15 Best Squash Rackets for 2023

In this article I’m going to tell you about the 15 best squash rackets available on the market today.

• Best overall squash rackets
• Best squash racket for beginners
• Top squash rackets on the pro tour
• Best squash racket on a budget
• Most durable squash racket
• Best squash racket for power
• Best squash racket for control
• Best squash racket for women
• Lightest squash racket
• Best hardball doubles squash racket
• The racket I use personally

FAQ

• Squash racket brands
• Basic information about squash rackets

Before I tell you which rackets I think are best, I need to confess something.

There is no “best” squash racket.

Let me explain 👇🏼

Most squash rackets made today are high quality. They’re made of graphite. They are 27 inches long. They’re all within a fairly narrow band of specs. There are only a few different head shapes to choose from.

Really, there are dozens of good options. Maybe even hundreds of good options.

So if you’ve already got a squash racket that you’re happy with, and it doesn’t appear on this list, don’t worry about it. Your racket is probably great. You don’t need to snap it over your knee and rush out to buy one of the rackets mentioned on this page. If you’re happy with it, just keep playing with it. In fact, if you like your current racket, buy a few of them!

You know Greg Gaultier, the former World #1 and World Champion? He used the exact same squash racket for decades. Even as newer models were coming out, he kept using — and winning major titles — with his old racket. The reality is that squash racket technology hasn’t changed too much over the last few years.

At this point you might be wondering: If most squash rackets are good, why am I writing out this list of rackets?

It’s for my friend Peter.

One day not too long ago, Peter asked me which squash racket was best. And I told him the words that nobody wants to hear:

IT DEPENDS.

It depends on what kind of racket you like best. After I had blabbed on for a while about various nuances of squash rackets, Peter looked me dead in the eye and said:

“Just tell me which racket to buy.”

So I’m writing this page for all the Peters out there. This is for the people that need a racket, and just want my opinion on a few good options.

Ready then? Here we go.

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Best Overall Squash Rackets

USA | UK

Whenever possible, I try to recommend one squash racket that’s available worldwide at a good price. But these days, things are a little weird.

You probably heard all about supply chain disruptions during the pandemic. Well that definitely had an impact on the supply of squash rackets. There was a time when most people around the world couldn’t even play squash because of Covid restrictions. Squash racket sales dropped nearly to zero.

Eventually things started to bounce back, but it hasn’t been so easy for the squash racket manufacturers to get the supply of rackets back to where it once was. And I’ll be honest, things are still a bit of a mess.

Bottom line: I’m going to recommend different rackets depending on the region you live in.

Fact is, the best “bang for the buck” deals are sometimes different country by country. I don’t want to recommend a single squash racket to everyone globally if it’s only a good choice in certain countries. For now I’ve added recommendations for the US and UK and I will add other regions soon.

Best squash rackets (USA)

Right here I’m naming two rackets that are several years old and are absolute classic frames. Even though these are not the latest-and-greatest models, they are:

• Still great rackets
• Priced great
• Still cool

First up we have the Tecnifibre Carboflex 125 S. This one was made famous by Mohamed Elshorbagy and he was using it during a long stretch of dominance in the sport. It was also used by many other Tecnifibre-sponsored pros at the time. At the moment, this frame is sold exclusively by Squash Galaxy, either through their website or via Amazon.

Next up we have the Prince Airstick 130. This one’s even older than the Carboflex 125 S but it’s been brought back as an exclusive frame at Squash Gear. Ramy Ashour used this racket when he dominated the sport, which was just before Shorbagy came on the scene.

Best squash rackets (UK)

For UK visitors I’m going to first name Tecnifibre’s Airshaft 125. This was released in 2020 and is actually a successor to the Carboflex 125 S that I mentioned above. Right now in the UK it costs over 100 pounds but it was the top-of-the-line Tecnifibre racket until the X-Top models came out recently.

If you’re looking for something a little less expensive, I’ve featured the Dunlop Biomimetic GTS 130. This model is several years old but is one I played with and liked. At £70 it’s a good deal right now. It has a smaller head size and traditional bridged throat, so more of a control racket than the Airshaft 125.

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Best Squash Racket for Beginners

Head Nano Ti 110

I put together a page for Best Squash Rackets for Beginners, which you can check out for a bunch of options from around the world.

If I had to pick one off that list, it would be the Head Nano Ti 110. One thing I like about this one is its teardrop shape. That will give you a little extra power, and the racket will be a little more forgiving. I have been playing with teardrops for years, and I definitely recommend them for beginners as the default option.

Another nice thing about this model is it comes with a fan stringing pattern (the strings fan up and outward from the throat). I find that that stringing pattern provides a little additional power, which is useful when you’re getting started.

