Grumms]

Friendship Bloom Power - Bought for $11, but price has risen to $17 now. This is my favorite rubber and has great speed and great spin, but also feels controlled. It is very tacky, and can pick up a ball for a few moments. Unlike many Chinese rubbers, this does not have that dead feeling, and it is bouncy and fast. While being fast, it still feels like a Chinese rubber. It doesn’t suffer at all in the short game. Also, the purple sponge looks very nice. Overall, outstanding rubber that I cannot praise enough. [/p

Did you boost it ? I tried the 45° Bloom Power. Measured hardness is... 57,5°. And I never played a rubber with such a dead feeling. I vastly prefer the Big Dipper. Bloom Power is hardly playable as it is, and I'll probably try to boost it.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Did you boost it ? I tried the 45° Bloom Power. Measured hardness is... 57,5°. And I never played a rubber with such a dead feeling. I vastly prefer the Big Dipper. Bloom Power is hardly playable as it is, and I'll probably try to boost it.

I played it unboosted at first and loved it. Later i added booster, but didnt change much

 

[Grumms]

On which blade did you use it ? I played with the Stuor Harimoto. Please note that, just by seeing the ball bouncing on the rubber, one of my teammate joked about how it seemed dead.

Our opposite feelings with this rubber is confusing, and I wonder if it's because of :
- quality control issues
- difference of habits with rubbers
- difference of glue (I used sueke n°2)

What's your playing style ? I'm a blocker at the table, and rarely go top spin with my FH.

 

[TensorBackhand]

On which blade did you use it ? I played with the Stuor Harimoto. Please note that, just by seeing the ball bouncing on the rubber, one of my teammate joked about how it seemed dead.

Our opposite feelings with this rubber is confusing, and I wonder if it's because of :
- quality control issues
- difference of habits with rubbers
- difference of glue (I used sueke n°2)

What's your playing style ? I'm a blocker at the table, and rarely go top spin with my FH.

Umm, well this is really a FH looping rubber. If you never do a fh loop, maybe this isn't the rubber for you.

 

[Grumms]

Yeah, that's probably the case. And I totally understand the difference of benefits it can have to you or me. Nevertheless, I wonder how, for you, "this does not have that dead feeling", whereas, for me, it's the most dead rubber of all the rubbers I ordered from AliExpress.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Yeah, that's probably the case. And I totally understand the difference of benefits it can have to you or me. Nevertheless, I wonder how, for you, "this does not have that dead feeling", whereas, for me, it's the most dead rubber of all the rubbers I ordered from AliExpress.

Well it is quite tacky. If you dont hit at all, it may stick to the rubber.

But definitely not dead, its very alive.

 

[Sims33]

Over the past 12 months, I have sought to find and test the best rubbers available on Aliexpress. I wanted to write this personal Guide to the best rubbers on Aliexpress so everybody else can buy the rubbers easily. Most of the rubbers are available for under $15. I will categorize the rubbers as FH and BH rubbers, and will rank them by my opinion of their overall quality. These are just my opinions, and I am heavily biased towards a topspin offensive style emphasizing spin and power. I also gave preference to rubbers that don't need booster.

FH Rubbers

Friendship Bloom Power - Bought for $11, but price has risen to $17 now. This is my favorite rubber and has great speed and great spin, but also feels controlled. It is very tacky, and can pick up a ball for a few moments. Unlike many Chinese rubbers, this does not have that dead feeling, and it is bouncy and fast. While being fast, it still feels like a Chinese rubber. It doesn’t suffer at all in the short game. Also, the purple sponge looks very nice. Overall, outstanding rubber that I cannot praise enough.

Yinhe Big Dipper - $14. Another amazing rubber, with outstanding speed and spin. It is a hybrid rubber and has a very innovative and modern look and feel to it. Less controlled than Bloom, and feels more tensor. It has a clicky speed glue feeling. This rubber will give you overwhelming topspin loops. Short game control is much better than tensors, but a tad less control than Bloom. This is a rubber that I recommend to everybody that I play with.

