Before we review their baseball bats, COMbat (the company) started in 1998 when they began manufacturing softball bats for other brand name companies. COMbat bats were born in the last few years when they decided to put out the same bats they make for other companies in their own name, including baseball bats.
The big news for 2010 is that COMbat finally is offering their most popular bats, the B1 and B2, in Adult and Senior League models. It’s hard to believe it took them so long to do this but at least the light bulb finally went on. Also in 2010, they’ll finally get to push the B2 which had a delayed introduction last year because it initially did not meet regulations.
Another change for 2010 is COMbat’s introduction of a 100% alloy bat. They’ve been exclusively focused on composite bats since their inception and this is a big move for the company.
COMbat needs to make a name for themselves in high school and college baseball to become a true player in the industry, and offering all their bats in Adult and Senior League models is a giant leap forward. We’ll see if the emphasis on big barrel bats can get them some traction in 2010.
Here’s the COMbat line-up for 2010:
COMbat Composite Bats
- COMbat B2: As stated, the 2009 B2 had a slow start because of approval issues. This is the same design as the “redesigned” version that was finally approved for the 2009 model year. It a one-piece, single wall bat with a stiff handle and a low swing weight. The difference between the B2 and B1 is that the B2 has COMbat’s “Variable Stiffness Technology is said to allow for lower barrel wall stiffness on both sides of the normal sweetspot, resulting in an enlarged sweet hitting area.” It also has their “Blended Fiber Technology, where Arimid fibers ( found in bullet proof vests ) is combine with carbon and glass fibers in varying proportions and precise angles to get more trampoline effect and absorb vibrations resulting in more energy transfer to the ball and greater distance.” Did you get all of that? My favorite is the bullet proof vest comment. My opinion is this doesn’t amount to much and that it’s not much different than the B1. The B2 Adult -3 model retails for $369 putting it just below the other top tier composite bats. There are better options in this category and price range.
- COMbat B1: This bat has had the same design for several years; the only news is the introduction of the big barrel models. It’s a one-piece, single wall bat with a stiff handle and low swing weight. The B1’s claim to fame began in the 2007 Little League World Series when the U.S. team won the championship game on a walk off home run off a B1 bat. Not that it wasn’t exciting and a plus for COMbat but is this really that big a deal? First if you’re playing in the LLWS championship game you’re probably a pretty good player. Second the fences in Williamsport are only 205 feet from home plate! In the world of 12U travel baseball this is a F7, F8, F9 or double. This is just a bunch of hype based on one dramatic home run and nothing else. I’m sure the folks at COMbat did their best to stoke this magical story. The truly intelligent move by COMbat was pricing the B1 as a second tier composite bat ($299 for the Adult -3 model). Why they didn’t do this last year when the B2 was introduced is anyone’s guess. The big barrel option and new price might get some Middle and High School players to use it and give them much needed exposure above the age of twelve. It’s one of my two recommendations for second tier composite bats.
COMbat Alloy Bats:
- COMbat Exit: COMbat goes metal with the introduction of their first 100% alloy bat, the Exit. It’s a one-piece, single wall bat with a stiff handle and balanced design. The bat has “PowerMetal” alloy which is supposed to have been “Developed for Nuclear, Defense and Military Applications’. Once again a bunch of hype but at least they’re being creative. Other than that, the bat claims to have a “unique look” and increased durability. The Adult -3 model retails for $199 where it competes with the Louisville Omaha and Easton V12 alloy bats.My recommendation is to go with those options rather than the Exit.
Visit this page to view my recommendations by category and price.
My 8 year old son played with a 29/17 B1 this fall and we loved it. We had the 2009 demarini vodoo for all stars this summer and we pretty much hated it, sold it on ebay and bought the combat. With the b2 out we may try that in the spring if i can sell the b1 on ebay for something. my bigger question is were starting travel ball in march where 8 and 9u’s are using 2 /3/4 bats, usually 28 or 29 -9 or -10’s. I’d love some advice on this? I really wonder if these kids can power up these senior league bats and what the best choices are if money isn’t the issue, performance is all that matters. thanks, great site
I have a 15 yr. old and a 12 yr. old. I have been buying the eastons, demarinis and louisville slugger big barrels for years. My youngest hit with the combat b-1 2 1/4 barrel last year as well as the rest of the team. The b-1 has more pop then any bat i have seen in the last 8 years of playing tournament baseball. Dont know about the virus or b-2 but nothing beats the b-1.
