There are three different badminton shuttlecocks – feather, plastic and hybrid.
Feather shuttles allow for better control, feel and sound, whilst plastic shuttles are more durable and cost-effective.
In this buying guide we’re going to focus on feather shuttles as that’s where our expertise lies since we’ve used them from a lot of different shuttlecock brands over the last 20 years in our training, clubs, coaching and professional tournaments.
4 Main Features To Consider
1. Shuttlecock Speed
There are 5 different categories of shuttle speeds going from 75, which is the slowest, up to 79 which is the fastest.
Choosing the best shuttlecock speed can depend on a few things, but most importantly:
- The altitude you’re playing at
- The temperature
So, if you’re playing in really hot temperatures or high altitudes, these playing conditions tend to ‘speed up’ the shuttle so you would opt for the slower 76 or 77 speed or 75 in extreme conditions.
If you don’t do this, then you might be wondering why your smash feels 10x more powerful… Or why all of your shots are flying out the back!
On the other end of the spectrum, you would opt for the 78 or 79 speed if you’re playing in colder or air-conditioned halls, or if you’re below sea level.
But generally, the most common speeds are 77 and 78.
2. Price
There are shuttles that fit all different price points, with one tube of 12 shuttles costing from less than £15 ($18), up to £35 ($45). We’ll cover price points more in the shuttle comparison section later!
3. Durability
How long does each badminton shuttlecock typically last for?
Well, this can depend on a few things:
- The level you play at – as beginners tend to mishit the shuttle more, they tend to break more feathers and therefore use more shuttles.
- The style of play – if you hit lots of powerful drives and smashes, the shuttles won’t last as long.
- The storage conditions – for example, if you’re leaving shuttles in a really dry space, then the feathers can dry out and become brittle, which will again reduce how long they last.
4. Feel and control
How does it feel when you play with it? Does the shuttle come smoothly off your strings?
Some new shuttles might feel like they’re coming off your racket weirdly, making it really hard to play good quality and accurate shots.
What Is The Best Feather Shuttlecock?
We have tested and compared 10 types of badminton shuttles across different shuttlecock brands at various price points, ranging from just £5 per tube, all the way up to £35!
For each shuttle, we did 2 tests:
- A durability test
- An accuracy test
A couple of quick disclaimers before we get started:
- We’re not robots so some shuttles would have been hit slightly differently! We did however not mishit many shuttles, which is important to note.
- We obviously didn’t test ALL of the shuttles you can buy worldwide, but we tried to choose a selection from different well-known brands that we could get at different price points here in the UK, and they’re all speed 78.
So, we started our testing with a £5 ($6) tube from Drafon. But this tube was kind of a joke.
We actually bought them from a supermarket in Kuala Lumpur, as we couldn’t believe a tube of feather shuttles was so cheap. BUT we opened them, and realised they’d already failed both tests – it definitely gave us a good laugh though!
Accuracy Testing
Do expensive shuttles help you play better and more accurate shots?
To do this test, we hit 20 lifts, 20 net shots, 20 serves and 20 smashes with each shuttle.
Generally we noticed that the shuttles at the cheaper end bobbled more (i.e. had a less ‘smooth’ flight path) and we felt like we had less control, especially with our net shots and serves.
With the more expensive shuttles like the Master Ace and AS50’s, we both felt we could play higher quality and more consistent shots.
We also noticed that even though they were all speed 78’s, the Babolat 2’s were much quicker!
What We Use
For our own training, we use the VICTOR Master Ace! Full disclosure we are sponsored by VICTOR but we’ve personally found that these last over 3 times as long as various cheaper ones, and of course aren’t 3 times the price!
It’s also worth mentioning that if you can, it’s better to practice with shuttles that you compete with to get used to the feel of the shuttle. A lot of international tournaments use the Master Ace so this works well for us!
But if you can choose what shuttles to play your matches with, then we’d recommend trying these tests yourself. Maybe try a more expensive tube and see how much longer it lasts for you… because as we’ve said, the durability depends on your level and playing style! If the shuttle lasts double as long but isn’t double the price, it might be worth the investment!
Source: Liew, F. T. (2025e, April 11). How To Choose The Best Badminton Shuttlecocks - Ultimate Buying Guide – Badminton Insight. Badminton Insight. https://badminton-insight.com/which-badminton-shuttlecocks-should-you-choose-ultimate-buying-guide/