Kookaburra Cricket Bats: Grades and Families Explained
Kookaburra name every bat with two things: a family and a grade. The family, such as Kahuna, Ghost or Rapid, is the shape: where the sweet spot sits, how thick the edges are, how long the blade is. The grade, such as 2.1 Elite or 4.1 Hero, is the willow, and it is the same across every family. Once you see that, the range stops looking like a hundred different bats. This review sets out both, with our stock and prices on 14 October 2026.
The Grades: What the Numbers Mean
Kookaburra publish what each grade looks like on their choosing a bat page. The lower the number, the better the willow, judged mostly on grain count, red wood and blemishes. The prices are ours for a 2026 senior short handle.
| Grade | What Kookaburra say | Our price |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Players Edition | At least six fairly straight grains on the face | £774.99 to £789.99 |
| Pro 1.1 Players Select | Visually very close to the Players Edition, with more red wood or the odd blemish | £619.99 |
| Pro 2.1 Elite | Around five grains, possibly more red wood; ideally suited to the club player | £519.99 |
| Pro 3.1 Icon | Typically four grains, more red wood and marks on the face | £369.99 |
| 4.1 Hero | Grain similar to 3.1 with more staining | £294.99 |
| 5.1 Legend | More heavily stained | £269.99 |
| 6.1 Special | More heavily stained again | £244.99 |
| 6.2 Ultra | Hybrid: Grade 4 English willow face, Kashmir willow back | £219.99 |
| 6.3 Select | Hybrid: Grade 5 English willow face, Kashmir willow back | £194.99 |
| 6.4 Ultimate and 6.5 Force | Blemished willow under a Pro Shield face cover, juniors in our range | £99.99 to £114.99 |
Below those sit the junior bats numbered 7.1 and 8.1, which are Kashmir or alternative willow: the Kahuna 8.1 at £54.99, the Rapid 8.1 at £56.99 and the Ghost and Kahuna 7.1 at £74.99 to £79.99. The 6.2 and 6.3 hybrids are worth knowing about, because they look like English willow from the front but are partly Kashmir. Older stock from 2024 and 2025 uses the same numbers without the names, such as Kahuna 4.1 or Nickel 2.1.
The Families: Where the Sweet Spot Sits
Every family comes in several grades, so choose the shape first. The sweet spot positions are Kookaburra's own figures, measured from the toe.
| Family | Sweet spot and shape | Our prices |
|---|---|---|
| Kahuna | High, about 200 to 210mm; 34 to 37mm edges | £54.99 to £774.99 |
| Prism | High, 200 to 210mm; blade 15mm shorter and handle 15mm longer | £114.99 to £789.99 |
| Ghost | Mid, 160 to 200mm; 34 to 37mm edges | £74.99 to £619.99 |
| Rapid | Mid, 160 to 200mm; flat face, slimmer 30 to 33mm edges, very light pick-up | £56.99 to £519.99 |
| Stealth | Middle, 170 to 190mm; blade an inch shorter, handle an inch longer | £104.99 to £499.99 |
| Nickel | Low, 130 to 170mm; 30 to 34mm edges with minimal scalloping | £119.99 to £419.99 |
| Glare | Low, 130 to 170mm; blade 25mm shorter, handle 25mm longer | £114.99 to £244.99 |
| Aura | Middle, about 210 to 230mm; 36 to 38mm edges | £99.99 to £699.99 |
A rough guide: a high sweet spot suits players who drive on the up and play off the back foot on bouncy pitches; a low one suits front-foot drivers on slower, lower pitches. Prism, Glare and Stealth also change the blade-to-handle balance, which helps taller players or anyone who chokes down on the handle. Stealth and Aura are 2025 families still in stock; Nickel is in stock only as 2025 models.
Junior Kookaburra Bats
For a first hard-ball bat, the Kahuna 6.3 Select Junior at £124.99 comes in sizes 3 to Harrow, and the 6.5 Force juniors in the Rapid, Glare and Prism families run from £114.99 in sizes 3 or 4 up to Harrow. The Pro 3.1 Icon juniors at £154.99 are the step up for a committed age-group player. For soft-ball cricket, the 7.1 and 8.1 Kashmir and alternative willow bats start at £54.99. Our guide to the best junior cricket bats compares them with other makers by size.
Pros and Players Edition Bats
Jos Buttler uses a Kahuna and Nat Sciver-Brunt a Prism. Kookaburra sell Pro Players Replica versions of both at £1,099.99, which they describe as replicas of the player's own bat profile in their Players grade of English willow. We stock the next grade down, the Kahuna and Prism Pro Players Edition at £774.99 and £789.99, the most expensive Kookaburra bats in our range alongside the Aura Pro at £699.99. Browse them in our Players Edition cricket bats collection.
How to Choose
- Choose the family by sweet spot. High for Kahuna and Prism, mid for Ghost and Rapid, low for Nickel and Glare.
- Choose the grade by budget. Kookaburra pitch the 2.1 Elite at the club player. At 3.1 Icon and 4.1 Hero you get the same shape with more red wood and marks on the face, and Kookaburra still describe these grades as excellent value.
- Check the willow below 6.1. 6.2 and 6.3 have a Kashmir back; 7.1 and 8.1 are Kashmir-type throughout.
- Prepare it properly. Kookaburra ask for about six hours of knocking in, then at least an hour of short catches with an old ball. Our knocking-in guide has the method.
See the whole range in our Kookaburra cricket bats collection. The grower JS Wright and Sons explains the willow behind every grade.
FAQs: Kookaburra Cricket Bats
What do the numbers on Kookaburra bats mean?
The grade of willow. Pro Players Edition is the best, then 1.1, 2.1, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.1. The 6.2 and 6.3 are English willow faces on Kashmir backs, and 7.1 and 8.1 juniors are Kashmir or alternative willow.
What is the difference between Kahuna, Ghost and Rapid?
Shape. Kahuna has a high sweet spot and big edges, Ghost a mid sweet spot, and Rapid a mid sweet spot with a flat face and slimmer edges for a lighter pick-up.
Which Kookaburra is best for a club player?
Kookaburra pitch the Pro 2.1 Elite at the club player, at £519.99 in our range. The 3.1 Icon at £369.99 plays the same shape with a less clean face.
What bat does Jos Buttler use?
A Kookaburra Kahuna. Kookaburra sell a Pro Players Replica of his bat profile for £1,099.99.
Is a 6.2 Kookaburra bat English willow?
Partly. Kookaburra describe the 6.2 Ultra as a Grade 4 English willow face on a Kashmir willow back.
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