What Cricket Bat Categories Are Available on the Laver & Wood Website?

Laver & Wood lists six bat categories: Adult Bats, Youth Bats, Bat Vault, James Signature Bat Vault, Tennis Ball Cricket Bat, and Specials. The split is not one-dimensional — it mixes player age (adult vs. youth), collection or grade (Bat Vault, James Signature Bat Vault), playing format (tennis ball), and clearance (Specials). To choose, start with who is batting and what ball they face, then use the collection tiers to decide how much selection and grading you want.

The categories at a glance

How to match a category to your level and use

Step 1: Decide the ball and format

If you play hard-ball cricket, the Adult and Youth categories apply. If your cricket is tennis-ball or tape-ball, go straight to Tennis Ball Cricket Bat — a hard-ball bat is not built for that format.

Step 2: Decide the player's age group

Adults use Adult Bats; juniors use Youth Bats. The site offers a Get Sized Up form to work out the right size and specification, which is the practical way to confirm before ordering.

Step 3: Choose how much curation you want

• Bat Vault sits between a fully bespoke order and an off-the-shelf bat: a collection of bats you can choose from.
• James Signature Bat Vault is the signature tier, associated with the top grading in the range. One long-term customer described the grading as running "all the way to the signature grading," with the special reserve range also rated highly.
• Adult Bats is where full custom work happens — profiles, wood choice, and setup tailored to your style.

Step 4: Check Specials last

Look at Specials only after you know your size and format. It is a value route, so expect less choice over exact specification.

What the custom route actually involves

Laver & Wood has been making bats in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand since 1999, and the workshop builds bats for "the big hitter, the traditional batsman, the all-rounder, and anybody just wanting to move up the order." In practice, a custom order means telling the maker your role and preferences, then receiving a bat built around them.

A useful example: a player who mostly bowls but bats at seven or eight might want a lighter pickup and a lower, more powerful profile rather than a heavy front-foot bat. That is the kind of trade-off the custom categories exist to resolve — and reviewers describe exactly this outcome. One customer wrote that his custom bat was "light weight yet powerful with the right profile, there was no trade off." Another, ordering a lightweight private-bin bat from overseas, highlighted the configuration options as what sets the maker apart from big brands.

Verification and common sticking points

• Sizing: use the Get Sized Up form before ordering; getting this wrong is the most avoidable mistake in a custom purchase.
• Lead time: custom bats take time. One reviewer noted communication was great but "times have been frustrating" — plan around your season, not the week before it.
• Shipping: overseas delivery is part of the service; a US-based reviewer described shipping as "hassle free."
• Appointments: bat sizings at the Napier workshop are by appointment, and opening hours are Monday–Friday, 9:00–16:00.

Making the decision

• Junior player, hard ball → Youth Bats, sized via the form.
• Adult club player wanting a bat built around their game → Adult Bats (custom).
• Adult player wanting to choose from a curated set → Bat Vault.
• Buyer prioritising the highest grading → James Signature Bat Vault.
• Tennis-ball or tape-ball player → Tennis Ball Cricket Bat.
• Budget-conscious and flexible → Specials.

If you are unsure between Adult Bats and Bat Vault, the deciding question is simple: do you want the bat designed around your specifications, or do you want to select from bats already made? The first is custom; the second is the Vault.