When you buy a product through our links below, we may earn money from our affiliate partners to help support the site. However, this does not affect our evaluation or recommendation of each product. See our list of partners & how we get paid here. You can also learn our process for reviewing tennis gear here.
In this review guide of the best tennis strings, we will show you the 9 best strings on the market, and how to choose the perfect string for your game.
We analyzed and ranked each option on our list based on several factors, including: Price, Durability, Comfort, Control, Feel, and Power.
Our goal is to teach you everything you need to know about tennis strings, and help you find the string best suited for you. Whether you’re a highly competitive, advanced tennis player, or a beginner just starting out, we’ve reviewed a tennis string for you below.
Best Tennis Strings by Category & Skill-Level
We reviewed each string in detail below. However, the table below summarizes the 9 best strings by skill level and type.
| Tennis String | Skill Level | Type | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
Solinco Hyper-G Heaven | High Intermediate to Advanced | Polyester | Spin, power, & durability |
Babolat RPM Blast Black 17g | High Intermediate to Advanced | Polyester | Maximum spin |
Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 125 Silver | Intermediate to Advanced | Polyester | Excellent durability with solid spin |
Wilson NXT Comfort | All Skill Levels | Synthetic Gut | Best for tennis elbow |
Head Synthetic Gut | Beginners to Intermediate | Synthetic Gut | Budget-friendly for beginners |
Wilson Synthetic Gut Power | All Skill Levels | Synthetic Gut | Power & comfort that is arm-friendly |
Babolat VS Touch | All Skill Levels | Natural Gut | High-end string offering all around performance |
Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL | All Skill Levels | Synthetic Gut | Premium synthetic gut option with great feel & spin |
Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo | Intermediate to Advanced | Polyester & Natural Gut | Great combination of control, spin, & durability |
Stop paying full price for tennis gear! Get deals on shoes, racquets & more up to 70% off.
Reviews of the 9 Best Tennis Strings
Below, we will review the top 9 tennis strings and include specific features of each string, such as:
- Shape | How is the string designed?
- Material | What is the string made of?
- Price | Scale from 1-3 dollar signs.
- Gauge | How thick is the string?
#1 – Solinco Hyper-G Heaven
With its edged shape, Solinco’s Hyper-G provides remarkable spin and control for a polyester string. Strong in almost all areas of playability, it excels, especially in its durability and control. While other poly strings can be stiff and lose tension quickly, Hyper-G exhibits extraordinary feel and maintains tension after playing. Finally, this is a great alternative for advanced players who are looking for a polyester string that is easy on the arm. As a competitive player who struggled with tennis elbow while playing with other polyester strings, Hyper-G helped me recover without sacrificing any quality.
Shape | Square
Material | Co-poly
Price | $
Gauge | 16-20
Pros
- For a poly string, it offers great feel, control, and is rather durable
- Easy on the arm
- Four-edged string design provides spin
Cons
- Lacks power, and probably not suited for beginners
- While better than most polys, the string tension still drops quickly
#2 – Babolat RPM Blast 17g
Octagonally designed, RPM Blast is our pick as the best string for spin. Used by Rafael Nadal first in 2010, RPM Blast remains one of the most popular and well-liked strings among all types of players. While some reviews suggest that players with bigger strokes benefit more from this string, the comfort, control, and feel are clear strengths that even novice players can fully appreciate. Power is not this string’s best attribute, but the 17-gauge option of RPM Blast offers plenty of “pop.”
Shape | Round
Material | Co-poly
Price | $$$
Gauge | 16, 17
Pros
- Unmatched spin potential
- Also soft on the arm, offering control and comfort
- Suited for all types of players
Cons
- 17g version can break quickly for intermediate and advanced players
- As a polyester, lacks power
- Quickly loses tension, which is common among poly strings
#3 – Luxilon Big Banger Alu Power Rough 125
Despite being our choice for the most durable string on the market, Luxilon’s Alu Power Rough offers much more than just durability. As the textured sibling to Alu Power, a smooth poly string, the “rough” version keeps the control while giving users an added amount of spin. This string is a serious contender among even the best of players and is extremely popular across the pro tour. Though its stiffness makes it an unlikely choice for beginners, Alu Power Rough is one of the most popular strings of all time.
Shape | Textured and Rough
Material | Polyester
Price | $$$
Gauge | 16, 17
Pros
- Maintains tension well and extremely durable
- For a poly, offers great spin and control
- Suited especially for high-level players
Cons
- Hard on the arm
- Lacks power
- Too stiff for most beginners
#4 – Wilson NXT Comfort
Wilson makes some of the best tennis balls and racquets on the market, but they also make some great strings.
As a multifilament string composed of approximately 1600 fibers, this string offers a great combination of power and comfort. Its soft feel makes it our top choice as the best string for tennis elbow and is especially suited for players looking for comfort. Because its durability as a smooth multifilament is limited, it’s best suited for beginner to intermediate players who rarely break strings.
