The best table tennis bat under £30 or £50 depends on where you play: a garden table, a first club night or a league match. Here are the pre-made Loki bats worth buying at each stage, what separates them, and when a custom bat becomes the better buy.
Three things separate a £10 bat from a £40 one
Every bat below is a blade with rubber already glued on, ready to play out of the box. The differences come from three places.
Wood, then fibre
A 5-ply all-wood blade is the softest and most forgiving. Seven plies of wood make it stiffer and a little faster. Fibre layers, as in the GNF and carbon models, add speed and a crisper feel.
Rxton 1, 3 or 5
All three are tacky, Chinese-style rubbers that reward brushing the ball for spin. Rxton 3 and Rxton 5 sit higher in Loki’s range than Rxton 1, and the bats that carry them are aimed at more advanced players. Some bats pair a Rxton 3 forehand with a Rxton 1 backhand.
A ranking within each range
The stars rank bats within the Kirin K Series and Rxton Carbon ranges, from simplest to most advanced. They are not a standard shared between brands, so compare bats by blade and rubber rather than by the number.
Best table tennis bats under £30
One pick for each kind of player. Prices are live, so they always match the product page.
Kirin K5000
5-ply wood · Rxton 1
The simplest way to get a whole family playing. It comes with a case and balls, so there is nothing else to buy for a garden or garage table.
Kirin K Series 3 Star
5-ply wood · Rxton 1
A forgiving all-wood blade with tacky rubber on both sides. It lets a new club player learn proper strokes without the bat running away from them.
Kirin K Series 5 Star
5-ply wood + carbon · Rxton 3 FH / Rxton 1 BH
More pace from the carbon layer, a livelier Rxton 3 on the forehand for attacking, and the softer Rxton 1 on the backhand for blocking.
Rxton Carbon 5 Star
5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre · Rxton 3
A wood-and-fibre blade for players who train every week and want a faster, crisper bat to loop with.
GNF is a fibre layer laid between the wood plies. What GNF fibre does in a blade explains how it changes the feel.
Best table tennis bats under £50
Above £30 you are choosing between the top of the pre-made range and your first custom bat. Both are good buys for different players.
Rxton Carbon 6 Star
5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre · Rxton 5
The Rxton 5 rubber is a step up from the Rxton 3 on the cheaper bats, for players who play full strokes and want more from their attack.
Rxton Carbon 7 Star
5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre, ebony face · Rxton 5
The most advanced pre-made Loki bat. Ebony is a hard face veneer, so the contact feels firmer than on the wood-faced models below it.
Kirin K3 blade + 2 × Rxton 1 Max
7-ply: 5 wood + 2 inner GNF fibre · tacky, A39 sponge, 2.1mm
Full-size rubbers sold separately, on a club blade, glued and edge-taped for you free. When the rubbers wear out you replace just the rubbers and keep the blade.
When a custom bat is the better buy
Choose a pre-made bat if
- You play socially, at home or on holiday, and want something that works straight out of the box.
- You are new to the game and not yet sure which style suits you.
- You are buying for a child or a beginner and want to keep the cost down.
Choose a custom bat if
- You play in a club or league every week and your strokes are settling.
- You want to choose the forehand and backhand rubbers separately.
- You want to replace worn rubbers without buying a whole new bat. A pre-made bat’s rubber is glued on for good.
Order a blade and two rubbers together and we assemble the bat for free with VOC-free glue and edge tape. See custom table tennis bats, or build one in the Racket Configurator.
Every pre-made Loki bat compared
All 18 bats in one table, from simplest to most advanced. Blade and rubber details come from Loki’s own product descriptions.
| Bat | Blade | Rubber | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loki Kirin X2 | 7-ply wood | Rxton 3 (forehand) + Rxton 1 (backhand) | First bat with a livelier forehand | £8.99 |
| Loki Kirin X1 | 5-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Recreational play | £9.99 |
| Loki Kirin X3 | 5-ply wood | Rxton 3 | Recreational play with a little more spin | £9.99 |
| Loki Kirin K5000 | 5-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Home and holiday play; includes case and balls | £10.49 |
| Loki Kirin K1000 | 7-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Home and holiday play; includes case and balls | £10.99 |
| Loki Kirin K3000 | 7-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Home and holiday play; includes case and balls | £12.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 3 Star | 5-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Club beginner | £10.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 2 Star | 5-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Beginner | £16.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 3 Star | 5-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Beginner moving into club play | £17.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 2 Star | 7-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Beginner wanting a firmer blade | £18.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 4 Star | 7-ply wood | Rxton 1 | Improver | £19.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 4 Star | 7-ply wood | Rxton 3 | Improver building a forehand attack | £20.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 5 Star | 5-ply wood + carbon, ebony face | Rxton 3 (forehand) + Rxton 1 (backhand) | Improver who wants more pace | £21.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 5 Star | 5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre | Rxton 3 | Club player, first fibre blade | £24.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 6 Star | 7-ply wood | Rxton 3 | Club player who values control | £25.99 |
| Loki Kirin K Series 7 Star | 5-ply wood + carbon, basswood face | Rxton 3 | Club attacker | £28.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 6 Star | 5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre | Rxton 5 | League player, all-round attack | £32.99 |
| Loki Rxton Carbon 7 Star | 5-ply wood + 2 GNF fibre, ebony face | Rxton 5 | League player; the top of the pre-made range | £39.99 |
Common questions
What is the best table tennis bat under £30?
It depends on how you play. For casual play at home, the Loki Kirin K5000 (£10.49) includes a case and balls. For a beginner joining a club, the Kirin K Series 3 Star (£17.99) has a forgiving 5-ply wood blade. For a regular club player, the Rxton Carbon 5 Star (£24.99) adds two GNF fibre layers and a Rxton 3 rubber.
What is the best table tennis bat under £50?
The Loki Rxton Carbon 7 Star (£39.99) is the most advanced pre-made Loki bat, with a wood and GNF fibre blade, an ebony face and Rxton 5 rubber. For a weekly club or league player, a custom bat is also within budget: a Kirin K3 blade with two Rxton 1 Max rubbers costs £41.97 in total and is assembled free.
Should I buy a pre-made or a custom table tennis bat?
A pre-made bat suits social players and beginners who want to play straight away. A custom bat suits club and league players, because you choose each rubber separately and can replace worn rubbers without buying a new bat. Loki UK assembles a custom bat free when you order a blade and two rubbers together.
What do the stars on a table tennis bat mean?
On Loki bats, the stars rank bats within the Kirin K Series and Rxton Carbon ranges, from simplest to most advanced. They are not a standard shared between brands, so compare bats by their blade construction and rubber rather than by the number of stars.
Ready to choose?
Browse every pre-made bat, or see the five complete custom setups we recommend for each level.