String-Kong Bonobo 1.30 Multifilament Review: Top-Level Comfort and Ball Feel

The String-Kong Bonobo 1.30 is a comfortable multifilament string that excels in vibration dampening and ball feel. With its soft, arm-friendly properties, this is an ideal choice for players looking for more comfort and touch, especially after injuries such as shoulder complaints. Below is the full test report.

Specifications

• Brand: String-Kong
• Type: Bonobo 1.30
• Thickness: 16/1.30 mm
• Type: Comfortable multifilament stringing, designed for extra vibration dampening and ball feel
• Similar strings: Wilson Sensation 16 , Diadem Impulse 16, Babolat Addiction 16

Tested by

• Name: Mike
• Playing strength: 4/4
• Player type: Classic player, flat groundstrokes, generates little spin himself, recently had shoulder problems
• Racket: Prince Textreme Warrior 107 (107 sq/inch, 16/19 stringing pattern)
• String hardness: 24/23 kg (stringing range: 23-27 kg)
• Test duration: 2 hours
• Favorite string: Diadem Solstice Power 17

Rating String-Kong Bonobo 1.30

• Durability: 7
• Voltage retention: 7
• Spin/Slice: 7.5
• Ball control: 9
• Power: 8
• Control: 7.5
• Comfort/Arm-friendliness: 9

Setup and Stringing

I tested the String-Kong Bonobo 1.30 in my trusted Prince Textreme Warrior 107 at 24/23 kg . Given my previous shoulder problems, I chose this racquet for its comfort, and I was curious to see if the Bonobo 1.30 would add an extra dimension to this. Stringing the string was an effortless experience. The string has little to no coil memory, which means that threading the cross strings went smoothly thanks to the flexible nature of the string. This makes stringing the Bonobo 1.30 easy, even for less experienced stringers.

Review String-Kong Bonobo 1.30

Ball feel and comfort
From the first ball, the fine damping of the String-Kong Bonobo 1.30 was noticeable. The soft and comfortable playing feel was perfect for my shoulder, which is an important criterion for me. The ball feel was exceptionally good; the string offered a lot of touch, which means that you have an excellent connection with the ball. The elasticity of the string ensures that the ball is "held" in the strings a little longer before it comes loose again, which increases the accuracy and control of your strokes.

Spin and Slice
While the Bonobo 1.30 isn’t a dedicated spin machine, it performed well enough in this category. For players seeking maximum spin, a star-shaped string like the Diadem Solstice Power 17 would be a better option, but for those prioritizing comfort and touch, the Bonobo 1.30 still offers plenty of ball rotation for slice and spin.

Power and Control
The Bonobo 1.30 is lively enough to generate easy power from the baseline. Despite the power-oriented character of the string, control is maintained. This means that the string does not feel too jumpy and the balls do not fly out of your control. The balance between power and control is very good, which makes the Bonobo 1.30 a versatile string.

Voltage maintenance
In terms of tension retention, the string performed average. After stringing, I had a Dynamic Tension (DT) of 36 , which dropped to 28 after an intensive training of one and a half hours. Although this drop was to be expected, I should note that there was a two-week break between stringing and the first test due to my participation in the Rotterdam marathon. Because of this, I would rate the tension retention as average.

Sustainability and advice:

After about 2 hours of playing on clay the String-Kong Bonobo 1.30 gave up the ghost, which is not bad for a 1.30mm full bed multifilament string. Especially considering the large head size and open stringing pattern of my Prince Textreme Warrior 107 , the durability of this string is respectable.

I think the Bonobo 1.30 would work well in a hybrid setup, where a polyester string is used lengthwise for added durability and spin. While I have recently experimented with a Natural Gut lengthwise and a thin polyester crosswise, I suspect the Bonobo 1.30 would be too soft for such a setup. However, as a crosswise string in a hybrid combination, it could certainly excel, especially for players looking for added comfort and forgiveness.