My son has started using the B1 (he is 8)this season and has been hitting great. He loves the bat. He got his first out of the park in our second game and has hit several in practice. We also have the senior league virus which he did fine with but I think it was too end loaded which slowed his swing. Both his B1 and virus are the same lenght and weight (29″ 19oz)I really think the B1 has excellent pop. I am not familiar with the omaha so I can’t compare the two.
I don’t think you can compare the B-1 with the stealth imx because the the imx is a 2 piece end loaded bat for bigger stronger kids, and the b-1 is one piece and more balanced. my 10 yr old has both bats B-1 31/19 and imx 30/19 he preferes the b-1, and for his size the b-1 has much more pop. the 12 yr olds on my team like the b-1 31/21 over the imx but I think the difference between them is not that much but the b-1 is liked more.I also think that its easier to generate more bat speed with a balanced bat, and bat speed is the name of the game.
Reply to Mike: The review states a preference for the Stealth/Synergy IMX over Combat for the 2009 models. They’re made of the same composite material but in two different designs.
You’re correct in stating the Stealth IMX (now the Stealth Speed bats for 2010) is a two-piece more end loaded bat than the B1. The thing to remember is that the Easton IMX bat also comes in a one piece more balanced model (Synergy IMX). This is a similar design to the Combat B1. In 2010 the Easton Stealth and Synergy Speed bats all have a swing weight (MOI) of 80. The 2009 Stealh IMX had a swing weigh of 90. Hence, you have much more flexibility with the Easton bats and can buy one tailored to your swing.
A comment on the Combat B2 DA Bomd…I liked the performance of the bat…it has plenty of pop but doesn’t hold up..I purchased a new 30/20 on Febuary 2nd of 2009 and it was cracked by June the 5th of 2009…I sent it back to Combat and they were out of stock of the 30/20 so I got the 31/21 from the 1 year warranty exchange…now this is where it went wrong…I didn’t read that the warranty and it is a 1 time 1 year replacement…the 2nd bat only lasted till the end of July 2009 and the company will do nothing to replace it…the irony is that the 1st bat was used 10 fold compared to the 2nd so beware if you end up with a pair of bats like I got you’ll be replacing them every few months..not ever buying their products again..I sent an e-mail to the President of the company and have received no reply..I will try to put the word out of the poor endurance of this bat and the overall non-existing customer service
admin-
please inform us on what a swing weight(MOI) of 80 means. You refer to it a lot… 80 what? certainly not m/sec2 (the unit of measure for an object’s MOI) How is this helpful?
Or is it complete marketing mumbo-jumbo, in which case, you would be propagating the same “clutter and hype” that your website claims to sift through.
Eagerly waiting for your response…
For 8-10U travel ball, they will get better pop out of combats youth barrel bat than the senior league. The composites are different and you have to be stronger to get the trampoline effect out of the senior league bat. Most younger kids have better success with ball distance with the YB than the SL. The only trade off is a narrower barrel thus if he is not on top of the ball all the time you would need to consider such.
This guy giving the reviews is a IDIOT, Miken was started by Jeb Griffith nobody name Mike and Ken, what a loser, you would not know a good bat if it fell out of you a-s!
You are incorrect. Jeb Griffith invested in the company and eventually ran it. It was originally a tool & die company founded by the inventors of a carbon fiber material for golf club shafts, etc. Their names were Mike and Ken. Here is the official history with no edits:
“Miken” comes from the first names of two inventors from Heartland, Wis., who had a tool and die company, Hoscheit explained. “Mike and Ken were trying to build golf club shafts and bow risers for archery out of carbon, fiber glass, and other composites,” Hoscheit recalled. “Jeb ran into one of them, started visiting about what they were doing, was intrigued with the potential for using composites for softball bats, and invested in the company.”
