Lightweight badminton rackets: 4 fun choices for 2025

THIS GUIDE HAS RECEIVED 4 UPDATES. THE MOST RECENT UPDATE WAS MADE ON 10TH MARCH, 2025.

- I rearranged the racket groups to include new categories + suggestions for players playing both singles and doubles
- The racket recommendations were updated

The other day, I was at the court casually looking at lightweight badminton rackets at a small adjacent shop while resting between games.

A girl from our group came up to me, and we got talking about rackets as she showed me her ultra-light Li-Ning racket.

Since my return to the court as an adult, I have played with rackets of all types. For someone who loves defense, I’ve found lightweight badminton rackets to be fun as they allow me to have slower reactions than other types of rackets yet still defend well.

To give you an example, look at this clip where I was testing the Yonex Nanoflare 700 Game, and notice how late I react while still being able to block the shot.

While I was asleep behind the wheel for a moment, this would’ve normally not been possible with rackets that weren’t as nimble as this one.

This experience led me down the rabbit hole researching this modern type of racket to get a better understanding of what’s available in the market right now, why one might want one, and if one of these could be suitable for someone like me who is used to power. In this article, I’ll show you examples of the best lightweight badminton rackets.

The player best suited for a lightweight badminton racket

When we look at racket recommendations, it’s easy to get confused if the categories are similar, such as the best choice for singles or the front court in doubles. 

Recommendations for, say, head heavy rackets and lightweight badminton rackets are usually intended for different players with different strengths and preferences. It’s like comparing apples to oranges as the player preferring a head heavy racket likely isn’t trying to achieve the same style of play as someone with a head light or lightweight racket.

For many of us, it’s necessary to take a step back to figure out what our strengths and weaknesses are, and which playing style we prefer before selecting a racket that accommodates that.

If you’re simply looking for a lightweight badminton racket without caring much about other details, anything in a lower weight class, such as 4U, 5U, or even 6U, will do.

Lightweight badminton rackets tend to be good for players who prefer being fast over raw power and attack. They’re often particularly suitable for doubles players where games are faster and there are more drives, pushes, and counterattacks taking place rather than the classic hammer smash in the ground to win points (there are exceptions, as you’ll discover later in this guide).

Many beginner and intermediate players like light badminton rackets as they are easier to play with if you’re just getting started and want to have fun.

On the other hand, the downside is that it can feel difficult to generate enough power in your smash, clears, and late backhand, especially if you’re out of position. If that’s you, you might find yourself outgrowing a light badminton racket soon.

Alternatively, you might need to compensate for the downsides with faster footwork, better positioning, or different shots. I’ve also noticed that “power blocks” where you block a smash and feed off of the energy from your opponent’s shot without needing to do much else, are off-limits or at least difficult to pull off with lightweight rackets.

If you prefer that your racket amplifies your strengths, it makes sense to use a lightweight racket if you’re looking to win points by forcing errors from your opponent in fast doubles duels or playing tight net shots.

If you’re a power guy like I used to be and think of a lightweight racket that helps compensate for your weaknesses, you might find that flat drives and shots on your body become easier to handle, especially under pressure. The downside is that you’ll have to adjust your technique on power shots to add more “body weight” to increase power compared to what you’re used to.

Lightweight rackets can also be good if you tend to get tired in your shoulder after playing or want to go one step further to avoid injuries (although I’ve occasionally found myself throwing my shoulder too much into the shot in an attempt to generate power, which can lead to injuries).

Before, it felt more clear-cut that rackets would fall into one of two categories, either being heavy and hammer-y or light and nimble. The modern generation of badminton rackets is more complex and blends these two approaches in new combinations to adjust to the evolution in gameplay.

You should look at these suggestions as a starting point for further research as I’m unable to get access to all the rackets that are available on the market. 

With that in mind, let’s dive in!

Four of the best lightweight badminton rackets

Hey reader, a quick interruption

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Aske

Many of these rackets come in different weight classes, so keep in mind that you might struggle with power if you pick a head light racket in a low weight class (i.e. 5U or 6U — 4U is often preferred for doubles).

1. The lightweight beginner: Yonex Nanoflare 700 Game (for players that easily get fatigued)

2. “Easier” power for intermediate doubles games: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game

3. The best for intermediates playing BOTH singles and doubles games: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game

4. The fastest smash: Yonex Nanoflare 1000Z

Get ready for these rackets to charm your pants off fast (you have been warned!)

1. The lightweight beginner: Yonex Nanoflare 700 Game (for players that easily get fatigued)

I wanted to include an option for the beginner players who easily get fatigued. My girlfriend falls into this category and when I gave her a few different rackets to try, she had the most fun playing with those this category.

