Tennis Warehouse Playtest: Luxilon ECO Power & ECO Rough

[Cowboy]

The only issue I had with ECO Rough was on serves where I'm mainly hitting kick serves and slice serves here in doubles. For whatever reason, I honestly don't know why; maybe the string tension was a bit too low; not sure; but I couldn't seem to get the control I expected on my kick or slice serves especially compared to ECO Power which I found exceptionally good on serves. Things started to change a bit in the third set so maybe it was just a break in or getting used to it issue. Jury is still out.

That's interesting. My experience, so far, has been almost the exact opposite. I've got right at 1.5 hours playing doubles with the ECO Rough...also on a 16x19 pattern racquet (strung 48lbs on Blade 100L v8, FWIW)

I felt like my normal spin/slice shots were so-so and my spin serve was lethal with the ECO Rough. I have practice on Thursday and my first Fall match of Doubles on Saturday, so I'm interested to see how my impression changes on the next outing.

 

[mhkeuns]

After putting in about four hours with Eco Power I can say this string does everything pretty well. The feel is more firm than something like Element, but not as crisp or stiff feeling like Volkl Cyclone. Since it was called “Eco Power”, I expected it to be somewhat springy, like the Yonex Poly Tour Strike. Instead, it was a good all around performer that reminded me of Yonex Poly Tour Pro. I strung it a little higher than my normal tension, but the feel wasn’t harsh or stiff at all.

 

[Dunlop300g]

That's interesting. My experience, so far, has been almost the exact opposite. I've got right at 1.5 hours playing doubles with the ECO Rough...also on a 16x19 pattern racquet (strung 48lbs on Blade 100L v8, FWIW)

I felt like my normal spin/slice shots were so-so and my spin serve was lethal with the ECO Rough. I have practice on Thursday and my first Fall match of Doubles on Saturday, so I'm interested to see how my impression changes on the next outing.

Did you have any noticeable break-in time with ECO Rough? I'm going to take both ECO Power and ECO Rough out tonight and hit them both with the ball machine for a direct comparison. And I'll hit a basket of serves at some cones for another test. By the time I was playing with ECO Rough; originally strung at 45 lbs; it was at 40 lbs the next day which is pretty common. The string pattern in the Dunlop 300g is pretty dense for a 16 x 19; 98 sq. in.

 

[Cowboy]

Did you have any noticeable break-in time with ECO Rough? I'm going to take both ECO Power and ECO Rough out tonight and hit them both with the ball machine for a direct comparison. And I'll hit a basket of serves at some cones for another test. By the time I was playing with ECO Rough; originally strung at 45 lbs; it was at 40 lbs the next day which is pretty common. The string pattern in the Dunlop 300g is pretty dense for a 16 x 19; 98 sq. in.

I played pretty crappy that night. I'm thinking it was more me than the strings. I switched to my other racquet at the 1.5 hour mark and played better almost immediately. Possibly a placebo of switching racquets, but maybe the ECO R just needed to be broken in. I'm hoping for a better outcome Thursday. They've had a week to rest/stretch and have been played with for 1.5 hours now.

FWIW, my other racquet is strung w/ Head RIP Control 16g at 55lbs. I played awful with it at first too, so I'm thinking I may play better with lower tension. I expect that the ECO R will be the same....better (relative to me) as it breaks in.

 

[SlowTiger]

I played pretty crappy that night. I'm thinking it was more me than the strings. I switched to my other racquet at the 1.5 hour mark and played better almost immediately. Possibly a placebo of switching racquets, but maybe the ECO R just needed to be broken in. I'm hoping for a better outcome Thursday. They've had a week to rest/stretch and have been played with for 1.5 hours now.

FWIW, my other racquet is strung w/ Head RIP Control 16g at 55lbs. I played awful with it at first too, so I'm thinking I may play better with lower tension. I expect that the ECO R will be the same....better (relative to me) as it breaks in.

It doesn't need breaking in. The break in period is when the strings actually play well. Both play really well for 1-2 seasons and die. They flat line at some point around the 8 hr mark where will maintain till they snap. You'll lose snapback at this point. And you'll play devil's advocate with yourself on if you should cut them out or not... I really need to write my playtest review. Lol

 

[racquetlab]

For those who have hit with Eco Rough, which currently available string is closest to it?

 

[ngoster]

For those who have hit with Eco Rough, which currently available string is closest to it?

From memory, maybe Cyclone? Cyclone Tour feels softer.

 

[ngoster]

I'm at the 8 hour mark with the Eco Rough after tonight's hit. Between 6 and 8 hours, the mains are starting to stay out of place.

 

[StringStrungStrang]

I've finally strung up my matching Babolat Pure Strike 98 16x19 with Luxilon Eco Power @ 45 m x 48 cr. Easy enough to string, I did have a small problem when I was cinching it up and a string snapped when I was tying off the mains. Luckily I was still able to tie it off properly, so no harm there. I think that has only ever happened once before, but I don't think it is overly brittle, just caught the string in the wrong and applied too much force. Crosses went in without any problems.
I'll play ECO Power for a bit then play the other Pure Strike I have set up with ECO Rough, to get into an official comparison.
ECO Rough has played well, but I hope ECO Power plays better !! IF I had to guess I'd say that the ECO Power is a little stiffer than ECO Rough. I'll get a chance to hit with it for 5-6 hours in the next couple of days so that will tell me a lot.

 

[Dunlop300g]

I played pretty crappy that night. I'm thinking it was more me than the strings. I switched to my other racquet at the 1.5 hour mark and played better almost immediately. Possibly a placebo of switching racquets, but maybe the ECO R just needed to be broken in. I'm hoping for a better outcome Thursday. They've had a week to rest/stretch and have been played with for 1.5 hours now.

FWIW, my other racquet is strung w/ Head RIP Control 16g at 55lbs. I played awful with it at first too, so I'm thinking I may play better with lower tension. I expect that the ECO R will be the same....better (relative to me) as it breaks in.

Thanks! @Cowboy much appreciated. Ya I took both out with the ball machine last night and I'm definitely changing my opinion to match much of what other testers has found at this point. I served just about equal with both stings (using cone targets); the ECO Power is a slight adv. No issues on accuracy within reason on ECO Rough. Ground strokes we fine with both string beds. I'm going to play probably 3 sets of doubles this evening then I'm going to post my official and final review.

 

[Leen]

Regular string setup & tension
Lynx Tour Champaign 17g & Lynx Touch 17g (When feeling sore)
Both full bed, not hybrid at 52lbs.

Racquet(s) used for test
Head Boom Pro (No customizations)

Tension(s) used for playtest
ECO POWER - 52lbs
ECO ROUGH - 52lbs

Power/Control
ECO POWER
This string is probably closest to my lynx tour. But Eco power is slightly more powerful. I noticed my shots would be slightly deeper. It is more powerful than Eco Rough. The extra power was nice at times but not for my game. Because I lost confidence in my control. I was more tentative on my shots and did not have as much confidence swinging out with this string. Shots would land about a foot or less deep every time, because of that I had to focus more on brushing the ball to keep it in.

ECO ROUGH
This string played very similar to lynx touch. This string actually plays AMAZINGLY the first 4 hours. No breakin needed. The control was just right, I felt very confident on all my shots, little to no adjustment using this string for me coming from Lynx touch right before it. Power wise it is less than eco power and just slightly more than my lynx touch.


Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER
Eco power was noticeably stiffer than the lynx tour for me. Was not stiff to the point of arm paint right away but it is something I would be very careful with playing too long with. Especially for those who have sensitive arms like me. Unfortunately with this extra stiffness I did not feel the benefit you typically would get with a stiffer string. (E.g. Control, spin, feel) it was all sub par for the stiffness trade off. I felt I got better performance from my lynx tour and better touch/pocketing with a more comfortable string. This was my biggest turn off with Eco Power.

ECO ROUGH
Eco rough felt quite nice to me the first 4 hours. Was very comparable to my lynx touch but slightly more crisp and better feel. I played some of my best doubles using this string. My volleys were on point, I felt very connected with my shots, as if I could make split second adjustments through my stroke and everything just felt very comfortable without being mushy.