Yinhe Jupiter 3 - $15. I’ve read that Jupiter 2 was supposed to be Yinhe’s version of H3 and that Jupiter 3 is a big upgrade on Jupiter 2. Actually, I think this rubber is closer to Big Dipper than H3. It is about the same tackiness as BD, and less tacky than H3. But it is bouncier and faster than H3, probably because its factory boosted. Probably has a denser and more traditional feel than BD, whereas BD has a more clicky feel. Excellent choice for a FH rubber, capable of strong spin and speed.

Loki Rxton 5 - $11. This is another rubber quite similar to H3. The sponge feels very hard and dense. It has a somewhat traditional Chinese dense feeling, but bouncier and faster than H3. It has a quality looking grippy topsheet, but maybe a tad less grippy than H3 and Target. It’s not factory boosted, so out of package it is a little harder and more difficult to use than BD or J3.

Friendship Battle 2 - $24. I think this is quite similar to Bloom. Very tacky and spinny topsheet, with a faster bouncier sponge than H3. It is more expensive than Bloom though, so I would personally just recommend Bloom. If you don't mind the extra cost though, this is everything you want in a fast and spinny FH rubber.

DHS Hurricane 3 Neo - $23. The spinniest rubber, with excellent grip. However, it is very very slow, with an extremely dead feeling. I can’t recommend this rubber unless you plan to boost it. If you do boost it, and if you can generate enough power on your own, this rubber can produce extremely overwhelming topspin loops. And of course the short game control is world beating.

Reactor Thunder - $11. Bought this rubber because there were some positive reviews on TTD. Quite light and somehow “modern” looking with a quality looking black sponge. Topsheet is tacky and grippy, but the rubber itself is slow without booster. I can’t recommend this rubber without booster, but with booster, this would be a fine choice for producing powerful FH loops.

Target 90 - $11. I think of this rubber as a mini H3 or a H3 lite. It shares many traits of H3 with high spin and high short game control. It is semi-tacky (hence the 90). Despite being semi-tacky, the topsheet grip is superb. This is a very spinny rubber, and keeps the grip for a long time. Even after weeks of play, the topsheet still looks very grippy and new. The sponge does have a somewhat dead feeling. But because it's less tacky than H3, it doesn’t feel as dead as H3. The red sponge on the black topsheet looks very luxurious though, so that can be appealing for some. Overall slightly less demanding than H3, but shares many traits.

Loki GTX - $23. Bought this rubber based on another review, and the idea of a tacky topsheet on a porous sponge sounded very interesting. But this is a very disappointing rubber. Topsheet really isn’t very tacky, and lacks grip. The sponge feels rather dead out of the package, and has a very strange, dull, and unappealing feeling when hitting. With booster, the rubber transforms and increases in speed dramatically. But still the rubber feels uncomfortable with the lack of dwell time and arc. Loops have a tendency to either go into the net or go long, due to the lack of dwell/arc of this rubber. Unlike HK1997 though, at least the rubber is hard as advertised. Update: After applying booster, I applied a light layer of baby oil. This seems to have fixed many of the initial problems and greatly increase the dwell time and control. With the combination of booster and baby oil, speed and dwell/arc are added to the rubber, and it becomes very similar to a boosted Hurricane.

Reactor Tornado V5 - $7. This is probably the best rubber for $7. Quite a high quality topsheet, and it feels very grippy. Sponge is not super fast, but because of the high spin, you can produce high quality topspin loops. For the price, it feels like quite a bargain. With booster, it performs a lot better.

Palio HK 1997 Gold - $12. Rubber is marketed with the AK47 line, but actually it is completely different. Topsheet is on the low side of medium tacky. Sponge is porous, but not very hard. Sponge is much softer than advertised (49d but feels more like 39-40d). Rubber is slow and dead without booster, so I wouldn’t recommend it out of the package. It’s still a pretty cheap price though. With booster, it has some decent speed, but it lacks power on the top end. The sponge is way too soft and tops out very quickly.

Loki Arthur Asia - $30. Medium fast rubber with medium tack. The tack goes away quite quickly, and the speed just doesn’t live up to the price. Much better options for half the price. Also, this rubber is the heaviest rubber I have seen, so it can be quite uncomfortable to use. The higher price is probably due to being made in Germany, but its not worth it. The rubber itself isn't bad, but it just feels overpriced.

