Is Tennis Equipment Vegan? (Quick Guide)
When diving into the vegan world, it’s surprising what products and equipment contain materials made from animals. Of course, this is ethically questionable, especially if you live a vegan lifestyle. This is why I’m writing this post to keep you informed about what tennis equipment contains materials made from animals.
Generally, tennis equipment is vegan except for a couple of exceptions. There are 4 kinds of tennis strings, and one of them is natural gut strings made from the cow intestine. Also, one of the racket’s grip material choices is leather which isn’t vegan also. Finally, tennis balls might contain wool felt.
There is much more going on when we go deeper into the subject, which I will presently explain. So if you want to be 100& sure that your tennis equipment is vegan and where to look for animal materials, then stick with me while I explain where to look. Let’s start with the racket.
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Racket
In short, tennis rackets are vegan if you use synthetic strings instead of natural gut and rubber or synthetic grip instead of leather. All other materials are vegan, and the frame is made from graphite, carbon fiber, or other materials such as aluminum or kevlar.
Let’s take a look at what are the parts of the racket made more in-depth.
Strings
As stated, there are 4 main kinds of tennis strings:
- Natural gut: Made from cow intestine, NOT VEGAN.
- Syntethic gut: Made from a single filament of nylon, VEGAN
- Nylon (multifilament): Made from many filaments of nylon, VEGAN
- Polyester (monofilament): Made polyester, VEGAN
Therefore if you want vegan strings, you need to choose synthetic gut, nylon, or polyester strings.
Recommended strings: Solinco Hyper-G Polyester Strings
Frame
Tennis frames are generally manufactured either from:
- Graphite
- Carbon fiber
- Aluminum
- Fiberglass
- Kevlar
- Composites of these materials
Therefore you don’t need to worry about getting a non-vegan frame. However, you need to look at the grip, which takes us to the next subject.
Grip
The tennis racket’s grip is made either from:
- Syntethic materials: VEGAN
- Rubber: VEGAN
- Leather: NOT VEGAN
Nearly all grips are made from synthetic materials or rubber, and I have yet to see an overgrip that is made from leather, so in most cases, your grips and overgrips are vegan. However, some original grips are made from leather, so be sure to always check that out.
Recommended syntethic overgrip: Wilson Pro Overgrip
Tennis Balls
Tennis balls are a tricky aspect sometimes as a vegan tennis player. There are synthetic felt tennis balls, and wool felt tennis balls. Many of the leading brands, such as Wilson, use wool felt tennis balls which aren’t vegan and require a great amount of wool.
However, brands such as Gamma offers synthetic felt tennis balls that are 100% vegan. If you want to order some yourself, you can find some here from Amazon.
Clothing
When it comes to tennis clothing, nearly all of them are made out of synthetic fabrics. These clothes include t-shirts, shorts, skirts, and many more.
If you don’t want any animal materials in any of your clothes, then I would suggest that you check the socks because they might sometimes contain wool, but in most cases, they are made out of cotton or polyester.
Shoes
In the modern era, materials that don’t contain leather are more lightweight, flexible, breathable, and comfortable, especially in sport’s shoes which is why tennis shoes are often vegan-friendly.
There might be small aspects of the shoe made out of animal materials; however, if you have found your current shoes that are vegan friendly, use the same methods and brands to find your animal-friendly tennis shoes!
Tennis Bags
The last thing you need to take into consideration is the tennis bags. Many people just use some sports bags that aren’t specifically for tennis. However, some bags do contain materials such s leather or wool, so you need to be careful if that is something you want to avoid!
My Favorite Tennis Equipment
Thanks for reading this article. I hope it brought you great value that you can implement into your own life! Below you’ll find my top tennis equipment recommendations would like.
- Racket: My preferred tennis racket is the Wilson Ultra 100 V3. This racket is made from graphite and carbon fiber, making it durable, firm, and easy to swing. The racket weighs 300g, making it lightweight yet not too lightweight to generate power. The racket’s main benefit is power. I like to add multifilament strings to the racket, such as Wilson NXT Soft 16 (recommended tension 52lb/23.5kg), because they are comfortable and soft on the arm with a great feel to the game.
- Tennis balls: Best tennis balls are always pressurized, and I like them having extra-duty felt, which is fit for hard court play. I like Penn Championship Tennis Balls, and so does the ITF because these balls are approved for competitive play. So yes, these are the real deal.
- Tennis shoes: I can’t stress enough the importance of comfortable and supporting shoes. ASICS Gel-Resolution 8 tennis shoes are unique because the balance between durability and support mixed with comfort is something out of the ordinary.
- Fan Equipment: If you’re a fan more than a player, you don’t want to miss Fan Equipment by Fanatics. You can find items from various sports that bear your favorite team’s logo, such as jerseys, gift ideas, or other surprising things.
Conclusion
Keeping your thoughts on the environment and cruelty-free options is a great way to think, and many people should do it more often. Luckily tennis can be with 100% vegan gear, so there is no need to worry! Just remember to check your equipment, and you are good for the courts!