My eleven year old grandson used the Combat B2 exclusivly last season and had a great year with the bat, alot of pop and consistancy. I bought him a new Easton Stealth XL for his birthday, and he is not pleased with it at all, complaints include stiffness, sting, and small knob at the end of the bat that is not comfortable to the feel. The Combat B2 has outdone the new Stealth XL in my grandsons opinion in every catagory.
In my opinion the b-1 out does the b-2 any day of the week. the b2 has a sicking thud where the b1 has a crisp crack.
My son needed a bat for 7th grade school ball and after a ton of research decided on a combat B1.
He was using a CF3 drop 8 up to this point and loves it, but after buying the B1 he hasn’t gone back. I found the B1 was so well balanced that even though he’s not a big kid he is still able to swing the drop 3 B1 with no problems. The added plus is the bat seems to have a very large sweet spot as well. So I highly recommend the B1.
my son used the B2 last year. the bat is awesome. only one home run was hit while not using this bat. over time the bat seamed to loose it’s pop. by time all stars came around it was dead. this year we took it out and it’s just a dead thud when the ball hits it. i guess what i’m saying is it’s a great buy but use it sparingly. after a 1000 or so hits you may as well use it to hit a tire or something. this year i’m looking for a new one that he can use a couple years at practice and games.
Just bought our son a new B1 Combat, Are these bats hot out of the wrapper or do they need the break in. I have seen several reviews stating both ways. 100-150 Hits and Hot Out of the Wrapper. Which one is it. You would thing it would need break in, ours sounds like a log right now.
Although composite bats will hit as well as an alloy bat out of the wrapper, they all need to be broken in to reach their peak performance. 200 – 300 hits, evenly rotated should do it.
My grandson’s Combat B2 Bomber finally let him down,after 18 months of use, and so many hits and home runs, it cracked, leaving my grandson sad and miserable. His back up bat is an Easton Stealth XL, that he has not enjoyed from day one. Today he now has a new Combat B3 in his equipment bag and will put it to the test immediately. Hopefully a positive review will be forthcoming.
Our team has been cracked 2 out of four B2’s in 10 games. Is the b1 as hot as the b2? Will the B1 hold up better. Curious about B3 MR.Farnsworth We have a B2 31/21 but expect it to crack anytime but it is an awesome bat. For the price they should hold up better. Need feed back on B3.
It will be great if you could do a review on little league bats since from the comments most of the people in here are talking little league bats…just a though…
The bats are made the same, whether they are the Adult, Youth or Senior model. We just highlight the cost of the Adult models. Hence, these comments are for all models of the bat being reviewed.
After trying to purchase a Combat B2 in the correct length and weight to no avail for my 11 year old grandson, I bought him a Combat B3. So far the bat has produced a lot of pop and my grandson is quite comfortable with it. The bat is well balanced and has a large sweet spot that is clearly visible with all of the white baseball scuff marks present. The sound of a ball being hit by the B2 versus B3 is very different, the B2 has a sound all of its own compared to other composite bats that I have witnessed. I’m sure the new B4, when available will be in my grandsons equipment bag as well. His Stealth XL is not being used at all.
Bucket; I hope your B2 doesn’t crack…getting the warranty out of combat is almost impossible. It has been a month since they recieved my cracked B2 and I’m still waiting for a return…I like the pop that the B2 has, but I think the B1 is more durable. Since they don’t make the B2 anymore, combat (sometime in 2016) is sending me the B3…My question is why do they still make the B1 and the B3 but not the B2??? It seems to me the B2 had a very short shelve life…
The B1 was fun while it lasted – about 9 months. Emails and calls to the company go unanswered. They may as well have a 10 year warranty for all the good it did me.
My son has used the B-1 for almost 2 seasons and he loves it. And what is even better is I turned on some of the other kids on my team to this bat and now we have some un-educated people saying that our bats are rolled or illegal. The fact of the matter is—the B-1 is absolutely the best bat out there.
