Butterfly 401 Table Tennis Racket: Real Specs and Upgrade Path
The Butterfly 401 table tennis racket is a real, current product. Butterfly’s own US shop sells it as the Bty 401 FL Racket Set (item code B401FL) for $37.99 as of September 30, 2026. Butterfly lists a 5-ply wood blade, Yuki rubber with a 2.1 mm sponge on both sides, a flared handle and ITTF approval. The rubber is glued on for good, so this is a starter racket you replace, not one you re-cover.
Retail listings use several names for what looks like one racket. Butterfly 401. B401. BTY 401 FL. Sometimes TBC 401. It’s easy to assume these are different products, and it makes shopping harder than it should be.
So we went to the source. This guide uses Butterfly’s own product pages and FAQ, Megaspin’s retailer notes, the ITTF’s published laws, and live Amazon data, all checked on September 30, 2026. We haven’t tested the racket ourselves, and we won’t describe how it feels.
What you’ll get instead is the plain version. What the names mean, what the specs are, what “FL” stands for, why the rubber can’t be swapped, what ITTF approval covers, and how the 401 compares with the other pre-assembled Butterfly rackets on price.
- →The Butterfly 401 is one racket sold under several names, including Bty 401 FL and B401.
- →Butterfly lists 5-ply wood, Yuki rubber with a 2.1 mm sponge on both sides, and a flared handle.
- →The rubber is glued on permanently, so you replace the racket instead of the rubber.
- →It costs $37.99 at Butterfly’s shop, $65 less than the beginner-listed Bty 603 FL at $102.99.
- →ITTF approval in Butterfly’s listing does not settle everything for tournament play. The rubber and its colors still matter.
Butterfly 401 table tennis racket: one product, several names
Here’s how the names line up, based on the listings we opened.
The short version is that Butterfly 401, B401 and Bty 401 FL all point to the same racket set. “FL” is the handle code, which we explain below.
The verified specs
These come from Butterfly’s own product page, not from a retailer’s guess. Where Butterfly doesn’t publish a number, we leave it out.
Butterfly describes Yuki this way: a slightly hard sponge with a tacky surface that offers a bit more spin than speed. Butterfly also calls the racket a best seller. That is Butterfly’s wording, and we can’t confirm it.
⚠️ Watch out: We are not quoting a weight or speed, spin and control ratings. Butterfly’s US page doesn’t publish them, and the numbers that appear on other sites come from third parties we couldn’t confirm. Treat any figure you see elsewhere with caution.
What FL means on a Butterfly racket
Butterfly’s FAQ explains the handle codes. FL is flared: a handle that is wide at the base and concave in the center. Butterfly calls it the most popular style.
If you play penhold, the 401 is the wrong handle. Butterfly sells penhold versions of some other racket sets, such as the 302 and 303 in the CS code. You can read more about the grips in our guide to holding a paddle.
The rubber is glued on, and that decides who should buy it
Butterfly’s page says the racket is assembled with a glue intended to keep the rubber permanently attached to the wood for the life of the racket. Its FAQ goes further: the rubber is not meant to be removed, and when the rubber needs replacing, it’s time to buy a new racket.
Megaspin, a retailer, says the same thing in its own words. It calls removing the rubber sheets to attach new ones difficult and not recommended.
Here’s why that matters. A racket with permanent rubber is a consumable. When the rubber wears out, you replace the racket, which for the 401 means about $38. A Pro-Line racket costs more up front, but you can replace the rubber later. Butterfly’s Pro-Line TB5 Alpha with Rozena and a case was $144.97 on September 30. That’s $106.98 more than the 401.
Neither is better. If you’re not sure you’ll keep playing, the glued racket is the cheaper way to find out. Removable rubber only costs less if the blade outlasts the rubber, and Butterfly publishes no lifespan figure for either.
ITTF approved: what that does and doesn’t cover
Butterfly’s shop page says the 401 is International Table Tennis Federation Approved. That’s a manufacturer statement, and it’s worth reading carefully. It doesn’t answer every question you’ll face at a sanctioned event.
The ITTF’s laws set two rules that matter here. Law 2.4.6 says one side of the racket must be matt black and the other a bright color clearly distinguishable from black and from the color of the ball. And under Law 3.4.2.2, a covering must be used as authorized, without any physical, chemical or other treatment.
Megaspin adds a useful warning. It says most recreational rackets don’t comply with official ITTF regulations, either because both rubber sheets are the same color or because the rubber isn’t approved for competition. It puts the responsibility on the player to make sure the rubber is approved at the time of competition.
Yuki, the rubber on the 401, appears on the ITTF’s authorized list in black and red, according to the January 3, 2026 edition hosted by the French table tennis federation. We could not confirm which colors ship on the 401, and the ITTF’s own site blocked our checks. So before you enter a sanctioned event, check the rubber colors and the current list yourself.
📊 Note: We can’t say how an umpire will treat a specific racket at a tournament. Read our guide to checking ITTF approval for the practical steps.
Butterfly’s other pre-assembled rackets, priced
The 401 is the third-cheapest of the eight rackets in the table below, which does not include every Butterfly racket. Here are the ones on Butterfly’s US shop, with prices and stock as of September 30, 2026.
Two things stand out. First, the 401 costs only $9.00 more than the 201 FL and $3.50 more than the 302 FL, so the entry-level step is small. Second, the 603 FL costs $65.00 more than the 401, which is about 2.7 times the price, and Butterfly lists both for beginning-level players. Whether the extra money buys a better experience isn’t something we can tell you, because we haven’t tested either racket.