Spin
ECO POWER
Spin was there and the ball would jump from time to time but was not as easily accessible compared to other strings. Stringing Eco power myself, I felt the strings were a little sticky and was already having a hard time believing it would have good snapback because of it. Spin wise it would be Lynx Tour>Eco Rough>Eco Power. The spin to power ratio just did not fit my game as well. I really had to just focus on brushing the ball more to keep it from sailing. I believe if you have a flatter playstyle this string could work. I am more of a counter puncher that likes to hit high heavy balls. I could not play my game as well because of this.

ECO ROUGH
Eco rough on the other hand just from stringing it I was very excited. Probably one of the easiest string jobs because the crosses just glided across each other when weaving. There is a coating or something that just makes this string super slick. Spin to power ratio was perfect for me. I can maintain high racket head speed without fear of launching the ball. Kept the ball very deep and heavy. No issues flattening my shots either. String felt fairly predictable.

Playability Duration
ECO POWER
After about 3-4 hours of play, tension dropped down to about 45lbs. Comfort and playability was declining gradually around the 2 hour mark but nothing too significant. Seemed to plateau afterwards. But I honestly was not really feeling this string and did not want to risk arm injury with its stiffness. Notching was quite deep and probably only had 1-2 more play sessions before those sawed through.

ECO ROUGH
Okay so I probably played some of my best tennis with this string and I was highly considering switching to this string if not for this biggest issue. The first 4 hours this string does it all. Comfort, control, spin, power, feel, super easy to string. After 4 hours I noticed the string bed started to lock up and mains would start to stick out of place. By the 6th hour, my wrist, elbow and shoulder were starting to hurt. I have never had all 3 joints hurt at once before except when I used a pure aero vs with RPM blast at 55 lbs 2 years ago. This string just goes from heavenly to hell very quickly. Unless you have multiple rackets to switch to and are okay to string often, I cannot recommend this string because of that. It is a good comfort string as the marketing suggests but those with arm issues be very careful playing this string too long cause this ends up being some of the most arm UN-friendly string quick. Tension was around 45lbs when I cut it
Out.


Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER
If I had to try this string again, I would probably try this again at 48-50lbs to see if I get better comfort and snapback. But that does not help me much in the power/control category.

ECO ROUGH
I enjoyed this at 52 lbs as my go to tension. If I were to experiment I would also try dropping tension to see if I can control the ball still and get more comfort.


List any additional thoughts (optional)

If you really want to push Eco friendliness you have to make the consumer want to buy the string. If you are selling a recycled string, which to me and I’m guessing others too, it has a negative connotation of being lower performance/quality compared to its standard options. E.g. “Why would I buy a 15 dollar recycled string from bottles, when I can get a performance string such as Solinco Tourbite at 12 dollars?”

I’m not in marketing so maybe it is just a Luxilon thing to have a high price to maintain that appearance of high end strings. Or research and development has not reached that break point to make the strings cheaper, but as a typical user I am going to stick with my current strings as much as it would be nice to help the environment.

If you want people to switch to these strings you have to either make it play just as good or really better than standard strings or you have to drop the price to make up for the playability drawback.
Very few people are going to openly switch to lower performing strings for environmental causes. Or you strike gold with a pro that uses these strings and have them support it.




sorry for formatting. I can't easily go back and mess with the font on these forums.

 

[racquetlab]

ECO ROUGH
Okay so I probably played some of my best tennis with this string and I was highly considering switching to this string if not for this biggest issue. The first 4 hours this string does it all. Comfort, control, spin, power, feel, super easy to string. After 4 hours I noticed the string bed started to lock up and mains would start to stick out of place. By the 6th hour, my wrist, elbow and shoulder were starting to hurt. I have never had all 3 joints hurt at once before except when I used a pure aero vs with RPM blast at 55 lbs 2 years ago. This string just goes from heavenly to hell very quickly. Unless you have multiple rackets to switch to and are okay to string often, I cannot recommend this string because of that. It is a good comfort string as the marketing suggests but those with arm issues be very careful playing this string too long cause this ends up being some of the most arm UN-friendly string quick. Tension was around 45lbs when I cut it
Out.

I agree 100% with your review - spot on. I cut mine out when the mains started to stick out of place, so before I experienced any discomfort.

I really wanted to love it, but durability would seem like a big area of improvement. If you want to create a sustainable product, wouldn't one key metric be to bump durability so you have to restring less often?

 

[SlowTiger]

Luxilon ECO Playtest

Regular string setup & tension: OEHMS Matador Strike or Diadem Solstice @48 pounds

Racquet(s) used for test: Dunlop CV 3.0

Tension(s) used for playtest
ECO POWER: I previously bought a few sets so I tried it at 48 pounds, 50 pounds and a hybrid at 52M/55 syn gut crosses
ECO ROUGH: 48 pounds

Power/Control
ECO POWER: Eco power has more power then eco rough, but it isn't a power string. It's still a controlled string but not on the same level as stiffer strings such as red code, razor code, 4g or well anything that makes your arm want to cry. It does have a bit of pop in it.
ECO ROUGH: Deader string then Eco rough. Almost like the Alu knock offs we all know we'll. It has 70-80% of that playability but not the magic. Slightly less power then eco power and more control.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER: Has a nice pop and feel to the string. Lux found that good middle ground of pop, crispness and control. This strung at 48 pounds has similar comfort to a 16g synthetic gut string at 60...to me at least. Problem is when it dies, it trampolines and feels soft but the arm will feel it after playing.
ECO ROUGH: I want to say it feels maybe a little softer then Eco power but not much. Really hard to say. I think it glides better. I've seen people swing both ways about which is softer for them and I think it depends on their play style and string friction. I mean it's 90% the same material.

Spin
ECO POWER: The spin is where I think these 2 strings really differentiate: The eco power has better pop and string snap back. It has good spin, similar to a good round poly, maybe a lil more but it's no spin monster. After the 4 hr mark, you're playing with a loose cannon and you adjust your swings to be more compact but also you have to add your own spin because that snap back is gone.
ECO ROUGH: It is rough for your pleasure, or maybe not. W/e floats your boat. Lol. The rough gives it a bit more bite in the ball then Eco power but less snapback. This is helpful when the snapback dies. It also trampolines less then power so you can be lazier when imparting your own spin, but overall still not a huge diff because they're dead.

Playability Duration
ECO POWER: I have more experience with this from the extra sets I bought. It plays well to about 2-4 hrs. Shotguns balls from 4-8 hrs, does around 8 and snaps around 12 hrs. Upping the tension didn't help either... Long story short 4 hrs, even in a hybrid. Synthetic gut also notches into this string. It drove me crazy when I was playtesting the Prostaff X with the string as it played different everytime I played.
ECO ROUGH: Had 1 set to try. Cut it out after like at 5 hrs but realistically... 4hrs

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER: I'd keep it the same. 48 is my usual and it worked for me
ECO ROUGH: Might want to try 45 because it didn't trampoline as bad as Eco power and the texture may help with grabbing the ball in a way snapback can't

List any additional thoughts (optional):
I liked Eco power better because it fits into what I typically look for in a string. It has better pop, feel and better snapback which I think would work out better for a hybrid. It has that luxilon magic, but softer. It's an all around string and I can see why pros would use it if they use it for only 1 set. For me though, I can't justify it and can't get over the short life. They lose snapback within 1 session. I give eco power a 3.5/5 for the first 4 hrs, eco rough 3/5 for 4 hrs and both a 2/5 if you're playing with it past that. I would go with rough if I had to keep it in my racquet for longer period of time though.

 

[Fighting phoenix]

Regular string setup & tension
Lynx Tour Champaign 17g & Lynx Touch 17g (When feeling sore)
Both full bed, not hybrid at 52lbs.

Racquet(s) used for test
Head Boom Pro (No customizations)

Tension(s) used for playtest
ECO POWER - 52lbs
ECO ROUGH - 52lbs

Power/Control
ECO POWER
This string is probably closest to my lynx tour. But Eco power is slightly more powerful. I noticed my shots would be slightly deeper. It is more powerful than Eco Rough. The extra power was nice at times but not for my game. Because I lost confidence in my control. I was more tentative on my shots and did not have as much confidence swinging out with this string. Shots would land about a foot or less deep every time, because of that I had to focus more on brushing the ball to keep it in.

