| Racket range | Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2 |
| Shape | Teardrop |
| Advertised weights (strung, grams) | 120, 125, 130, 135 |
| Weight distribution | Even |
| String | Tecnifibre Dynamix VP |
| Stringing pattern | 14×18 |
| Head size | 500cm² |
| Colour | White/blue/black |
| Release date | 2024 |
| Purchase links | Amazon |
| Price at launch | £90 – £150 |
New for 2024, Tecnifibre has updated its market-topping Carboflex range of squash rackets. Welcome, the Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2.
And this isn’t just a facelift. Tecnifibre has gone to town on its most popular line of squash rackets, introducing a whole new range of shapes and weights across their Carboflex frames.
This may come as a surprise, as recent iterations of the Carboflex had only received subtle changes from their former models. After all, if it’s not broken, it’s rarely wise to fix it!
So, has Tecnifibre improved upon its much loved range of rackets? We took to the court with the whole lineup to find out.
Purchase the Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2 at PDHSports.com
What’s new with the 2024 Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2?
Just two of the five new models share the same frame to their predecessor. The rest of the line up is all new.
- Tecnifibre Carboflex 120 X-Top V2 – A brand new, ultra light weight, slim frame. This weighs just 120g unstrung, making it the lightest advertised Carboflex ever. This racket is used by professional squash player Marwan Elshorbagy.
- Tecnifibre Carboflex 125 X-Top V2 – This is primarily a cosmetic upgrade on the previous model. This is Tecnifibre’s ‘do it all’ racket. It’s what many would describe as the ‘perfect weight and balance’. This racket is used by Mohamed Elshorbagy, and has been seen in the hands of Nouran Gohar.
- Tecnifibre Carboflex 125NS X-Top V2 – Again, a cosmetic upgrade on last season’s 125NS. This is the same weight and frame as the 125, but has a considerably thinner grip. This racket is used by Nour El sherbini.
- Tecnifibre Carboflex 130 X-Top V2 – A new, thicker ‘Jumboshaft’ makes an appearance here for Tecnifibre’s mid-weight racket. This thicker frame promises more potential power than slimmer frames within the range.
- Tecnifibre Carboflex 135 X-Top V2 – Something I haven’t ever seen in a racket before. This shares the 130’s thicker jumboshaft, but is 1 centimetre shorter. This length is lost entirely in the grip of the racket, and is said to make the racket more manoeuvrable than its weight would suggest.
Let’s talk about the new Carboflex 120 X-Top V2
The weight of the Carboflex rackets has been a talking point since the launch of the Airshaft range in 2020, which added around 8 grams. While minor, this weight gain changed the feel and balance for many long-time Carboflex fans.
The new 120 X-Top, however, addresses these concerns, restoring that original lightweight feel. Once strung and gripped, the 120 totals 147 grams, earning it a spot among the lightest rackets Tecnifibre has ever released and ranking it eighth out of 57 in our lightest racket database.
On the scales
| Racket | Weight in head (g) | Weight in grip (g) | Overall weight | Weight distribution |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex 120 X-Top V2 | 79 | 68 | 147 | 53.7% |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex 125 X-Top V2 | 83 | 72 | 155 | 53.5% |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex 125NS X-Top V2 | 82 | 69 | 151 | 54.3% |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex 130 X-Top V2 | 85 | 73 | 158 | 53.8% |
| Tecnifibre Carboflex 135 X-Top V2 | 86 | 76 | 162 | 53.1% |
The scales don’t lie. And there’s some interesting conclusions to take away here. As mentioned earlier, the 120 is a real featherweight at just 147 grams*.
Then as you go through the range, each racket progressively gets heavier until you land at the new 135 racket. Though interestingly, thanks to its shorter frame, the 135 had the most head-light weight distribution.
To be clear, this doesn’t mean the 135 feels lighter than the other rackets. However, it does go some way to help the racket feel lighter than you would expect.
From a balance-perspective, these rackets all sit firmly within the ‘even’ category of squash racket. They’re not head-heavy, they’re not particularly head-light, they sit nicely in-between.
Taking the 2024 Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2 squash rackets on court
Power
If power is what you look for in a racket, I would set your sights firmly on the Carboflex 130 . Its thicker shaft, or ‘Jumboshaft’ as Tecnifibre has named it, delivers. The racket feels extremely solid to hit the ball with. There’s very little vibration through the frame, just a wonderfully crisp feel as you hit through the ball.
You could also look towards the 135, which still offers ample power thanks to its heavier weight. However, its shorter frame decreases potential racket head speed due to having less leverage.
The 125 feels almost identical to previous models in the power department. If you’ve used last season’s or the season before’s, expect no surprises here.
