Ask for a cricket bat at a typical American sporting goods store and you will be lucky to get anything beyond a blank stare. Ask for a New Balance cricket bat and the confusion doubles — most Americans know NB for sneakers, not for equipment used at the highest level of international cricket. Yet over the past decade New Balance has become one of the most sought-after bat brands in the world, and genuine NB English willow bats remain some of the hardest cricket gear to actually buy in the United States. Big-box retailers do not carry them, and much of what floats around online marketplaces is gray-market stock of uncertain origin and uncertain willow.
We stock the full New Balance cricket bat range at TopCricketStore in Edison, New Jersey, and we have for years. We photograph the individual bats we carry, weigh them, and talk customers through them at the counter seven days a week. This guide is that counter conversation written down: how the NB series differ from one another, what each model costs in the US right now, and which bat we would put in your hands depending on how you actually bat.
How the New Balance bat range works
New Balance divides its bats into a handful of series, and the naming system is more logical than it first appears. The letters tell you the bat's profile philosophy — where the sweet spot sits and what kind of batter the shape is meant for. The number tells you roughly where the model sits in the pecking order: bigger numbers generally mean better willow, bigger edges, and a bigger price.
DC — the front-foot power series
DC stands for Dynamic Cricket, and it is the series we sell the most of in Edison. DC bats carry their sweet spot lower on the blade, in the mid-to-low region, with substantial edges that run down toward the toe. That geometry favors front-foot batting: full-faced drives, punches down the ground, and the whip through midwicket that scores so heavily on the slower, lower pitches most US leagues play on. If the bulk of your runs come in front of square off the front foot — which is true of most club cricketers in this country — start your search here.
The DC range on our racks currently spans the DC 400i at $174.99, the DC 600i at $229.99, the 800i Max and 800i Pro in the mid-$300s, the DC 900i Max at $359.99, and the DC 1040 at $374.99. Above all of those sits the DC 1100i Pro, a Grade 2 English willow flagship at $649.99 — it sells through almost as soon as stock lands, and it is sold out as we publish this.
TC — the traditional profile
The TC series is the classicist's counterpart to the DC. Where DC bats concentrate wood low, TC bats use a classic mid swell, which suits batters who score all around the wicket — cutting and pulling off the back foot as often as driving through the covers. The TC bat we currently have in stock is the top-of-the-range TC 1100i Max at $549.99: Grade 2 English willow, large edges, a round cane handle, and a light pickup for a bat carrying this much wood. NB lists its weight band at 2lb 8oz to 2lb 11oz, and the unit on our rack sits at the light end of it.
Burn — serious performance, sensible money
Burn is New Balance's way of getting its shapes into more hands. The Burn 700i Max at $279.99 is built from Grade 4 English willow with a high spine and thick edges, and it arrives pre-knocked — a real convenience if you want to be net-ready quickly rather than spending evenings preparing a new blade. The step-up Burn 900i Pro at $439.99 adds a six-piece Singapore cane handle and a larger sweet spot; NB aims it at club, school and representative-level players, and it is the only NB model we currently hold in both Light and Medium weights.
Heritage and IND — the specialists
Two smaller series round out the range. Heritage bats wear NB's retro navy-and-white look on a mid-swell profile; our Heritage 700i Max slot at $279.99 is sold out at the moment, though it comes and goes through the year. The IND 700 at $219.99 is the sleeper of the lineup: Grade 3 English willow with a low swell, big edges, and a six-piece Singapore cane round handle. It plays like a DC for ten dollars less than the DC 600i, and at our counter it wins a surprising number of head-to-head pickups against bats costing considerably more.
