Best Pétanque Cochonnets (Jacks) 2026

The jack gets far less attention than a shiny new set of boules, but every mène starts with it, and the wrong one can genuinely spoil a game: a cheap plastic jack that shatters on a gravel terrain, a jack you can never quite spot in tall grass at dusk, or the constant back strain of bending down to pick it up by hand. We compared traditional boxwood, a controversial magnetic composite option, budget plastic, colorfast resin, and a genuinely useful LED jack for night play to find the right pick for every kind of player.

Cochonnets Comparison at a Glance

Best for Official Competition: Obut Boxwood Jack

If you play in FIPJP-sanctioned club or tournament matches, a solid boxwood jack is still the standard by which every other material is judged. It is dense and hard-wearing, holds its shape and roll through years of use, and every reputable manufacturer's boxwood jack is built to the same 30mm (+/- 1mm) diameter and 10-18g weight tolerance the rules require.

Obut

Obut Boxwood Jack

The traditional solid boxwood jack, the FIPJP-homologated standard for official competition play.

• Solid boxwood construction
• FIPJP homologated for competition
• 30mm diameter (+/- 1mm)

Specifications

Material

Boxwood

Diameter

30mm (+/- 1mm)

Weight

10-18g (FIPJP compliant)

Finish

Varnished or painted

Best Price€2 (sold in sets of 6, ~€10-12)

Buy at least a couple of spares. Losing your only jack mid-game to a hedge, a drain, or a neighboring pitch is a surprisingly common way to hold up a match.

Best for Your Back: Obut Black Jack (Magnetic)

Bending down to retrieve the jack at the end of every "mène" adds up over a long tournament day, and the Obut Black Jack solves that by letting you lift it straight off the ground with the same magnetic boule-lifter you already use for your boules.

Obut

Obut Black Jack

A composite jack that can be lifted straight off the ground with a magnetic boule-lifter, saving you from bending down every end.

• Lifts directly with a magnetic boule-lifter
• Dyed-through composite (not painted)
• FIPJP-approved since 2013

Specifications

Material

Composite resin (paramagnetic)

Diameter

30mm

Weight

22g

Compatibility

Any magnetic boule-lifter

Best Price€10-12 (set of 6, ~€1.75 each)

Worth knowing before you buy: this jack is a genuine rules outlier. At 22g it exceeds the standard 10-18g weight limit, and it is paramagnetic, which would normally disqualify a jack under the rule that jacks "may not be paramagnetic." Its FIPJP approval, granted in 2013, rests on the technicality that the anti-magnet rule targets painted jacks, and Obut's is dyed through in bulk rather than painted. It remains legal, but if you compete in strict local leagues, it is worth confirming your federation has not added its own restriction before relying on it as your only jack.

Best Budget: Geologic Leisure Jacks

For casual park games or as backups rattling around in your bag, Decathlon's Geologic plastic jacks are the cheapest sensible option, sold as a 3-pack so a lost one does not end your game.

Decathlon

Geologic Leisure Jacks

A budget 3-pack of plastic leisure jacks from Decathlon, ideal as backups or for casual backyard games.

• Lightweight plastic construction
• Budget 3-pack
• Good for casual and backyard play

Specifications

Material

Plastic

Diameter

~30mm

Pack Size

3 jacks

Best Price€3-4 (3-pack)

Trade-off: these are leisure jacks, not homologated for FIPJP competition. Fine for backyard play, not for club tournaments.

Best for Visibility: MS Pétanque Colored Resin Jacks

A traditional wood jack is easy to lose against dry grass, dirt, or gravel. MS Pétanque's colorfast resin jacks come in a 5-pack across blue, yellow, red, pink, and green, so you can always spot yours, and unlike some novelty colored jacks, they are still built to the official 30mm/10-18g tolerance.

A practical pick for coaching beginners too - a bright jack is much easier for new players to track and aim at.

Best for Night Games: Cocholed LED Jack

Once the sun goes down, an ordinary jack becomes nearly impossible to see at 6-10 meters. The Cocholed uses four built-in LEDs to stay clearly visible for a minimum 4-hour runtime on a replaceable button battery, and it is built to the same 30mm diameter and a 13g weight that sits comfortably within the FIPJP tolerance.

Cocholed

Cocholed

An LED-lit jack for playing pétanque after dark, built to the regulation 30mm diameter and 13g weight.

• 4 high-brightness LEDs
• 4+ hour battery life
• Replaceable LR44 battery

Specifications

Material

Synthetic resin with internal LEDs

Diameter

30mm

Weight

13g

Battery

Replaceable LR44, 4+ hour runtime

Best Price€13.90+

Note: its physical dimensions meet the rulebook's numbers, but it has not been independently confirmed as homologated for official FIPJP competition, so treat it as a purpose-built accessory for evening games with friends or club socials rather than a tournament jack.

How to Choose the Right Cochonnet

Wood, Composite, Resin, or Plastic?

• Boxwood is the traditional, most widely trusted material for serious and competitive play. It is durable and always meets the official spec.
• Composite/magnetic jacks trade some rules purity for real convenience if you already use a magnetic lifter, though as covered above, the Obut Black Jack's approval is a genuine edge case worth understanding rather than assuming.
• Colored resin is a practical middle ground: still rules-compliant on size and weight, but far easier to spot than plain wood.
• Plastic leisure jacks are the cheapest option but are not built or approved for official competition.

The Official Rules, in Brief

Per FIPJP regulations, a legal jack must be 30mm in diameter (+/- 1mm), weigh between 10g and 18g, and (with the Obut Black Jack's documented exception above) may not be paramagnetic. See our Official Pétanque Rules guide for the full rulebook.

One Is Never Enough

Whatever you choose, buy more than one. A single lost, cracked, or misplaced jack can hold up an entire game, and most experienced players keep at least two or three in their bag at all times.

Matching Your Boules

If you are just starting out and have not settled on a set of boules yet, our beginner's buying guide and best boules for beginners guide cover the equipment side of the game in full, including how the jack fits into a complete starter kit.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What size and weight must a legal pétanque jack be?

Per FIPJP rules, a jack must be 30mm in diameter, with a tolerance of +/- 1mm, and weigh between 10g and 18g.

Can a jack be made of plastic or synthetic material?

Some synthetic jacks are FIPJP-approved, as long as they meet the same 30mm/10-18g requirements as a wooden jack. Budget plastic leisure jacks, like Decathlon's Geologic 3-pack, are not built or certified to competition tolerance and are intended for casual play only.

Is the magnetic Obut Black Jack actually legal to use?

Yes, it has been on the FIPJP's approved list since 2013, despite exceeding the standard weight limit and being paramagnetic. Its approval relies on a specific rules technicality (the anti-magnet rule applies to painted jacks, and this one is dyed rather than painted) rather than meeting the general spec outright, so check with your local federation if you play in strict competition.

How many jacks should I carry?

At least two or three. A single lost or damaged jack can delay or void a game, and spares are inexpensive.

Do I need a special jack to play at night?

Not strictly, but an LED jack like the Cocholed makes a real difference for visibility once light fades, since a plain wooden or resin jack becomes very hard to see at typical playing distances after dark.

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