And then to the 120. I had expected to feel a loss in power here, and while this may be true to an extent, thanks to its lighter weight, I felt I could generate racket-head speed really quickly, recuperating any power I might have lost.
However, I strongly feel this is mainly a benefit for players with excellent technique (i.e. not me!) – this light weight can lead to ‘hacking’ at the ball if players feel they aren’t generating enough power.
Manoeuvrability
The Carboflex X-Top is named after the top-section of the racket – more specifically, the lack of a bumper strip. In regular squash rackets, you’ll find a plastic strip which is designed to stop the racket from breaking when colliding with walls. Tecnifibre introduced a new material to the top of their frames that negates the need for a bumper strip, which aids manoeuvrability by making the rackets more aerodynamic.
And there’s no surprises here. The 120 takes the manoeuvrability trophy. At just 147g, with only 79g of weight in the head, it’s incredibly fast through the air.
When it comes to the X-Top V2 125, if you’ve used last season’s 125, they’ll feel almost identical (you’ll notice there’s a recurring theme building here!).
The 135 is an excellent choice for intermediate players. The shorter frame makes a real difference when it comes to digging the ball out of the back corners. If you watch professionals, they often ‘choke’ up their grip when the ball is stuck in the back of the court. This is something most club level players struggle with, therefore this design choice could go a long way to helping players who need a little help getting the ball out of tricky places.
And finally, the 130. This still feels really manoeuvrable to me, just a touch less so than the other rackets in this range. I still felt very capable when it came to adding deception to my shots and taking the ball on the volley. It’s far, far, from what you’d call a ‘sledgehammer’.
Touch, control and feel
The thinner frames in the lineup (the 120, 125 and 125NS) benefit from having more vibration through the frame. This vibration acts as a feedback mechanism, letting you know exactly how and where the ball has made contact with the string bed.
The thicker framed rackets (130 and 135) have less vibration, and therefore less feel through their frames.
Every racket benefits from a relatively dense 14×18 stringing pattern. This reduces the size of the gaps between strings, and as a general rule of thumb, denser patterns result in more touch.
Design
Tecnifibre has refined its look once again, simplifying the bold details from last season. Gone is the yellow ‘X-Top’ text across the racket top, replaced with a more subtle logo, and the entire racket now comes in a clean white, with blue and red accents nodding to Tecnifibre’s French heritage.
It’s an impressive, sleek design that solidifies Tecnifibre’s reputation as one of the cleanest looking brands on the market.
Purchase the Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2 at PDHSports.com
Should I upgrade to the Tecnifibre Carboflex X-Top V2?
There’s no straightforward answer here. But I’ll do my best. Here’s a few scenarios, see which you fit into:
If you have the previous X-Top 125, and you like it:
First and foremost, as a fully impartial journalist, and try to be as up-front and honest as possible with every article. With this, the new 125 is so similar, you likely won’t notice the difference. My advice would be to save cash and buy last season’s at a lower price – they can be found for around 30% cheaper than the new range.
That is unless you like to have the ‘latest and greatest’ rackets available. If this is the case, go forth and buy the new racket – you’ve earned it! I personally appreciate nicely designed products as well, and love the way these new rackets look.
If you have the previous X-Top 125, but you’d like a lighter racket
Then get the new X-Top 120 in a heartbeat. You won’t be disappointed. It’s as simple as that. It’s just like the 125, but lighter.
If you have either the previous X-Top 130 or 135
This is the tricky one. They feel noticeably different to the previous models, thanks to their ‘Jumboshaft’ design. Personally, I love the feel. But I can’t speak for everyone. Professional players who previously used the 130 appear to be migrating to either the 125 or 120. However, for club level players (let’s say up to 3,500 on SquashLevels.com), I believe the new frames are much better suited.
What’s the verdict?
Once again, Tecnifibre has produced a top-of-the-line squash racket. The new Carboflex X-Top V2 is a stellar racket that will no doubt find its way into the bags of players around the world.
The new weights and frame shapes are welcome additions to the lineup. Tecnifibre has successfully injected new life into the much loved racket. And given the slow movement of the squash racket market in recent years, this is always welcome.
Still, it’s hard to escape the fact that these are more evolution than revolution – especially the 125 gram variants. And it’s also tremendously difficult to look past the excruciatingly high prices these rackets demand. If you’re flush with cash, then you’ll no doubt be happy with your purchase. However, if budget is a constraint, now is an excellent time to pick up one of Tecnifibre’s previous Carboflex rackets. Check out our reviews of the Carboflex X-Top (2022), as well as the Carboflex Airshaft (2020).