The 10+ Best Kids Tennis Rackets for Juniors

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Tennis is a lifetime sport. Introduce your kids early, and they’ll be able to enjoy the game late into their lives.

As a parent, you may be wondering what’s the best tennis racquet for your child or toddler and how to choose the right size. In this guide, we’re going to share our list of the best kid’s tennis racquets for juniors and provide you with a simple way to ensure you pick the right size to set them up for success.

Here’s a quick recap of what we’ll cover. Click any of the links to jump to that section in the article:

• What’s the right age for kids to start tennis?
• The evolution of kids tennis
• Racquet sizing chart
• Testing racquet length
• Grip sizes
• Tennis strings
• Racquet materials & weight
• The best kids tennis racquet
• Buyers guide & reviews
• Common questions

The Best Tennis Racquets for Kids

If you’re in shopping mode and looking to jump straight to our top 11 picks, then check out the table below.

Each racquet listed above has been described in greater detail in the guide and reviews section of this article.

What’s the Right age for Kids to Start Tennis?

We recommend that parents start their kids in group tennis lessons around the age of 4 or 5 years old or as soon as they express interest. To get them involved, it’s key they have the right equipment, and the emphasis should be getting out on a court and having some fun.

Of course, if your child is older than 5, don’t get discouraged, it’s never too late to get kids involved in tennis. Roger Federer didn’t start playing tennis until he was 8 years old and things worked out just fine for him.

The Evolution of Kids Tennis

In recent years, there has been a push to make tennis a kid-friendly sport that nurtures growth and maximizes the fun factor.

In the past, children were taught on the same size courts as adults, with the equal size tennis balls and generally speaking significantly less attention was paid toward ensuring the appropriate size tennis racquet.

Luckily, through research, and the efforts of organizations like the USTA, the sport of tennis has significantly evolved for children to help ensure tennis is as kid-friendly as possible.

In 2010, the USTA introduced 10 and Under Tennis, an effort to help ensure the success of children learning tennis. The general premise of 10 and under tennis is to provide kids with the right size racquet, court, and balls to match their age range to aid in their development as well as enjoyment to increase the likelihood that they stick with it.

Below are the four stages of 10 and Under Tennis along with general recommendations for the right size tennis racquet. However, as you can see the appropriately sized racquets are expressed in ranges.

These recommendations get us in the right ballpark, but they’re not quite specific enough so let’s dive a bit deeper with more specific recommendations.

A Racquet Sizing Chart For Kids

While selecting the right size tennis racquet for kids is less complicated than it is for adults, it’s still not an exact science.

Every child is unique and develops at a different pace, so it’s important that we take the time to match each child with the appropriate racquet to help ensure they stay injury free and have a blast on the court.

With that said, there are some simple guidelines that we can use to determine which tennis racquet will be a great fit.

The following chart outlines the approximate racquet length that is appropriate for kids of a certain age and height, which is a great starting point and should narrow things down for you.

As the chart suggests, the most critical measurements for selecting a junior tennis racquet is the length of the racquet and the height of your child.

The length of a tennis racquet is one of the main adjustments manufacturers make to ensure they are kid-friendly. While the height of your child will help determine which racquet length they should be using.

For most parents, this above guide will be entirely sufficient for choosing the right size racquet. However, many parents will find their children don’t fit perfectly into the table above so we have a quick test you can do to make sure you have the perfect fit.

Testing Racquet Length for Your Child

One conventional method used to test the length of a racquet for kids is first to have your child stand nice and tall. Next, place the tennis racquet you have selected to their side with the head of the racquet resting on the ground and the butt end of the racquet handle pointing up towards the sky.

Now, have your child place the palm of their hand on the butt cap of the tennis racquet (the very bottom of the handle) like a cane.

If your child’s arm is comfortably extended and resting on the butt cap of the tennis racquet, then you’ve found the right length racquet. However, if your child has to bend their arm to comfortably rest their hand on the butt cap or their hand doesn’t reach the butt cap, then you’ll probably want to move up or down a size.

It’s important to note that there isn’t always going to be a perfect fit for every child. If you find your child is between two sizes and aren’t really sure which direction to go in, then we’d recommend the smaller size. It will be easier for them to handle.

You may be tempted to buy a larger junior racquet that your child can grow into to save money. We’d recommend against this approach and encourage you to match your child with the appropriately sized racquet for two reasons. First, they’ll have more fun with a racquet that’s designed for their age and height. Second, moving to a racquet that’s too big too soon can put children at risk of injury which isn’t worth the small savings.

Helpful Tip
As a parent, it can be beneficial to listen and watch for signs from your child while they’re playing tennis. If they’re out hitting on the court and you see them shaking their wrist or arm between points out of discomfort, or they complain about a sore wrist or arm, then it might be worth taking another look at their racquet size.

