Updated October 1, 2026 · ThriveCue Editorial Team
HEAD vs Mizuno
What sets them apart
| Compare |  HEAD |  Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | €210 | €52.50Lower |
| Return window | 30 daysHigher | 20 days |
| Free delivery threshold | €40 | $75 |
| Markets | AT, BE, BG, HR, CZ, DK, EE, FI, FR, DE, GR, HU, IE, IT, LV, LI, LT, LU, MT, MC, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SK, SI, ES, SE, CH, GB, CA, US, AU, JP | AT, BE, BG, CZ, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HR, IE, IL, IT, LU, MA, NL, NO, PL, PT, RO, SE, SI, TR, ZA |
| Lifetime warranty | No | Not confirmed |
| Repair service | Yes | Not confirmed |
Same on both: Brand or store (Brand).
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Key differences
- Mizuno scores higher overall: 9.2 vs 9.0.
- Price from is lower at Mizuno: €52.50 vs €210.
- Return window is higher at HEAD: 30 days vs 20 days.
- Support channels: only Mizuno offers Chat.
- HEAD is available in 5 more countries.
- Products: only HEAD offers Racket sports, Winter sports, Activewear.
- Products: only Mizuno offers Road, Racing, Trail.
- Markets: only HEAD offers EE, HU, LV.
- Markets: only Mizuno offers IL, MA, TR.
Our verdict on each
HEAD
HEAD suits players buying a single racket, a padel setup or winter kit in a market it ships to, with returns of 30 days and a repair service behind them. Racquets start at €210, which puts it higher up the price list than general sports retailers.
Mizuno
Mizuno suits runners who want a brand-run shoe site with a clear specialist range and published specs. Entry pricing starts at €52.50 for road, racing and trail shoes, with 20 days returns on unworn pairs and support by help centre, email, phone and chat to sort sizing questions.
Score breakdown
| Area | HEAD | Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | 9.1Racquets start at €210 and free delivery starts at €40, so a single racket clears the shipping bar. | 9.3HigherEntry price of €52.50 lands below the running-shoes median of €64.02, with Mizuno at 4 of 13 on price from. |
| Offer | 9.0Returns run 30 days and a repair service is listed, while the lifetime warranty is no. | 9.0Free returns inside 20 days with published 8 mm drop and 265 g weight, against a running-shoes return median of 30. |
Where each is licensed and available
| Country | HEAD | Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | Austria | Netherlands |
Available in 22 countries for both. Additional countries for HEAD: 9. Additional countries for Mizuno: 4.
A third option
Naturehike has price from at €25.99, against €210 for HEAD and €52.50 for Mizuno.
Naturehike reviewHow they place
| Ranking | HEAD | Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Tennis, padel and pickleball | 37 of 45 | 33 of 45 |
| Activewear and gym clothing | 163 of 193 | 152 of 193 |
Every fact side by side
| Fact | HEAD | Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Products | Racket sports, Winter sports, Activewear | Road, Racing, Trail |
| Legal entity | HEAD Sport GmbH | Mizuno Corporation UK Limited, trading as Mizuno Corporation Netherlands |
| Headquarters | Austria | Netherlands |
| Support channels | Email, Phone, Help centre | Email, Help centre, Phone, ChatCovers more |
Where each stands against the rest
| Fact | HEAD | Mizuno | Median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price from | €210highest quarter | €52.50above the median | €47.99 |
| Return window | 30 daysat the median | 20 dayslowest quarter | 30 days |
Median across 65 listed brands.
Pros and cons
HEAD
Pros
- A repair service is offered, so damaged frames can be serviced rather than written off.
- Returns of 30 days give room to hit a few sessions with a new frame before deciding.
- Free delivery begins at €40, which a single racket order reaches on its own.
Cons
- The lifetime warranty is no, so a frame or shaft fault is not covered for the life of the product.
- Racquets start at €210, and HEAD sits at 55 of 67 brands on entry price, so the first purchase lands near the top of the field.
- Support runs on email, phone and help centre, with no chat channel listed.
Mizuno
Pros
- The range covers road, racing and trail in one brand store, matching Decathlon's road, trail and racing focus while staying narrower than Sportwerk's road, racing and trail.
- Returns are free within 20 days, so an ill-fitting pair goes back at no cost.
- Model specs are published, with a 8 mm drop and a 265 g weight, so geometry and mass can be compared between models.
Cons
- Widths list regular only, so there is no second fit to cross over to when a size does not suit.
- Worn returns are not accepted, so a pair taken out on a run cannot be sent back.
- Return days rank 16 of 17 brands, the weaker of Mizuno's two placements.
Who each suits
HEAD
Who it suits
- Tennis, padel and pickleball players who want racquets and strings from one established brand
- Ski and snowboard buyers who also want tennis kit from the same brand
- Anyone who prefers buying gear from the brand maker rather than a general sports retailer
Who should look elsewhere
- Anyone who wants golf, cycling or water sports kit in the same basket, where Academy covers more of those types, per camping, hiking and outdoor clothing
- Shoppers whose main need is yoga-led activewear, where Alo Yoga is the closer fit, per yoga, activewear and racket sports
- Racquet players who also want water sports and team sports lines, where Mizuno carries both, per activewear, golf and racket sports
Mizuno
Who it suits
- Runners buying road, racing or trail shoes direct from the brand, with road, racing and trail on the shelf.
- Shoppers who check geometry and mass first, since 8 mm drop and 265 g weight are published per model.
- Buyers inside the store's own market list who want support beyond email.
Who should look elsewhere
- Track spike buyers: Sportwerk lists road, racing and trail, adding spikes that Mizuno's road, racing and trail range does not carry.
- Hiking boot shoppers: Academy lists road and hiking boots, reaching past running in a way Mizuno's road, racing and trail does not.
- Runners who need a narrow or wide fit, since Mizuno lists regular only.
Country by country
| Country | HEAD | Mizuno |
|---|---|---|
| Estonia | Yes | No |
| Hungary | Yes | No |
| Israel | No | Yes |
| Latvia | Yes | No |
| Liechtenstein | Yes | No |
| Lithuania | Yes | No |
| Malta | Yes | No |
| Monaco | Yes | No |
8 of 35 countries where either is available.
Questions about each
HEAD
What does a HEAD racket cost?+
Racquets are listed from €210, and delivery is free once an order reaches €40. A single racket clears that shipping threshold on its own, so the entry price is close to the full cost of a first purchase. There is no plan or membership fee layered on top, since the figure is the product price itself.
Where does HEAD sit on entry price?+
On our data HEAD ranks at 55 of 67 brands on price from, so the starting figure sits high for racket sports. That reflects a brand selling its own gear direct, with racquets at €210 as the first rung rather than accessories. A buyer who starts with grips or strings will find a lower entry elsewhere.
Mizuno
How much do Mizuno running shoes cost at entry?+
Road, racing and trail shoes start at €52.50 on the European store. That sits under the running-shoes median of €64.02, and Mizuno ranks 4 of 13 brands on price from, so entry pricing is one of the stronger parts of the offer.
How long do I have to return Mizuno shoes?+
Returns are free and the window is 20 days, so an ill-fitting pair goes back at no cost. That is shorter than the median of 30 across running-shoe brands, which matters most if you planned to run in a pair before deciding.