Where to buy: Butterfly’s shop or Amazon
Butterfly’s own shop lists the 401 at $37.99 and showed it in stock on September 30. The Amazon listing for the 401 returned no price or stock information when we checked, so look at the page yourself before you count on it.
Amazon carries several other Butterfly rackets that we did verify through Amazon’s product data on the same day.
What our own price and stock check showed
Checking Butterfly’s shop against Amazon on the same day turned up a few things worth knowing before you buy a Butterfly 401 table tennis racket or any of its neighbors.
- Amazon showed no price or stock for the 401 listing, while Butterfly’s shop showed it in stock at $37.99.
- The Bty 702 FL and 802 FL were out of stock on Butterfly’s shop.
- Amazon listings for the B201FL and B702FL showed as currently unavailable, even though Butterfly’s shop had the 201 FL in stock.
The pattern is simple. A price you saw last week may not be today’s price, and the same racket can be in stock in one place and gone in another. That’s why we date every number in this guide.
What a year of starter rackets costs, in our arithmetic
Because the 401’s rubber can’t be replaced, the ownership question is really about how often you replace the racket. There is no official number, so we used the estimate in JOOLA’s 2022 rubber guide: about six months at 1 to 2 hours a week, and about three months at 3 to 6 hours. This assumes a glued racket wears out on the same schedule as a rubber set, which is a big assumption. Treat the table as a rough comparison, not a prediction.
On money alone, the glued racket is the cheaper way to play at both levels. The Pro-Line route only makes sense if you value what the rubber and blade give you. We haven’t tested either racket, so we can’t say how large that difference is.
A five-check shopping list for any pre-assembled racket
None of this takes long. The model code catches the name confusion we described at the top. The handle code catches the penhold mistake. Two prices catch differences between sellers. And the last check is the one that surprises people at their first tournament.
Who should buy the Butterfly 401, and who should skip it
- You’re new to the sport and want a ready-to-play racket.
- You want a Butterfly-branded set with a case included.
- You don’t want to choose a blade and rubber yet.
- You’re fine replacing the racket when it wears out.
- You want to replace the rubber later.
- You use a penhold grip.
- You plan to enter sanctioned events without checking the rubber.
- You already know you want a custom blade and rubber.
- You want the rubber Butterfly lists on the 603 (Wakaba).
- You want a Pro-Line with removable rubber down the road.
- You can spend more than the 401’s price.
When to move on from a starter racket
Butterfly recommends the 401 for beginning-level players. It also says the rubber on its Pro-Line rackets can be replaced, which the 401’s cannot.
Your options at that point are simple. You can buy a Pro-Line racket with removable rubber, like Butterfly’s TB5 Alpha. Or you can buy a bare blade and two sheets of rubber and assemble your own. Our guide to the best Butterfly blades covers the blade side, and our review of Butterfly Rozena covers a rubber priced at $39.99 a sheet in our review.
If you’d like a wider look at complete rackets from several brands, our best ping pong paddle guide sorts eight of them by skill level, and our brand guide explains who makes what. For care, start with our paddle cleaning guide and check whether cleaners are legal before a match.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Butterfly 401 a real table tennis racket?
Yes. Butterfly’s US shop sells it as the Bty 401 FL Racket Set (item code B401FL), and it lists it at $37.99 as of September 30, 2026. Butterfly’s shop and Megaspin list it, and Amazon has a listing for it that showed no price when we checked.
Are the BTY 401 FL, B401 and Butterfly 401 the same racket?
On the listings we checked, yes. Butterfly’s shop, Megaspin and Amazon all describe the same racket set under those names. Some retailers also list a TBC 401 FL. We could not confirm from Butterfly that it is identical, so check the specs on that listing.
What does FL mean on a Butterfly racket?
FL stands for flared. Butterfly describes it as a handle that is wide at the base and concave in the center, and calls it the most popular style.
Can I replace the rubber on a Butterfly 401?
Butterfly says the rubber is glued on to stay attached for the life of the racket. Its FAQ says that when the rubber needs replacing, it is time to buy a new racket. Butterfly points buyers who want replaceable rubber to its Pro-Line models.
Is the Butterfly 401 ITTF approved?
Butterfly’s shop page says it is International Table Tennis Federation Approved. For official play, the rubber also has to be on the ITTF’s authorized list and the two sides have to follow the color rule, so check both before you enter an event.
Is the Butterfly 401 good for beginners?
Butterfly recommends it for beginning-level players. We have not tested it ourselves, so we can only point to Butterfly’s own description and the specs.
What comes in the box?
Butterfly’s page says the racket comes in a gift box set with a free racket case.
Sources and what we checked
Specs, prices and stock come from Butterfly’s US shop page for the Bty 401 FL, its pre-assembled racket category, and its equipment FAQ. Retailer notes come from Megaspin. The racket laws are in the ITTF Statutes. Yuki’s listing on the authorized coverings list is from the January 3, 2026 list hosted by the French federation. Amazon prices come from Amazon’s product data on September 30, 2026.
We did not test any racket, and we do not quote weight or performance ratings because Butterfly’s US page does not publish them. Prices and stock change, so treat the numbers here as a snapshot.
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Ping Pong Reviewed is an equipment review site covering table tennis and baseball gear. Specifications are checked against manufacturer listings, and prices against live retail pages, before publication.
