Every bat goes through the same three steps: we measure it, a panel of kids swings it, and the results become a Kid-Tested Score out of 10. Here’s exactly how it works, so you can decide whether to trust it.
The four size groups
We group testers by height, not age, because kids the same age vary a lot. Results are reported for each group.
| Size group | Height | Starting bat length |
|---|---|---|
| A: Small | Under 5′1″ | 30–31 in. |
| B: Medium | 5′1″ to 5′4″ | 31–32 in. |
| C: Large | 5′5″ to 5′8″ | 32–33 in. |
| D: XL | 5′9″ and up | 33–34 in. |
Heavier kids in a group often go up 1 in. Two quick fit checks: stood upright beside your kid, the bat shouldn’t reach past their shoulder. With the knob at the center of their chest and an arm stretched out, the end of the bat should reach their fingertips.
Which bats we test
Season 1 is the switch to BBCOR at 14U. Since January 1, 2026, national USSSA 14U events have required BBCOR (-3) or wood bats, and high school baseball uses BBCOR too. BBCOR bats weigh 3 oz less than their length, so a 32-inch bat weighs about 29 oz, which is several ounces more than the -8 or -10 bats most players swing before 14U.
Our testers are ages 12–14. We test 2027 BBCOR bats, plus a few lighter -5 and -8 travel-ball (USSSA) bats, so families can see how much the jump really changes a swing. USA Baseball bats for ages 7–12 come in Season 2. Every review says which leagues a bat is legal in, and we show the stamp on camera.
Step 1: Measure every bat
Labels aren’t always right, so we measure each bat ourselves before anyone swings it:
- Length, from the knob to the end cap.
- Actual weight, on a scale that reads to 0.1 oz, compared with the label.
- Barrel width, checked with calipers.
- Balance point, where the bat balances on a thin edge.
- Swing weight, from a pendulum test. It shows how heavy a bat feels when you swing it. Two bats with the same weight can feel very different.
Step 2: The swing test
Every tester follows the same script, so the only thing that changes is the bat.
- Same setup every session: indoors, a belt-high tee, the same front-toss thrower and a dozen baseballs of one model.
- 10–15 warm-up swings, then 5 recorded swings with the kid’s own bat. That’s their starting point.
- Bats are tested in a random order, drawn from a hat, so no bat always gets fresh arms.
- 10 recorded swings per bat: 5 off the tee and 5 front toss, with 2 minutes of rest between bats. Our smallest testers swing no more than 6 bats per session.
- Right after each bat, before seeing any numbers, the kid answers four quick questions.
- At the end, 5 more swings with their own bat. If their swing speed dropped more than 5%, they were getting tired, so we retest those bats another day.
Kids only swing bats within 1 inch of the length that fits them.
Step 3: The Kid-Tested Score
Each bat gets six scores from 1 to 10, combined into one score out of 10. Speed is compared with each kid’s own average, so a bat earns points by helping that kid hit better, not by being swung by the strongest kid.
| Part of the score | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Exit velocity lift | 25% | How much faster the ball comes off this bat than the kid’s average |
| Bat speed lift | 20% | How much faster the kid swings this bat than their average |
| Kid feel | 20% | Four questions: easy to swing? Sting on the hands? Sound? Would you use it in a game? |
| Forgiveness | 15% | How often a swing still sends the ball off at 90% or more of the kid’s average speed |
| Value | 10% | Price compared with the cheapest bat in the round |
| Durability | 10% | Condition after 30, 60 and 90 days of use |
Until durability is known, a score is marked provisional and the other five parts count for the full 100%. We only name a best bat for a size group when at least two testers in that group swung it.
Our promises
- We say how we got every bat: bought, borrowed or sent free by the brand.
- Brands never see a review before it goes live, and nobody pays for a score.
- Links that earn us a commission are labeled. They never change a score.
- We publish the raw swing data for every round.
- We say how many kids tested each bat. Results from fewer than two testers in a group are called early reads.
- If a new bat is just last year’s model with new paint, we say so.
Keeping our testers safe
Every tester has written permission from a parent or guardian. We use first names only and never show school names or anything that tells you where a kid lives.