Grip Sizes for Kids

Grip size refers to the circumference of a racquet’s handle and is measured in inches. For kids, selecting the appropriate grip size is made easy because manufacturers produce a 4-inch grip size for almost all junior tennis racquets. Compare that to adult grip sizes where there many to choose from. You may find some variation; however, other grip sizes are rare.

In some rare cases, a racquet grip may be too large or too small for your child. If that’s the case, then some adjustments can be made to customize the fit. Making the grip smaller tends to be a little more challenging, so the best recommendation would be to speak to your instructor or take your racquet to your local tennis shop. They will be equipped to make changes while maintaining a comfortable feel.

If you think the grip size is too small, the easiest way to build up a grip is to merely add an overgrip, which will increase the grip size by about 1/16 of an inch. It’s unlikely that you’d need to increase the grip size too much, but your local tennis shop can help you build up your child’s grip with a more permanent fix if needed.

Tennis Strings for Kids

Generally speaking, kids tennis racquets will come pre-strung by the manufacturer, and they do this for a good reason. Strings simply aren’t an essential factor in the early stages of learning how to play tennis.

The difference in performance that strings offer is nuanced and something that will only come into play once your child has developed sufficient skills to detect those differences.

Our general recommendation for parents is not to worry about the strings until their child is using a full-size 27-inch tennis racquet which tends to happen once they hit their teens. At that point, the types of strings and the tension they’re strung at may start to become a factor.

Kids Racquet Materials & Weight

Similar to strings, advanced racquet materials aren’t a crucial factor in the selection of a tennis racquet for kids. Except for weight, kids won’t be able to tell the difference in feel comparing one material to the next.

Typically, junior tennis racquets are made of affordable and lightweight aluminum and sometimes a mix of graphite. For parents, this is good news because these are inexpensive materials that make kids tennis racquets significantly more affordable than tour level tennis racquets.

In our opinion, the most crucial factor with regards to material and a kids tennis racquet is durability, and all of the racquets in our list of the top racquet for kids stand up to the test.

The Best Kids Tennis Racquet

When it comes to buying children’s tennis racquets, the best racquet is one that meets the following criteria:

• Appropriately sized
• Durable
• Lightweight
• Pre-strung
• Affordable

If you combine these attributes with a racquet your child is excited to play with, then you’ve got a slam dunk. To make things easy, all of the tennis racquets in our guide below meet the above criteria. All you’ll have to do is make sure the size is correct.

Buyers Guide & Reviews for Kids Tennis Racquets

Now comes the fun part! Once you’ve nailed down the right size tennis racquet for your child, it’s time to find one they’ll love.

For kids, we find it typically comes down to a few simple factors:

• Color: we find toddlers and younger children tend to pick a tennis racquet based on the color and there are plenty to choose from.
• Theme: from Hello Kitty to Spiderman there are a few kids tennis racquets that are themed and may be something to consider.
• Favorite player: when your child is old enough to start recognizing players we tend to see they want the brand of racquet their idol users. In some cases, brands even have a children’s version of their top sponsored players racquets like Roger Federer, Maria Sharapova, or Rafael Nadal.

Below, you’ll find our selection of the 11 best kids tennis racquets for juniors. Many of these recommendations come in different sizes and colors, so we’ve listed out those specifics when available. All of the racquets in our list are made from sturdy aluminum and come pre-strung and ready for your child to start hitting right away.

Wilson US Open Junior Tennis Racquet

The Wilson US Open tennis racquet is one of the most popular racquets for kids getting started with tennis. One of the great things about this tennis racquet is that it comes in four different sizes and colors so as your child grows you can just move them up to the next size without even having to change the type of racquet they are using.

Each racquet features the red Wilson logo on the strings and throat of the racquet, the size in inches printed on the frame’s edge, as well as the words US Open printed at the top of the racquets head.

Street Tennis Racquet for Kids

This fun kids tennis racquet stands out from the crowd with a huge smiley face printed on the strings, and it comes in three different sizes. Its primary colors are black and yellow, but it also has pops of red, green, and blue graffiti style print on the racquets edge and makes use of a white grip.

With the available 17-inch racquet, it’s a perfect racquet to start your child with at a young age.

Hello Kitty Pink Junior Tennis Racquet

This Hello Kitty themed tennis racquet is a kid favorite! It’s pink and white with the Hello Kitty logo printed on the strings. Hello Kitty is written on the racquet’s throat and on the inner edge of the racquet’s head as well. It even features a fun pink grip with the logo and words Hello Kitty printed on it.

With four different sizes available, this is an excellent racquet for a wide range of children.

Wilson Burn Pink Junior Tennis Racquet

If your child is looking for a pink tennis racquet but isn’t quite into Hello Kitty, then this one is sure to be a winner.

This racquet’s bold pink paint job is inspired by the popular tour level Wilson Burn tennis racquet, and it features super fun, bright blue strings with a white Wilson logo. At 3 and 9 o’clock on the racquet’s head, it has black highlights with the Wilson logo and reads Wilson and Burn on either side of the racquet’s throat.