Shape | Round
Material | Multifilament
Price | $$
Gauge | 16, 17
Pros
- Helps players avoid issues such as tennis elbow
- Great comfort and notable power
- Popular among beginners
Cons
- Breaks easily
- Doesn’t maintain tension well
#5 – Head Synthetic Gut
This nylon (or synthetic gut) string is a well-rounded string for beginners looking for great value. Head Synthetic Gut is a good choice for players who want a decent feel and good power from their string. While not as popular as the other options on our list, this is a solid all-around string that doesn’t cost too much.
Shape | Round
Material | Nylon (Synthetic Gut) and Multifilament
Price | $
Gauge | 16
Pros
- Very affordable
- Decent feel & power
- Great for newer players
- Several color options
Cons
- Not great for advanced players
#6 – Wilson Synthetic Gut Power
Wilson’s Synthetic Gut Power is an all-around string that combines the durability and control of synthetic gut with power. Surrounded by high energy wraps, the string gives the ball plenty of action and avoids the main issue of synthetic guts, which is a lack of power. As one of the most affordable strings on our list, it is perfect for players who don’t string very often or who are looking to save money on strings.
Shape | Round
Material | Nylon (Synthetic Gut)
Price | $
Gauge | 16
Pros
- Relatively high levels of power for a synthetic gut
- Arm-friendly
- Inexpensive compared to other top brands
Cons
- Lacks spin and feel
- Not great for advanced players
#7 – Babolat VS Touch
Branded as the “Original Natural Gut,” the newest version of Babolat VS Touch combines the original traits of natural gut, like stability, control, and spin, with the new BT7 and Thermogut technologies. Babolat claims the BT7 treatment increases the string’s longevity and durability and makes it almost 60% more resistant to humidity. Overall, this string gives players great power and seeks to alleviate issues of durability. Unmatched in its feel, this string is popular among all types of players.
Shape | Round
Material | Polyester
Price | $$$
Gauge | 16
Pros
- BT7 treatment increases longevity
- Amazing feel, power, and spin
- Well-liked among all types of players
Cons
- Expensive for non-competitive players
#8 – Tecnifibre NRG2 SPL
As one of the most comfortable and powerful strings on our list, Tecnifibre’s multifilament NRG2 SPL is elastic and explosive. Using Silicon Pyrogene Lubritec (SPL) to resist abrasions and improve durability, Tecnifibre’s string is great for players looking for a comfortable, powerful, and durable string. NRG2 is especially desirable for players looking to improve their depth and increase their speed.
Shape | Round
Material | Multifilament
Price | $$
Gauge | 16, 17
Pros
- Great power
- Silicon Pyrogene Lubritec improves durability
- Extremely comfortable and smooth-feeling
Cons
- Not great for control and spin
- The strings move often, and need to be readjusted frequently
#9 – Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo
Marketed as the string of Roger Federer, the Wilson Champion’s Choice Duo is a perfect balance between natural gut and the rougher polyester. By combining these two fundamental types, this string ranks well among all aspects of performance, including comfort, durability, power, control, and touch. This leads us to our conclusion that it’s the best string for control, though it certainly excels in other categories, too. Overall, it’s a great option for advanced players willing to invest in their game.
Shape | Round
Material | Polyester and Natural Gut
Price | $$$
Gauge | 16
Pros
- Best string for control
- Mixture of gut and poly provides all-around excellence
- Championed by Roger Federer himself
Cons
- Expensive
Stop paying full price for tennis gear! Get deals on shoes, racquets & more up to 70% off.
Characteristics of Tennis Strings
Before you choose a tennis string to play with, you should know which characteristics to look for, including the pros and cons of choosing one over another.
You’ll hear people use terms like poly, multifilament, synthetic gut, and hybrid. What does this all mean? We’ll make sense of it below.
Tennis String Material
Strings are usually made up of one or a combination of the following materials.
- Natural Gut – for advanced players
- Nylon – recommended for beginners
- Polyester – for all types of players
The chart below shows the differences between natural gut, nylon, and polyester tennis strings. Each type of string has different advantages and disadvantages in terms of spin, control, durability, comfort, and price.
| Natural Gut | Nylon (Synthetic Gut) | Polyester | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spin & Control | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| Durability | 3/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 |
| Comfort | 5/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 |
| Price | $$$ | $ | $$ |
Natural Gut
This type of string is actually made from the gut of a cow, and it provides the best stability, control, and spin of any string you can buy. However, it is less durable than some synthetic strings and is one of the most expensive string types.
Because it is costly, natural gut is typically only used by highly advanced or professional tennis players. Most club and intermediate players use string made of nylon or polyester.
Nylon or Synthetic Gut
When people say that they play with synthetic gut strings, they usually mean nylon. This type of string has more feel and durability than natural gut strings, but you won’t have as much control.
Most beginners, and some intermediate players, will play with nylon because it is cheaper than natural gut and is a good material to avoid tennis elbow.
Polyester
Over the last few decades, polyester tennis strings have grown in popularity and are probably the most commonly used strings among intermediate and advanced players. Also known as “poly,” this string is the most durable type of string you can use. It is, however, very stiff and not ideal for people with tennis elbow. Many poly strings are combined with a gut string to add comfort.
If you are an intermediate or advanced club player who breaks strings often, you may consider a polyester string.
