Victor Auraspeed 99 Badminton Racket Review: Is It Really An Upgrade Over The Auraspeed 90K Metallic?
- CKYew
- 13 hours ago
- 6 min read
Anders Antonsen swears by this racket - but almost nobody else on the world tour touches it. So is the Victor Auraspeed 99 underrated, too demanding, or simply a step down from its predecessor? We put it head-to-head against the Auraspeed 90K Metallic to find out.
Why This Comparison Matters
The Victor Auraspeed 99 (UK here, US here) is the racket of choice for Anders Antonsen, one of the best players in the world. And yet, walk around any world tour event and you'll struggle to spot another player using it. That contradiction is exactly why this racket deserves a proper look.
Is it a hidden gem that only suits a specific playing style, or does it genuinely fall short compared to what came before it?
To answer that, we're comparing the Auraspeed 99 directly against its predecessor, the Auraspeed 90K Metallic (full review here), across three areas: design, specs, and on-court performance.
Design & First Impressions
The previous-generation Auraspeed 90K Metallic, and its predecessor, the original Auraspeed 90K, earned their reputation as speedy, responsive rackets that were genuinely easy to play with, largely thanks to their frame stiffness.
First impressions of the Auraspeed 99, though, are strong. The pastel pink colourway is genuinely lovely as full-pink rackets are rare, and this one pulls it off well, paired with futuristic decals like the metallic honeycomb detailing around the T-joint on the inside of the frame.
Look closer, though, and the family resemblance to the 90K Metallic is obvious:
Same Dynamic Sword frame shape
Same shaft length
Same dimple pattern on the shaft and around the 5 and 7 o'clock regions of the frame
Same stringing pattern and Victor-branded grommets
Recognisable decals, just reworked in a different colour
The takeaway: the Auraspeed 99 isn't a ground-up redesign - it's an evolution of the 90K Metallic, with a handful of deliberate tweaks. One detail worth flagging early: the stiffness rating decal on the shaft looks identical between both rackets. We'll come back to why that's misleading once we get into how it actually plays.
The one confirmed spec change beyond the colourway is the recommended string tension, which climbs from 29lbs on the 90K Metallic to 31lbs on the Auraspeed 99 (4U model).
Remember to protect your precious badminton rackets from chips and scratches with the Premium Racket Protection Tape with free delivery worldwide on ckyew.com/shop. We also have some super limited edition player signed prints too!
Victor Auraspeed 99 Specifications
Frame Height | 23.9cm |
Frame Width | 18.7cm |
Frame Profile | 40% recessed |
Frame Thickness | ~10mm |
Shaft Diameter | 7.1mm |
Shaft Length | 21cm |
Handle Length | 17cm |
Handle Type | Traditional wooden handle |
Max String Tension | 31 lbs (4U model) |
Almost every measured spec on the Auraspeed 99 lines up closely with the 90K Metallic, showing that this is very much an incremental update rather than a new frame.
A quick note on Victor's handle technology: Victor offers two handle types - traditional wooden handles and their newer Freecore handles, which are plastic-moulded and generally more pliable, making them easier to play with for most players. The Auraspeed 99 sticks with the wooden handle, prioritising added stiffness over the more forgiving Freecore feel.
For testing, this racket was strung with my usual setup of  Yonex Aerobite (UK here, US here) at 27 lbs x 29 lbs.
On-Court Performance: Where The Auraspeed 99 Starts To Diverge
This is where the Auraspeed 99 and the 90K Metallic really start to separate, and where the racket's identity gets a little complicated.
Noticeably More Head-Heavy
Testing both rackets back-to-back (the most accurate way to compare feel), the head weight difference is immediately obvious. The Auraspeed 99 carries significantly more head weight than the 90K Metallic, and if you've played with the original 90K or the 90K Metallic before, you'll feel it the moment you pick this one up.
More head weight means more raw power available straight out of the frame. But it's not "easy" power, as combined with the frame's stiffness, that extra weight makes the racket noticeably less forgiving.
