It's been a while since I've bought any braid.  I see things have changed a bit in the last 10 + years.  It use to be that Samurai was the top braid.  WHo holds the title now?  

It hard to know who actually makes anything these days.  One company makes it and lots of other companies that focuses on branding puts their name on it.   I buy Fins braid because it's the house brand for BBS Tech that makes braid line in the US for many different companies.  They have a wide variety of lines to choose from.  I don't know who's the best.  Many people will argue that one brand is better than another when they both might come from the same

factory.  

I don't know the answer but a handful here put me on varivas, and the pe1.5 on an alphas 800S is a perfect match for me.  Manages, casts, and has proven to be consistent and strong.

 

scott

It appears that 8 strand is now all the rage.  I'm looking at Daiwa J Braid, specifically.  

Take a look at Fins 40G 9 strand.

Interesting.  This Fins line looks great.  I'll take a look at it, thanks for the suggestion. 

1 hour ago, Redlinerobert said:

Who holds the title now?  

YGK, with Varivas matching their X8 braids

https://japantackle.com/lines/pe-braid-spectra/ygk-shinijx9.html

Varivas also has the toughest coating

https://www.varivas.fishing/products/avani-sea-bass-pe-si-x-x8/

Both brands are made in Japan by Izanas.  

Probably worth noting that only the Japanese have a standard (JAFS) for PE lines

It’s hard to beat 832 for the price, especially if you buy by diameter and not rating. It’s stronger than rated by a bit. 

 

if you want a slightly stiffer braid then 131 is fantastic.  A slightly stiffer 832. 

I use the Fins 40G. It is the bee’s knees.

I have been using lines from YGK as of late. So far so good. I especially like Ohdragon on spinning reels and Upgrade on casting. Super Jigman is also good as well. 

J Braid or Suffix 832

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

if you want a slightly stiffer braid then 131 is fantastic.  A slightly stiffer 832. 

Probably cause it's a 13 strand braid as opposed to an 8 strand.

 

832 is my primary go-to. I've tried Smackdown and the improvement in castability isn't worth the extra cost. I'm also checking out Spro 8x this year...so far it's good...just have to compare it to my tried-and-true 832.

Another vote for Suffix 832. It is smooth, strong, holds its color, and tends to knot less than others I've tried. 

This is all great information guys.  Thank you.  

YGK since I know it is true to its stated diameter.  US market lines in general are all over the map, which often leads to them being much stronger than what's printed on the label.  This is due to the diameter usually being larger than what is printed on the label.  Suffix 832 is a big offender of this and to an extent Power Pro and Berkley X9.  When compared side by side, it is easy to see with the naked eye that others are in fact thicker than YGK, even though the stated diameter is the same.  This isn't as important with deeper spools, but it can cost you line capacity with the more shallow spools.

131 guy here... 

Yes Robert the top braid in my opinion is the Suffix 131. It outcasts others for distance. Doesn’t get wind knots like other brands when using 10lb braid on spinning tackle. It is extremely round in shape & doesn’t dig into the spool on casting gear. No flaws except it is more expensive than some others but I know you appreciate using the best. 

18 hours ago, Redlinerobert said:

It's been a while since I've bought any braid.  I see things have changed a bit in the last 10 + years.  It use to be that Samurai was the top braid.  WHo holds the title now?  

 Vicious No Fade Braid 

Fins and Vicious are my two favorites for premium braid.

Said it many times, the Berkley X9 is great. Sufix832 or Berkley X9 is all i use, and if both are the same price, i'd go with the X9 because its smoother and more silent on guides.

I've been using the x9 in the crystal and like it better than the j braid and 832 I used for years.

X9 for me too…. They are all strong enough, small enough, tough enough. I go for silence…… I know it’s a peeve with me, but when I hear WHRRRRRRRR! Going across the eyes, I don’t like it, That’s why I only have two rigs with braid….everything else mono.

Most of the answers on this page are wrong, even answering a question that wasn't asked.  

If your braid makes noise, it's not in the running for best.  

If your braid is twice the diameter for the same breaking strength, who are you kidding about it being the best.  

The OP asked who makes the best, he even implied the Single Best, but he didn't ask what braid do you use (for your single datapoint). 

Yes, 832 is worth using, and I used enough to buy it in 600-yd spools, but it is always notably larger diameter than they report, and seemed silly to fish their 6-lb when Japan X-braid in the same diameter is 16-lb.  

Maybe this thing is on.  

If you're looking for most cost-effective Izanas-made, consider Gosen and Florida Fishing Products.  

I started to use Hammer Braid.