ECO ROUGH
This string played very similar to lynx touch. This string actually plays AMAZINGLY the first 4 hours. No breakin needed. The control was just right, I felt very confident on all my shots, little to no adjustment using this string for me coming from Lynx touch right before it. Power wise it is less than eco power and just slightly more than my lynx touch.


Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER
Eco power was noticeably stiffer than the lynx tour for me. Was not stiff to the point of arm paint right away but it is something I would be very careful with playing too long with. Especially for those who have sensitive arms like me. Unfortunately with this extra stiffness I did not feel the benefit you typically would get with a stiffer string. (E.g. Control, spin, feel) it was all sub par for the stiffness trade off. I felt I got better performance from my lynx tour and better touch/pocketing with a more comfortable string. This was my biggest turn off with Eco Power.

ECO ROUGH
Eco rough felt quite nice to me the first 4 hours. Was very comparable to my lynx touch but slightly more crisp and better feel. I played some of my best doubles using this string. My volleys were on point, I felt very connected with my shots, as if I could make split second adjustments through my stroke and everything just felt very comfortable without being mushy.

Spin
ECO POWER
Spin was there and the ball would jump from time to time but was not as easily accessible compared to other strings. Stringing Eco power myself, I felt the strings were a little sticky and was already having a hard time believing it would have good snapback because of it. Spin wise it would be Lynx Tour>Eco Rough>Eco Power. The spin to power ratio just did not fit my game as well. I really had to just focus on brushing the ball more to keep it from sailing. I believe if you have a flatter playstyle this string could work. I am more of a counter puncher that likes to hit high heavy balls. I could not play my game as well because of this.

ECO ROUGH
Eco rough on the other hand just from stringing it I was very excited. Probably one of the easiest string jobs because the crosses just glided across each other when weaving. There is a coating or something that just makes this string super slick. Spin to power ratio was perfect for me. I can maintain high racket head speed without fear of launching the ball. Kept the ball very deep and heavy. No issues flattening my shots either. String felt fairly predictable.

Playability Duration
ECO POWER
After about 3-4 hours of play, tension dropped down to about 45lbs. Comfort and playability was declining gradually around the 2 hour mark but nothing too significant. Seemed to plateau afterwards. But I honestly was not really feeling this string and did not want to risk arm injury with its stiffness. Notching was quite deep and probably only had 1-2 more play sessions before those sawed through.

ECO ROUGH
Okay so I probably played some of my best tennis with this string and I was highly considering switching to this string if not for this biggest issue. The first 4 hours this string does it all. Comfort, control, spin, power, feel, super easy to string. After 4 hours I noticed the string bed started to lock up and mains would start to stick out of place. By the 6th hour, my wrist, elbow and shoulder were starting to hurt. I have never had all 3 joints hurt at once before except when I used a pure aero vs with RPM blast at 55 lbs 2 years ago. This string just goes from heavenly to hell very quickly. Unless you have multiple rackets to switch to and are okay to string often, I cannot recommend this string because of that. It is a good comfort string as the marketing suggests but those with arm issues be very careful playing this string too long cause this ends up being some of the most arm UN-friendly string quick. Tension was around 45lbs when I cut it
Out.


Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER
If I had to try this string again, I would probably try this again at 48-50lbs to see if I get better comfort and snapback. But that does not help me much in the power/control category.

ECO ROUGH
I enjoyed this at 52 lbs as my go to tension. If I were to experiment I would also try dropping tension to see if I can control the ball still and get more comfort.


List any additional thoughts (optional)

If you really want to push Eco friendliness you have to make the consumer want to buy the string. If you are selling a recycled string, which to me and I’m guessing others too, it has a negative connotation of being lower performance/quality compared to its standard options. E.g. “Why would I buy a 15 dollar recycled string from bottles, when I can get a performance string such as Solinco Tourbite at 12 dollars?”

I’m not in marketing so maybe it is just a Luxilon thing to have a high price to maintain that appearance of high end strings. Or research and development has not reached that break point to make the strings cheaper, but as a typical user I am going to stick with my current strings as much as it would be nice to help the environment.

If you want people to switch to these strings you have to either make it play just as good or really better than standard strings or you have to drop the price to make up for the playability drawback.
Very few people are going to openly switch to lower performing strings for environmental causes. Or you strike gold with a pro that uses these strings and have them support it.




sorry for formatting. I can't easily go back and mess with the font on these forums.

How much playability did you see with Eco Power? You said it dropped to about 45 lbs after 3-4 hours, but how did it play after that for you? I'm testing both right now and tried Eco Power first, and I saw a big drop in tension at about the 3-4 hr mark.

 

[Leen]

How much playability did you see with Eco Power? You said it dropped to about 45 lbs after 3-4 hours, but how did it play after that for you? I'm testing both right now and tried Eco Power first, and I saw a big drop in tension at about the 3-4 hr mark.

The problem with this string for me was off the bat it is a bit stiff but I could keep the ball in. By the time it breaks in and feels peak playable, that window was tiny. maybe around the 1-2 hour window. After that the tension drop just made it harder to control, strings started notching, and spin was noticeably harder to achieve to keep the ball in. I really was not enjoying my tennis at that point.

Could I make it work after the 2 hour mark? Kind of, it wasn't a steep drop off in playability but enough to tell this isn't how my typical shots go. Unlike rough, just everything just went out the window after 4 hours with rough.

 

[Leen]

I agree 100% with your review - spot on. I cut mine out when the mains started to stick out of place, so before I experienced any discomfort.

I really wanted to love it, but durability would seem like a big area of improvement. If you want to create a sustainable product, wouldn't one key metric be to bump durability so you have to restring less often?

That's restring zero's approach. They say they are eco friendly strings because you restring less. Longer playability. Nothing to do with using actual recycled parts though. You could technically call Kevlar strings eco friendly at that point lol. Opposite of eco rough and power.

 

[Fighting phoenix]

The problem with this string for me was off the bat it is a bit stiff but I could keep the ball in. By the time it breaks in and feels peak playable, that window was tiny. maybe around the 1-2 hour window. After that the tension drop just made it harder to control, strings started notching, and spin was noticeably harder to achieve to keep the ball in. I really was not enjoying my tennis at that point.

Could I make it work after the 2 hour mark? Kind of, it wasn't a steep drop off in playability but enough to tell this isn't how my typical shots go. Unlike rough, just everything just went out the window after 4 hours with rough.

Yeah that's almost exactly what I felt with Eco Power...just started with Rough last night and played great, but only about 1.5 hours of singles so far.

 

[Dunlop300g]

Luxilon ECO Power and Luxilon ECO Rough Final Review and Comparison

Regular string setup & tension:

Racquet #1: Dunlop 300g with Head Sonic Pro (mains) and Head Velocity MLT (crosses) both at 50 lbs.

Racquet #2: Dunlop 300g with Head Lynx Tour (mains) and Head Sonic Pro (crosses) both at 48 lbs.

Tension(s) used for playtest
Racquet #1: ECO POWER - 50lbs
Racquet #2: ECO ROUGH - 45lbs

Power/Control
ECO POWER
This string felt more crisp by comparison and slightly stiffer on contact; less ball pocketing. It felt slightly harsh on the arm over the playtest time, but wasn’t a problem. Power and Control were well balanced with this string. No issues with hitting out with spin from each side.

ECO ROUGH
I felt like this string played closer to Lynx Tour / Sonic Pro. It was definitely softer with better ball pocketing. Power and Control again are well balanced. No issues hitting out with spin from either side. I found get slightly better control with ECO Rough.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER
Noticeably stiffer, crisper than ECO Rough. Less Connected, comfort was slightly less than ECO Rough. Overall would rate it 5/10 or average for a poly on comfort.

ECO ROUGH
It does remind me of Head Lynx Tour which I liked quite a bit. Felt connected and comfortable, predictable.

Spin
ECO POWER
Agree completely with other playtester(s) Spin level: Lynx Tour>ECO Rough>ECO Power. Spin was there which makes it a good control sting in this Dunlop 300g frame; it’s not an overwhelming spin just completely adequate.

ECO ROUGH
Spin again was good; not overwhelming but very apparent on slice and top spin shots. I felt like it might have been a bit unpredictable when hitting kick serves for some reason. Still not sure about that though. This string was quite good on service returns.