While the Nano Ti is one of Head’s older models, the build quality is still good, and the cosmetics are also nice.

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Top Squash Rackets on the Pro Tour

Alright, you’ve heard my opinion on the best all-around squash rackets, but which racket is best in terms of popularity amongst professional squash players on the PSA World Tour?

Right now, I’d say that title goes to the Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top 125. It’s the signature racket of Mohamed El Shorbagy and replaces the Airshaft 125 (which I mentioned earlier) at the top of Tecnifibre’s lineup. It’ll ultimately be used by many other top pros, on both the men’s and women’s tours, as has been the case with all of Tecnifibre’s Carboflex 125 models.

Because this is the latest-and-greatest racket that the top pros are using, it’s also one of the most expensive rackets on the market. In the US right now it’s $240, and in the UK it’s £150.

Since at this point I have mentioned three Carboflex models, I will name one more top model of the pros and that is the Dunlop Sonic Core Revelation Pro Lite. The Pro Lite model has been popular with the pros for a few years now and I used to recommend a prior version of it as my top overall squash racket, until stocks ran out. It’s a good balance of power and control.

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Best Squash Racket on a Budget

Head Nano Ti 110

Recognize this one? That’s right, I already recommended it above as the best option for beginners. I would love to recommend a different one here but I’ve been scouring stores around the world for an hour now and I really can’t find a better suggestion than this. It’s currently £60 in the UK or $90 in the US.

I think what’s happening is the supply chain issues that I mentioned at the top of this article have meant fewer rackets getting into circulation, which means fewer “hidden gems” that are decent rackets for a steal. In other words most of the good cheap rackets have been scooped up already. It’s a shame for squash players’ budgets but it’s the world we’re in today.

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Most Durable Squash Racket

Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 130

Recommending a high-durability racket is a bit tricky because any racket can break if you clip the sidewall or the floor a little weirdly. There’s always the possibility of a freak accident like that, even among players with a high level of racket skill. And of course the risk is higher for beginner or intermediate players.

That said, right now, I would say Tecnifibre is the brand with the best reputation in terms of durability. That’s my gut feel from testing the rackets, talking to squash players and reading the Squash Source comments. Granted, that’s not totally scientific, but it’s the advice I would give right now to anyone who asked me. 

If you’re looking for a durable racket, I’d recommend the Tecnifibre’s Airshaft 130. I know, I know, it’s the fourth Carboflex on this page, but not without reason.

The reason I picked the Airshaft 130 model specifically is because it’s 5 grams heavier than the Airshaft 125, and that’s 5 extra grams of graphite holding the frame together. I know it’s just a small difference, but every bit helps.

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Best Squash Racket for Power

Black Knight Hex Blaze LT

For power, I’m going to recommend the Black Knight Hex Blaze LT. In my testing the Hex Blaze LT felt very light in the hand, with a slightly head heavy balance. This allowed me to get a lot of power behind the shots because you can swing through the ball quickly, but without losing control of the racket. 

This racket also comes pre-strung with a premium string, the Supernick ZX Micro, which adds to the power of the frame.

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Best Squash Racket for Control

Harrow Vapor

For the most control, I’m going to recommend a traditional head shape racket, the Harrow Vapor.

I generally recommend a traditional head shape for control because the bridged throat makes the racket more stable through the shot. In other words the racket is less likely to wobble as you make contact with the ball.

While a teardrop racket is nice for additional power, that comes with a little more unpredictability on the shot. For greater precision I like the bridged throat of a traditional head shape.

There are two more qualities of the Harrow Vapor that I feel offer additional control.

First, it has a slightly smaller string bed than some of the other traditional-head-shape rackets out there.

Second, the Vapor has a slightly stiffer frame than many other rackets with traditional head shapes.

Both of these features give the racket more predictability in terms of your shotmaking, thus additional control.

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Best Squash Racket for Women

Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125 NS

I’m going to mention a racket for women. Most of the time, women just use the same rackets as men. Any racket mentioned on this page is a good choice for both men and women.

For a while, some manufacturers were trying to market squash rackets to women just by making a pink version of a racket that was already in their lineup. Of course that works for some players, but obviously it’s just cosmetic and not a meaningful difference.

Enter the Tecnifibre Carboflex Airshaft 125 NS. This is world #1 Nour El Sherbini’s racket (hence the “NS” in the name). The 125 NS actually has a difference compared to the regular Airshaft 125:

It has a smaller grip.

A subtle change, but an important one. 

Obviously this works for anyone with smaller hands, or anyone who just wants a smaller handle. It doesn’t have to be for women. And the cosmetics, mercifully, are not pink. 

