My 9 Favorite Pickleball Paddles From 3 Years of Testing (2025)

If you've never played pickleball, this is a good place to start, so you can get a feel for the game without sinking too much dough. For less than $30, you get two paddles and a few balls.

I bought this set of Panel Sound paddles when I wanted to try the game with my 10-year-old daughter, who has taken five years of tennis lessons but still serves from a few steps inside the baseline. I have since upgraded to other paddles, but I have no regrets about this purchase, and now loan them out to other beginners. These graphite paddles don't have a ton of pop and produce minimal spin, but they're sturdy and have a comfortable grip. While they don't offer a lot of power in each hit, they do perform consistently. They weigh in at 8 ounces and are USA Pickleball Approved (USAPA), meaning you can use them in a tournament if you want. The other paddles on this list are all tournament-approved as well, so sign up for any contest you want with confidence.

★ A beginner upgrade: The SLK Evo Power XL 2.0 is the paddle I bought myself from a big-box sporting goods store after a few times playing with the cheap set off Amazon. I bought this paddle based on its excellent feel and still love swinging it. Selkirk bills this paddle, which has a fiberglass face that provides limited spin, as an ideal pick for beginners and pickleball-curious tennis players.

This is the fourth edition of the signature paddle made for pro pickleballer Ben Johns, the reigning number one singles player in the world. I've tested the previous two Johns' paddles along with a half-dozen others from Mayland-based Joola—including a few now-banned paddles that were the subject of a brief calamity last year.

The current Persus paddle, which is fully approved for tournament play, has a ton of pop. This paddle is thermoformed, meaning it's heat-pressed together and virtually indestructible. It’s a little heavy on the head and has less power than the previous generation, but with better control. The sweet spot is also a little larger but less sweet. Whack one right on the money, though, and the ball jolts off it.

★ Budget mashing: If you want to mash balls, but on a budget, go for the Phantom Eternal. A carbon-fiber face for $60 is a great bargain, and the Phantom Eternal is overall a very solid paddle. I didn't find it all that precise compared to competitors that are more than double the price (there are dead spots at the top of my paddle, around the eyes). However, I loved the thick, slightly sticky grip and appreciated the unique graphics. Mostly, though, I found myself swinging for the fences with this paddle—something about it makes you feel like you can smoke a return right next to your opponent's foot.