Swingweight Comparison: 90K vs 90K Metallic vs 99
Lining up swingweight measurements across all three rackets - original 90K, 90K Metallic, and the new 99 - shows a clear upward trend with each generation. Both stock and gripped/wrapped swingweight measurements confirm the same pattern: each newer Auraspeed model swings heavier than the last.
For players who loved the Auraspeed line specifically because it was fast and speed-oriented, this progression is worth sitting with. The 99 has quietly moved away from that identity in favour of more raw power.
The Stiffness Mystery
Remember that identical stiffness decal mentioned earlier? On paper, the Auraspeed 99 and 90K Metallic are rated with the same stiffness. In practice, that doesn't fully track.
The Auraspeed 99 arguably feels stiffer than the 90K Metallic, but with a softer string-bed response, which is a slightly confusing combination. Typically, a very stiff racket produces a crisp, sharp feeling on contact.
However, the Auraspeed 99 doesn't quite deliver that crispness despite testing at the same tension used across all racket reviews. It sits in more of an "old-school Yonex Astrox 88D Pro first generation (UK here, US here)" stiffness range, rather than the sharper, more aggressive stiffness of something like a Yonex Voltric Z-Force II.
Forgiveness (Or Lack Of It)
Combine the added stiffness with the extra head weight, and the result is a racket that punishes imperfect timing. The forgiveness ranking across the family goes:
Original Auraspeed 90K (most forgiving) → 90K Metallic → Auraspeed 99 (least forgiving)
If you already found the 90K Metallic on the stiffer side, the Auraspeed 99 won't feel like an improvement - if anything, it asks even more of your technique.
Final Verdict: Who Should Buy The Victor Auraspeed 99?
The Victor Auraspeed 99 is, without question, a high-end racket that feels like one - responsive, with excellent feedback from the shuttle on contact. And that pink colourway genuinely deserves the praise; it's one of the better-looking rackets I've reviewed!
But in chasing more raw power through added head weight, Victor's newest Auraspeed model has arguably lost some of the crisp, fast identity that made the earlier Auraspeed rackets so well-loved.
Power is not a concern here at all, timing is. Get your swing right, and the 99 rewards you. Get it wrong, especially under pressure, and the racket's lack of forgiveness will show.
So, the Victor Auraspeed 99 makes sense if:
You have fast, consistent timing and technique
You want maximum raw power from a stiff, head-heavy frame
You're upgrading from the 90K Metallic and specifically want more power over speed
Look elsewhere if:
You want an easy-to-play, forgiving racket
You loved the Auraspeed line for its speed, not raw power
You already find the 90K Metallic a touch too stiff for your game
If a more forgiving, easier-to-play racket is what you're after, the Victor DriveX 12 is worth a look - check out my full in-depth review of that racket for a full breakdown here!
If you've already tried the Victor Auraspeed 99, what do you think? Let me know in the comments, don't forget to use my code 'CKYEW' for extra discounts, and I'll see you in the next one!
FAQ: Victor Auraspeed 99 Badminton Racket
Is the Victor Auraspeed 99 a good upgrade from the Auraspeed 90K Metallic? Not universally. It offers more raw power thanks to increased head weight, but it's less forgiving and has lost some of the speed that defined earlier Auraspeed models. It's a sidegrade for power-focused players rather than a straightforward upgrade.
What handle does the Victor Auraspeed 99 use? A traditional wooden handle, not Victor's Freecore handle technology, which adds to the racket's overall stiffness.
What string tension does the Victor Auraspeed 99 support? Up to 31lbs on the 4U model, which is 2lbs higher than the 90K Metallic's 29lbs rating.
Is the Victor Auraspeed 99 head-heavy? Yes, it has noticeably higher swingweight than both the original Auraspeed 90K and the 90K Metallic, giving it a more head-heavy, power-oriented feel.
Why does Anders Antonsen use the Auraspeed 99 if barely anyone else on tour does? It likely comes down to his specific timing, swing speed, and power generation style suiting a stiffer, head-heavy frame - a setup that demands more precise technique than most touring pros opt for.