Playability Duration
ECO POWER
Initially strung at 50 lbs. (8/14/23) Dropped overnight for first playtest to 45 lbs. Eventually at time of comparison (when I had both racquets strung up about a week later) this one leveled off around 43 lbs. Playability still seems quite good after about 4 or 5 sessions. I would rate the durability / playability as above average. Notching is very apparent though.

Edit: 9/19/23 ECO Power is at 42.6 lbs - pretty good tension maintenance.

ECO ROUGH
Originally strung (9/3/23) at 45 lbs with a drop to around 40 lbs where it’s at currently. It is holding at this on both strings beds. Some notching is starting. I’m going to be on the lookout for the playability drop off that seems to be the case with other testers as this has lead to arm issues for them and I’m pretty sensitive to that. So far, the tension drop has been normal playability is just starting to decrease slightly.

Edit 9/19/23 ECO Rough is at 39.8 lbs. - normal tension maintenance

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER
I’d start this one off between 45 to 48 lbs initially. It felt somewhat boardy at 50 lbs starting; not sure this would make a difference but I would do it at 45lbs next time.

ECO ROUGH
I might try this one at 50 lbs just to see if it could go up to that but 45 lbs was completely fine for me.

List any additional thoughts (optional)

I think the ECO piece should be explained to the consumer a bit more especially when it comes to recycled materials; how can there be consistency in the manufacturing process when you’re essentially recycling what is perceived to be garbage plastics and combining them all together to make up some mixture to turn into tennis strings. How uneducated is this assessment? Probably pretty bad, I know. But that’s kind of the layman’s way of thinking about recycling, reuse, and re-purposing. I liked the simple packaging. Will people buy this product as is and will they spend the $$ for it? I think so. It’s playable enough and typcially I think Luxilon / Wilson will be able to make a few extra $$ off the ECO option. I don’t know any other companies that are doing this yet. It seems like a good try and it’s a feel-good option for those so inclined. Will it make a difference in the long run. Probably not. It’s like “cage-free” eggs here in California. Some people feel better when they’re frying those instead of old caged hen eggs. They taste about the same but may cost a bit more but there aren’t any alternatives in this case unless you move away. With tennis strings thankfully there are better performers at lower cost so it’s going to be interesting to see how many people opt in on these strings. Thanks again to TW and to Wilson / Luxilon for allowing us this pre-sales opportunity to test these very nice and unique products!

 

[dandruffkb]

If you really want to push Eco friendliness you have to make the consumer want to buy the string. If you are selling a recycled string, which to me and I’m guessing others too, it has a negative connotation of being lower performance/quality compared to its standard options. E.g. “Why would I buy a 15 dollar recycled string from bottles, when I can get a performance string such as Solinco Tourbite at 12 dollars?”

+ the Restring Zero approach

I 100% agree with the durability issue, but I think that's kind of the point-ish for now.
I think the string played pretty well, so they are trying to remove the negative connotation thinking that 'recycled materials' do not mean worse. I think the idea is that once these strings are cut out and recycled, it is better than that of Restring Zero's approach for the environment (given you restring more). And ultimately, it's for people with the funds that prioritize being eco-friendly, and I think Luxilon's attempt here is to prove to those people that their string will appeal to those people and show no massive performance drops in the other areas outside of durability.

And to be fair, Luxilon is I guess the "luxury" string brand in terms of pricing, so I don't think they're trying to persuade anyone to pick these strings over a cheaper performance string but the attempt is to get this fully eco-friendly string out there, and HOPEFULLY in the future continue to improve it to appeal to more who want to explore the space of recycled material strings.

But your review was pretty spot on to most of what I felt!

 

[StringStrungStrang]

Some initial thoughts on Luxilon ECO Power.
I strung this @45 m / 48 cr in my Babolat Pure Strike 98 16x19. Lately that has been my go to tension often playing Hyper-G 17 main with Isospeed Baseline (16) or Nano Vendetta 16L cross. I generally like livelier polys but still like a firm crisp stringbed with control and feel.

I've played about 5 hours with EP and it is a string that is easy to play with. No major complaints or deal-breakers. It has good control, good power, pretty good spin, and a nice enough feel to complement my game. I do like it on my groundstrokes where its control and spin shine. I felt like I could hit tight spots pretty consistently and liked its laser-like accuracy. It has some power, but is not an overly powerful string. I think Luxilon has done a pretty good job finding the "sweet-spot" between power and control. EP has pretty good feel as well - making this a relatively user friendly string. This made volleys, lobs and returns of serve much more effective and enjoyable. I especially liked it at the net where it had a firm and controlled feel - allowing me to redirect power without undue fear of sending balls into the next court. Comfort was good too. Serving has been very good - excellent.

Compared to many strings, so far this string has been great. It is a string that does everything well, and I am playing well with it. It allows me to hit a full repertoire of shots, without thinking about the string. If the playability remains intact, it is a string I could easily enjoy playing with regularly - without hesitation, because I know I get enough of all the things I want. Still having said all that - I am liking this string (quite a bit) but not yet loving it.

 

[Chairman3]

Finally got these strung up, work travel has really disrupted my tennis schedule...

Doubles in the morning

 

[Fighting phoenix]

My review of the Eco Power and Eco Rough - thank you TW for the opportunity to participate!!

Regular string setup & tension: Babalot Pure Aero 98 w/ Toroline Wasabi 1.23, ~50lbs depending on extreme heat (higher tensions in the Dallas summers)
Racquet(s) used for test: Babalot PA98

Tension(s) used for playtest
ECO POWER: 51lbs mains, 49lbs crosses
ECO ROUGH: 51lbs mains, 49lbs crosses

Power/Control
ECO POWER: 8/10 power, 8.5/10 control - for my first two sessions playing with this racquet, it felt like a great all around string - really good power for a poly, especially on groundstrokes and first serves. Control was also great - as controlled or better than the usual softer polys that I play with. Really felt like a point and shoot string to me.
ECO ROUGH: 7.5 power, 8.5 control - also a very controlled string, decent power for a poly, but felt slightly less powerful than the Eco Power (and less powerful than the toroline wasabi I usually use).

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER: Felt crisp and comfortable, right in my wheelhouse for what I like. Surprising since it also felt like a very comfortable string, but a crisp feeling similar to a tour bite type of string.
ECO ROUGH: More muted than the eco power, but also very comfortable, probably more comfortable than the eco power. I generally like rough strings for this, since they tend to be softer and never result in any arm discomfort for me.

Spin
ECO POWER: 8/10 - good spin potential, better than most polys I'd say, but not quite as much as I get with my regular toroline wasabi.
ECO ROUGH: 8.5/10 - 8.5/10 - slightly better spin potential than I felt with the Eco Power, but not really much of a noticeable difference. Snap back on both and lack of notching was noticeable compared to other polys over about 4 hours of intense tennis.

Playability Duration
ECO POWER: 4/10 - okay, this is the part where I have a major problem with this string and makes it something I wouldn't want to use. Playability in terms of crisp feel, comfort, spin, power, etc., were all there and great during my first match with this racquet; however, the second match it was noticeably looser but still very playable; third time playing with it, after about 4 hours of intense tennis (mostly singles, I'm at about a 4.0/4.5 level), the strings became very trampoline-like and almost unplayable. The dropoff was severe, and I wouldn't play with it again in a real match at that point.
ECO ROUGH: 6/10 - similar to Eco Power in that it was great during my first hitting session; second time, looser but still very playable. The difference was that by my third session, although the tension had definitely dropped, the playability was still there for sure and didn't drop off a cliff the way Eco Power did. I would give this about 6-8 hours of good playability, and it's likely that the next time I play with them they will break.

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER: maybe slightly higher than the 51/49 I strung them at to hopefully get more playability than I did. However, with this string I think it might be less an issue with the tension decline and more just generally the longevity/composition of the string itself.
ECO ROUGH: maybe a pound or two higher for the reasons described above.

List any additional thoughts: I would love to switch to these strings, as the playability off the stringer is exactly what I'm looking for in a poly, and being that they're made from recycled material and packaging, I want to use a tennis product that's more sustainable. However, I don't want to spend the money and time restringing for something that only plays well 3-4 hours, when I can get ~8hours from other polys with similar (or better) initial performance. One other thing - I noticed while stringing the Eco Power that the strength of the string was softer/mushier than what I'm used to (ie, while pushing through a grommet with a string in the way of the hole, it was difficult to push it through without the string collapsing). Strange then that I found the string to play crisp and solid and first like a normal poly, but then maybe it was a hint that the playability would drop off as substantially as it did.

