Quality of DHS rubbers bought domestically in China vs Taobao vs AliExpress

[boretennis]

Does somebody know if there is a difference in quality control of DHS rubbers sold at a DHS store in Shanghai or Beijing, through Taoboao or through AliExpress? I am wondering if it makes sense to have chinese friends make a purchase for me domestically or if it's the same as me ordering through AliExpress.

 

[TensorBackhand]

Does somebody know if there is a difference in quality control of DHS rubbers sold at a DHS store in Shanghai or Beijing, through Taoboao or through AliExpress? I am wondering if it makes sense to have chinese friends make a purchase for me domestically or if it's the same as me ordering through AliExpress.

I believe it should be the same. I have a friend going to China so I was gonna ask him to bring me some rubbers too.

 

[Tony's Table Tennis]

you get commercial versions and you get professional versions
the quality of pro version is better and these are not sold in retail/commercial spaces.

 

[boretennis]

you get commercial versions and you get professional versions
the quality of pro version is better and these are not sold in retail/commercial spaces.

yes. i was thinking if there could also be a quality difference within the commercial version, like a domestic china batch and an export batch.

 

[zeio]

Usually fresher for those in China because of the relatively higher turnover (QC is still a lottery). Another benefit is that the domestic ones come with the hardness specified. Your odds of getting a knockoff at Taobao etc. are much higher accordingly...

 

[boretennis]

Usually fresher for those in China because of the relatively higher turnover (QC is still a lottery). Another benefit is that the domestic ones come with the hardness specified. Your odds of getting a knockoff at Taobao etc. are much higher accordingly...

thanks, that makes sense. may i assume that a local DHS shop or the official DHS Taobao shop would be the best (freshest) sources then?

 

[Sherpa]

The DHS I purchased in Beijing at the start of the year is the same quality as the rubber I have purchaed off Aliexpress and also off a local supplier

 

[rbtitco]

Does somebody know if there is a difference in quality control of DHS rubbers sold at a DHS store in Shanghai or Beijing, through Taoboao or through AliExpress? I am wondering if it makes sense to have chinese friends make a purchase for me domestically or if it's the same as me ordering through AliExpress.

Ive bought from the gweilo bin rubbers on AliExpress and got them in Asia and can't tell a difference

 

[zeio]

thanks, that makes sense. may i assume that a local DHS shop or the official DHS Taobao shop would be the best (freshest) sources then?

They should be the safest sources. If you want the freshest, the most popular official retailer stores (online or brick-and-mortar) are your best bet since they usually sell at a slightly lower price than the retail price.

 

[FaguoLong]

No difference on the H3 that I could get (BS & commercial). I had one average sheet from Shanghai out of 5 bought there, good ones on Aliexpress and very good ones on Taobao (from Gan store). If you buy from 'official' resellers, no problem.

 

[belllfador]

Think here is the best place to drop some experience.

TT equipment from aliexpress + DHS + big promotion = the worst quality control.

Prov H3 OS 38 2.2 - measured hardness 56 degrees, sponge 2.05mm, 68.8g uncut with foil. Dents in the sponge, it is possible to be a commercial version, but cut as provintial. My old H3N OS 38 was 52 degrees before boosting and 4 grams lighter.

Prov TG3 BS 39 2.1 - measured hardness 62 degrees, sponge 2mm, 74.3g uncut with foil. My old TG3 is softer, 59 measured, but is marked from DHS as 40. So the new one must be 41.5, not 39.

Prov H3 BS 39 2.2 - measured hardness 55 degrees, sponge 2.2mm, 73g uncut with foil. Same as my old one.

The level of stickiness for the rubbers is low, same as other old H3s I have, red is the stickiest.

I pay a total of 70€, so probably don't need to complain, but I was not prepared for stat distribution as items from Diablo 2.

 

[ttarc]

Think here is the best place to drop some experience.

TT equipment from aliexpress + DHS + big promotion = the worst quality control.

Prov H3 OS 38 2.2 - measured hardness 56 degrees, sponge 2.05mm, 68.8g uncut with foil. Dents in the sponge, it is possible to be a commercial version, but cut as provintial. My old H3N OS 38 was 52 degrees before boosting and 4 grams lighter.

Prov TG3 BS 39 2.1 - measured hardness 62 degrees, sponge 2mm, 74.3g uncut with foil. My old TG3 is softer, 59 measured, but is marked from DHS as 40. So the new one must be 41.5, not 39.

Prov H3 BS 39 2.2 - measured hardness 55 degrees, sponge 2.2mm, 73g uncut with foil. Same as my old one.

The level of stickiness for the rubbers is low, same as other old H3s I have, red is the stickiest.

I pay a total of 70€, so probably don't need to complain, but I was not prepared for stat distribution as items from Diablo 2.

Could you name the Aliexpress shop you bought from?

The provincial H3N BS I got from Global Sports Store https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1102587734 (payed around 38€ each incl. taxes and shipping) all had a slight dome fresh from the package and played (still play) as they should. Sponge is a bit weak (in the sense that reboosting had less effect compared to my provincial OS) but the topsheet is still one of the best I got since 2019 or so (shiny, tacky, not overly tacky but more than most provincial OS I got except Nittaku H3N OS NR-8701)

 

[Conehead]

No difference on the H3 that I could get (BS & commercial). I had one average sheet from Shanghai out of 5 bought there, good ones on Aliexpress and very good ones on Taobao (from Gan store). If you buy from 'official' resellers, no problem.

