Best Squash Racquets 2026: The Best Picks by Playing Style

For most players who already play squash regularly, the best squash racquet of 2026 is the Tecnifibre Carboflex 125 X-Top V2: 125 g, a 500 cm² head, and even balance, a package that attacks and defends without needing adjustment. If your game leans one way, the choice changes: the Dunlop CX 125 has a compact 470 cm² head and a closed throat, the Head Speed 135 SB has 135 g for players who defend from the back, and the Dunlop CX 120 is the lightest at the top, at 120 g.

The list below separates the racquets by profile, explains the technical reason for each pick, and shows live prices from stores.

How we chose the best squash racquets of 2026

We started with the squash racquets published in the Racquet Rank catalog and cross-checked four things:

• Spec sheet: unstrung weight, balance, head area, and string pattern. In squash, those four numbers explain almost everything you feel on court.
• RR Score: the site's overall score, which appears live on each racquet. The math is in the methodology.
• Generation and availability: we prioritized current models with offers from stores. A good racquet nobody sells doesn't help.
• Profile consistency: each racquet was placed in the profile its own spec sheet suggests, such as compact head, head-heavy, or low weight.

There are no paid placements. If none of the options below matches your game, Find Your Racket matches your level and style against the whole catalog.

The best squash racquets by profile

Direct comparison: the five standouts side by side

The table below makes the difference in philosophy among the top racquets clear. Note three columns: head area (forgiveness), string pattern (control), and balance (maneuverability).

Best overall: why the Carboflex 125 X-Top V2 came out on top

In squash, the racquet has to do two things that fight each other: swing fast enough to save a ball that comes back off the side wall in a split second, and carry enough mass to send a drive to the back without breaking down your stroke. The Carboflex 125 X-Top V2 solves this down the middle.

• 125 g is the weight where a good share of competition racquets now cluster. Light enough for volleys at the T, heavy enough not to shake against a hard ball.
• A 350 mm balance, practically in the middle of a 68.5 cm racquet. The head doesn't drag on your wrist, and you don't miss the momentum.
• 500 cm² is the maximum the rules allow. A big sweet spot helps when you arrive late and catch the ball off-center.
• Bumper-free tip: Tecnifibre replaces the plastic cap with aramid fibers, which takes weight off the point farthest from the handle. With less mass at the tip, the head tends to accelerate more easily.

If you have small hands or like to rotate your wrist a lot on boasts and volleys, there is the NS version, with a thinner handle. And the NEO generation, launched in 2026, is already in the catalog, but with few offers for now.

Compact head: Dunlop CX 125

Control in squash means placing the ball a few centimeters from the side wall, or making the drop die before the second bounce without touching the tin. Two things help: a smaller head and a closed throat.

The CX 125 has 470 cm², 30 cm² less than most. It seems small, but the stringbed is more compact and uniform, and that tends to make the exit angle more predictable. The closed throat (with a bridge between the head and the handle) shortens the main strings and reduces the trampoline effect. The price comes with it: a smaller head forgives off-center hits less and gives less free power.

Players who want control, but with more forgiveness, have the sister CX 132: a traditional 500 cm² head, dense 16x19 pattern, and 132 g, still head-light. The difference between head shapes is explained in detail in the guide to open vs. closed throat squash racquets.

The lightest on the list: Dunlop CX 120

If your game is to stay at the T and cut the ball off with a volley before it reaches the back, hand speed is worth more than the weight of the ball. The CX 120 has 120 g unstrung and a head-light balance, the combination that makes reacting easiest.

What sets it apart from other ultralight racquets is the 490 cm² hybrid head with elongated main strings: Dunlop stretches the strings into the throat area, with the idea of recovering some of the rebound that lightness takes away. Even so, it has little mass to block a heavy ball at the back; players who spend most of the match defending from behind tend to do better with 125 to 130 g.

More mass or a heavy head: Head Speed 135 SB and Dunlop FX 128 Pro

Power in squash is not just hitting hard. It is managing to send the ball to the back even when you are out of position, with a short swing, because the side wall doesn't let you take a full backswing. Two racquets on the list bet on this by different paths on the spec sheet.

Head Speed 135 SB 2025 uses mass: 135 g unstrung, a 500 cm² head, and a teardrop shape with an open throat. The balance is head-light, so the weight sits closer to the hand, which keeps the racquet from feeling slow. The thinner Slimbody frame helps on balls stuck to the wall, a situation where a thick frame scrapes before the strings touch the ball.

Dunlop FX 128 Pro 2026 uses a heavy head: 128 g with the mass shifted to the top, an open throat, and 500 cm². It is a spec sheet that suits players who attack early, up front. The 14x19 pattern is slightly denser than the usual 14x18, with more cross strings in the stringbed.

Smaller head and thin frame: Head Radical 135 SB

The Radical line is Head's answer for touch players. The 135 SB 2024 has 475 cm², an even balance, and a 16 mm Slimbody frame. The 135 g looks like a lot on paper, but the even balance keeps that mass near the middle of the racquet, without concentrating weight at the tip.

The adaptable pattern is a differentiator: the same frame can be strung 14x17, for more power, or 18x17, with the strings in a fan, for more control. If you don't know yet what you prefer, start with the factory pattern and ask for the change at your next restring.

The 2026 version is already in the catalog with Hy-Bor technology in the handle, but the 2024 is the one that currently shows up with easier availability.

Brazilian signature model and classic control: Unsquashable

Unsquashable has two good options at the top of the catalog:

• Diego Gobbi Autograph 2026: 125 g, 500 cm², head-light, and a 14x18 pattern. It is the racquet for the aggressive player who wants a big, fast head. It comes with a good-quality string and grip, which is usually a real saving, since many racquets leave the factory with basic string.
• Tour-Tec Pro 125: same weight, same area, but a classic head instead of a teardrop. The classic head spreads the area more toward the top and sides, and the ball comes off less "loose" than on a power teardrop. Good for players who already have a stroke and want to refine placement.

One detail to note: Unsquashable reports the racquets' "dynamic weight," a measure specific to the brand. Compare it with caution to the unstrung weight from other manufacturers.

For players moving on from aluminum: Dunlop FX Team 125

Not everyone needs a competition racquet. If you play once or twice a week and are still replacing your first racquet, the FX Team 125 is the most sensible choice on this list. It is graphite, with a 500 cm² teardrop head, 125 g, and head-light. It is rated 4.3 out of 5 on Amazon with 19 reviews. For players still in their first lessons, see the guide to the best squash racquets for beginners, which also covers aluminum racquets and choosing the ball.

Which squash racquet to buy for your style

Still torn between two models? The squash racquet comparison tool puts the spec sheets side by side, and the Dunlop comparison helps you understand the differences between the CX, FX, and Team lines. To understand each number on the spec sheet at your own pace, read the guide on how to choose a squash racquet.

Common mistakes when choosing

• Buying a pro's racquet by name. Professionals choose by their own swing, and many customize weight and balance. What works for someone who trains every day can be too fast or too lively for you.
• Looking only at weight. Two 125 g racquets can feel opposite because of balance. Always read the two together.
• Ignoring the string. The factory string on an entry-level racquet is usually basic. Switching to a 1.20 mm multifilament can change the feel more than switching models.
• Underestimating the grip. A worn grip slips, and you squeeze the handle harder to compensate. Replace it before blaming the racquet.

If you have been playing for a few years and want to understand when it is worth moving to a lighter or control-oriented racquet, the guide to squash racquets for intermediate players deals exactly with that transition.