Yonex has just released new colourways for the Astrox Nextage and the Nanoflare Nextage for the 2024/2025 seasons. They're both made in Taiwan and all other specs will be the same as the original ones with only the colours being changed, so let's recap both and talk about how the new colours look!
I have done in-depth reviews of both already so don't forget to check out the Astrox Nextage review here and the Nanoflare Nextage review here! You can also buy them here: Astrox Nextage, Nanoflare Nextage.
Review of Appearance & Materials Of Yonex Astrox Nextage & Yonex Nanoflare Nextage Badminton Rackets 2024/2025
In terms of looks, these new colourways are not as eye-catching as the original Nextage rackets. The original Nanoflare Nextage had a clean full white matte finish and the original Astrox Nextage had flashes of green on top of a matte black finish, which both looked very cool in my opinion.
Both of the new Nextage rackets are grey, with the Astrox being a slighter lighter grey and the Nanoflare being a slightly darker grey. There aren't many pops of colour on both, so if you like the simple neutral look, you might like these.
The Astrox is an 80-grommet badminton racket which is more than usual Yonex rackets so it can be slightly more fiddly for stringers to deal with. Yonex’s single pass grommets are often grouped at the top of the racket between the 2 and 10 o'clock region but the Nextage has 3 sets of single pass grommets at the bottom of the racket around the 5 and 7 o'clock regions of the racket.
There are also 5 rows of larger grommets which is a feature of multiple Astrox rackets such as the Astrox 88D Pro and 99 Pro (which only had 4 rows). I do like these larger grommets as I think they provide a slightly better shuttle hold by allowing the strings to move that little bit. I did notice these larger grommets were placed around the 3 to 4 o'clock and 8 to 9 o'clock regions on the frame though, which is lower than the usual sweet spot on a badminton racket.
For the Nanoflare, the grommet strips at the base of the racket frame around both sides of the T joint are worth noting. Yonex calls these grommet strips the Speed Assist Bumper on its other rackets, but on the Nanoflare Nextage, it is called the Connected Grommets.
For example, on the Nanoflare 1000Z (review here), the grommet strip covers only 4 grommet holes on each side, but on the Nanoflare Nextage, the grommet strip covers the length of 6 grommet holes on each side, making it 50% longer compared to the ones on the Nanoflare 1000Z. The finish for the Speed Assist Bumper is glossy whereas the Connected Grommets are matte, so that's another difference. And by the way, there are no grommet strips on the Astrox Nextage.
The Nanoflare Nextage does have a wider profile frame with a more rounded finish on both sides of its frame. This is compared to the Astrox Nextage that has a more square frame profile. Also, the Nanoflare Nextage does not have Yonex’s vibration-dampening material (VDM) technology which was present in the Astrox Nextage.
I loved the feel of the Astrox Nextage with VDM so I was slightly disappointed not to see it on the Nanoflare too, although Yonex did mention that they have incorporated its Nanocell Neo technology at the top of the Nanoflare Nextage's frame to soften the feel of it.
Remember to protect your precious badminton rackets from chips and scratches with the Premium Racket Protection Tape with free delivery worldwide on ckyew.com/shop. We also have some super limited edition player signed prints too!
Specifications & Measurements Of Yonex Astrox Nextage & Yonex Nanoflare Nextage Badminton Rackets
In terms of measurements, both the Astrox Nextage and Nanoflare Nextage have a shaft diameter of 7mm. The Astrox has a shaft length of 21.5cm whereas the Nanoflare has a slightly shorter shaft of 21cm.
For frame size, the Nanoflare has a frame height of 23.7cm and a frame width of 18.5cm, whilst having a fully recessed frame profile. The Astrox however, has a frame height of 23.5cm and frame width of 18.6cm with the top half of the frame being recessed. I really like how smooth the finish of the gradient is coming off from the recessed to the non-recessed area around the 3 and 9 o'clock region on the frame!
For frame thickness, the Astrox measures at 11.3mm with a more square-ish frame profile design whilst the Nanoflare is just slightly thicker at 11.6mm, with a rounder frame profile. The Nanoflare Nextage has a handle length of 17.5cm and Astrox Nextage is slightly shorter at 17cm.
In terms of stringing, both rackets in the 4U spec are rated up to 28lbs for tension.
When I strung the Astrox with my usual combination of Yonex Aerobite (UK here) strings at 27 by 29 lbs, the top of the racket did flex a little more under tension. Additionally, I realized halfway through stringing that the mains strings are denser around the centre of the racket and it's a lot wider closer to the edges or around the 3 and 9 o'clock region of the racket. Gaps in between the cross are much more consistent across from the bottom to the top and only the mains vary in terms of density. I guess this will produce a stiffer hitting feel and perhaps increased durability in the central area when there are more strings supporting each other there.
The Nanoflare Nextage had no issues stringing it with my usual string set-up. However, for the longevity of the frame, I wouldn’t advise going above the recommended stringing tension.
Playing Feel & Performance Of Yonex Astrox Nextage & Yonex Nanoflare Nextage Badminton Rackets
The Astrox Nextage definitely feels head-heavy and one thing that really stood out to me was that the way shots are hit sounds different compared to other rackets I've tried. The best way for me to describe this would be very similar to a pro’s smash. It's one of the most satisfying sounds and what you hear on TV does not do it justice to seeing it at a live event!
This Astrox Nextage sounds like a lower-pitched, damped sound instead of the usual “ping” coming off the strings, especially on a power shot. That made an immediate impression on me and don't forget that this was with Aerobite strings. Imagine if it was strung with better-sounding, louder strings such as Exbolt 63 or 65. It would sound absolutely amazing!
The Astrox Nextage is also a medium stiff racket and felt slightly more flexible than the Astrox 88D, probably closer to the Astrox 77 and Astrox 77 Pro.
The Nanoflare Nextage on the other hand felt very head-light and swung very fast too! This is probably due to the lighter head and thin frame. Yonex rates the Nanoflare Nextage as a medium stiff racket and I would say it's medium to medium soft. Because of the lack of head weight, the Nanoflare can also feel unstable at times when in contact with the shuttle, especially when you need a bit of head weight to help carry the shuttle through, so that's something to consider.
Because of the heavier head, the swing speed on the Astrox was certainly slower than other top-end fast rackets and you can feel a slight drag when swinging, similar to the Nanoflare 700's (review here) swing feel. Power shots feel good too as you would expect from a head-heavy racket.
One thing I did struggle with though was the short sharp front-court shots. Perhaps this was because of the slightly more flexible shaft but I was just felt I was missing that little bit of sharpness on the shorter sharper shots.
However, for anything that requires speed, the Nanoflare Nextage can give you plenty! Defense shots, as well as whippy long drives, are super easy with this racket. This racket will be great for players looking for something super fast and super easy to pick up and play with, this will 100% be your racket. If you struggle with stiffer rackets, this will be good for you too! You won’t get much raw power with the Nanoflare Nextage due to the lack of head weight but you certainly won't have a hard time trying to get your shots away!
Final Thoughts
As I said in my previous review, the Astrox Nextage is like a head-heavy and cheaper version of the Nanoflare 700. The sound that comes off the strings is definitely fun to hear which is an extra bonus.
The Nanoflare Nextage however is a super easy racket to play with and would make a great first 'proper' racket for amateur players. But if you prefer head-heavy rackets then you may find this one is too soft.
Ultimately, not all rackets will suit everyone so it's important to take your time to find one that works for your specific needs and abilities! What do you think of these new colourways? Let me know in the comments and until then, I'll see you in the next one!