Mikasa and Molten are both very popular and quality volleyball brands. In this article, we will give you an in-depth comparison and will also answer the question: “which one is better?”.

Mikasa and Molten are both sport equipment companies. Even though they do not only focus on volleyball, they are most known for their volleyballs (However, Molten also has good brand recognition in basketball). In this article, we will compare the two brands as a whole, but we will mainly focus on the volleyball comparison.

Mikasa summary

Mikasa is a Japanese sport equipments and ahtletique goods company, founded in 1917. Mikasa volleyballs are the official balls for all Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (International Volleyball Federation) worldwide competitions, and numerous domestic leagues outside of North America. Mikasa volleyballs are the official ball for the Olympics. Presently clubs, regions, high schools, colleges, and tournaments throughout the U.S. use Mikasa volleyballs.

Molten summary

Molten Corporation is a sports equipment and automotive parts company based in Hiroshima, Japan.

Molten is mostly known for manufacturing balls for several team sports, with a range of products that includes American footballs, association footballs, basketballs, dodgeballs, handballs and volleyballs. Notably, Molten basketballs are the official balls for all FIBA worldwide competitions, and numerous domestic leagues outside of North America.

Molten is also the official volleyballs producer for USA Volleyball and the NCAA men’s and women’s championships

Mikasa vs molten volleyball

Let’s start by comparing the actual volleyball balls between the two brands.

Mikasa is the official ball supplier for the Olympics and definitely is more present in the international volleyball scene.

Molten on the other hand mainly sees usage in some of the USA competitions (Youth club, NCAA, NORCECA…).

Mikasa has a good rebound and has a more sticky feel, makes it really good for contact and release. The Molten has a good texture and solid overall feel, but it doesn’t get the same rebound. However, many volleyball players really do love the feeling that the Molten volleyballs give, “it just feels good to play with”.

Overall, it really is a personal preference situation. One thing is guaranteed, the two brands do create very high quality volleyballs. If I had to pick a winner, it would be Mikasa, but it’s a close call. In a recent (small) voting on reddit, the Mikasa also came out ahead by 163 votes vs 67 for Molten.

That said, I would say that Molten has an even wider range in terms of volleyballs that they offer. Molten has a very wide range of types of volleyballs. They have mini volleyballs, recreational volleyballs, high quality volleyballs, beach volleyballs, light volleyballs, soft touch volleyballs competitive/Olympics volleyballs…

Mikasa v200w vs molten v5m5000

Mikasa v200w:

Molten v5m5000:

Theses are two of the most popular and most praised volleyballs of all time. However, these are also not very cheap volleyballs. It would only make sense to go for one of these if you are a high level volleyball player (or if you intend to be one). Unless you simply prefer to use the better material.

The typical differences in play would be that the Molten ball feels a bit heavier and does not have a flat surface. Also, the Molten ball doesn’t float as much as the Mikasa. The Mikasa also tends to have a better rebound and has that typical sticky feeling. On the other hand, the Molten V5M5000 is also very praised by having a very good touch and great grip, it simply feels good to play with.

The Mikasa v200w is the main ball used in international play and is the official ball for the Olympics.

According to the Molten Company website, the v5m5000 is the official volleyball for USA Volleyball. This means that it is used for the Youth Boys club, NCAA Men’s Volleyball, which is the collegiate League in the USA, men’s and Women’s NORCECA Competitions, which is the North Central American and Caribbean Volleyball Confederation and the men’s and women’s division at the USA Adult National Championships. As you can see, this ball is used for youth club all the way through international level competitions.

The official materials listed are Premium Microfiber Composite Cover and Nylon wound layer.

In other words, in terms of usage, the v200w is the winner on the international scene. However, both Mikasa and Molten see a lot of usage within the United States.

If I had to declare a winner, it would be the Mikasa v200w. However, it’s a pretty close call and it’s mainly personal preference. Just know that you can’t go wrong with either one of these volleyballs.

