Rubber Review 17: Loki Rxton 5 Pro — Exceptionally Stable, Needs the Right Blade
Rubber Review 17 / Mushroom Field Guide: Loki Rxton 5 Pro
Test blades: Joola Zhou Qihao Super 45, Loki Qilin K7
Quick Overview
- The Rxton 5 Pro belongs to Loki’s flagship Rxton series. Hardness 41 degrees (actual around 39), thickness 2.1 mm, bare weight around 64 g — very light. Retail price around 78 RMB.
- Surface is extremely tacky; the rubber face has a glossy sheen. Blue high-density sponge. Cool-looking packaging.
First Test Session (Blade: Qilin K7, 7-ply all-wood)
① Feel: Attack contact feels clean and transparent, with a slight vibration and crispness. ② Tack: The surface has super-tack comparable to the Arthur China version, which does limit exit speed to some extent. After more hits the tack drops slightly. ③ Spin: The soft sponge provides dwell, and the ultra-tacky surface protects arc and spin. After looping I found myself thinking: “It’s so stable — you basically can’t miss. You can slap a loop carelessly and it still lands. This is perfect for beginners practicing!”
④ Power: The sponge is labeled 41 degrees but actually feels more like 39 or softer, so power output is limited — hard to generate real quality shots (individual unit variation possible; this sample may run soft). ⑤ Support: The Rxton 5 Pro targets the forehand, but at 2.1 mm with a fairly soft sponge, the support on forehand is thin. On the backhand side, exit speed becomes the limiting factor.
Summary after first session: Glossy face, super-tack, transparent contact, featherweight — but sponge thickness, support, and power all fall short. Needs a stiffer outer carbon blade for backup support!
Second Test Session (Blade: Zhou Qihao Super 45, softer outer SALC)
① Power: The Super 45 is a blade with a long arc but soft feel — limba face, outer aramid-carbon — stronger support than all-wood but not as crisp as Viscaria or Fan Zhendong ALC. So the Rxton 5 Pro still couldn’t deliver solid power output with this pairing. ② Support: Soft blade plus soft rubber still wasn’t ideal, which further confirmed my view: the Rxton 5 Pro has outstanding fundamentals, but needs a harder outer carbon blade to provide the follow-through support.
Final Verdict
The Rxton 5 Pro is an extremely stable, forgiving rubber — but it needs the right match. I’ve already passed the suggestion on to Loki: bump the hardness up 1-2 degrees and this rubber jumps to another level. Hope they take it.
Recommended pairing: koto face + outer ALC structure (e.g., Sanwei 75, Galaxy Pro-01). That combination lets it shine. At around 78 RMB it offers genuine value. Overall recommendation: moderate-to-above-average — worth a try.
Note: All content in the Mushroom Field Guide reflects the author’s subjective impressions. Rubbers vary between individual units, and pairing choices will affect results. Comments and corrections are welcome.