I agree with Chris and Robert. It takes forever for them to honor the warranty. My son did seem to hit with more confidence but the bat (B2) 30″ 18 oz. cracked after 1 month and he is not a big power hitter at 11 years old and 88 lbs. Not worth the money in my opinion. He did not have the bat for 75% of the season.
My 11 year old son has been through 3 Combat bats (2 B-1s and a B-2) that broke within the time covered by the Warranty. Each time, Combat honored the Warranty. In my experience, I have received the replacement bat no questions asked between 4-5 weeks from the date that I sent the broken bat to Combat. You have to make sure you follow the directions and the terms of the Warranty. I have not had any bad experience with Combat honoring their warranty.
The last B-1 that I bought lasted two (2) weeks and approximately 200 hits before it broke. Combat sent my son a replacement B-3 which has already been shipped to me.
I just ordered a B1 COMbat and can’t wait to get it. Everyone says that the B1 cracks easily. My friend says that the B1 has the most pop out of all the combats but we’ll see how it turns out.
I bought my Grandson a B – 1 Bomb bat and he went from hitting 380 last year in a 12 yr. old league to a whopping 670 this year with 5 Homers out of the park and a slew of Doubles and Triples – He has burned more outfielders this year with the B – 1 than any of his other bats that he use to use such as a Easton or TPX Exogrid – But the exogrid does have plenty of pop too, it is well avised to not let other players on the team use your bat because it will shorten the bats pop for sure – I highly recomend the B – 1 31 inch 21 Oz.
i had no problem with my b2 big barrel it was hot of the rapper i didnt even have to break it in all i did was hit the ball like normal.\
I am very, very frustrated with COMBAT Products
1) Purchased a B2 in May 2009 – it cracked in April. The replacement B3 cracked after three weeks use.
2) Purchased a B1 in May 2010 for my son to use while waiting for a replacement for his B2. It cracked after 3 weeks use.
3) Purchased a B2 Big Barrel for my son to use in travel ball. It cracked during his 2nd at bat in his first tournament using it. The replacement sits in our garage. Ended up pruchasing a Dimarini CF4.
The hassle for exchanges vs. the big $$$ cost of the bats is not worth it.
Last year I had a easton stealth cnt and I did not hit a home run. This year I got combat b2 da bomb and I hit 10 home runs over the fence.I say the b2 has more pop then the b1 or the b3, and it hits the ball about 10 feet father then other youth baseball bats
I bought my son a 31/20 Combat B1 a little more than a month ago. He used it for a about a half a dozen times over about 10 days before it cracked. We’ve now been waiting about 3 weeks for Combat to replace it. Both times I’ve called – after about a half hour wait on the phone – they’ve said they are out of the 31/20s but expect a shipment the next day. With so many other quality options out there, I would avoid Combat. My son had a Nike composite bat that cracked. We returned it and received a refund within a week.
Well season is over, but I’m coming back to coment on the b3 that combat sent me as a replacement for my b2. Eventhough it took a while, it was worth the wait. There is something very different between the b2 and b3…ball jumps out of this bat….much like the b1 but with a different sound…great bat..
My son used the B2 Da Bomb (30″/20 oz/)and had a lot of success with it. Good pop, used a LOT with fair share of chips and scuffs but still very sound. We just got the B2 big barrel (same size and weight) and he used it once at BP and he seems to like it. O for 2 with demarini’s so we’re sticking with ComBats, at least for now.
Combats are a joke!
Along with my sons entire travel and all-star team we bought into the hype… People actually thought our teams was sponsored by Combat because it was all our children would use! Knowing so much of the game is mental we went with what they were comfortable with, now we have 6 cracked bats (one broke the day after it was purchased) and I am stuck fighting for a replacement, which we are going to give away. Not worth the money or hassel!!! Even my son doesnt want another Combat!
To everyone who is having problems with combat costumer service….You have to call them everyday….EVERYDAY…..They will give you all kinds of excuses like they don’t have the size in sock, their shipment should be in any day…..it is all crap…Call them everyday you will get the bat back in a week.
I watched my good friend Beezer hit using the B2 Da Bomb and when he made contact, he was able to consistently hit the ball to the outfield. All in all, a very good bat! Keith