Buying guide
Best tennis strings for tennis elbow in 2026
Before you replace a racket, replace the string. It sits between your arm and the ball, it deforms first, and it costs a tenth as much.
By Janet H.Updated
The short answer
Wilson NXT is the best string for arm comfort: Tennis Warehouse name it their comfort winner, built from over a thousand ultra-flexible fibers bonded with polyurethane. String it 4 to 6 lb below your usual tension. If you currently play polyester, stopping that is the single biggest change available.
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Our picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Wilson NXTTop pick | Maximum comfort from a full bed | 8.84 criteria | |
| 2 | Tecnifibre X-One BiphaseSoftest with power | Comfort without losing depth | 8.44 criteria | |
| 3 | Prince Synthetic Gut DuraflexBest value | Budget comfort, and hybrid crosses | 7.94 criteria | |
| 4 | Solinco Hyper-GHybrid mains option | String-breakers who need a hybrid | 7.24 criteria |
The picks in detail
01Wilson NXT
Top pickBest for: Maximum comfort from a full bed
Tennis Warehouse's comfort category winner, at $23.95. The construction is the reason: over a thousand ultra-flexible fibers bonded with stretchy polyurethane, which stretches and recovers far more than a solid monofilament can.
That stretch is doing the work. A string bed that deforms further spreads the impact over more time, which lowers the peak force traveling up the frame into your forearm. It is the same mechanism as a flexible racket, applied more cheaply.
It frays rather than snapping, so you will see it wearing before it goes. Restring when the fraying starts — a frayed multifilament has already lost much of its stretch.
Our score
- Performance
- 8.5
- Comfort
- 10.0
- Durability
- 7.0
- Value
- 7.5
- Overall
- 8.8
Verified specs
- Type
- Multifilament
- Gauges
- 16, 17
- TW award
- Comfort
- Construction
- 1,000+ fibers bonded with polyurethane
- Listed price
- $23.95 per set
Specs as published by Tennis Warehouse, checked September 2026.
Buy if
- Comfort is your priority
- You are coming off a polyester bed
- You want one change that makes a real difference
Pass if
- You break strings in under two weeks
- You need maximum control
- Budget is very tight
02Tecnifibre X-One Biphase
Softest with powerBest for: Comfort without losing depth
Tennis Warehouse's power pick among multifilaments, described as using ultra-flexible fibers for spring-loaded performance, from $22.95.
Comfort strings usually cost you depth, which is why some players try one, find their balls landing short, and go back to what was hurting them. This is the string that avoids that trap — soft and genuinely powerful.
It is the least durable option here. For an arm-conscious player that is an acceptable trade, since restringing more often also means playing on fresher, softer strings more of the time.
Our score
- Performance
- 9.0
- Comfort
- 9.5
- Durability
- 6.0
- Value
- 6.5
- Overall
- 8.4
Verified specs
- Type
- Multifilament
- Gauges
- 15L, 16, 17, 18
- TW award
- Power
- Listed price
- $22.95-$23.95 per set
Specs as published by Tennis Warehouse, checked September 2026.
Buy if
- Soft strings leave your balls landing short
- You want comfort and depth together
- You play a low-powered frame
Pass if
- You break strings quickly
- You hit long already
- You want the best value
03Prince Synthetic Gut Duraflex
Best valueBest for: Budget comfort, and hybrid crosses
At $4.76 a set, this is not the most comfortable string here — but it is dramatically more comfortable than the polyester most people with elbow pain are currently playing, and it costs almost nothing.
That makes it the right diagnostic. If you are unsure whether string is your problem, a $5 restring in synthetic gut at a lower tension answers the question for the price of a coffee.
It is also the sensible cross string in a hybrid, if you break strings too fast for a full multifilament bed.
Our score
- Performance
- 7.5
- Comfort
- 7.5
- Durability
- 8.0
- Value
- 10.0
- Overall
- 7.9
Verified specs
- Type
- Synthetic gut
- Gauges
- 16, 17
- TW award
- All-Around Value
- Listed price
- $4.76 per set
Specs as published by Tennis Warehouse, checked September 2026.
