GEWO Iconixx 55 & 50 Review: Durability Issues Undermine a Promising Rakza Z EH Alternative and Softer Rakza Z Option

[victormanriquey]

Hey all,

As I had already mentioned in some other threads last week, I was about to wrap up the testing period of the new Gewo Iconixx 55 and 50, and now it is done! So here's the new blogpost with all the information you need before you buy, and for this one, do read before you buy: https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/blog/gewo-iconixx-55-50-review

Short summary is basically that it's a pity that these 2 new hybrids do not last long, otherwise I think they were promising, especially the 50 as a softer Rakza Z alternative. And the TL;DR table for some extra details is here as usual:

Category	Iconixx 55	Iconixx 50
Weight	Heavy, 53g cut to the B2X, similar to the Rakza Z Extra Hard	Heavy, 51.5 grams cut to the B2X, just a tiny bit lighter than Rakza Z
Sponge & Topsheet	Hard 55 sponge (feels softer and livelier) with a medium-low tacky topsheet	Medium-hard 50 sponge (feels softer and livelier) with a medium-low tacky topsheet
Spin potential	Lots of spin on all shots, plenty enough for amateurs, grip issues appeared after 5 weeks of testing	A lot of spin on all shots but slightly less than the 55, great grip initially too but same issues expected
Speed & Gears	High gears but not unlimited, starts controlled, explodes a bit abruptly	Bit less gears but high enough for amateurs, more focused on control
Throw angle	High-ish throw angle, long flight and good post-bounce kick	Higher throw angle than the 55, shorter flight and safer trajectory
Drives & Loops	A lot of power but demanding to handle, requires correct technique with thicker contact and body usage	A bit less power and more control, tolerates wrong technique better and it's easier to handle
Serves	Great spin, similar or possibly higher than Rakza Z EH	Very good spin, a bit more than Rakza Z
Flicks	Less good flicks than Joola Charged or Rakza Z	Easy and safe backhand flicks, but less power than Joola Dynamic
Pushes	Pretty good control, rubber is fairly linear at low gears	Even more control, so easier to push short and long with aggression
Blocks	Very good blocking and relatively easy to control the catapult effect	Also very easy passive and active blocking, even safer, I liked it
Flat hits	Not good, catapult at high impact activates very quickly, easy to miss	Not bad at all for a 50 rubber, I enjoyed great flat-ish counters
Boosting	I would not boost it, some of you may boost it to soften the 55 sponge, but control will suffer	I would not boost it either, it's already lively, go for the 48 if you want softer
Price & Durability	Premium rubber segment without discounts, price-wise not worth it due to durability issues	Premium rubber segment without discounts, price-wise not worth it due to durability issues

As a nice new thing, I also have started creating a rubber database (blades will come one day too, but we already have TTGearLab for the time being and they do it well, so less pressure on that front) and will keep on expanding it as more reviews come in, you can see it here (consider it in 'beta' for now, need to improve it more): https://www.tabletennisequipmenthelp.com/rubber-database

Ok that was all, I'll be focusing next and until the end of the year on the MK hybrid and MK pro, Helix hybrid and DNA Hybrid, BlueGrip J1 and J2, and of course I don't want to disappoint a couple of you, so I'll complete the Q4 list with the Vega China and Genextion V2C.

Thanks for reading and hope it's a helpful review

Take care,

Victor

 

[Airoc]

it's a pity that these 2 new hybrids do not last long

As hybrids do, as long as they aren´t called NUZN.

 

[victormanriquey]

As hybrids do, as long as they aren´t called NUZN.

Not fully agreeing here, many do indeed, but not all, depends of course on the hybrid type, I feel like tensor hybrids (indeed excluding NUZN) are shorter lived, but if I look at the Joola Trinities, those seem like really solid hybrids to me, and on the chinese hybrid side, also very durable options

I need to see how the helix will perform, DNA hybrid seems decent, and also need to see how J1 & J2 will do, I heard good things, same on Vega China if you maintain it good, not sure about Genextion V2C, so will need to be tested as well.

By the way, Rakza Z is my fav hybrid when it comes to durability and price, and ofc D09c lasts a long time too, so plenty of durable hybrids imo

 

[Master_of_loops]

I have been playing table tennis since 2002 and ICONIXX Hybrid is definitely the best rubber I have played with so far.
Wherever I imagine, I send that ball with a lot of spin and speed, this latest innovation of the hybrid (combining a slightly sticky top layer in the Chinese style with the elasticity of a dynamic European sponge) rubber concept by ICONIXX is incredible.
What is most important for me because of my playing style is that ICONIXX Hybrid generates high rotation on initial topspins and high precision on spin variations during service.
Topspins and counter attacks have a direct, powerful, and precise trajectory.
Short, pushed balls land extremely low near the net.
On my forehand I use ICONIXX Hybrid 55, on my backhand ICONIXX Hybrid 50.
Bravo to Gewo, ICONIXX Hybrid is a revolution in table tennis.

 

[victormanriquey]

I have been playing table tennis since 2002 and ICONIXX Hybrid is definitely the best rubber I have played with so far.
Wherever I imagine, I send that ball with a lot of spin and speed, this latest innovation of the hybrid (combining a slightly sticky top layer in the Chinese style with the elasticity of a dynamic European sponge) rubber concept by ICONIXX is incredible.
What is most important for me because of my playing style is that ICONIXX Hybrid generates high rotation on initial topspins and high precision on spin variations during service.
Topspins and counter attacks have a direct, powerful, and precise trajectory.
Short, pushed balls land extremely low near the net.
On my forehand I use ICONIXX Hybrid 55, on my backhand ICONIXX Hybrid 50.
Bravo to Gewo, ICONIXX Hybrid is a revolution in table tennis.

Yes it is a good rubber as I mentioned in the blog but if it only lasts 1-2 months then that has to be said as well, unless you are a sponsored player or dont care about costs, then it is something to take into account.

And to add to this, I found it a great set of rubbers and then recommended them to a good friend who plays at my club at high level, he also really liked them so bought 2 of each. Now he is already seeing the same durability issues which sucks.

But hey, it can be we both had a bad batch of course, so people can test for themselves and see

Have you not experienced any issues @Master_of_loops ?

 

[Master_of_loops]

Yes it is a good rubber as I mentioned in the blog but if it only lasts 1-2 months then that has to be said as well, unless you are a sponsored player or dont care about costs, then it is something to take into account.

And to add to this, I found it a great set of rubbers and then recommended them to a good friend who plays at my club at high level, he also really liked them so bought 2 of each. Now he is already seeing the same durability issues which sucks.

But hey, it can be we both had a bad batch of course, so people can test for themselves and see

Have you not experienced any issues @Master_of_loops ?

Luckily, I'm a sponsored player so 4 pairs of rubbers will be enough for the season 🙂
I've been playing with ICONIXX for 4 days now, we'll see how long they last.

 

[Archosaurus]

You've been using it for 4 days and you're sure it's the best rubber you've ever used?

 

[Master_of_loops]

You've been using it for 4 days and you're sure it's the best rubber you've ever used?

Yes, love at first sight.

 

[victormanriquey]

Luckily, I'm a sponsored player so 4 pairs of rubbers will be enough for the season 🙂
I've been playing with ICONIXX for 4 days now, we'll see how long they last.

In that case all good, fresh they are very nice. Enjoy and check the topsheet from time to time, so you always have the best performance