BH Rubbers

Palio AK47 - $13. This is the best Chinese made BH rubber overall. Light, fast, bouncy, elastic. Matte topsheet look. Not a perfect replacement for tensor rubbers, but very close. Red is the fastest, but yellow and blue are also similarly fast and bouncy. Topsheet grip is quite good as well and produces surprisingly good spin. Overall very good value for money and my best recommended BH rubber on Ali.

Friendship Presto Speed Max - $22. Presto Speed is actually a little faster and more elastic than the AK47. The sponge is supposedly made in Japan. This is a very good alternative to the more expensive tensor rubbers. Sponge is quite soft. Topsheet is grippy as well. It does cost more than AK47 though, so for most people I would just recommend AK47. But if you don’t mind spending a little more money, Presto is a little higher quality. Half price compared to most ESN rubbers, and the speed/spin is similar to ESN.

Yinhe Moon Speed - $13. A good alternative to AK47. I think it has slightly less speed, and slightly more spin than AK47, but it's basically a substitute. Topsheet has a more attractive, richer color than AK47. Also, I think the sponge is the same as Big Dipper, so I think this rubber would react very well to booster. Overall, I highly recommend this rubber. Also because the rubber looks so nice, I enjoy having this on my blade and playing with it.

Loki T3 - $17. A little more expensive than other popular rubbers. Comes with a black sponge, and is quite fast. Also, it has little placement marks on the topsheet to show you where to cut the rubber and how to line it up with the wings of your blade. These little placement marks and even the packaging gives the rubber a fairly premium feeling. Matte looking topsheet rather than the richer/flush look of Moon Speed. I think it's basically the same speed as AK47 (and slightly faster than moon speed) and is a very good option for BH. AK47 has a slightly more light and “airy” feeling, while T3 has a more solid feeling. I don’t think it's worse than AK47 or Moon Speed, and in fact it has a slightly premium look and feel to it. But I don’t think it's necessarily worth the extra $4, hence its slightly lower on the list.

Palio Hadou 40+ - $12. Medium soft porous sponge with a medium tacky topsheet is a interesting combination. The spin and arc is good, but it is slow out of package. This rubber probably needs booster if you plan to use it.

Friendship Aurora Max - $12. Similar look and feel to Moon Speed with a rich red topsheet color and nice looking red sponge as well. Maybe slightly slower than Moon Speed, but I’m not certain. A fine option, but feels less dynamic than the others on the list.

Reactor Ckylin Pro - $11. This is Reactor’s attempt to clone Donic Bluefire, so it has a similar look. It’s slightly slower than AK47, but easier to control. However, the biggest downside is that the topsheet is significantly smoother and less grippy than AK47l. Not bad by any means, so if you really want to save an extra dollar or two you can go for it. But it feels slightly less dynamic than other rubbers on this list. Probably makes sense if you aren’t ready to unlock the potential of the higher rubbers on this list.

Loki Rxton 1 - Bought this for $5, but price has now risen to $7. A good all-around rubber that can do a little bit of everything. Feels like very good quality for the money. The look of the rubber does not look like $7, but feels quite high quality. It’s not very fast, but not slow either. Maybe slightly faster than H3, but some may find it lacking in speed for BH. Still, enough speed and spin for most people.

Yinhe Mercury 3 - $15. Some revspin users called this a true tensor, so I was curious about this rubber. It's very disappointing, because it is not very fast. It has a soft and user-friendly feeling. But it just doesn’t have enough speed and rebound to be a great BH rubber.

Loki Arthur Europe - $30. Similar to Arthur Asia, but less tacky. Medium fast rubber, with decent grip. Not as heavy as Arthur Asia, but there are just better options for a cheaper price. The higher price is probably due to being made in Germany, but its not worth it.

Fantastic Post Michael, gotta say thanks for compiling that.
About the Yinhe Moon Speed BH rubber, do you recommend the soft 37 or medium 38.5? Am wondering which one you tried in your review above.
Cheers, Andrew

 

[TensorBackhand]

Fantastic Post Michael, gotta say thanks for compiling that.
About the Yinhe Moon Speed BH rubber, do you recommend the soft 37 or medium 38.5? Am wondering which one you tried in your review above.
Cheers, Andrew

The newer version, Moon 12 is a big upgrade over moon speed.