Assessment: Luxilon Eco Tough 1.25mm – Sustainable Tennis Strings with a Catch

Luxilon has lengthy been synonymous with premium tennis strings, they usually’re used broadly on the ATP and WTA excursions resulting from their performance-driven capabilities.

The introduction of the Luxilon Eco line goals to mix their famend string know-how with a sustainable strategy, concentrating on environmentally acutely aware gamers searching for top-tier efficiency with out compromising the planet.

Luxilon Eco Tough 1.25 mm, as a part of this eco-friendly string vary, immediately caught my consideration.

Having admired Luxilon’s observe document for delivering high-quality strings, I discovered the Eco line’s promise of sustainability alongside enhanced spin capabilities to be an ideal fusion of innovation and ecological accountability.

But, whereas pleasing in some areas and the noble intentions behind the eco-friendly initiative, my expertise with the Eco Tough 1.25 mm string did spotlight some discrepancies between promised capabilities and precise efficiency.

On this overview, I’ll disclose all the small print of my expertise with Luxilon Eco Tough. Let’s go.

Luxilon Eco Energy Specification

Specs

Racket Setup For Testing

A Few Phrases From the Stringer

Luxilon Eco Tough presents a definite tough texture that’s instantly noticeable, and its coating feels premium high quality when touched. Like different rough-coated strings, it carries a noticeable rigidity, usually delivering a agency influence sensation. Surprisingly, regardless of the roughness, it manoeuvres via the verticals whereas stringing, avoiding bothersome tangling. But, it does have a considerably delicate nature, demanding further warning throughout stringing to stop untimely injury to its coating. Whereas not my best choice for stringing resulting from this delicacy, it didn’t pose any important points that may deter me from working with it once more. Total, its distinctive texture, high quality coating, and manageable stringing course of, though delicate, guarantee a passable expertise with out inflicting undue frustration within the stringing course of. Stringing with Eco Tough

Luxilon Eco Energy Playest and Assessment

In my playtest, I’ll delve into the Luxilon Eco Tough 1.25 mm string, evaluating its efficiency throughout important elements: energy, management, spin, and sturdiness. I additionally assess its worth for cash and evaluate it with comparable strings available on the market to supply perception into its on-court capabilities.

First Impressions

Luxilon has at all times maintained a status for crafting aesthetically pleasing strings, and the Luxilon Eco Tough 1.25 mm lives as much as this custom.

Regardless of its 100% recycled materials composition, the string’s look seems high quality. The silver hue, complemented by the tough coating, shimmers properly beneath the lights.

Upon first look, the string’s floor reveals intricate diamond shapes and a dented texture, signalling its potential to generate outstanding spin whereas providing a gentle and forgiving really feel on influence.

Nonetheless, this visually interesting string raised instant issues about potential sturdiness points. The juxtaposition of a tough texture with the string’s softer really feel sparked doubts about its skill to resist prolonged play with out untimely put on and tear.

How did it carry out?

Energy, Spin & Consolation

Luxilon Eco Tough 1.25 mm performs nicely in management and spin capabilities, and it has a really excessive resilience peak, which supplies it a swift response throughout ball influence. This implies extra dwell time on the string mattress, and it presents loads of really feel.

By way of energy, I discovered that Eco Tough wasn’t fairly to my style for flatter groundstrokes and flat serves. It felt just like the tough coating held again the string’s energy, inflicting the ball to lack the anticipated velocity.

On the flip facet, the string’s textured floor offered ample topspin and the flexibility to hit precision photographs. It gave me a incredible really feel on the ball, enabling higher management.

I observed a big enchancment in photographs requiring delicate spin changes, like backhand slices or these difficult drop photographs.

Regardless of not providing me the kind of energy from a string I like, it compensated impressively with enhanced accuracy and finesse, primarily after I used it with my power-orientated Yonex VCORE 100 racket.

Furthermore, I observed that the string didn’t want any break-in time, and I might take pleasure in a nice feeling of influence ranging from the primary shot.

What additionally shocked me was the string’s consolation. Regardless of its roughness and countering forceful photographs towards my hitting associate, it absorbed vibrations exceptionally nicely.

It made my enjoying expertise extra snug, decreasing the pressure on my arm throughout intense rallies.

Sturdiness and Stress Upkeep

In my expertise with the Luxilon Eco Tough string, I’m upset to say it displays a big weak spot in sturdiness.

Surprisingly, put on indicators emerged after simply 5 minutes of play, and sadly, it snapped round 20 minutes of play. Common readers will know I broke Luxilon’s Eco Energy string in simply over an hour.

