Reviews Babolat Jet Mach 4

No figure in hours has been published. On our grid, the Jet Mach 4 scores 6.4/10 for durability, the lowest score on its sheet.

That does not make the rubber weak. It is a Michelin Premium, whose formula changes with the surface. Michelin and Babolat have worked together on shoes since 2003, according to Babolat. In its review, Tennisnerd notes secure traction and durability that holds up well on all surfaces, best on hard courts, with a double thickness at the toe and under the inner forefoot. Those are the two zones that servers and players who slide scrape away.

Why 6.4, then? Because it is a 369 g shoe. Lightweight shoes generally last less long than stable, heavier models, Tennis Companion points out: the gap comes from the rest of the shoe, not from the rubber. The same Michelin rubber scores 9.0/10 on the Propulse Fury 3, which weighs 408 g in a US 10.5 and has thicker lugs.

No pair is judged without the lifespan of its outsole. That of the Jet Mach 4 places it among the speed shoes: ahead of the Adidas Adizero Ubersonic 5 (5.5) and the Asics Solution Speed FF 4 (6.2), behind the Nike Vapor 12 (7.2), and far from the Nike Vapor Pro 3 (8.6).

The cushioning follows the common rule. The AAPSM places midsole wear at between 45 and 60 hours of tennis, or 11 to 15 weeks at four hours a week.

So watch the tread under the big toe as much as the creases in the foam. On hard courts, the rubber is likely to give out first; on clay, it will be the foam.

It scores 8.3/10 on our grid, eighth in our competition tennis shoes ranking. Two scores carry it: 9.0/10 for lightness and 8.8/10 for grip.

The measurements come from RunRepeat: 369 g, or 13 oz, and a drop of 10.3 mm. The size weighed is not specified. The comparison with weights given in a US 10.5 should therefore be treated with caution, and I do not force it.

The upper is Matryx, a light and resistant weave of fibres. Stability is rated 8.0/10, a decent score for a model of this weight.

The change from the previous generation goes in an unexpected direction. The Jet Mach 4 has gained around 2 oz, or 57 g, compared with the Jet Mach 3, in exchange for reinforced cushioning. So Babolat chose to make its speed shoe heavier in order to make it more comfortable. Comfort stays at 7.8/10 on our grid, below the 8.8 of the Nike Vapor 12. The name of the cushioning is not disclosed in the sources consulted.

The release year could not be verified; the published tests date from 2026.

My view: it is a speed shoe that has given up being the lightest in order to become easier to live with. The bet is reasonable. It does not settle the question of the outsole, and a player who changes pairs three times a year will look at that line first.

The Babolat page sets this model against the Propulse Fury 3 and the SFX 4.

The Nike Vapor 12 for grip and comfort, the Vapor Pro 3 for the outsole, the Jet Mach 4 if your foot is wide or your budget tight.

The Nike Vapor 12 is the direct benchmark, and it dominates the sheet. It scores 9.2/10 overall against 8.3. Grip: 9.4 against 8.8. Comfort: 8.8 against 7.8. Stability: 8.8 against 8.0. Lightness: 9.3 against 9.0. Durability: 7.2 against 6.4. To make it lighter, Nike removed a large part of the rubber, according to the Tennis Warehouse review, and yet it stays ahead on this criterion. It weighs 414 g in a men's US 10.5, with a drop of 9.9 mm. It costs around €159 in Belgium, €55 more than the Babolat.

The Nike Vapor Pro 3 answers the other question, that of lifespan. Its Hart rubber covers the outsole right up to the toe, and RunRepeat calls its durability "fantastic". It scores 8.6/10 for durability, 2.2 points more than the Jet Mach 4, for 425 g in a US 10.5 and around €117.

The Babolat keeps two real arguments. It comes in a wide version, whereas the Vapor 12 has a fit that is narrow in width and no wide version identified. And it comes with a grass outsole.

Price is its third argument, to be handled with care: €104 on average, but an outsole at 6.4/10.