There’s two ways to approach this: you can get a racket with lower weight than average or you can get one that has less weight in the head, but overall weights the same as most badminton rackets.

It’s worth keeping in mind that both options tend to offer less power. I’m pointing this out because I’ve found myself overdoing the stroke technique or throwing my body too much into into the shot at times, which can lead to shoulder or elbow issues.

If you’re looking for a good racket in this category, I’ve had a good experience with the new Yonex Nanoflare 700 Game.

Based on Yonex’s marketing, this racket is intended for intermediate players. While I had it court, it felt more like a racket suitable for beginners with it’s flexible shaft. This confused me, since they’ve also made a Play edition that they market to beginners (I haven’t tested that edition but I’d be ok getting it for this purpose too).

If you’re looking for more details, here’s my review of the Yonex Nanoflare 700 Game

2. “Easier” power for intermediate doubles games: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game

The Yonex Nanoflare 800 was recently reintroduced in four variations depending on skill level. The flagship Pro and Tour for advanced players, the Game for intermediates, and the Play model for beginners.

While the Tour and Pro models seem too advanced for me, I’ve tested the intermediate Game edition.

The deal with lightweight badminton rackets is always how much power you can get out of it, and you’ll notice in the marketing how they attempt to achieve that in different ways.

Among the head light Yonex rackets I’ve tested, the Nanoflare 800 Game felt the easiest for me to generate power with between the 700 Game, 800 Game, and 1000 Game.

It wasn’t super easy, but it felt easier and more consistent than with the 700- and 1000 Game.

The approach in the Nanoflare 800 Game has been to add an extra string on the stringbed for a more bouncy (repulsive) effect when hitting the shuttle.

It’s a touch stiffer than the 700 Game, meaning you need slightly better technique to connect with the shuttle. But when you do, things feel that bit crispier. If you’re a low-intermediate player, I’d hold off on getting this racket unless you’re practicing your stroke skills regularly so you’ll level up fast.

If the NF800 Game sounds intriguing, check out my review after testing-driving it on court.

3. The best for intermediates playing BOTH singles and doubles games: Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game

Playing singles games with lightweight rackets tends to be difficult for many players as we need to compensate for the lack of power, which I’ve especially noticed at the rearcourt when I’m under pressure.

We need to be ready to increase the power we generate with technique even more, which is challenging for many of us intermediate players.

I’m guessing that’s why we see most of the top 10 singles players preferring head heavy rackets (examples of top pro players who like head light rackets are Anders Antonsen and Lakshya Sen). They are useful for more than just adding extra power to your smash.

With that in mind, the Yonex Nanoflare 800 Game is my go-to choice if I had to pick a lightweight racket for singles. It felt that bit easier to generate power with consistently, even if it wasn’t particularly easy compared to, say, an even balanced or powerful racket.

In defense, it’s quick and fun, and in double,s I’ve enjoyed playing with it as well. The shaft feels a tad stiffer than other similar intermediate rackets, so I’d steer clear of it if you’re at the low intermediate level.

If you’re curious about more details, you can find my Nanoflare 800 Game review here.

4. The fastest smash: Yonex Nanoflare 1000Z

When Yonex released their teaser for this racket with a test to claim the most powerful smash in the Guinness World Record book, I was confused, to say the least.

Historically, that has been assumed to come from head heavy beasts, but as this is a marketing stunt it doesn’t appear like they’ve done a head-to-head test against any other rackets.

At the time of writing this, the 1000Z is used by top singles player Lakshya Sen.

The Nanoflare 1000Z is far too demanding for most players, including myself. When I played with the intermediate edition, it felt like new technology had made it feel more whippy, which can help generate power during contact with the shuttle as opposed to a longer, harder swing that generates power from the moment like we know it from head heavy rackets.

If you’re an intermediate player curious about this racket, Yonex has made a less stiff edition that’s more suitable for us called the Nanoflare 1000 Game.

It isn’t exactly super-easy for all intermediate players to use, so I’d suggest staying away from it if you’re playing singles OR you’re at the low intermediate level.

You can find more details in my review after testing it for ten hours on court or check the current price below.

Takeaways

• It’s challenging not to look like you’re biased toward Yonex when recommending rackets as not all popular brands make it easy to test and review their rackets
• Rackets are more complex these days and you’ll even see lighter rackets begin head heavy which can be confusing if you’re used to them either being a sledgehammer or feather-like
• The best lightweight badminton rackets tend to be particularly good for doubles games as they tend to be faster, or for beginner and intermediate players who just want to have fun and experience the intensity of the sport

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