Wilson Burn Black Junior Tennis Racquet

As an alternative to the pink version of the Wilson Burn kids tennis racquet, this version features a sleek black and orange paint job with yellow highlights and orange strings that include a black Wilson logo.

The racquet size is printed at the bottom of the racquet’s head, and the Wilson logo is featured 2 and 9 o’clock on the racquet head and throat. Last but not least, the word burn is displayed on the throat as well as the inner edge at the top of the racquet’s head.

Le Petit Tennis Racquet & Tennis Ball

As the name suggests, Le Petit focuses on small racquets for kids 4 years or younger and comes in three different sizes. In fact, they are the only manufacturer in our top picks that features a 15-inch tennis racquet for toddlers or young children who are a bit shorter. Each tennis racquet also comes with a six-inch inflatable rubber tennis ball and ball pump which many parents love for playing in the driveway or yard.

Marvel Spider-Man Junior Tennis Racquet

If your child is into Spider-Man, then this tennis racquet from Marvel is a no-brainer for a variety of ages as it comes in four different sizes. It has a red, black, and blue paint job with white strings that feature a bold Spider-Man graphic. It also includes a fun red grip that will be sure to stand out from the crowd.

HEAD Speed Djokovic Junior Tennis Racquet

Inspired by HEAD’s tour-level Speed tennis racquet, this frame is perfect for kids who idolize Novak Djokovic, one of the biggest names in tennis. Similar to the Wilson US Open kids tennis racquet, this one comes in four different sizes and a different color for each size. On all four versions, it features the Head logo stenciled on the strings and printed on the side and bottom of the racquet’s head.

Babolat Aero Nadal Junior Tennis Racquet

If your child can’t get enough of Rafael Nadal, then look no further than this racquet which is painted to look just like his professional model. With four different sizes, a wide range of children can enjoy this tennis racquet. It features a black and yellow color scheme, with yellow strings that highlight the black Babolat logo, and a black grip.

Head Instinct Blue Tennis Racquet for Kids

Another option from HEAD for kids that love the color blue is the Instinct tennis racquet. It’s painted a neon blue with pink and white highlights and white tennis strings that display the HEAD logo printed in black. There are only two sizes available for this racquet, but we love the color!

Weierfu Kids Tennis Racquet

A brand that you may not have heard of, Weierfu has been around since 1990 and offers three different size kids tennis racquets. Each racquet has a base color of white with either yellow or red highlights and all of them come with a white grip. On the inside of the 17-inch versions racquet’s head, it reads Tornado 17 and on the 19 and 21-inch racquets Smash Jr.

Common Questions

How much to kids tennis racquets cost?
Most kids tennis racquets will fall in the $20-$30 range. You’ll find a few tennis racquets price lower and some larger sized tennis racquets priced higher, but parents should be able to find a racquet at these price points.

Where can I buy kids tennis racquets?
Kids tennis racquets can easily be found online, at big box stores, and your local tennis shop. Here are a few where you’ll typically have good luck:

• Amazon
• Target
• Walmart
• Dicks Sporting Goods

If you’re looking for some in-person advice, you’re most likely not going to find that at the above stores, but your local tennis club or retailer will be more than happy to lend helping hand.

Of course, feel free to comment at the bottom of this article if you have any questions and we’ll be happy to help there as well.

What else do I need for my child to play tennis?
For many kids, the only thing you’ll need to get them started in tennis is a racquet. However, depending on where they’re learning or taking lessons you may find they need non-marking shoes as well.

This is typically the case if kids are being taught on full-sized hard courts that are set up to teach children where shoes can leave undesired marks or skids on the court. It’s worth checking with the instructor or tennis club beforehand to see if this is a requirement or not.

Can you demo kids tennis racquets?
Typically, you’re not going to find demo racquets for kids. Your local tennis club may have a few on hand to help you find the right size, but because of the simplicity of kids racquets and low price points, it’s not common.

What are the differences between kids and adult tennis racquets?
There are a host of differences between kids and adult racquets, but without going into too much detail here are some of the key differences:

• Price: while there are affordable adult racquets on the market for beginners, most popular racquets for adults are significantly more expensive.
• Size: adult tennis racquets are full size or 27-inches in length. In fact, some extended length adult racquets can be as long as 28-inches. On the other hand, kids tennis racquets can be as small as 15-inches.
• Materials: racquet manufacturers use advanced materials to provide adults with a selection of different racquets that each offer unique attributes and feel. Kids tennis racquets are typically made of inexpensive aluminum to keep the price down.

Final Thoughts

With a little effort, you can have your child matched up with a great racquet in no time at all. Doing so will help prevent injury that can be caused by using a racquet that’s too large and keep your child out on the court having fun for hours.

Do you still have questions? Feel free to ask in the comments below. We’re here to help!

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