Question about H3Neo

This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319
When I first tried this rubber out of package, I hated it. People said it was factory boosted, but I felt no booster at all. It felt very dead, and the speed was abysmally low with the ball sticking to the topsheet. I started to enjoy the rubber more after adding a few layers of baby oil to the rubber, putting the rubber on the TB ZLC (faster blade), and the tackiness wearing off. But now, Im not sure if the rubber is getting better because of my changes or its own natural qualities. So I have a few questions.

- Some people have said that the sponge needs to be broken in. Why does it need to be broken in and how long does it take? What is the effect of being broken in?

- What is the effect of adding baby oil to H3Neo? Some people have said it makes the rubber more bouncy, but I cant really tell. I tried adding baby oil to Big Dipper, and I felt that it made the rubber slower and worse and less bouncy. So what is the effect on H3Neo and why do so many people recommend baby oil on it?

- Is H3Neo factory boosted? It felt very dead to me. But is it possible that original H3 is even less reactive?

- For people who love H3Neo, do they love it out of package? Or do they like it after the tackiness has worn off?
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
To me it sounds like you haven't played normal H3 before, or at least has forgotten the feel of a non-boosted H3.

To answer your questions:
  1. I don't think it needs broken in, as in you stick it on the blade and play a few shots to get used to the newly glued rubber, and that's it.
  2. Baby oil can be used as a makeshift booster, but it's strongly not recommended if you have access to any real booster products. Baby oil and all boosters products, decreases the density of the sponge, meaning dense sponge becomes more bouncy, while sponges that are already bouncy may become soft and squishy because it has lost its structure integrity.
  3. Yes, H3 Neo is factory boosted, that's why it comes in a sealed packaging. Though it is possible the boosting effect has been lost due to long term storage, but it should maintain for quite a while. After opening the package, the boosting effect lasts roughly 3-4 weeks depending on how much you play.
  4. It depends, some people boost it right out of the packaging, some people use it for about a month then boost it, some people stick it on their blade and never take it off.
 
Last edited:
says Table tennis clown
says Table tennis clown
Well-Known Member
Apr 2020
3,315
1,763
7,133
I differentiate between stickiness and tackiness. - I do not have enough strength to deal with the sticky topsheet
and it just slows everything down for me , so I deal to it by running a handful of brand new balls over the rubber.
New balls have some residue of some powder on them and rolling the balls on the rubber will brake that sticky part.
Now I can play with it.
Boosted or not is a matter of individual preference and playing style, I prefer the NEO un-boosted and use just 1 coat
of booster on the standard H3
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319
I definitely feel the rubber is faster than at first, but would you say that is from adding baby oil? or the sponge being broken in? or the tackiness wearing off?
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
New balls have some residue of some powder on them and rolling the balls on the rubber will brake that sticky part.

This reminds me of a match I watched a while back, I forgot who it was but the guy took the new ball he got from the umpire, and stuck it in his mouth to lick off the powder lol

 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: thomas.pong
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
I definitely feel the rubber is faster than at first, but would you say that is from adding baby oil? or the sponge being broken in? or the tackiness wearing off?

Could be a combination of all three plus you getting used to the new rubber, but this is how I would rate the effect of each: baby oil > getting used to > tackiness wearing off > broken in

Btw, the baby oil wears off pretty quickly I was told, never tried it myself so I can't say for sure.

 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319

Could be a combination of all three plus you getting used to the new rubber, but this is how I would rate the effect of each: baby oil > getting used to > tackiness wearing off > broken in

Btw, the baby oil wears off pretty quickly I was told, never tried it myself so I can't say for sure.

Well I put the baby oil on the rubber like 12 weeks ago and just didnt play with it almost at all. So Im not sure if the oil effect has come off, or if its stays on due to inactivity.

I actually feel that baby oil effect is basically permanent, but maybe others have better knowledge about that. I put baby oil on big dipper, and it became very mushy and slow. And I dont really see it ever going back to normal.

 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jul 2017
1,763
836
2,919
H3 does not come boosted. H3Neo is a good rubber for the price. It isn't fast but it can generate good loops. The good side is that the top sheet seems to last a long time. The bad part is that the sponge will gradually lose its speed and spin. You should do a bounce test on a new rubber and then every once in a while to monitor rate or amount that the sponge degrades.

Baby oil will not boost rubbers. Oil doesn't compress much. If you want to boost you need something that evaporates into a gas.
Gas will compress and return most of the energy. You fill your tires up with air, not baby oil. How many times do I have to say this?
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews

Well I put the baby oil on the rubber like 12 weeks ago and just didnt play with it almost at all. So Im not sure if the oil effect has come off, or if its stays on due to inactivity.

I actually feel that baby oil effect is basically permanent, but maybe others have better knowledge about that. I put baby oil on big dipper, and it became very mushy and slow. And I dont really see it ever going back to normal.

