Neonic Flare Prime X Review
Is this the PaddleTek dupe we’ve been waiting for?
Neonic’s Flare Prime X has been hyped as the significantly cheaper alternative to PaddleTek’s popular Bantam ESQ-C paddle. In some ways, I agree. But in others, I don’t.
Its mid-tier price puts it in an extremely competitive range, so the best way to answer the question is to compare it directly to others. Let’s determine whether this so-called dupe is worth it or not.
Specs
Price: $139.99 (Code: PBSTUDIO to bring it down to $126)
Shape: Standard (16” x 8”)
Thickness: 14 mm
Core: Polymer
Face: Carbon Fiber + Fiberglass + Carbon Fiber
Handle: 5.5”
Grip: 4”
Static Weight: 7.76 oz
Swing Weight: 106
Balance Point: 23.7 cm
Twist Weight: 6.64
RPM: 1869
Warranty: 6-Month
Design: Thermoformed, Fiberglass
Performance
The Flare Prime X feels as advertised. It’s stiffer due to its thermoformed build and even more so due to the fiberglass layer. As a result, every hit feels solid and satisfying.
In terms of pop and power, both are great but it excels in the latter more so. This was reflected directly in my play. During testing, my opponents said the ball was coming quicker than normal for me.
Thankfully, this wasn’t overly exacerbated to the point where it got me into trouble with unforced errors. I even found more-than-normal joy with third-shot drives and put-away winners. This was surprising given the paddle’s innate low static and swing weights.
That said, I found myself struggling more with my drops. The paddle’s combination of poppiness and stiffness is likely to blame. The ball tends to push the paddle around, so control is more easily affected.
This was especially noticeable when hitting it side-by-side with the PaddleTek ESQ-C 14.3mm. The ESQ-C felt softer and easier to shape the ball.
Truly though, the Flare’s loss of touch wasn’t terrible. It was only enough to make me feel slightly off at times. If I had more time with the paddle, then I’m sure I would adjust.
Setup
As usual, my setup starts with a pink Hesacore plus overgrip. I then added 3” strips of 0.5g tungsten tape at all four corners. This isn’t a setup I use often, but I wanted to add more plow-through while balancing it out and adding bottom weight to increase stability. This tape setup solved the issue I was having and gave the paddle plenty of finishing power.
So if you want more plow-through, then I recommend this setup or only adding strips at 3 & 9 o’clock. My setup specifically increased the static weight from 7.76 to 8.68, swing weight from 106 to 115, and twist weight from 6.68 to 7.91.
Comparison
Now, let's move on to the most important part of this review. My initial expectation of the Flare Prime X was heavily influenced by its comparison to the PaddleTek ESQ-C, but things changed as testing went on.
To properly align your expectations, you must know how the Flare Prime X compares to both the 11SIX24 Monarch All Court 16mm and the PaddleTek ESQ-C 14.3mm. In my opinion, these paddles are more useful comparisons instead of others like the ESQ-C 12.7mm.
Starting with feel, here’s how the paddles stack up:
ESQ-C 14.3mm
Plusher and more cushioned (relative to the Flare Prime X and All Court)
More hollow and less solid around the face.
Ball feels like it dwells longer and is easier to manipulate.
Monarch All Court
Very stiff.
Makes a ping-y noise during hits.
Any dwell sensation is minimal.
Feels more aggressive at the net.
Flare Prime X
Sits in the middle while overall closer to the Monarch All Court.
Not as cushioned feeling while being less stiff.
These results make sense as the All Court and Flare are built more similarly and use the same face layout. If you were hoping to get a PaddleTek dupe at the price of the Neonic, then unfortunately, I don’t think this is it. There’s a very clear difference in feel when hitting with the ESQ-C vs Flare Prime X.
As for power, here’s the spectrum:
The power levels of the ESQ-C and Flare Prime X are nearly identical, although there’s a small edge to the Flare. This is purely off feel, so likely the Flare’s stiffer feeling is making it seem that way. Then below both of those, I placed the Monarch. It’s not lagging far behind but enough to be noticeable.
And pop is nearly the same as power:
Then we see a change with sweet spot:
Mostly due to its lack of thermoformed construction, it’s very obvious that the ESQ-C falls short in this category. The Flare and All Court are pretty much the same. Both are very playable with large sweet spots that you’d expect with this shape and construction.
And control gets a little tricky:
There are a lot of characteristics that go into rating control. You have to consider sweet spot size, amount of spin, feel of the face, and how poppy the paddle is.
The ESQ-C ranked the highest in this category for me. Its plushier feel made it seem easier to control. Meanwhile, the All Court and Flare stack up right next to it but more towards the harder-to-control side. There truly isn’t a large difference between either of them.
All that said, I caution you to consider this info as only my personal experience. Many of these “feel” characteristics are highly dependent on the player. My perspective is more of a rough guide, and I believe that most would control better with the larger sweet spots of the All Court or Flare.
Finishing the comparisons out, we have value:
It may as well be a tie between the Flare and All Court (with discount codes). Then as expected, the ESQ-C sits much farther away due to its nearly $100 difference which will only increase when PaddleTek changes its discount policy.
There is the argument that PaddleTek adds value with its lifetime warranty and purely US-made paddle. But if we were strictly talking dollars, then the winners are clear.
Handles & Spin
I’ve gone through nearly everything one could care about these paddles. But there are two last things, I need to cover.
The handles on the Flare Prime X are much nicer than what's found on the ESQ-C. The ESQ-C is bulky and blocky, while the Flare feels better overall.
And finally, the sometimes overlooked but important aspect is spin consistency. All of PaddleTek’s paddles have consistently gotten very good spin. Every single variation of their newer raw carbon fiber has a nice, consistent texture on the face.
It seems that these peel-ply sheets of carbon fiber have a higher level of consistency when done in the US instead of overseas. This was overly noticeable when my Flare Prime X got an average spin in the 1800s whereas my Flow Prime X (which is basically the same paddle) was doing over 2000.
Assuming these are made in the same overseas factory using the same materials, this large variance is annoying to see. So from my experience, the $100-$130 difference may be worth it to guarantee more consistent spin.
Closing Thoughts
I think the Flare Prime X is a very fun paddle. You get a nice bump in overall power compared to the Monarch All Court (16mm) while being a little less stiff.
Although truthfully, picking between these two paddles is confusing. It’s easy to get lost in recency bias and assume the Flare is better, but both are very good paddles and should be treated as such.
You should consider the Neonic Flare Prime X if:
You want the most pop and power from a thermoformed, standard-shaped paddle.
Don’t want the extra pop and power that comes from the ESQ-C.
So going back to the original question: Is this the PaddleTek dupe we’ve been waiting for? No, I don’t think this is a true alternative. If you were hoping to save money while getting the same characteristics, then the Flare isn’t the paddle for you.
Instead, the Flare Prime X is a high-performing, budget paddle that can match some of the ESQ-C’s characteristics but not all. It has a larger sweet spot but lacks the unique feel and grit consistency.
In the end, the real question most amateur players should be asking themselves is “Do I need to spend an extra $120 and will I benefit from that extra performance?” Most people who will answer yes are likely tournament players who don’t make up the majority.
The value of the Neonic Prime X is so high that it’s an easy recommendation despite its differences from the PaddleTek ESQ-C. So if you can understand that, then you can easily go out and enjoy this amazing paddle.
Interested in buying one?
If you plan to pick one of these up, you can use the affiliate link below with code PBSTUDIO for 10% off