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RIP-IT Baseball still exists, but they don’t make baseball or fastpitch bats anymore. They’ve narrowed down their production, far as we can tell, to protective equipment in the fastpitch space. From the early 2010’s through 2017 they produced an impressive line of BBCOR and USSSA bats.
They tried to pioneer the smart bat world with a Kickstarter program. Once that failed to gain traction, they appeared to fold on the bat industry entirely and never made a serious push again. Still, many of their bats can be found on the secondary market and more than a few are worth serious consideration—especially at the price points you can find them now.
We reviewed each of RIP-ITs bats when they were produced. You can find those below.
We hit every bat we review. That includes our RIP-IT Bats reviews below, too.
Our Review
The 2015 Air Elite BBCOR bat is a hybrid (composite handle, aluminum barrel) bat with a balanced swing weight. This is the second year that RIP-IT has produced a two-piec…
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Our Review
As also should be noted, although some sites are reporting differently, we actually found the RIP-IT Air to have a lighter swing weight than its top shelf brother the 201…
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Our Review
At first glance we thought the idea of naming bats after stable gasses was a great idea. Light swings are en vogue these days and what better way to brand that idea than …
Jump To Full Review, Video Review
Last Updated: November 17, 2022 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
Maybe most importantly, RIP-IT kept their best warranty in the business. It is a 400-day unlimited return as well as a 30-day love it or returns it (with free shipping) policy. You have to buy it from an authorized vendor (like these guys) to get a valid receipt. But with a 400-day warranty and a 30-day love, it or return it policy as liberal as theirs, it’s hard to not just pull the trigger and take it to the cage for a couple of weeks to see if it’s all it’s cracked up to be.
Overall, the bat really is a hitter’s bat without frills or fancy names. It’s a balanced bat that is shaped like a baseball bat, feels like a baseball bat, and is made for hitters who accept the reality that good players are made in the cage, not in the aisles of sporting goods stores trying to wade through the minutia of connective pieces and rotating handles.
If you are a player or coach who just wants a bat that feels, looks, and hits baseballs well and consistently along all parts of the barrel then the 2015 RIP-IT Air Elite, with its very liberal 30-day return policy, is the place to start. It fits more in the base hitters realm than the home run hitters realm although I am sure the right hitter could dial in some tape measure shots with this shtick.
The 2015 Air Elite BBCOR bat is a hybrid (composite handle, aluminum barrel) bat with a balanced swing weight. This is the second year that RIP-IT has produced a two-piece bat and it is a slight upgrade to the very successful and well-received 2014 Air Elite.
The bat swings similarly to Jump to our Full Review
The 2015 Air Elite BBCOR bat is a hybrid (composite handle, aluminum barrel) bat with a balanced swing weight. This is the second year that RIP-IT has produced a two-piece bat and it is a slight upgrade to the very successful and well-received 2014 Air Elite.
The bat swings similarly to Sluggers 715/Raid models–which is balanced. It is not as light as some composite and handle-loaded bats like the CF7 or S1 but not nearly as heavy as the XL1 or Voodoo FT. Of interest, it has, at least by our measurements, a heavier swing weight than its full aluminum little brother (the 2015 Air).
We would recommend this bat to hitters who: Prefer a balanced swing; Prefer hybrid bats; are unsure of what to do and are willing to take advantage of the no risk return policy; Are hitters in the 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9 holes; are not on a budget.
We would NOT recommend this bat to hitters who: Prefer a composite barrel; Prefer a very light swing or an endloaded swing; are in the 4 or 5 holes; are on a budget.
I’m not quite sure I’ll ever become accustomed to $400 baseball bats. But it seems like new top-shelf pricing now starts there. I’d suggest, considering its likeness to the 2014 version, maybe taking a stab at a new 2014 version (with valid receipts to still take advantage of the warranty and love it or return it policy) while the supplies last. Otherwise, the best place we’ve been able to pick up this bat new (and ones like it) is here. And hey, if you don’t like it, just send it back and spend your $400 elsewhere.