By the way, if you are interested in checking out the latest price, amazon usually has to lowest prices, so I would recommend taking a look there:

• Mikasa v200w
• Molten v5m5000

Mikasa mva200 vs Molten v5m5000

The Mikasa mva200 is the predecessor of the v200w. In many ways, this ball is similar to the v200w. However, it does have some improvements, the v200 is less slippery, has a softer touch, is more consistent in terms of ball trajectory and is easier to control.

When comparing the mva200 to the v5m5000 I would say that the v5m5000 would be the winner. Sure, the mva200 is still a great volleyball and has been the standard for official competitive play. The Molten v5m5000 is also a very good ball, and the mva200 just isn’t quite as good as the v200. Therefore, I also feel like the Molten outranks the Mikasa in this case.

On top of that, the Mikasa mva200 is getting harder to find because Mikasa discontinued that ball and went with the v200w instead.

Molten Flistatec vs Mikasa mva

Flistatec stands for flight stability technology. The Molten v5m5000 is a Flistatec ball.

So when asking about Molten Flistatec vs Mikasa mva, I would say that I answered the difference in the previous subheading.

The Flistatec is praised for having more float than other Molten balls. However, they still don’t have as much float as the Mikasa.

Is Mikasa good quality?

I have already answered this question very short, but I do get asked this question a lot. The answer is yes, Mikasa is very good quality.

There is a good reason why their top balls are used for many international events, including the Olympics.

They make some of the best volleyballs in the world. Many volleyball players have their own preference and some might prefer another brand, but all volleyball players can agree that Mikasa is a high quality brand either way.

Including Mikasa on the list of the best volleyball brands was a no-brainer.

Is Molten good quality?

Another question that I already answered earlier in the article. The answer is simple: yes, Molten is a high quality brand, without question.

Molten might not be as present on the international scene, they are used in many leagues/competitions in the USA, this is not without reason.

They make very solid volleyballs that are loved and praised by many players.

Molten also made it easily on the list of the best volleyball brands.

Mikasa vs Molten: which one is better?

The question that many people want to see answered: “which brand is better, Mikasa or Molten”. As usual, it’s not that easy to answer a question like this, it all depends on what you are looking for and your personal preferences as a volleyball player.

However, taking everything into consideration, I would say that Mikasa is the better volleyball brand. Please keep in mind that it’s a very close call and personal opinion does get involved.

The main takeaway is that both brands are very high quality and solid volleyball brands and you can’t go wrong with either one. One thing that Molten has going for it, it has a very large assortment, so if you are almost sure that they will offer a ball that fits your exact needs. That said, Mikasa also have plenty of options to choose from, just not as many.

Mikasa vs Molten: beyond volleyball

We have covered the volleyball aspect between the two brands in-depth. However, there is more to Mikasa and Molten than only volleyball. So let’s take a closer took at what’s going on beyond volleyball.

Molten has a pretty clear focus on 4 sports:

• Basketball
• Football/soccer
• Handball
• Volleyball

They take every sport pretty serious. Even though they are most-known for their volleyballs, they are also well-known within the basketball sport for example.

The main focus is also really clear: Molten is all about balls.

When it comes to Mikasa, they have a far wider focus:

• Volleyball
• Water polo
• Soccer
• Footvolley
• Futsal
• Playground
• Basketball
• Football
• Rugby
• Inflators & essentionals
• Accessories

Conclusion

This sums it up, an entire comparison between Molten and Mikasa.

However, if you came here looking for a solid volleyball and now you are shocked by the prices, no worries. A volleyball does not have to be as expensive as the Mikasa v200w or the Molten v5m5000. In fact, I wrote an entire separate article about the best cheap volleyballs, feel free to take a look.

Also, if you intend to play mainly outdoors, take a look at this article: best outdoor volleyballs.

If you do have any questions, feels free to leave a comment!

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