The era of foam has changed pickleball – here are the two best pickleball rackets out there right now

This is a versatile control paddle, and while it is certainly capable of providing a lot of power, it is best for someone who wants to improve the consistency of their game.

Cheaper option: SLK Valkyrie ($80) It’s about half the price of the Dauntless and doesn’t have any of the new technology, but it’s a very solid option for someone looking to buy a paddle to play once a month or on vacation. You get a fiberglass face and a polymer core, so you won’t have as much grit to create a lot of topspin, and it won’t last as long, but Selkirk makes nice paddles with comfortable handles and well-distributed weight. This paddle is very similar to the SLK Evo, which was the first serious paddle I bought with my own money and I’ve always loved it (you get a carbon fiber face for more spin with… Current edition of Evo).

More power: A novice player who wants more power should check out Gogolemon Shark 002 ($100). (This is also classified as a control paddle, but I’m not a masher and rarely like paddles made for this style of play.) It has a face that uses carbon fiber and Kevlar for excellent spin. While this is a traditional third-generation heat-formed paddle and does not have a full foam core, it does have a foam injection on its circumference that helps dampen vibrations and balance the amazing surface while still offering what I consider to be plenty of power.

Best expert paddle right now: Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X

New Badaltec Honefom TKO-X ($250) It’s my favorite paddle overall after testing this year’s offerings from dozens of new brands. Paddletek paddles are known for being poppy, and previous generations were among my picks for power players. Honeyfoam series, a complete version of Reserve Last year, I tested a Goldilocks paddle specifically because it balances what Paddletek has always done well with the benefits of foam cores. This paddle will have you swinging with complete confidence, as it has power and accuracy in equal measure. I haven’t experienced another paddle that has as much pop as this one without sacrificing any control.

Photography: Martin Cizmar

TKO-X uses three different types of foam. The center is low density foam. The lower half of the paddle has denser EVA closed-cell foam that helps with energy return and shock absorption. Around the outside of the paddle is a third type of foam that helps create a sweet spot. The face is made of raw carbon, which provides great spin.

Cheaper option: Onyx Hype X ($90) It doesn’t have as large and forgiving sweet spot as I’d like as a beginner, but its thermal honeycomb core has plenty of pop while playing very consistently. This is a popular budget choice for advanced players for a reason, as it’s under $100 but has a carbon fiber face and weight distribution that favors more powerful strikers.

Other interesting new paddles

Here are some other innovative paddles I tested this year.

Photography: Martin Cizmar

Reload: If you’re serious about spinning, you know that the first thing that fails on any pickleball paddle is the carbon fiber face. The rough texture that spins the ball at wonky angles wears out in at least 50 plays with one paddle, at which point you’re at a disadvantage until you put your paddle back on. Reload solves this problem. For $200, you’ll basically get three paddles and the option to buy new ones for $22 to $25. The paddle reloads very easily, and I had no trouble putting in a new sheet or loosening the sticky sheet.

Photography: Martin Cizmar

Sexy BKL: Another way to make paddles eco-friendly is to make them from natural materials (if you played pickleball in the days before it became popular, You’ve probably played with a wooden paddle). The SXY PKL nods in this direction with its bamboo face (the core is carbon). This paddle is unlike anything else on the field and attracts the attention of spectators. The bamboo face is surprisingly gritty and feels like fine sandpaper to me. It’s a solid paddle, though you can get better performance for $200, if not a more eye-catching look.

Scorpion Pioneer Plus LED:Do you want to avoid the summer sun by playing in the evening, or just attract some attention on the field? The Scorpion LED paddle ($100 for a two-pack) charges via a USB-C port at the base of the handle and lights up in twenty colors. It costs $50 per paddle and plays like a $30 paddle, but I’ve used worse. It has a honeycomb core and a fiberglass face, so don’t expect a lot of spin. There are balls included, or you can pair it with them Franklin’s glow-in-the-dark ball.