The Nox Equation is Nox’s racket for intermediate players: the step after a first racket, for anyone not ready to spend about £130 on an AT10 or ML10 Pro Cup. It comes in two versions, Hard and Soft, and the only meaningful difference between them is the core. This page explains which one suits you, whether the 2026 model is worth hunting down, and what you get by spending more.
Here is the short version, from Nox’s own spec sheets and UK prices checked on Monday 26 October 2026.
| Equation Hard 2027 | Equation Soft 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Round | Round |
| Balance | Medium | Medium |
| Weight | 355 to 365 g | 355 to 365 g |
| Thickness | 38 mm | 38 mm |
| Core | HR3 Hard EVA | HR3 Soft EVA |
| Face and frame | 3K fibreglass, carbon frame | 3K fibreglass, carbon frame |
| Nox feel rating | Medium-hard | Medium |
| Nox level | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| UK price | £98.99 to £108.99 | £98.99 to £108.99 |
Nox gives balance as a type (“medium”), never in millimetres. Prices come from PDH Sports, Express Padel, Everything Padel and Padel Market UK, and they move weekly.
Equation Hard or Soft: which suits you?
Choose the Soft for comfort and easy depth on slower swings, and the Hard if you already swing fully and want a firmer, more direct response.
Everything else is shared. Both 2027 rackets have a round head, a medium balance, a 3K fibreglass face on a carbon frame, a rough textured surface for spin, and Nox’s anti-vibration system, which it describes as rubber pieces in the frame that absorb vibration when you miss the centre.
The core changes how the ball leaves the face. Nox describes the HR3 Hard EVA as high-density rubber giving “great power and a firm feel on impact”, and the HR3 Soft EVA as low-density rubber with “greater control and excellent ball rebound”. In practice, a softer core flexes more on a gentle stroke and sends the ball further for the same effort. A harder core gives less help on soft shots but rewards a full swing on overheads.
For most casual players, that points to the Soft. If you play once or twice a week and still find yourself short of depth from the back of the court, the Soft gives you more for free. Nox calls its feel “highly comfortable”, which matters if your elbow or wrist complains after long sessions. Our guide to rackets for tennis elbow covers that in more detail.
The Hard suits a player with a solid, fast swing who finds soft rackets vague. Nox’s 2026 spec sheet put numbers on the trade-off: Power 85 and Control 95 for the Hard, Power 80 and Control 100 for the Soft. They are Nox’s own ratings, and they line up with how it describes the cores.
What changed between 2026 and 2027?
Nox does not list any changes. Its spec sheets show a renamed surface, a lighter weight range on the Soft, and the same core, face and shape.
Comparing the four product pages side by side:
- Surface: the 2026 rackets list “Exclusive Spin” and the 2027 rackets “3D Texture”. Nox describes both with the same wording: a hexagonal 3D finish in the centre of the face and a sand finish around it.
- Weight: the 2026 Soft was 360 to 375 g. Both 2027 versions, and the 2026 Hard, are 355 to 365 g.
- Feel label: Nox called the 2026 Soft “soft” and rates the 2027 Soft “medium”. Core, face and frame are unchanged on paper, so read this as a relabel unless Nox says otherwise.
One inconsistency is worth knowing about. Nox’s 2027 Hard page lists a 3K fibreglass face in its spec table, but the technology list underneath names “Fiber Glass Silver”, a stiffer metallic-finish fibreglass. We have followed the spec table.
Is the 2026 Equation a better buy?
Only if you find one well below the 2027 price. On 26 October the in-stock 2026 Hard cost more than the 2027 Hard in UK shops.
On Nox’s own store the older rackets are cheaper: €99.99 for the 2026 Hard and €109.99 for the 2026 Soft (now sold out), against €124.99 for each 2027 version. UK stock tells a different story. Padel Market UK had the 2026 Hard at £104.99, while PDH Sports and Express Padel had the 2027 Hard at £99 and £98.99. The cheaper 2026 listings we found, from £79.99 at PadelHQ to £94.99 at All Things Padel, were all sold out.
Since the specs barely moved, buy whichever is cheaper on the day. Right now that is the 2027 version.
Equation vs AT10 and ML10 Pro Cup
Spending about £30 more moves you into rackets Nox rates for advanced players, with stiffer faces and, for the AT10, a different shape.
| Equation Soft 2027 | AT10 Pro Cup Soft 2026 | ML10 Pro Cup Coorp 2027 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shape | Round | Teardrop | Round |
| Weight | 355 to 365 g | 360 to 375 g | 360 to 375 g |
| Face | 3K fibreglass | Aluminised fibreglass | Silver fibreglass |
| Nox level | Intermediate | Advanced | Advanced |
| UK price | £98.99 to £108.99 | £129.99 to £130 | £129.99 to £135 |
The ML10 Pro Cup is the natural next step if you like the Equation’s round head: same shape, a stiffer metallic-finish fibreglass face and a smooth surface. The AT10 Pro Cup Soft is a teardrop, the in-between shape that gives more help on attacking shots than a round head, and Nox rates its power at 90 out of 100. If you are not sure which head suits you, our racket shape guide explains the trade-offs. The AT10 Genius review covers the top of that line.
Who should skip the Equation
If you are still in your first few months, Nox’s X-Hero and X-Zero do the job for about £52 at Everything Padel. Nox rates both for beginners and gives them the same 3K fibreglass face and carbon frame as the Equation. The Equation adds a rough spin surface, the anti-vibration system, the Smartstrap replaceable wrist cord and a choice of core.
Skip it too if you want a racket that helps you finish points at the net. A round head with medium balance is built for control, and Nox’s own playing-style label for both 2027 Equations is “control”. A teardrop such as the AT10 Pro Cup, or a hybrid from our best rackets for intermediate players, gives more help on attacking shots.
Is there an Equation Light? Pro:Direct Sport lists an older “Equation Light W”, sold out, and Nox’s current store has no Light version, so treat it as discontinued.
UK prices and where to buy
Prices checked on Monday 26 October 2026, all in stock unless marked.
| Racket | Retailer | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Equation Hard 2027 | Express Padel | £98.99 |
| Equation Hard 2027 | PDH Sports | £99.00 |
| Equation Hard 2027 | Padel Market UK | £108.99 |
| Equation Soft 2027 | PDH Sports, Express Padel, Everything Padel | £98.99 |
| Equation Soft 2027 | Padel Market UK | £108.99 |
| Equation Hard 2026 | Padel Market UK | £104.99 |
| Equation Soft 2026 | All Things Padel, PadelHQ, wxpadel | Sold out |
PDH Sports, Express Padel and Everything Padel all show a “was” price of £110 on the 2027 rackets. Padel Market UK’s listing for the 2026 Hard describes it as a hybrid with a medium-high balance for advanced players; Nox’s own page says round, medium balance and intermediate, and we have followed Nox.
For where the Equation sits in the full Nox line-up, from the X range to the AT10 Genius, see our Nox racket guide.