Last Updated: November 17, 2022 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
The bat is, in our opinion, a hitter’s bat. It isn’t particularly frilly or overly designed and its balanced swing doesn’t make it a home run hitters bat. Players who want a bat that looks like a bat, swings like a bat, and hits like a bat with a lighter swing should be quite pleased they picked up one of these bad boys.
As also should be noted, although some sites are reporting differently, we actually found the RIP-IT Air to have a lighter swing weight than its top shelf brother the 2015 Air Elite BBCOR.
Jump to our Full ReviewAs also should be noted, although some sites are reporting differently, we actually found the RIP-IT Air to have a lighter swing weight than its top shelf brother the 2015 Air Elite BBCOR.
We recommend this bat for hitters who: Prefer the power in one-piece aluminum bats; Are on a budget yet want a top shelf BBCOR bat; Are base hitters; Are looking for a bat with the best warranty in the biz; Want a bat they can try out for a couple of weeks to decide if they want it for the season; Hitters looking for a light to balanced swing.
We do NOT recommend this bat for hitters who: Are not on a budget; Prefer composite barrels or two-piece bats; Prefer end-loaded bats; Are big bomb hitters.
The bat also comes with RIP-IT’s best-in-the-business warranty. It is a 400-day unlimited return as well as a 30-day love it or return it and RIP-IT will pay for the return shipping. It really is a no-risk trial and we at batdigest love that about the company and bat. It is no wonder they have the reputation for customer service that they do.
Last Updated: November 17, 2022 | by Bat Digest Review Team | @BatDigest
When we wrote a highly read review on the Mako Torq and its spinning handle a few months back we asked, “what will the baseball bat industry think of next?” Well, we finally have our answer: It’s the RIP-IT Helium BBCOR bat that will be available for the 2015 season.
At first glance we thought the idea of naming bats after stable gasses was a great idea. Light swings are en vogue these days and what better way to brand that idea than a bat named after a gas. 2015 could be Helium. 2016 they could go with Neon. 2017 could be Argon and then you’d be left w… Jump to our Full Review
At first glance we thought the idea of naming bats after stable gasses was a great idea. Light swings are en vogue these days and what better way to brand that idea than a bat named after a gas. 2015 could be Helium. 2016 they could go with Neon. 2017 could be Argon and then you’d be left with Chlorine in 2018–which no one would buy on that name. Surely 2019 would be Krypton to revitalize the bat line and who wouldn’t want a bat named Krypton? The gas-naming theme seemed perfectly sane.
And by a bit more, I mean a lot more. The bat isn’t just named after a gas, the bat is actually pressured with the gas inside. Yes, the 2015 RIP-IT Helium bat is air sealed through a 47 step process and then, like a basketball, pumped full of helium gas. The pressure is actually so much they need to get special clearance from the government to ship the bat around the country. Not kidding.
Sounds awesome. But why? No, really, why? The answer was apparent once we got some exclusive cuts with the bat. Before I share, let me first point out what this helium filled bat isn't. A bat pressurized with helium isn't like playing baseball on the moon. The bat, much to our disappointment, does not float in the air. Nor does it somehow defy the laws of physics and hit baseballs as if you were in a stadium also pressurized with helium. Further, the bat is still .50 BBCOR certified and its pop isn't allowed to be any greater than other high end performance bats on the market.
Price CheckLike other 2015 RIP-IT performance baseball bats (Air Elite and Air), the 2015 RIP-IT Helium bat feels smooth and is unpretentious: it is a bat made to hit baseballs—not make you dinner. The Helium has a hand loaded swing weight like DeMarini’s CF7 or the Rawlings’ Velo and has a noticeably lighter swing weight than the Air or Air Elite also from RIP-IT. It comes with a 400 day warranty. The RIP-IT Helium is a 5 piece bat made of an aluminum alloy and perfectly sealed and tested to contain pressurized helium gas.