BONUS
List any questions you have for Wilson's string developer about these two strings: I'm curious about differences they see in the chemical composition of these strings relative to ones they make from non-recycled material - how different is the plastic really, and how might that effect the playability characteristics between these strings and others they make (ie regular ALU Power)?

Again - thank you and it was definitely a fun playtest!

 

[Cowboy]

I'm trying to decide if the strings have died, and if I should cut out the rough and move to the power.

If you recall, I played pretty poorly with the ECO Rough on day one. The bright side is that my second time playing with them (7 days after the first), they were awesome. I played great. This was on a Thursday. I had a match at 9am on Saturday and absolutely sucked. Unfortunately, I didn't have the same experience as the previous Thursday. My serves were good, both power and spin. Return of serve was even still pretty good. Unfortunately, after the initial return of serve, I struggled with accuracy. Touch shots were non-existent. I also didn't feel like spin shots were very effective whether it was a 1HBH slice or forehand topspin. Shots that I normally am able to place right inside the baseline were sailing about 6-10" behind the baseline. I lost a lot of points due to balls sailing just long. Lost the first set 1-6. Considered switching racquets, but decided I was going to keep playing with the ECO strings. At the 1 hour mark, I decided to switch to my racquet with multi stings. Those shots that I was sailing long, suddenly were landing 8-10" inside the baseline. My opponent even commented after the match that I started rallying and making a lot more shots after the switch. My only regret for the day was that I didn't switch sooner. Total play time with strings: 3.5 hours.

I'm debating if I should play with them again this coming Thursday to see if Saturday was a fluke, or if I should cut my losses and move on to the next string.

 

[Dunlop300g]

@Cowboy I'm wondering if you're seeing the strings lockup with notching at this point; and if you have the tennis tension app on your phone maybe check the tension loss at this point; sounds like it's time to cut them out especially if they aren't snapping back (notched) and locking up on you or the tension is just so low that you're getting more trampoline effect than your topspin stroke can overcome. hth

 

[Cowboy]

@Cowboy I'm wondering if you're seeing the strings lockup with notching at this point; and if you have the tennis tension app on your phone maybe check the tension loss at this point; sounds like it's time to cut them out especially if they aren't snapping back (notched) and locking up on you or the tension is just so low that you're getting more trampoline effect than your topspin stroke can overcome. hth

They aren't cutting into each other like you would see on a multi, but there are definitely notches in the string where they make contact with each other. I noticed the notching after just the first 1.5 hours. If I pull one of the mains to the side, it makes an audible click when it slides back into place.

I have an android. I'm not aware of any free apps to check tension, and it isn't worth the monthly or annual fee to me to check.

Edit: I finally found an Android app that seems to work. "Tennis Vibes" had to be installed on an older Android OS. There is a selection for poly strings, which works for this racquet; but it doesn't have a multi-filament option for comparing to my other racquet. With poly selected, ECO Rough is reading a consistent 31.1 lbs. I have not calibrated the app, as I don't have a freshly strung racquet with a known tension to calibrate with, so take it for what it is worth. The racquet with multis reads 36 if nylon is selected and 42 if poly is selected. The multi racquet was strung w/ Head RIP Control on 6/21/2023 at 55lbs on a lockout. I had sort of estimated that one to be in the 40-45lbs range given the time since it was last strung and how differently it is playing compared to how it played when first strung. That has me thinking that the app is relatively accurate in the ECO Rough being around 31lbs...

 

[Cowboy]

The Physics of Tennis: How Tennis Strings "Go Dead — Part 1"

Study to determine the physical parameters that correlate to what tennis players refer to when they say a string goes dead or loses tension and resiliency.

twu.tennis-warehouse.com

Going by the above chart, the ECO Rough being around 31lbs seems much more reasonable/logical. Each string started at 62lbs, and the first data point is after 100 hits. Based on the estimated number of hits, I think my experience would put it somewhere between the level of Big Banger Original or Tour Bite and either Focus Hex or Premium 3S in terms of tension loss. I've played 3.5 hours of doubles. Google search suggests that the average number of times a ball is hit by an individual player in a doubles match is 125.

 

[Dunlop300g]

The Physics of Tennis: How Tennis Strings "Go Dead — Part 1"

Study to determine the physical parameters that correlate to what tennis players refer to when they say a string goes dead or loses tension and resiliency.

twu.tennis-warehouse.com

Going by the above chart, the ECO Rough being around 31lbs seems much more reasonable/logical. Each string started at 62lbs, and the first data point is after 100 hits. Based on the estimated number of hits, I think my experience would put it somewhere between the level of Big Banger Original or Tour Bite and either Focus Hex or Premium 3S in terms of tension loss. I've played 3.5 hours of doubles. Google search suggests that the average number of times a ball is hit by an individual player in a doubles match is 125.

@Cowboy Ya and take into account that typically I'm seeing about 5 to 10 % tension loss from the original reference tension just in the first day whether or not the racquet is used. Also related to the android apps I've been using the Tennis Tension App from the play store and it may cost a couple of bucks but it's totally worth it. It's best at just tracking a reference tension once the racquet is strung so you can track the decrease in tension relative to the other frames / strings you may be testing at that time. I'm finding out that most of my poly string test racquets seem to bottom out around 35 lbs eventually. So ya when you notice the notching starting on your poly stings that's preventing them from moving like they did originally; when they snap back into that notch, it takes more effort on a swing for the string to get out of the notch to begin with so you start to see the action you got originally from the string start to degrade; less spin / less control. It takes more force to dislodge the string on ball strike; this is my take on it at least so the string starts to impart less spin as the notching gets more pronounced and the string consequently stays in place more; for flatter hitters, I guess this isn't as pronounced.

And like you mentioned; this notching effect isn't as noticeable or pronounced when using a multi on the crosses, for example, as the multi slides better along the poly; it will eventually fray and saw thru instead. I've found playability on this setup best right before it breaks (that's just me though). Others may feel this as being too mushy.

So for the ECO Rough and ECO Power in my frames now; they're approaching the 40 lbs point, and notching; I'm going to keep them in for a couple more weeks to see the "long term" playability of each. I'm sure most players would just cut them out by now though.

 

[mhkeuns]

My time with Eco Power is done and came away pretty impressed. It seems to lose its maximum playability around 8 hour mark, but overall, it feels and plays like those popular premium poly strings. If durability is an issue, perhaps the 16G should provide a little more play time.

Now, time for Eco Rough. The string design looks kind of like Thunderstorm from Signum Pro and spin string from ADV. Excited to find out if the design helps in spin production. The Eco Power, to me, was a very spin friendly string.

 

[ngoster]

So I had an interesting night with Eco Rough. I played 2 hours of mixed doubles with about 10 hours of play already on the strings. I went in thinking that this may be the last session before cutting them. The strings were beginning to lock up during my last session. The interesting part was that tonight's session was probably the best experience that I had with these strings. Ambient conditions were favorable. Temps were probably in the mid to high 60s will relatively low humidity. All cylinders were firing. The tennis gods were smiling on us tonight. Groundstrokes and serves felt great. There was easy power and the spin was adequate. Ball pocketing seemed noticeably improved also. Flat shots were dropping inside the lines. The balls dipped hard on volleyers and slices were biting. The only adequate part of tonight was that the kick serves weren't really jumping up.

Notches on the mains are deeper now. None of the mains are returning back to their positions. I'm guessing 1 or 2 more sessions then done. ~16 hours of life will be pretty dang good.

 

[Cowboy]

I think I'm going to keep playing with the ECO Rough as well. I just refuse to believe that 3.5 hours is all I got out of it....especially at my level of play.

So I had an interesting night with Eco Rough. I played 2 hours of mixed doubles with about 10 hours of play already on the strings. I went in thinking that this may be the last session before cutting them. The strings were beginning to lock up during my last session. The interesting part was that tonight's session was probably the best experience that I had with these strings. Ambient conditions were favorable. Temps were probably in the mid to high 60s will relatively low humidity. All cylinders were firing. The tennis gods were smiling on us tonight. Groundstrokes and serves felt great. There was easy power and the spin was adequate. Ball pocketing seemed noticeably improved also. Flat shots were dropping inside the lines. The balls dipped hard on volleyers and slices were biting. The only adequate part of tonight was that the kick serves weren't really jumping up.