Speed or stability? A competitor who plays mostly on clay can afford a light shoe, since clay wears the rubber little. One who plays in winter on hard courts in the same pair is better off with the Vapor Pro 3. The article Which tennis shoes should you choose for interclubs? sorts through nine models.

The Jet Mach 4 for speed, the Propulse Fury 3 for the outsole, the SFX 4 for the wide foot at a low price.

The three models share a Michelin rubber and differ on everything else. The Propulse Fury 3 scores 8.5/10 overall and 9.0/10 for durability, against 6.4 for the Jet Mach 4. It is more stable, 8.8 against 8.0, and far less lively: 7.2/10 for lightness against 9.0. Its very snug fit does not suit wide feet. It is also the only Babolat model covered by the brand's 6-month outsole warranty, whose validity in Belgium is not confirmed.

The SFX 4 is aimed at a different player. Rated 7.7/10 overall and 8.6/10 for comfort, it has a roomy forefoot as standard and sells for around €95 in Belgium. Its durability, 7.2/10, is higher than that of the Jet Mach 4.

The Jet Mach 4 is therefore the least hard-wearing of the three Babolats. That is the price of its 9.0/10 for lightness.

A word on the Jet Mach 3, the previous generation. The only difference documented in our sources is in weight and cushioning: generation 4 is around 2 oz heavier and more cushioned. No score is set for the Jet Mach 3 in our database, and I do not compare what I cannot put a figure on. If you are after the lightest shoe possible, the old one keeps an argument; if you want more cushioning, the new one.

The comparison tool lines up the three Babolats with the 34 other models in our database.

The clay version for the Belgian summer, the all-court version for hard courts, and the wide version if speed shoes have always pinched you.

Babolat adapts the formula of the Michelin Premium rubber to each surface. The Jet Mach 4 therefore comes with three outsoles: all-court, clay and grass. In Belgium, more than eight courts in ten are clay, according to RTBF. A clay outsole has deep herringbone tread along its whole length, which grips and clears the clay, HEAD explains in its guide.

The surface also changes the lifespan, and that is good news for this model. Clay wears rubber far less than hard courts. On clay, the Jet Mach 4's weakness, its durability of 6.4/10, therefore weighs less, and it is the cushioning that will set the end of the pair after 45 to 60 hours.

In winter, it is the reverse. Under a dome or indoors on GreenSet, a player who slides will see the rubber wear first. On carpet, none of the three outsoles is suitable: you need a completely smooth, non-marking outsole.

The listings recorded in Belgium follow this logic. Tennis-Point.be and TennisDirect.be sell the Jet Mach 4 in the clay version. Babolat.com offers the men's wide all-court version.

This wide version is the model's least known asset. In our database, the Nike Vapor 12 does not have one. The article Which tennis shoes should you choose for wide feet? sets it against the true 2E widths.

Around €104 on average, as recorded in Belgium between June and September 2026. One European retailer lists it at €160 before discount and at €111 discounted. Babolat's official price for Belgium has not been verified.

The price that matters is the price per hour of play. Based on 45 to 60 hours before the cushioning wears out, a Jet Mach 4 at €104 works out at €1.75 to €2.30 per hour. At €111, count €1.85 to €2.45. At €160, €2.65 to €3.55.

On paper, that is less than a Nike. A Vapor Pro 3 at €117 works out at €1.95 to €2.60 per hour, a Vapor 12 at €159 at €2.65 to €3.55.

This calculation assumes the outsole lasts as long as the cushioning. With 6.4/10 for durability, that is not guaranteed for a player who slides on hard courts. If the rubber gives out at hour 30, an hour of play rises to nearly €3.50, and the Vapor Pro 3 becomes the cheaper of the two.

No warranty makes up for that risk. Babolat's 6-month warranty only covers the Propulse Fury All Court. Tennis Warehouse Europe refers to the manufacturer's warranty, which covers defects but not normal wear. For a purchase from Tennis-Point.be or TennisDirect.be, the 2-year legal guarantee applies within the same limits.

In practice, the Jet Mach 4 is a good deal on clay and a gamble on hard courts.

The article on cost per hour of play applies this calculation to nine models.