Buy if
- You want to test whether string is the problem
- Budget is the binding constraint
- You are building a hybrid
Pass if
- You want maximum comfort
- You have persistent pain
- You want the longest tension life
04Solinco Hyper-G
Hybrid mains optionBest for: String-breakers who need a hybrid
This is on the page as the least-bad option for a specific person: someone with elbow pain who breaks a full multifilament bed in two weeks. Restringing fortnightly is not viable for most people, and the alternative is a hybrid.
Used as mains only, at a tension 4 to 6 lb below your usual, with a multifilament in the crosses, a polyester is far gentler than a full poly bed at standard tension. Tennis Warehouse list Hyper-G at $13.99 with a wide gauge range.
If you have active pain rather than a history of it, do not do this. Take the durability hit and play a full multifilament until the arm settles.
Our score
- Performance
- 9.0
- Comfort
- 5.5
- Durability
- 9.0
- Value
- 8.5
- Overall
- 7.2
Verified specs
- Type
- Polyester
- Gauges
- 15L to 20
- TW award
- Control
- Listed price
- $13.99 per set
Specs as published by Tennis Warehouse, checked September 2026.
Buy if
- You break multifilament in under two weeks
- You have a history rather than active pain
- You will string it low as mains only
Pass if
- You have active elbow pain
- Your strings last a month
- Comfort is your only priority
See someone about the pain
Lateral epicondylitis is a medical condition and a string is not a treatment. If you have pain that persists beyond a couple of weeks, that wakes you at night, or that affects your grip on everyday objects, see a physiotherapist or a doctor. Loading programs have far better evidence behind them than any equipment change.
What equipment can do is reduce the load that provoked it, and string is the most effective and cheapest lever available. This page is about that lever.
The order of operations
In descending order of how much difference each change makes, and how much it costs:
- 01Stop using polyester. If you play a full poly bed, this alone is the biggest single change available. About $25.
- 02Drop tension 4-6 lb. A softer bed deforms further and spreads the impact. Free, at the next restring.
- 03Check grip size. A handle that is too small makes you squeeze, which loads the same forearm extensors. An overgrip or a heat-shrink sleeve costs under $15.
- 04Restring more often. Dead strings are stiff strings. Fresh multifilament is materially softer than four-month-old multifilament.
- 05Then consider the frame. See best rackets for tennis elbow.
Why polyester is the usual culprit
A polyester monofilament is a solid piece of stiff material. It stretches very little on impact compared with a multifilament, so it transmits a shorter, sharper impulse into the frame and from there into your arm.
It compounds the problem by losing tension fast. As tension drops, players instinctively swing harder to get the same result — and a harder swing into a stiff bed is precisely the wrong direction.
Polyester is popular because it is what professionals use, and professionals have swing speeds, technique and support staff that club players do not.
What tension to ask for
Take your current tension and drop 4 to 6 lb, staying within the range printed on your frame. If you were at 55 lb, go to 50. The difference is immediately noticeable and it is free.
You will get more power and a higher launch angle, which means balls travel further. That is the trade, and for most players managing an arm problem it is worth making — you can adjust by swinging a little less hard, which is also what your arm wants.
Common questions
What is the most comfortable tennis string?
Among widely available strings, a multifilament — Tennis Warehouse award Wilson NXT their comfort category, built from over a thousand bonded fibers. Natural gut is softer still and considerably more expensive.
Does polyester string cause tennis elbow?
It is associated with it. Polyester is stiff, stretches very little, and transmits a sharper impulse into the frame and arm. It also loses tension quickly, which leads players to swing harder. It is not the only factor, but it is the easiest one to change.
What tension should I use for tennis elbow?
Drop 4 to 6 lb from your current tension, staying within the range printed on your frame. A softer bed deforms further on impact, which spreads the load over more time.
Should I change my racket or my strings first?
Strings, every time. A restring is about a tenth of the cost of a frame and changes the system more. Only move to a softer racket if a soft string at a lower tension has not helped.
Will a vibration dampener help my elbow?
No. A dampener damps string vibration, which changes the sound and the feel, not the frame shock that reaches your arm. It is not a treatment for tennis elbow.
Read next
Sources
Every source above was retrieved while writing this page. Specifications are quoted from the listing or manufacturer page cited, not from memory.