I’ve tested the Airshaft rackets myself and I actually prefer the smaller grip of the NS over the normal-sized grips of the other Airshaft models.

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Lightest Squash Racket

Karakal SN-90 FF 2.0

The lightest squash racket on the market is the Karakal SN-90 FF 2.0, with an advertised frame weight of 90 grams. I’ve never actually played with this racket myself, just wanted to include it for the curious-minded.

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Best Hardball Doubles Squash Racket

Harrow M-140

My personal favorite hardball doubles racket is the Harrow M-140. 

Harrow is certainly the top brand in the doubles space and has been for years. I believe the M-140 is one of the top-selling Harrow rackets and one of the most popular amongst pros on the doubles pro tour.

I like it for a few reasons.

• Medium-size head. While a larger head would seem more forgiving, actually any off-center hits in doubles are going to result in a poor shot. I think you’re better off with a slightly smaller head and gaining the extra control.
• Dense string pattern. This is another important factor for me in being able to control the harder doubles ball. An open string pattern allows you to put more cut on the ball but that’s really more applicable to a (softball) singles situation.
• Concave frame. The M-140 has a concave shape, as opposed to a convex one, at the point where the grommets pass through the frame. In my book this makes the racket stiffer, which is another important factor in being able to control a fast-moving doubles ball.

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The Racket I Use Personally

Harrow Vapor Misfit

For singles squash, the racket I’m using right now is the Harrow Vapor Misfit.

A couple months ago I was rewriting this article and included the Harrow Vapor as my best squash racket for control. I remember it fondly, but it had been years since I played with it.

Around then, I also noticed the Harrow Vapor Misfit, which is just the Vapor mold with a different cosmetic, was going for just $150 at Squash Gear. Now that may not sound like a great price to everyone, but it’s a nice discount off of the usual Harrow Vapor price of $215.

On top of that, I just love the cosmetics. I’ve been writing this blog for many years, and this is one of my favorite cosmetics of all time. I’m gonna get myself some pink headbands just to accentuate it.

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Top Squash Racket Brands

Here are quick links to some high-quality brands I’ve covered so far on Squash Source:

305Squash | Ashaway | Black Knight | Decathlon | Dunlop | Eye | Gracelyne | Grays | Harrow | Head | Hit | Karakal | Manta | Mantis | Oliver | Prince | ProKennex | Salming | Stellar | Tecnifibre | Unsquashable | Victor | Wilson | Xamsa

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Squash Racket Basics

Here are the parts of a squash racket:

Grip: where you hold onto
Head: where the strings are
Shaft: connects the head to the grip
Throat: where the racket starts to form a V shape

Fun fact: adult rackets are 686 millimeters (27 inches) long, according to the official specs published by World Squash. You can also get shorter junior squash rackets for young players.

Aside from the price, here are a few other factors you might want to consider about squash rackets:

Weight: How much the racket weighs in total.

Balance: Whether the racket is weighted towards the head (“head-heavy”), weighted towards the grip (“head-light”), or evenly balanced.

String pattern: How many cross and main strings it has.

Throat shape: Whether there’s a bridge across the throat of the racket (“conventional” head shape, as in the first picture above) or the strings go all the way down (as in the picture below).

Graphic Design: How cool it looks.

Durability: This can be a bit subjective, because it depends on how often you smack the wall with your racket, but it’s a factor.

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Squash Racket Reviews

Squash Source has a growing collection of squash racket reviews.

• Squash Source readers have left valuable comments around the site.
• I’ve personally done a number of video reviews over the years — check out my YouTube channel for the latest videos
• I try to also include reviews done on other squash equipment sites.

Do you have any feedback on your current squash racket? Please search for your racket and leave a comment about it!

Here’s a video from the Squash Source YouTube channel that delves into some of my favorite rackets from the past few years. These are all rackets that worked for ME personally and (unsurprisingly) they are all pretty similar so don’t worry if you like different types of rackets or don’t have access to these particular models. The point is you should try and find what works for YOU:

Subscribe on YouTube

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Why Trust My Opinion

My name is Pierre and I’m the founder of Squash Source. I’ve been playing squash since I was a teenager, starting out in US junior tournaments and continuing on to play in college at Princeton and more recently in squash leagues and masters tournaments.

I’ve been reviewing squash rackets for Squash Source since about 2012, and over the years I’ve tried dozens, perhaps hundreds of squash rackets. The opinions on this page are based on the rackets I’ve actually tried, and are also informed by the hundreds of comments that have been left on Squash Source over the years by readers (thank you all!).

If you made it all the way down here, I want to leave you with one closing thought. The best squash racket is the one that gets you playing squash. That’s the most important thing. So grab a racket and go play!