Every New Balance bat in stock right now
These are actual prices and actual availability from our shelves as of publication, not a wish list. NB stock in the US runs thin — most models are down to one unit in one weight — so treat the right-hand column as a snapshot rather than a promise.
| Model | Price (USD) | Willow | Profile / sweet spot | In-stock weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NB DC 400i | $174.99 | Grade 5 English willow | Large edges and sweet spot | Light (2lb 7oz–2lb 8oz) |
| NB IND 700 | $219.99 | Grade 3 English willow | Low swell, large edges | Medium (2lb 9oz–2lb 10oz) |
| NB DC 600i | $229.99 | Grade 3 English willow | Large edges and sweet spot | Medium |
| NB Burn 700i Max | $279.99 | Grade 4 English willow | High spine, mid-to-high sweet spot | Light |
| NB DC 800i Max | $324.99 | Grade 2 English willow | Mid-to-low sweet spot, 38–40 mm edges | Medium |
| NB DC 800i Pro | $349.99 | Grade 3 English willow | Large edges and sweet spot | Medium |
| NB DC 900i Max | $359.99 | Grade 3 English willow | Full profile, slightly lower middle | Light |
| NB DC 1040 | $374.99 | Grade 2 English willow | Mid swell, higher sweet spot | Light |
| NB Burn 900i Pro | $439.99 | Grade 3 English willow | Large edges and sweet spot | Light or Medium |
| NB TC 1100i Max | $549.99 | Grade 2 English willow | Classic mid sweet spot, big edges | Light |
Our picks: matching the bat to the batter
Best overall: NB DC 800i Max — $324.99
If a customer asks us to pick one NB bat without telling us anything else, this is the answer. The DC 800i Max gives you Grade 2 English willow — the same grade NB uses in bats costing two hundred dollars more — at a working cricketer's price. The published spec is a blade of 1,155 to 1,220 grams with 38 to 40 mm edges on a Singapore cane handle, and the mid-to-low sweet spot matches the way most club batting in this country actually happens: on the front foot, on slow pitches. We have it in Medium (2lb 9oz to 2lb 10oz), which is the weight most adult players should be swinging anyway.
Best premium bat: New Balance TC 1100i Max — $549.99
The TC 1100i Max is for the batter who plays proper cricket — longer formats, better bowling, shots on both sides of the wicket off both feet. The mid sweet spot is the most versatile position a bat can have, the edges are enormous, and the round cane handle takes the sting out of mistimed pulls in April weather. In our Edison store this is the bat experienced league players gravitate to the moment they pick it up, usually followed by a long silence while they check the price tag and do some math. It is worth it.
Best for power hitters: NB Burn 900i Pro — $439.99
The Burn 900i Pro is the pick for T20-format hitters who plant the front leg and swing hard. The sweet spot is genuinely large, and the six-piece Singapore cane handle soaks up the shock when you get one off the splice instead of the middle. Because we hold it in both Light (2lb 7oz–2lb 8oz) and Medium (2lb 9oz–2lb 10oz), you can choose your weapon: Medium if you want mass behind the ball, Light if your power comes from bat speed. Most big hitters instinctively grab the heavier bat and are then surprised how much cleaner they strike with the lighter one — another argument for testing in person.
Best under $250: NB DC 600i or NB IND 700
This is the tightest call in the range, and we genuinely split our recommendations between the two. The DC 600i ($229.99) is Grade 3 English willow with the standard DC big-edge shape — the safe, conventional choice. The IND 700 ($219.99) is also Grade 3 but with a lower swell, so it feels even more bottom-loaded in the drive. Both are in stock in Medium. If your game is built on the cover drive, take the IND 700 and pocket the ten dollars; if you want the more balanced all-round profile, the DC 600i is the one.
Best first English willow bat: NB DC 400i — $174.99
The DC 400i keeps its price down with cosmetic shortcuts — a painted back and sides with a grain sticker on the face — while keeping the DC shape intact underneath. For an adult moving up from tape-ball or tennis-ball cricket to leather, or a returning player who does not want to spend $300 to find out how much they still love the game, it is an honest way into the NB stable. The in-stock unit is a Light, which suits developing players working on bat speed.
Best for wristy touch players: NB DC 1040 — $374.99
The DC 1040 breaks the DC pattern: Grade 2 willow with a mid swell and a sweet spot set higher than its siblings, which lightens the pickup and rewards horizontal-bat shots — cuts, pulls, and late dabs behind square. If you score most of your runs square of the wicket, or you simply like a bat that feels feather-light at the top of the backswing, this is the NB for you. Ours is in stock in Light with a six-piece Singapore cane semi-oval handle.