Notches on the mains are deeper now. None of the mains are returning back to their positions. I'm guessing 1 or 2 more sessions then done. ~16 hours of life will be pretty dang good.

 

[ngoster]

I think I'm going to keep playing with the ECO Rough as well. I just refuse to believe that 3.5 hours is all I got out of it....especially at my level of play.

The heat and humidity has not been kind to my game. I greatly believe that it has a big impact on my playtests. Every part of my body moves a little slower when it's not cool. My friend and I usually start hitting at 4pm. The quality significantly improves around the 5:30pm mark. Last night's session started at 6:30pm. Conditions are much more favorable which resulted in everything seeming to be easier to do.

 

[Cowboy]

Played 2 hours last night. Started with my racquet strung with multi and switched to the ECO Rough after about an hour and played for another hour. The previous match may have been a fluke, as the strings played very well last night.

The humidity was high. There was rain all around us, but the courts were dry. The air was so humid that my bag was wet when I left the courts. Spin was great, control was great, touch shots were there. I was very happy with it overall last night. Temps were probably low 70s. Total play time on ECO Rough: 4.5 hours.

I have another match tomorrow. I will cut the strings on one of my racquets to put the ECO Power in after the match.

 

[ngoster]

I put in about 2 hours of dubs with the Rough last night. It still performed well. Notches are getting deeper but still played well. I'll give it another 2 hours of rallying this afternoon. I also have a league match on Sunday. I'm wondering if I should postpone cutting them until after the match.

 

[ngoster]

The Rough is done. At the 16th hour, it was becoming uncontrollable. I had to work too hard to get to do what I wanted. I got 16 hours out of it. Not too shabby.

Cutting it and stringing up the Power.

 

[Cowboy]

I started my match today with the multi and switched after the first set. Lost both sets, but the rough played better than the multi in the second set. Multi is getting cut out today and the ECO Power is going in.

Total time on ECO Rough: 5 hours.

 

[ngoster]

Eco Power strung up and ready to rock.

https://imgur.com/xA3rLW9

 

[basil J]

I strung up the eco rough at 53# in a blade v8 18 x 20. Power , comfort and control are all excellent and I felt that this string is a very comfortable poly in a tight string bed. I have 4 hours of play on it so far and I have not seen any real tension loss yet. I usually play 90 minutes, 3-5 times a week and I usually get 4- 6 weeks out of my strings, longer If I go full gut. If they can keep the price down this would be a very viable option for me, but if they go out at $18.00 a set, the durablity is too low for my standards. I'm not a string breaker so that is usually not an issue. This string reminds me a bit of Prince Diabalo.

 

[Daddy's]

Include the following in your review:
Tension(s) used for playtest
• ECO POWER
50LB
• ECO Rough 48 lb

Regular string setup & tension
I have been playing mostly a Prince Tour 100p with NG 15l/Black Knight 16 at 54/50 and a Textreme tour 100 16x18 Alu power 17 at 53/51

Racquet(s) used for test
I used my Volkl SG 10 for the test. I think as a low powered control racquet it's a perfect racket for the Rough at 48 lb.
I used my Prince Tour 16x18 for the ECO Power

Power/Control
• ECO POWER
Definitely more power and spin than the Rough. Very similar to ALU Power. Spins the ball great for topspin jumpers and has great drive through the court for flat or slice shots. Has as much power as anyone would need.
• ECO Rough
I’d have to call the rough power adequate. It’s not a powerful string, but combined with the high level of control I could place shots where they were not returned. Not the best for 1st strike winners but very good at working the point till you force an error

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
• ECO POWER
You can feel that it is a poly but it’s not a harsh clanging poly. Power does not cup and cradle the ball like Rough but it doesn't pass on harsh vibration and is not too uncomfortable on miss hits. Very playable for a poly.
• ECO Rough
I think it has an excellent feel for a poly.. Somewhat muted but very easy on the arm. I felt a large sweet spot, good pocketing and very connected to the ball

Spin
• ECO POWER
Definitely bites the ball more than Rough Very good string for a deep baseline game. Drives the ball well on flat shots and slices also.
• ECO Rough
Adequate spin but not outstanding. Not what I’d pick for 10 ft. behind the baseline bouncers but that’s not my game. The Rough is good on slice serves, sharp angles off the court. It won’t magnify spin but it won’t inhibit you if you can hit spin.



Playability Duration
• ECO POWER
I knew my ALU was getting tired but fresh Power was a quantum leap from what the ALU felt like. Freshly strung with the Power it was great I’ve only got like 2 hrs on it but I’m watching it.
Somewhat disappointed but a little after 6 hrs and the magic is gone. Probably still playable but it's very bland and not at all like it feels fresh.

• ECO Rough
I thought it started to lose something at 6-8 hrs but I'll see if its got something left.

Addition Rough is dead. Truly was dead last time I talked myself into thinking it was fine but it wasn't performing as well as it had been

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain answer)
• ECO POWER
50 played well good spin feel and power wouldn’t change
• ECO Rough
48 seems right to me. Rough is not high powered so I’d stay at the lower end of your tension range. The control aspect keeps things from getting too wild at lower tension.

List any additional thoughts (optional)
Thanks to TW and Lux for the chance to try these.
Lux had a plan. They wanted to produce a string that didn’t sacrifice any of the playability they’re known for, from recycled material. When I play with this string it definitely feels like a Lux string. Like Lux strings they are excellent for a while and then you need to restring. I believe they accomplished their mission. These strings are as good as anything else they make, only they’re 100 recycled material. If that's something you're looking for here it is.

 

[Chairman3]

I sadly think my strings succumb to the humidity rather quickly.

Started experiencing string movement pretty quickly. I used eco-power before and don't recall it happening. They don't feel dead yet, so I'm going to keep going for now.

Thankfully I have two more sets of eco-rough, so I may have to try again and see if it happens

 

[Molk]

After playing with both ECO Power and ECO Rough for more than 15 hours each there are 3 things I have noticed.

1. I would not know that both these strings are made from recycled materials if it was not on the package.
2. Both strings are quality polys and deserving of inclusion in the Lux brand.
3. Both strings had very minimal tension loss during the playing hours. Usually, poly losses tension significantly after about 5 or 6 hours of play.
I will be posting the review soon.
Thanks TW and Lux!

 

[Fighting phoenix]

After playing with both ECO Power and ECO Rough for more than 15 hours each there are 3 things I have noticed.

1. I would not know that both these strings are made from recycled materials if it was not on the package.
2. Both strings are quality polys and deserving of inclusion in the Lux brand.
3. Both strings had very minimal tension loss during the playing hours. Usually, poly losses tension significantly after about 5 or 6 hours of play.
I will be posting the review soon.
Thanks TW and Lux!

15 hours and minimal tension loss? Quite the opposite experience for me and from all the other reviewers here and elsewhere. Curious about the tension you strung it at, your level, style of play, and doubles vs singles. Even the TW play testers noted it.

 

[Molk]

15 hours and minimal tension loss? Quite the opposite experience for me and from all the other reviewers here and elsewhere. Curious about the tension you strung it at, your level, style of play, and doubles vs singles. Even the TW play testers noted it.

In my experience there is tension loss with all polys. I am saying the tension loss is minimal compared to other polys. I strung both ECO Rough and ECO Power at@54 lbs. on a drop weight stringer and pre stretched. I play both double and singles and play on both clay and hardcourts. Usually after 5 hours of play with poly I experience tension loss and after 15 hours of play the poly starts to rapidly lose tension.

 

[n80aoag]

Regular string setup & tension: Razor Code White/ Ice Code @ 52 lbs
Racquet(s) used for test: Tecnifibre TFight ISO 305

Tension(s) used for playtest
ECO POWER: 52 lbs
ECO ROUGH: 52 lbs

Power/Control
ECO POWER:
Previously played with eco power in a Gravity Tour (2019 version, red/teal in color). Plenty of power, didn’t lack in control. At the time I had used shaped polys and obviously didn’t feel the same bite as a Tour Bite or Lynx Tour, but the power was greater than those two strings. I’d say almost as much power as a Hawk Power, and less power than my usual Razor Code and Ice Code.