Since I never used baby oil before I can't say for sure, but I know for a fact that boosters harm the structure integrity of the sponge, so I'd assume baby oil does too. Like I said just now, when you decreases the density of a dense sponge, it becomes bouncier, but for a sponge that's already bouncy it will become mushy. It's like a spring, if you stretch it out a little, you can increase the business of it, but if you stretch it out too much, it becomes a curly metal wire.

And for boosters, there's an easy way to see if the effect has weared off, take the rubber off your blade, if it curls towards the side of the sponge, then the booster has weared off.

 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
H3 does not come boosted. H3Neo is a good rubber for the price. It isn't fast but it can generate good loops. The good side is that the top sheet seems to last a long time. The bad part is that the sponge will gradually lose its speed and spin. You should do a bounce test on a new rubber and then every once in a while to monitor rate or amount that the sponge degrades.

Baby oil will not boost rubbers. Oil doesn't compress much. If you want to boost you need something that evaporates into a gas.
Gas will compress and return most of the energy. You fill your tires up with air, not baby oil. How many times do I have to say this?

I disagree. H3 has a version that comes boosted, it's called H3 Neo, read the packaging.

And... you have the wrong idea of boosting. Sure, there might be a small percentage of the effect that comes from gassing out, but that's not the main reason. Here's a video about why the boosting works, it's in Chinese. though https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1A7411U7K5/

I'm not going to translate the entire video, but in the last bit of it the guy mentioned a really good example: you can boost a rubber that doesn't have a sponge, e.g. short/long pips with no sponge, and the effect is very substantial.

 
Last edited:
says Table tennis clown
says Table tennis clown
Well-Known Member
Apr 2020
3,315
1,763
7,133
H3 does not come boosted. H3Neo is a good rubber for the price. It isn't fast but it can generate good loops. The good side is that the top sheet seems to last a long time. The bad part is that the sponge will gradually lose its speed and spin. You should do a bounce test on a new rubber and then every once in a while to monitor rate or amount that the sponge degrades.

Baby oil will not boost rubbers. Oil doesn't compress much. If you want to boost you need something that evaporates into a gas.
Gas will compress and return most of the energy. You fill your tires up with air, not baby oil. How many times do I have to say this?

you will have to repeat yourself many more times, until you have convinced everybody - which will be NEVER 😁

Little experiment : Take an old rubber and apply baby-oil to one half and seamoon to the other.
See, after a short time both halves will be dry.........................................oh dear, where did it go ??????? 😁

 
says Table tennis clown
says Table tennis clown
Well-Known Member
Apr 2020
3,315
1,763
7,133

I disagree. H3 has a version that comes boosted, it's called H3 Neo, read the packaging.

And... you have the wrong idea of boosting. Sure, there might be a small percentage of the effect that comes from gassing out, but that's not the main reason. Here's a video about why the boosting works, it's in Chinese. though https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1A7411U7K5/

I'm not going to translate the entire video, but in the last bit of it the guy mentioned a really good example: you can boost a rubber that doesn't have a sponge, e.g. short/long pips with no sponge, and the effect is very substantial.



i can not read what it says on the packet of the neo, so if it say in chinese that it is boosted i believe it.
My ""proof"" is simply that :
dhs does not bother to apply a thick layer of glue to the neo rubbers to save us some of our personal stash of glue.
I think they put the glue on to prolong the life of the booster while the rubber is in the sealed packaging.
P.S. I have no proper proof of this of course

 
  • Like
Reactions: jammmail
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jul 2017
1,763
836
2,919

I disagree. H3 has a version that comes boosted, it's called H3 Neo, read the packaging.


You are so gullible.

And... you have the wrong idea of boosting. Sure, there might be a small percentage of the effect that comes from gassing out, but that's not the main reason. Here's a video about why the boosting works, it's in Chinese. though https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1A7411U7K5/

I'm not going to translate the entire video, but in the last bit of it the guy mentioned a really good example: you can boost a rubber that doesn't have a sponge, e.g. short/long pips with no sponge, and the effect is very substantial.

Where is the evidence?
Saying it doesn't make it true.
I would like to see a bounce test. They are easy to do.
 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews



i can not read what it says on the packet of the neo, so if it say in chinese that it is boosted i believe it.
My ""proof"" is simply that :
dhs does not bother to apply a thick layer of glue to the neo rubbers to save us some of our personal stash of glue.
I think they put the glue on to prolong the life of the booster while the rubber is in the sealed packaging.
P.S. I have no proper proof of this of course

You're right on the spot with that glue layer lol

Actually most of the boosting tutorials in Chinese recommend putting on a layer or two of glue first, it's called "打底", then put on the booster. Since the glue layers essentially acts like an extra storage space and sealer for the booster, such that the boosting effect will last a bit longer.

 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
You are so gullible.


Where is the evidence?
Saying it doesn't make it true.
I would like to see a bounce test. They are easy to do.

And you're just ignorant. You're saying that DHS got a complete new production line to put on that layer of glue, and a new packaging line in their factory, just to sell us the same rubber?

