1 Synthetic gut $6–8 / set
Comfort
7
Power
7
Durability
7
Control
7
Arm friendliness 4 of 5 Arm 6+ yrs
Best for
Best tennis strings for younger kids
Top 12 of 21 matching strings in our database. #1 is Babolat Syn Gut.
For kids 10 and under, the string should be soft, lively and cheap to replace. Stiff polyesters made for adults are the wrong choice for a growing arm.
Every string here has a recommended minimum age of 10 or younger in our database. The youngest-friendly picks come first.
The list
2 Synthetic gut $4–6 / set
Gamma
Synthetic Gut with WearGuard
Super Resilient Dynalon solid center core with WearGuard wear-resistant outer wrap, irradiated for elasticity
Comfort
7
Power
7
Durability
7
Control
6
Arm friendliness 4 of 5 Arm 6+ yrs
3 Synthetic gut $4–6 / set
Comfort
7
Power
8
Durability
7
Control
6
Arm friendliness 4 of 5 Arm 6+ yrs
4 Multifilament $18–21 / set
Comfort
9
Power
7
Durability
6
Control
7
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
5 Multifilament $15–18 / set
Comfort
9
Power
8
Durability
5
Control
6
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
6 Multifilament $8–9 / set
Comfort
8
Power
7
Durability
6
Control
7
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
7 Multifilament $14–18 / set
Comfort
9
Power
9
Durability
5
Control
5
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
8 Multifilament $12–16 / set
Comfort
10
Power
7
Durability
5
Control
7
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
9 Multifilament $18–22 / set
Tecnifibre
X-One Biphase
High Heat Capacity (H2C) fibers with Biphasic trimerization process and polyurethane immersion
Comfort
10
Power
9
Durability
5
Control
6
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
10 Multifilament $18–20 / set
Comfort
9
Power
8
Durability
5
Control
6
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
11 Multifilament $18–20 / set
Comfort
10
Power
9
Durability
4
Control
5
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
12 Multifilament $18–22 / set
Yonex
Rexis Comfort
Multifilament with FORTIMO (highly elastic polyurethane by Mitsui Chemicals) plasma-bonded to nylon filaments
Comfort
10
Power
8
Durability
4
Control
6
Arm friendliness 5 of 5 Arm 8+ yrs
Ranking table
| # | String | Type | Power | Spin | Control | Comfort | Durability | Arm | Set price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Babolat Syn Gut | Synthetic gut | 7 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4/5 | $6–8 |
| 2 | Gamma Synthetic Gut with WearGuard | Synthetic gut | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4/5 | $4–6 |
| 3 | Wilson Synthetic Gut Power | Synthetic gut | 8 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 4/5 | $4–6 |
| 4 | Babolat Xcel | Multifilament | 7 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 5/5 | $18–21 |
| 5 | Gamma Live Wire XP | Multifilament | 8 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5/5 | $15–18 |
| 6 | Prince Premier Control | Multifilament | 7 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5/5 | $8–9 |
| 7 | Tecnifibre NRG2 | Multifilament | 9 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 5/5 | $14–18 |
| 8 | Tecnifibre TGV | Multifilament | 7 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 5 | 5/5 | $12–16 |
| 9 | Tecnifibre X-One Biphase | Multifilament | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 5 | 5/5 | $18–22 |
| 10 | Wilson NXT | Multifilament | 8 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5/5 | $18–20 |
| 11 | Wilson NXT Power | Multifilament | 9 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 5/5 | $18–20 |
| 12 | Yonex Rexis Comfort | Multifilament | 8 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 4 | 5/5 | $18–22 |
How we ranked
We kept strings with a recommended minimum age of 10 or less, ranked them by that age (youngest first), and broke ties with arm friendliness.
Ratings come from our string database, built from manufacturer specs, lab tests and published reviews. Each string page lists its sources. 9 more strings passed the filter but did not make the top 12.
Questions parents ask
Does my 8-year-old need a special string?
Not really. A pre-strung junior racquet is fine. When you restring, a synthetic gut or soft multifilament from this list is a good, cheap choice.
When can kids use polyester?
Most polyesters in our database list a minimum age of 12 to 14, and only for players with strong, full swings.
What size racquet should my child use?
Racquet length matters more than string at this age. Use our racquet size calculator to find the right length by height and age.