ECO ROUGH:
Less power than Eco Power, but more control than it due to the rough texture. In general, I prefer shaped poly’s over rough textured poly’s. If you can generate your own power and need a bit more spin without a shaped string going dull or losing spin after a few hours, eco rough might suit you well.

As predicted, comparing the two playtest strings:
eco power = more power and good spin
eco rough = more control with less power and slightly more spin

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
ECO POWER:
comfortable poly. no issues with comfort either in the past with the Gravity Tour or with Tfight ISO 305 with eco power. Felt a bit like tourna silver 7 tour but a little more power and muted feel. Not as crisp as S7T. Compared to Razor Code/Ice Code, I much prefer the feel of the Tecnifibre strings as that’s what I’m used to. The tec strings have a bit more plushness to them compared to eco power, which almost felt more plasticky. But in a low RA frame like the Grav Tour, eco power felt great and I didn’t lack touch or feel at all.
ECO ROUGH:
Felt a bit more plasticky than eco power, but again would feel great in a low RA frame (Grav Pro, Tour, Prestige come to mind). I once played with an Ultra Tour 97 with Tour Bite Soft 17g, and I’d imagine eco rough would feel similar but with a little less bite and more comfort. Compared to my tecnifibre strings of choice, Eco Rough was a bit crisper/plasticky feeling in the ISO 305 but thats in a stiffer frame. I kept feeling like a frame with more flex would best fit these ECO offerings.

Spin
ECO POWER:
Spin is not its forte, but thats expected. Snapback felt plenty adequate for a non-slippery string, so I never felt spin was lacking even in a ISO 305 18x19. Hitting partner stated balls were faster but maybe not as “heavy” feeling as with my usual tec strings.
ECO ROUGH
Definitely more spin than eco power, but not a spin monster. I’d say in an open pattern, low flex frame, this would be amazing as a main string crossed with a slippery round poly. Or if you can afford it and afford to string it often, nat gut crosses if you need more power. Since I prefer shaped strings over “rough” offerings, I wasn’t wowed with spin but there are players who don’t need so much bite and this would be perfect for them.

Playability Duration
ECO POWER:
About 8 hours into the playtest I could feel the strings going dead, but not a significant drop off. Could feel shots landing shorter and less touch/feel around the 8-10 hour mark. I’m not a big hitter but do hit with more spin, so playability might be less than 8 hours with heavy hitters/string breakers.
ECO ROUGH:
Lost some spin generation around the 6-8 hour mark. Nothing significant and at this point it still felt like it had more spin than eco power. Went from a bit plasticky feeling to even more plasticky after 8 hours. Felt a similar drop in depth of shots at this time as well.

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain)
ECO POWER: 48-50 to add even more power, plushness.
ECO ROUGH: 48-50 to limit plasticky feel, add a bit more power to this lower powered offering.

List any additional thoughts:
Would I buy these strings over Tecnifibre razor/ice code? Unlikely, as I prefer the plush/powerful/spinny feel of Tec strings with similar durability/playability duration as these ECO strings. If I prioritized eco friendly packaging and preferred the teal/silver colors of these strings, than yes, maybe I’d choose these as a frontrunner in my ISO 305s. They didn’t have the magical, premium feel of Alu Power or Alu Power Rough, but were both more durable and playable for longer than those popular offerings. If you have a soft/Low RA frame, can generate your own power and spin, and value some eco-friendly packaging and recycled poly for newer strings, then you can’t go wrong considering Eco Power/Rough. Thanks TW and LXN For the chance to playtest these strings!

 

[Dunlop300g]

In my experience there is tension loss with all polys. I am saying the tension loss is minimal compared to other polys. I strung both ECO Rough and ECO Power at@54 lbs. on a drop weight stringer and pre stretched. I play both double and singles and play on both clay and hardcourts. Usually after 5 hours of play with poly I experience tension loss and after 15 hours of play the poly starts to rapidly lose tension.

@Molk I'm curious if you measured tension loss over time with something like the the Tennis Tension app and what your findings were? I edited my review yesterday to update on some of the data I collected. So here's what I found:

Playability Duration
ECO POWER
Initially strung at 50 lbs. (8/14/23) Dropped overnight for first playtest to 45 lbs. Eventually at time of comparison (when I had both racquets strung up about a week later) this one leveled off around 43 lbs. Playability still seems quite good after about 4 or 5 sessions. I would rate the durability / playability as above average. Notching is very apparent though.

Edit: 9/19/23 ECO Power is at 42.6 lbs - pretty good tension maintenance.

ECO ROUGH
Originally strung (9/3/23) at 45 lbs with a drop to around 40 lbs where it’s at currently. It is holding at this on both strings beds. Some notching is starting. I’m going to be on the lookout for the playability drop off that seems to be the case with other testers as this has lead to arm issues for them and I’m pretty sensitive to that. So far, the tension drop has been normal playability is just starting to decrease slightly.

Edit 9/19/23 ECO Rough is at 39.8 lbs. - normal tension maintenance

 

[dandruffkb]

15 hours and minimal tension loss? Quite the opposite experience for me and from all the other reviewers here and elsewhere. Curious about the tension you strung it at, your level, style of play, and doubles vs singles. Even the TW play testers noted it.

Yeah, I'm a little lost on this... if ECO Power lasted me 15 hours, I'd switch to it permanently.
For me, there was no way I did not feel a significant drop off after 6/7 hours

I do have a theory, if hand-strung at 1 pound tension and you measure it again, it'll still at most drop less than 1 pound!

 

[fed1]

Switched to Eco Power a couple of months ago and I’ll say that for me it’s 8 hours max in a Shift 99.

 

[Molk]

@Molk I'm curious if you measured tension loss over time with something like the the Tennis Tension app and what your findings were? I edited my review yesterday to update on some of the data I collected. So here's what I found:

Playability Duration
ECO POWER
Initially strung at 50 lbs. (8/14/23) Dropped overnight for first playtest to 45 lbs. Eventually at time of comparison (when I had both racquets strung up about a week later) this one leveled off around 43 lbs. Playability still seems quite good after about 4 or 5 sessions. I would rate the durability / playability as above average. Notching is very apparent though.

Edit: 9/19/23 ECO Power is at 42.6 lbs - pretty good tension maintenance.

ECO ROUGH
Originally strung (9/3/23) at 45 lbs with a drop to around 40 lbs where it’s at currently. It is holding at this on both strings beds. Some notching is starting. I’m going to be on the lookout for the playability drop off that seems to be the case with other testers as this has lead to arm issues for them and I’m pretty sensitive to that. So far, the tension drop has been normal playability is just starting to decrease slightly.

Edit 9/19/23 ECO Rough is at 39.8 lbs. - normal tension maintenance

I did not measure the tension loss with the tennis tension app. From my experience when poly starts to lose tension you lose control, and you can launch balls. I have not launched any balls yet. Just played tonight with ECO Power again. Still no launching, hitting balls long. So, the statements I made were from playing and not scientifically measured. Launching to me means a loss of control and I do not like launching tennis balls, golf balls, or hockey pucks.

 

[Molk]

Yeah, I'm a little lost on this... if ECO Power lasted me 15 hours, I'd switch to it permanently.
For me, there was no way I did not feel a significant drop off after 6/7 hours

I do have a theory, if hand-strung at 1 pound tension and you measure it again, it'll still at most drop less than 1 pound!

Pre stretched on a drop weight Winn Pro Jr. ECO Power does not have the ball pocketing that ALU Power does that is the only negative or I would switch to it and ALU Power losses tension and I start launching balls after 4 hours.

 

[stapletonj]

Big John’s Luxilon Eco Rough Review

Tension(s) used for playtest:

55/50# strung on a Gamma electronic 6900 (20% prestretch)

strung up like a typical poly, not at all hard on the fingers.

Regular string set up:

Main: 16 ga. Kip gut @62 lbs./Cross: Isospeed Cream 17 @ 55 lbs.