Where in Shanghai did you buy those H3 sheets?

 

[belllfador]

Could you name the Aliexpress shop you bought from?

The provincial H3N BS I got from Global Sports Store https://www.aliexpress.com/store/1102587734 (payed around 38€ each incl. taxes and shipping) all had a slight dome fresh from the package and played (still play) as they should. Sponge is a bit weak (in the sense that reboosting had less effect compared to my provincial OS) but the topsheet is still one of the best I got since 2019 or so (shiny, tacky, not overly tacky but more than most provincial OS I got except Nittaku H3N OS NR-8701)

I boost with falco platinum one or two layers. That is a weak booster but with permanent effect. Don't like too springy and too sticky rubbers. And happy with the "new" H3 level of stickiness.

Prov H3 OS 38 2.2 is from XVT Table Tennis.

Prov TG3 BS 39 2.1 is from Global Sports Store, my old one (with accurate hardness) I bought from Sweetheart Pet Store.

Prov H3 BS 39 2.2 is from Too Fun Store. That is the second sheet I bought from there. Usually it is around 22€, has a promo price of 18. With one layer of booster behave like my national H3N BS (again from aliexpress, but another store and a beefy price of 55€).

 

[FaguoLong]

Where in Shanghai did you buy those H3 sheets?

https://share.google/cQqWSRB879OQxF3f4 Tongce Sport Equipment, a table tennis store located in Hongku Shanghai. https://j.map.baidu.com/74/yoSf

 

[DBsystem78]

Bought few rubbers (DHS H3N Commercial and Prov BS ) from BEO store in Aliexpress never had any issue always receive the exact same Degrees and thickness

 

[Tyce]

It's likely that AliExpress stores sell lots that were rescued from the trash bin at the factory. There are so many stories of extremely bad QA from people buying on AliExpress, including my own experience with a couple of blades, that I'm convinced this is happening.
Especially in times/products of high demand, and products that are originally destined for Chinese domestic sales only, the chances of getting subpar products are substantial.

 

[ttarc]

I boost with falco platinum one or two layers. That is a weak booster but with permanent effect. Don't like too springy and too sticky rubbers. And happy with the "new" H3 level of stickiness.

Prov H3 OS 38 2.2 is from XVT Table Tennis.

Prov TG3 BS 39 2.1 is from Global Sports Store, my old one (with accurate hardness) I bought from Sweetheart Pet Store.

Prov H3 BS 39 2.2 is from Too Fun Store. That is the second sheet I bought from there. Usually it is around 22€, has a promo price of 18. With one layer of booster behave like my national H3N BS (again from aliexpress, but another store and a beefy price of 55€).

I tried to find prices in China... DHS' store/tmall seems to block every request/requires to login. If anyone has access to dhsyundong.world.tmall.com it would be interesting to see their (official) prices
Someone else had this idea a couple of days back and asked on Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletennis/comments/1s1ma8v

What I could find:
https://ttshop.cn/category.php?id=146 (309 RMB ~ 39 Euros Neo BS, 266 RMB ~ 33.54 non-Neo BS)
https://www.dku51.com/goods-1490.html (228 RMB ~29 Euros Neo BS)
https://www.dku51.com/goods-1853.html (192 RMB ~24 Euros non-Neo BS)
I think that these prices include local VAT (13%)

https://www.prott.vip lists the Neo BS for 38 USD ~33 Euros and non-Neo for 35 USD ~30 Euros without VAT

Too Fun Store (https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008887469679.html) lists the non-Neo with "Hardness
39 Random" but 22€ incl. VAT (19% for me) and shipping still seems a bit low...
May still be legit. If you have the code from the sticker you can check it at http://www.dhs-sports.com/search.shtml

 

[belllfador]

I tried to find prices in China... DHS' store/tmall seems to block every request/requires to login. If anyone has access to dhsyundong.world.tmall.com it would be interesting to see their (official) prices
Someone else had this idea a couple of days back and asked on Reddit

https://www.reddit.com/r/tabletennis/comments/1s1ma8v

What I could find:
https://ttshop.cn/category.php?id=146 (309 RMB ~ 39 Euros Neo BS, 266 RMB ~ 33.54 non-Neo BS)
https://www.dku51.com/goods-1490.html (228 RMB ~29 Euros Neo BS)
https://www.dku51.com/goods-1853.html (192 RMB ~24 Euros non-Neo BS)
I think that these prices include local VAT (13%)

https://www.prott.vip lists the Neo BS for 38 USD ~33 Euros and non-Neo for 35 USD ~30 Euros without VAT

Too Fun Store (https://aliexpress.com/item/1005008887469679.html) lists the non-Neo with "Hardness
39 Random" but 22€ incl. VAT (19% for me) and shipping still seems a bit low...
May still be legit. If you have the code from the sticker you can check it at http://www.dhs-sports.com/search.shtml

All rubbers have legit sticker numbers.

 

[Conehead]

https://share.google/cQqWSRB879OQxF3f4 Tongce Sport Equipment, a table tennis store located in Hongku Shanghai. https://j.map.baidu.com/74/yoSf

Thank you. I went there last week. They had a couple of DHS rubbers but no H3N.