Two more deserve a mention. The DC 800i Pro at $349.99 slots between the 800i Max and 900i Max with Grade 3 willow in a first-class shape — a strong choice if the 800i Max sells before you get to it. And the DC 900i Max at $359.99 carries a full profile with a slightly lower middle, a well-balanced pickup, and NB's white-and-blue speckled grip; it is currently the best-looking piece of willow on our NB rack.
Light or Medium?
Every adult NB bat we stock comes labeled Light (2lb 7oz to 2lb 8oz) or Medium (2lb 9oz to 2lb 10oz). The short version of the advice we give at the counter: players who rely on bat speed and wrists tend to prefer Light, while players who trust timing and want the bat to do the work off slower pitches usually settle on Medium. NB's balance work is good enough that their Medium bats pick up lighter than the scale suggests. If you are within driving distance of Edison, the only real answer is to come and swing both.
What buying an NB bat from us actually looks like
Two things separate genuine NB retail stock from the marketplace listings you will find elsewhere online. First, photographs: on most of our NB product pages the images are of the actual individual bat in stock — the grains you see are the grains you get. Second, the scarcity is real: as the table above shows, nearly every model is down to a single unit in a single weight. When a specific model and weight combination sells, it can be months before the next shipment clears customs. If the bat you want is showing in your weight, that is the moment to act — not after your season starts.
Every bat on this page clears our free US shipping threshold of $100, so delivery costs you nothing anywhere in the country. We also prepare bats in-store — professional knocking-in, scuff sheets, and grips fitted while you wait — so your new NB can go from our rack to your nets ready for leather. And if something is not right when it arrives, our 7-day return policy applies.
Frequently asked questions
Are New Balance cricket bats any good?
Yes. The willow selection, pressing and finishing on the NB bats that come through our store are consistently strong for the price, and the brand is carried by batters at the very top of the international game. The clear DC/TC split also makes the range unusually easy to match to a playing style, which is not something every bat maker can claim.
What is the difference between NB DC and TC cricket bats?
Sweet spot position. DC (Dynamic Cricket) bats put the sweet spot mid-to-low for front-foot, drive-heavy batting. TC bats use a classic mid swell for all-round stroke play, including back-foot cutting and pulling. Neither is better in the abstract — they suit different batters and different pitches.
How much do New Balance cricket bats cost in the US?
In our store right now: from $174.99 for the entry-level DC 400i to $549.99 for the TC 1100i Max, with the flagship DC 1100i Pro at $649.99 when it is in stock. Most adult English willow NB models fall between $220 and $440.
Which New Balance bat is best for a beginner?
For a first leather-ball bat we usually point adult beginners at the Burn 700i Max ($279.99), because it arrives pre-knocked and its thick edges forgive mistimed shots, or the DC 400i ($174.99) if budget leads the decision. Junior players should be properly sized first — bring them into the store if you can.
Do New Balance bats need knocking in?
Most NB bats have a natural finish and need standard preparation before facing leather; the Burn 700i Max is the exception in our current range, listed as pre-knocked and ready to use. Either way, we offer professional knocking-in at our Edison store, so you never have to do it yourself.
Where can I buy genuine New Balance cricket bats in the USA?
From our New Balance bat collection online with free US shipping over $100, or in person at TopCricketStore, 37 Meridian Rd, Edison, NJ, where you can handle every bat before you commit.
Pick yours up — or have it shipped free
Every New Balance bat in this guide ships free anywhere in the US, since they all clear our $100 free-shipping threshold. If you are in the New York or New Jersey area, come feel the pickups yourself at 37 Meridian Rd, Edison, NJ — we are open Monday to Saturday 11 AM to 9 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 8 PM, and we will happily pull every NB bat off the rack so you can compare them side by side. Browse current stock any time in the New Balance cricket bat collection, and if you want your bat knocked in, gripped, or fitted with a scuff sheet before it leaves the building, just ask — it is what we do all day.