Racquet used for test:

2018 (all red) Yonex vcore 100, lead added at 3 and 9



Control/Power of test string: Rating -

8/10 for control
6/10 for power

Very good control, slightly above average power for a poly


Feel (Comfortable? Stiff? Mush? Crisp? Uncomfortable?):

This is not a crisp string at all. It did feel very comfortable for a poly
Even on an off center hit, whether groundstroke, volley, or serve, I did not feel
any pain or sense that my elbow was in danger.

Not really mushy, I could feel the strings moving.


Spin: Rating – 5 of 10 at best

I hit pretty flat. Many strings (like the eco power) would help my topspin when I applied a topspin swingpath or a slice swingpath on a groundstroke. This one did not. It was very neutral



Playability Duration (did the playability change over time? How? Feel free to comment on durability & frictional wear as well):

Rating - 5 of 10

This string held up OK for playability. I do not hit with a ton of spin, so I got plenty of hours (about 10-12) out of it. Unlike the Eco Power, it did not fall off a cliff, but slowly became deader and deader.

Tension findings (what tension would you use if you strung it again? Why?):

I would keep the same tension (55/50) as I don’t think a change in tension would alter the characteristics of this string significantly.

List any additional thoughts (optional):

I hate to do this, but I am calling this a “negative” review. The string felt and looked bumpy not rough. The “roughness” did not help me on spin at all. It did not give me the feel of perfect placement like Technifibre Ice Code. But it was good enough to call it an average poly.

It might make a good cross in a hybrid with gut, as I don’t think it would saw through the gut like a shaped poly. And the fact that it seemed to die more slowly was a plus.

Now, here’s the problem. It’s Luxilon. The string plays no better than, say, Kirshbaum. It doesn’t last any longer than, say, Isospeed. Do you think they are going to price this string under $10.00? If they do, it is a decent enough choice. If not, the recycling aspect is a plus and it is up to you how much of a plus. For me, not even worth a $2.00 premium. (IMHO as a grumpy old man, just one takeoff of Taylor Swift’s Tour jet will waste more than all the sales of this string for all time)

A big thank you to TW for allowing me to test this string!

 

[colan5934]

Alright here goes. After 3 rounds of testing both strings, here are my thoughts:

Tension(s) used for playtest
• ECO Power - 54# for 1st test then 50# on the second two
• ECO Rough 50# to start, dropped to 47 on the last test.

Regular string setup & tension
ALU Power 125 between 50-52 in the Wilson Shift Pro lately. I play with some old pure control teams with ALU at 50 also. Sometimes I'll toss Lynx Tour in at 48-50 range when I want something different or am only hitting sparingly. I've tested most strings on the market, though.

Racquet(s) used for test
Wilson Shift Pro (54 & 50 Power; 50 & 47 Rough), Babolat Pure Control Team (One set of each at 50#)

Disclaimer: I didn't get either of these to last more than 90 minutes before breakage, so my review is a bit limited to how the strings play when fresh.

Power/Control
• ECO Power: I thought the power from Eco Power was about average for polyester these days. Gives me more than Lynx Tour but not more than ALU. It's definitely a control-oriented polyester and will not ADD power to a frame, but it doesn't deaden the whole stringbed like some polys do. Compared to other polys, it's middle of the road to me - less than ALU, PHT, Tour Bite, Element but more than 4G, Hyper G, Lynx Tour. If I had to rate it? 7.5/10. Not overpowered and the spin access allowed lots of balls to dip inside the lines.

• ECO Rough: This one felt deader to me. It could just be that the ball did not feel like it sunk into the strings very much and the launch angle felt low. Definitely able to swing away. It didn't feel like I was getting as much grab from the string compared to Power, but I felt like I could swing out and the ball would go where it wanted. Definitely an "if you know how to hit the ball this string will keep it in the court" experience. At 47, I experienced a bit more power and feel out of ECO Rough. I'm curious what this would play like if I could get it to last more than one session so it can settle in and lose a little tension.

Feel (Stiff? Mushy? Muted? Crisp? Comfortable? Connected?)
• ECO Power: Nice clean feel on this one - some harsh vibration seems filtered out compared to ALU and Lynx Tour. I know what the ball is doing from the feedback but never thought it was harsh. Middle of the road between crisp and muted, similar to silver Lynx Tour or 4G Soft. It doesn't stretch a lot and at 54 felt a bit tight compared to ALU or Tour Bite. 50 gave me a bit more feel and I perceived a bit more dwell time which is my mark for "feel."

• ECO Rough: This is a very direct string for me. I like that a lot. I didn't get a ton of lift out of the stringbed or any extra trampoline effect. It almost feels like it's prestretched - maybe that's what we get with recycled materials - and Power does too. It's a bit soft to string with and I never felt like it was harsh outside the center of the strings, but these didn't stretch much. Kind of a weird sensation. The sweetspot felt a tad small on initial hit, but it's pleasant when you hit it and encourages you to not spray it all over the strings. It opened up a little with play on all 3 trials but never to the point where I would call it cushioned. It's not harsh, though, which is important. I'm curious how this would do at lower tensions or with more time in my racquet. Maybe a nice cross to Gut mains also, as the texture is not raised, and it should help dampen the power of the gut mains while maintaining an arm-friendly stringbed.

Spin
• ECO Power: Plenty of spin on tap here. I could get plenty of work on the ball, and the string responded well to different amounts of spin. It's not like FireWire or any of those uber-aggressively shaped strings that can sometimes do too much or be super springy and inconsistent because of their shape (looking at you tour bite soft). Did it add a lot of spin to my game? I'm not sure. But it certainly didn't make me worry about taking extra care to keep the ball diving into the rear portion of no man's land to keep opponents deep.

• ECO Rough: Eh, it's fine. It didn't give me the sensation that I was adding extra spin to the ball, and if anything it may be slightly lacking. It put out what I put into it. I had no problem applying spin of any kind, but that's me not the strings. They certainly didn't feel like they were amplifying anything. My hitting partners commented that my ball was heavier with Power (less so than with my standard ALU, though).

Playability Duration
• ECO Power: These seemed to play fine in 90 degree weather from first hit to breakage. I may not be the best gauge here, as I broke all sets of Eco Power between 60 and 75 minutes of hitting. In the heat and humidity, though, I'll usually notice a difference quickly in the stringbed response. These, I did not.

• ECO Rough: Same comment as Power. I'm not the best judge, as I only got them to last up to 90 minutes once. The playability was linear and consistent throughout each of those sessions...the sweetspot opened up mildly toward the end of use, but not enough to create a difference in performance.

Tension Recommendations (Would you string it differently next time. Explain answer)
• ECO Power: 54 initially was too boardy. I dropped to 50 and found the amount of feel/give out of the strings I was looking for. I did not notice any drop in control. This could do well for fans of lower tensions. Lower tension may increase string life as well, I just stayed around my usual tension for the sake of comparison.

• ECO Rough: 47 was more pleasant than 50 here. I got a little more lift from the stringbed and better, smoother feel without any drop in control. I could probably go lower with this comfortably, just like Power.

List any additional thoughts (optional): I like the fact that these are primarily recycled products. I'm curious what happens to them after they've become tennis strings, but at least there's a second life for the bottles they were prior to this. Maybe it's just what you get with recycled strings, but these felt a bit deader than most luxilon strings, like they'd already been hit once before installation. That may be bad, that may be good. Kirschbaum prestretches most, if not the entirety, of their polyester line and seems to have a solid following. Playability did not change (tension did not drop noticeably), even in higher heat and humidity where most other strings do. Speaking of the playability, it's quite good! The Eco Power is probably going to be more of a crowd favorite than Rough. It's got a bit more spin on tap while not being a slouch on power, so potential for an extra heavy ball is there. Very much like the Blade 98 where it's pretty good at most things and bad at very little. The Rough felt more like a prestige mid where if you know what you're doing it will help you send the ball where it needs to go and not much more. It's a bit more no-nonsense and "hit it hard big boy" than Power. I quite liked both of these strings for different reasons. They are clearly occupying different niches in the product line and the recycled part is a cool step forward assuming it's really as legitimate as they say it is. The only gripe I had was durability. If you can keep these in your frames, these might be a very nice bang for your buck.

Update: hit with a client’s frame that had some used/broken in eco rough in it. Much better pocketing sensation and decent power. The string did not stretch very much but felt soft. So, I got a measure of control and feedback while maintaining a low-powered response. Definitely a low tension candidate for me or I’m sure would do well in hybrids.