Select Brillant Super Ball Review

Continuing along our line of soccer ball reviews comes the SELECT Brillant Super, a ball designed for the very top level of the game. Already in use as the official ball of the Danish league and national team, SELECT have been gaining plenty of momentum in recent times and this ball optimizes the rise of the company. To be honest, I have always though of SELECT as a company that created low level soccer balls and have stayed away from buying or using them in the past. But man, was I blown out of the water with the quality and performance of this ball.

It has taken much longer than anticipated to get this review up, but what that means is that I have had the ball in play for an extended period of time, making for a more accurate review.

Check out the latest versions of Brillant Super.

What you need to know about SELECT!

In reviewing the company, I found out that in 1962 SELECT introduced one of the greatest inventions in the history of soccer balls – the 32 panel soccer ball. Add to that the fact in 1974 SELECT moved away from cow leather and made the first hand sewn synthetic leather ball. Today practically all soccer balls are made of synthetic leather, regardless of brand. So, it seems there is much more to this company that meets the eye and they might know a thing or two about how to make a good soccer ball! You can learn more about the company on their website.

In Game Performance

It turns out SELECT do you know how to make a good ball! In game this thing offers the exact specifications you look for in a ball. It is easy to strike, moves as you expect and feels great to touch. What I deem to be a good ball is one that offers true flight when you strike it firmly on the sweet spot. I also expect that it won’t feel heavy on impact. The Brillant Super feels like it is just the right weight and in it consistently moved perfectly in the air. It is not going to be a goalkeepers worst nightmare, but what that means is that in game it is going to mean crisp passes and fast action (exactly what you really want to see). I also had the opportunity to use the ball in rainy conditions, and afterward the ball wasn’t heavy and didn’t seem to soak any water in. Overall, I never found any negatives about the ball – it is simply a great performer that offers true consistency while in play.

Shape and Size

One concern I always have with soccer balls centers around shape, specifically when they arrive deflated. Thankfully, the SELECT Brillant Super arrived with some air in it, and once I had it pumped up to the right specifications, it offered the perfect shape. In the 10-20 games since, it has never wavered and is still holds its natural shape as you would expect. As reference the ball was a size 5, which is suitable for youth and adult soccer.

Design

The ball comes in a 32-panel design, giving it a pretty classic look. There are four different colorways available in the range, the one I had is a white with red and black detailing and in my opinion is the best looking version. One single red stripe runs right around the ball and also includes a Danish flag just about the SELECT print on one side of the ball. On each panel, the white almost has a scale like design that sort of shimmers under lights when you look at it up close. Overall, it is a quality looking ball.

What others are saying

I used the ball with several different teams at varying levels, but the feedback was always positive and the standard comment on field was “Lets use the one with the red stripe”! We even used it in the celebrity Ireland vs England game and on several occasions, the goalkeepers delayed the game waiting for it to be returned to the field of play rather than taking the ball behind the goal! I think that says it all.

SELECT Pump and Pressure Gauge

SELECT also have a wide range of other products available including ball pump, and something I had never had before, a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge is actually super useful and ensures you get just the right amount of air in the ball before playing, well worth the investment!

Summary

In my opinion, the SELECT Brillant Super rates up with the best balls I have tested, very close to the performance of the Nike T90 Tracer, and way more dependable that the Adidas Jabulani. As always, I try to be as objective as possible in my reviews – but I couldn’t find anything negative to say on this one. The company’s biggest challenge will be competing with the bigger brand names like Adidas and Nike, when their top range balls are priced at a very similar range to the Brillant Super. Most people will simply choose the more well known brand, but if you get the chance to test the SELECT Brillant Super, or your team is considering a new set of soccer balls I highly recommend taking this ball into consideration.

Check out the current available listing of Brillant Super balls at Soccer.com.