Tennis String Composition
When manufacturers make a tennis string, it can be created a few different ways.
Monofilament String
A monofilament string is created with one strand of material. If you examine its profile closely, you’ll see that it is composed of a singular solid core. This is how most poly strings are designed.
Monofilament strings, which are popular among advanced players, have high durability and control, but usually lack comfort, power, and feel.
Multifilament String
A multifilament string, as it sounds, is made up of multiple strands of material. These strings are usually composed of nylon, polyester, or a combination of both. Multifilament strings are often made from hundreds or thousands of fibers woven together.
These strings provide better feel and comfort for players with tennis elbows, but usually fray and break easier than monofilaments.
Composite String and Co-Poly String
Occasionally, a string will have a monofilament core but with an outer layer that is multifilament string. This is called a composite string. Similarly, a co-poly string is one composed primarily of polyester but has extra added materials.
Co-poly strings are becoming more popular, and several of the picks on our list above are co-polys.
Textured String
Over the past few years, many string manufacturers have started creating textured strings. If you cut a textured string and looked closely at it, you would see that they don’t have a round profile at all. Instead, they are designed with edges to help the string grab the ball and increase spin. Textured strings are often hexagonal, octagonal, or twisted.
To generate even more spin on your groundstrokes, consider the topspin pro. It’s one of the best tennis training aids on the market.
Tennis String Gauge
The gauge of a tennis string refers to its thickness. String gauge ranges from 15 to 19, with 15 being the thickest. As you increase your gauge, you will get more spin and power but sacrifice control and durability.
The most frequently used string gauges are 16 and 17, respectively.
Stop paying full price for tennis gear! Get deals on shoes, racquets & more up to 70% off.
How To Choose a Tennis String
You can spend dozens of hours trying to figure out which tennis string is best for you. As a player, you have to sift through hundreds of options such as string type, tension, gauge, and brand.
There isn’t just one universal string for everyone, and, to choose a string suited for your game and your needs, you will have to decide which factors (comfort, power, feel, etc.) are most important to you. In the sections that follow, we will help you through each step of the process to help you select the perfect string for your game!
Do You Want Comfort & Feel or Durability & Control?
The first step in choosing a tennis string is to decide which features are important to you.
For many beginner and intermediate players, comfort and feel are especially important. If you’re a player who likes to swing freely without as much racquet vibration on contract, synthetic gut or multifilament string is probably the best choice for you. These strings are great for players who have arm injuries, such as tennis elbow, and want a string with maximum comfort.
However, many advanced players, especially those with fast swings, prefer durability, control, and power instead. Especially for players who hit the ball hard and break strings often, durable strings can save a considerable amount of money. If you are one such player, polyester and co-poly strings like Solinco Hyper-G and Luxilon Alu Power Rough are perfect for you.
Choosing the Best Type of Tennis String for Your Game
You first need to choose the best type of string for your needs. For most players, we recommend one of these options.
- Polyester and Co-poly – for advanced players who break strings often. These strings are very durable and generate a lot of spin.
- Synthetic Gut – for beginners or intermediate players who want a forgiving string. These strings are good for control and less expensive than other types
- Hybrid (a combination of polyester & synthetic gut) – for intermediate and advanced players seeking the control of synthetic gut combined with the spin and durability of polyester.
Choosing the Right String Gauge
Most tennis players, from beginners to highly competitive tennis players, choose a string gauge between 16 and 17. These are the most common gauges because they do the best job at combining durability with power and spin.
So if you are someone looking specifically for control and durability, we recommend starting with a string gauge of 16. But if you are interested in slightly more power and spin, thinner 17g strings may be a better starting place. After that, if you feel like you need more of something, you can adjust accordingly.
What Tension Should I String My Racquet?
Start by looking at your racquet. All of the best tennis racquets will have a recommended tension range from the manufacturer. You can usually find it on the inside of the throat, or on the outside of the frame. It’s usually a range of 10 lbs. For example, 55lbs +/-5 would mean 50 to 60 lbs.
Once you have the recommended tension, consider what string you’re using.
- If you’re using a polyester, we recommend starting on the low end of that recommendation.
- For a synthetic gut, start on the mid to high end.
While some strings naturally provide more power and others emphasize more control, you can control these factors by how tightly you string your racquet.
In short, when it comes to string tension, lower tension gives a player more power, while higher tension adds control.
For example, if you’re playing with a poly string like Babolat RPM Blast, which has more control than power, you can string it looser to generate more power. In the same way, if you want more control, tighten the string to a higher tension. This is the best way to subtly manage the pros and cons of each string.
Conclusion: Our Pick for the Best Tennis String
With hundreds of choices on the market, it can be difficult to determine the best tennis string for you. There are many factors that need to be considered when choosing a string, and depending on your game and skill level, some of those might be more important than others. Things like control, power, and durability might be more important for serious and high-level players, whereas price, comfort, and feel may be more important for intermediate or beginner-level players.
Our pick for the best tennis string overall is the Solinco Hyper-G Heaven. It combines power, control, durability, and affordability. It’s a string suited for players of all levels, providing everything you need to play your best tennis!
