Top 20 Table Tennis Rubbers in 2024

What table tennis rubbers are most popular with amateur table tennis players? To answer this question, I conducted a survey, asking players what rubbers they currently use for their forehand and backhand. 

I sent the survey to subscribers of my mailing list and YouTube channel, various table tennis Facebook groups and users of the Table Tennis Daily forum.

In total, I received 594 responses from players from 70 different countries. The highest number of responses was from the UK (38%), USA (12%), Germany (7%), Australia (4%) and India (3%). Overall, 68% of responses were from players in Europe. The results of this survey should be viewed from this perspective. I’m sure that if 68% of responses were from players in Asia, the results would be different.

Most responses were from players who described their standard as intermediate (70%) , followed by advanced (21%), and then beginner (9%).

Most players described their playing style as an attacker (54%), followed by all-rounder (41%), and then defender (5%).

There are 41 different rubber brands which players are currently using. The most popular are:

1. Butterfly (25%)
2. Tibhar (10%)
3. Yasaka (8%)
4. Xiom (8%)
5. JOOLA (7%)
6. DHS (7%)
7. Nittaku (6%)
8. STIGA (6%)
9. Donic (5%)
10. Andro (4%)

When I ran this survey in 2022, Butterfly was top with 18% of players using one of their rubbers. In the two years since this has increased to 25%. Despite being the most expensive brand, Butterfly seem to be increasing their popularity amongst the amateur table tennis community. That being said, 75% of rubbers being used are not Butterfly, so the vast majority of players are enjoying using other brands.

Incredibly, players who responded to the survey are using 291 different rubbers! There is a massive choice of rubbers available. This can feel somewhat overwhelming when trying to find the right rubber to play with, as there is too much choice. On the flip side, as there is so much choice, it is possible to find the rubber which is the exact match for your playing style. One thing for certain, it is an extremely competitive market, with new rubbers frequently being produced.

So, on to the results. What are the most popular rubbers? The first list below is the top 20 of all rubbers used. Each entry includes a rubber description, views from players who completed the survey and links to purchase the rubber. For transparency, these are affiliate links, so I earn a small commission on any rubbers purchased. Below this top 20 list I have highlighted the 20 most popular forehand rubbers and also the 20 most popular backhand rubbers. There is also a video of me testing the no.1 rubber on the list.

These results should be taken as a snap-shot of rubber popularity at a specific moment in time (February 2024) amongst a small section of the global amateur table tennis community. Hopefully it will help players make an informed decision when choosing which rubbers to play with.