After the untimely breakage, I rigorously examined the string to rule out exterior elements just like the stringer’s mistake or racket defects. It was evident that the string had grooves throughout the vertical strings, and the rupture level was in the course of the stringbed, confirming the difficulty was solely resulting from string sturdiness.

This speedy put on and tear poses severe issues for gamers searching for a sturdy, long-lasting string choice, elevating doubts concerning the string’s skill to resist the rigours of aggressive play and even common apply classes.

Replace: Additional Playtesting

Upon reporting my findings to Wilson, they despatched me extra strings to see if it was an anomaly. Once more, I examined the Eco Tough in my Yonex VCORE 100 racket, and it was the identical story – sturdiness, whereas barely longer, was beneath an hour of intense play.

Nonetheless, I made a decision to see if it carried out in a different way in one other racket; for this, I selected the Wilson Blade 98, which has a denser string sample that made a distinction with the string lasting over an hour of play.

Primarily based on my expertise, if you happen to’re a string breaker with an open string sample racket like a VCORE, you’ll burn via Eco Tough rapidly, however for non-string breakers, or those that want extra closed 18 x 20 rackets, it’ll last more.

Relating to pressure upkeep, Luxilon Eco Tough retained its pressure and properties till the breakage. Nonetheless, the velocity at which it degrades makes it exhausting to evaluate.

Given the early breakages, I did go searching to see if different gamers skilled the identical; within the Tennis Spin overview, Jared broke Eco Tough in beneath an hour, and Mark Sansait broke it in 90 minutes.

Apparently, on the TW boards, most playtesters didn’t have a problem with sturdiness, with the bulk reporting 10 hours plus of play, which is tough to consider, given the three units I examined.

Nonetheless, that is in all probability associated to enjoying degree and the way a participant hits the ball. Only a few gamers hit the ball exhausting sufficient or with sufficient spin to interrupt strings incessantly on the leisure degree, so the brief enjoying life turns into much less of a problem right here, and it could be the place this string sits when it comes to the goal market.

Luxilon Eco Tough vs Tecnifibre Razor Smooth

In evaluating the Luxilon Eco Tough with Tecnifibre Razor Smooth, each strings exhibit wonderful spin potential, nice really feel, and an influence deficit.

Nonetheless, the Tecnifibre Razor Smooth string notably lacks extra energy than the Luxilon Eco Tough, and the Eco Tough manages its attributes higher. Regardless of their similarities, the Luxilon Eco Tough feels extra snug and dependable.

Nonetheless, Tecnifibre Razor Smooth comes at a cheaper price level than the Luxilon string and lasts longer, probably lasting a whole match with a single racket. On the identical time, the Luxilon might break after solely 4 or 5 video games.

Regardless of its barely decrease qualitative edge, this sturdiness distinction might steer gamers towards the Tecnifibre choice.

Comparable Strings

Worth For Cash

Luxilon Eco Tough, regardless of its spectacular playability, faces a important problem in justifying its excessive value ($14.95) resulting from its lacklustre sturdiness.

Its preliminary efficiency is commendable, showcasing wonderful spin and providing gamers a clean enjoying expertise. Nonetheless, the abrupt breakages I skilled considerably undermined its worth for cash.

Gamers searching for a long-lasting, cost-effective choice would possibly discover the Luxilon Eco Tough falling wanting their expectations.

Whereas it excels in lots of efficiency elements, its restricted sturdiness considerably overshadows its spin and really feel, which impacts the string’s general worth proposition.

When you have 4 or 5 rackets and don’t thoughts stringing all of them earlier than a match, then Eco Tough could possibly be a good selection because it performs very nicely. 

Or if you happen to not often break strings, give this string a attempt, because it may need the type of response you might be searching for in a poly.

Who’s Luxilon Eco Tough For?

Luxilon Eco Tough, 1.25 mm string, will swimsuit the next gamers:

Primarily based on my testing, Luxilon Eco Tough is well-suited to somebody simply beginning with poly strings or a extra senior participant seeking to transition to a extra snug poly because it’s a forgiving string.

It might additionally work for gamers on the leisure degree who don’t hit the ball with the speed of superior gamers but (due to this fact don’t break strings) however nonetheless like a string that may produce good topspin whereas sustaining the forgiveness and luxury seen in artificial strings.

Professionals

Cons

Have you ever tried Luxilon Eco Tough? Let me know within the feedback.