Round-up review: our score and verdict are based on published specs and reviews from across the web, not our own play-testing yet.
Babolat’s Boost Aero is the beginner’s Pure Aero: 260 g, a 660 cm² head and the tour frame’s yellow-and-black cosmetics, aimed squarely at casual players, adults picking up the sport and juniors moving up from a smaller racket. Babolat says so itself. It is a starting point, not a destination, and it is priced like one.
Built to be easy
Everything about the spec is aimed at forgiveness. At 260 g unstrung the graphite frame is easy to swing fast even without a grooved technique, and the head, a touch larger than the Pure Aero’s at 660 cm², shrinks the penalty for the off-centre hits every beginner makes. The 16×19 pattern is open enough to add a little trampoline to the string bed, which is where the easy power comes from.
Babolat’s Woofer system, borrowed from its performance frames, lengthens the time the ball spends on the strings for a touch more control and a softer impact. That matters for anyone still learning to strike cleanly, because it takes some of the shock out of mishits.
Where it stops
This is a racket you will grow out of, and that is the point. A 260 g frame gets pushed around by pace, and once your swing speed and technique arrive it will feel underpowered and unstable against stronger opponents. That is the moment to move to a Pure Drive, a Boom MP or a Pure Aero.
Adults who are already reasonably athletic, or juniors who have been playing a while, should consider the sibling Boost Strike at 285 g, which gives a little more stability from day one without losing the easy swing.
Specs
- Head size 660 cm² (approx 102 in²)
- Unstrung weight 260 g
- String pattern 16 x 19
- Composition Graphite
Verdict
A sensible first racket for adults and juniors starting out, with looks borrowed from the pros. Plan to trade up once your technique catches up.