Also, logic is not on your side:
Let's assume your comment on the "gas filling pores" is correct. How does it fill in the pores? There has to be a way for the booster to go into the pores, but a way in also means a way out, there a reason rubber balls or tires don't bounce as good if there's a hole in them.

Not to mention that, sponge doesn't get all its bounciness from gas being compressed, the more pronounced effect is the structure of the sponge, it's the elasticity of the material itself, not the gas in the miniscule pores. Or maybe you don't believe rubber bands exist?

The booster is stretching out the structures of the sponge and rubber, like stretching out a spring. If it's stretched out a little, it gets a little more springy, but if it's stretched out too much or too frequent, it loses its structure integrity and either breaks or doesn't go back to its original shape.

Also, it is easy to do a bounce test, so why not do it yourself? Or is it not agreeing with your belief so you don't want to try it?

P.S. there's a reason why you need to take the film off the top sheet when boosting H3. It limits the top sheet from stretching out, making it virtually impossible to glue the rubber because it curls up too bad since the sponge side has expanded so much.

 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319

Since I never used baby oil before I can't say for sure, but I know for a fact that boosters harm the structure integrity of the sponge, so I'd assume baby oil does too. Like I said just now, when you decreases the density of a dense sponge, it becomes bouncier, but for a sponge that's already bouncy it will become mushy. It's like a spring, if you stretch it out a little, you can increase the business of it, but if you stretch it out too much, it becomes a curly metal wire.

And for boosters, there's an easy way to see if the effect has weared off, take the rubber off your blade, if it curls towards the side of the sponge, then the booster has weared off.

From my experience, baby oil causes rubbers to curl outward away from the sponge. Even after taking the rubber off the blade, the rubber never returns to the original neutral state. Its permanently curled outward.

Does that mean, its permanently "boosted"?

 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319

Also, my experience seems to line up with your comments about a spring. When I use baby oil on slow, tough, "dead" rubbers such as H3 or Sanwei Target, there seems to be a mildly positive effect.

But when I use it on Big Dipper and Yinhe Moon Speed, there seems to be a negative effect. Almost as if the sponge doesnt like the oil and becomes mushy.

 
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Jan 2019
1,119
721
2,225
Read 2 reviews
From my experience, baby oil causes rubbers to curl outward away from the sponge. Even after taking the rubber off the blade, the rubber never returns to the original neutral state. Its permanently curled outward.

Does that mean, its permanently "boosted"?

Well, like I said I never used baby oil before, so all my previous comments are based on the knowledge of using boosters, specifically Haifu National Black/Yellow, and PPW Taiji Yellow. But since I've read about baby oil doing more damage to the sponge, I'd assume it's not a "permanent boost", maybe more like it's not penetrating the sponge layer enough, causing the outermost part of the sponge being stretched out, and the inner part not being stretched. But again, never tried it personally and after reading about it not as good as real boosters, I don't intend on trying 😉.

Also, I'm a believer of "using the product as intended", even if it costs a little more. So if it says baby oil, I put it on my skin not my rubber lol

Btw, I can send you a bottle of unopened LiDu booster (yellow) for $10 if you want. http://ttnpp.com/store/booster/895-lidu-oil-booster-150ml-34.html

 
Last edited:
This user has no status.
This user has no status.
Well-Known Member
Aug 2021
1,956
347
2,319

Well, like I said I never used baby oil before, so all my previous comments are based on the knowledge of using boosters, specifically Haifu National Black/Yellow, and PPW Taiji Yellow. But since I've read about baby oil doing more damage to the sponge, I'd assume it's not a "permanent boost", maybe more like it's not penetrating the sponge layer enough, causing the outermost part of the sponge being stretched out, and the inner part not being stretched. But again, never tried it personally and after reading about it not as good as real boosters, I don't intend on trying 😉.

Also, I'm a believer of "using the product as intended", even if it costs a little more. So if it says baby oil, I put it on a my skin not my rubber lol

Btw, I can send you a bottle of unopened LiDu booster (yellow) for $10 if you want. http://ttnpp.com/store/booster/895-lidu-oil-booster-150ml-34.html

Yeah I have been debating whether or not to get into the whole boosting experience. For sending a bottle, its kinda bulky right? it might cost more for shipping?

 
says Table tennis clown
says Table tennis clown
Well-Known Member
Apr 2020
3,315
1,763
7,133

Also, my experience seems to line up with your comments about a spring. When I use baby oil on slow, tough, "dead" rubbers such as H3 or Sanwei Target, there seems to be a mildly positive effect.

But when I use it on Big Dipper and Yinhe Moon Speed, there seems to be a negative effect. Almost as if the sponge doesnt like the oil and becomes mushy.

without going into details, but it has been known that some rubbers lend themselves better for boosting than others.
Of course you will not likely find a list of " boostable" rubbers , because boosting in any way is of course illegal, unless it has been done by the manufacturer AND has therefore been ITTF approved..............................................hang on a minute, that sounds all wrong, that would mean ITTF says yes to boosting 🤣

 
Top