Baden Thermo Soccer Ball

I play keeper on an adult, co-ed recreational team. I wanted a decent game ball, but I didn't want to spend $100+. As keeper, I also wanted something with a good grip. So I purchased three balls. Below are my impressions of each. My comments are limited to grip. I don't notice any difference with goal kicks, but it could be that I'm not skillful enough to notice a difference (this is a recreational team, after all). All three balls hold air well. Two of them came partially or fully inflated, one was deflated (I can't remember which), but they all had the proper shape once fully inflated.Shoke: This is by far my favorite. It has a textured surface, plus some deeper grooves. The combination gives the best grip of all the balls I tried. The groove pattern follows the colored lines in the picture. It's not the standard hexagonal pattern. Also, if you press on the ball, there is some give, almost like a high-density foam. But it's durable - no visible damage after eight or so games, plus practices. It is noticeably smaller than my other size 5 balls, but I measured and it is still within regulation size.Baden Thermo: This is a close second to the Shoke. It has the same textured surface and slight give of the Shoke, but it has a standard hexagonal pattern, not the parallel grooves of the Shoke. Those grooves make a big difference. While I get a decent grip on the Baden, it's not as good as the Shoke.Select Numero 10: I don't like this ball much, but the rest of my team does (so I'm guessing they like how it kicks). It has a smooth or slick surface that is dimpled like a golf ball. It's kind of like a Nike Pitch practice ball with dimpling. The dimpling probably gives it good flight characteristics, but the smooth material makes it hard to grip (the dimples don't improve the grip over something like a Nike Pitch).

This is the blue/yellow Baden Zele ball. It is not the orange/red Baden Thermo ball. The Thermo ball is so much better, it has better grip and is soft yet firm to kick (5 stars!) The Zele ball is very slippery and is like kicking a rock. My son's team loved using his original Thermo ball and hated the Zele. Baden please make the Thermo again and please update this product listing with the correct pictures and information.

My son is getting older and it's time to start buying quality balls which include a NFHS logo. Recently, I put money into a nice ball ($60+) and someone else took it home with them within a week. So, I researched the "best quality, lowest price" soccer ball and ran across an online article recommending this one as the best “sleeper”. I have to agree; we love this ball!Pro's:- Weight - medium (not too light or heavy)- Good texture (not cheap smooth shiny kind - the newer micro-grooved feel)- Shape - round (came full with air, not deflated and has held its shape - no warping after 1 month)- Holds air well (fact: every ball needs air maintenance - only needed a tiny bit of air after 1 month - that's good)- Cushioned just right (per son - how it gives a little for headers and trapping)- Price - fan-freaking-tastic! half as much as the starting price for other quality and big name soccer balls (shh - lets keep it a "sleeper")Cons:- None at this timeHere's hoping another person doesn't think this ball is as great as us and decides to take it home with them; however, if they do, it won't break the bank to get another!!!

I bought this ball for my 13-year-old one year ago. We liked it straight away and she has used it almost daily for over a year. I've also noticed that this ball routinely gets chosen to be the game ball at her matches. I took a picture of the wear and tear of the last year and if you look really close you can see a corner seam coming up just a little. The color is pretty scuffed which I would expect after so much use. Overall it has held up incredibly well and I've returned to buy the exact same one. I'm not a player myself and I don't have any knowledge of which balls are better than others but I know this one has been the most successful for us.

I went overboard and researched all of the current heavy hitters of decent cheapish soccer balls for a couple of days. I finally purchased this ball for its durability and air retainment. I've beaten this thing up just about everyday. Ripped it at my net hundreds of times, left it out in the very hot Texas sun, in the pouring rain, and even broke a window with it... oooops. To say the least it doesn't look like it looked on day 1 but it's still going strong. Holds air surprisingly long, and has a great touch, at least for a good shoot-around ball. Maybe on the slightly light side, but not noticeable. Unless you're training to go pro, or have a very particular foot pallet so to speak, this puppy will do the trick.

I like the Ball the way how it can be handled. It is soft from the outside and it flies good with not a to hard kick. the balancing is Good too. But the durability i don't know as yet. (have it for only a Month yet)Update: after I have been using this ball once every week for 5 months, the color from the outside is faded away, soon the ball itself will start to fall apart.

I have played soccer all my life (I'm 49, male) and have purchased dozens and dozens of balls from $10 - $150 range. I prefer a softer, textured feel. This ball is slightly lighter than official weight. And that is really perfect for warming up, juggling, and playing a game with the kids. I would have no problem using this in a pick-up game. The texture on this ball makes it easy to control, and great for set shots when you want to use a bit of English. I have only had the ball for a few weeks, but I really like it so far. The $30 price was more than reasonable, if it holds up. I will update this review if the ball fails to live a normal life.

I purchased a couple of these and they were everyone's favourite at soccer practice. They grip nice on wet grass and you can blast these things from place kicks. Really impressed.

Me gustó mucho el balón, para alguien que no es exigente esta bien, creo que no le pide nada a uno de marca, tengo un balón OMB y la verdad no encuentro mucha diferencia al usarlos, salvo el precio ya que compraría 8 de estos y 1 oficial de juego, siento que fue una buena compra...