Welcome to our non-definitive and non-ranked list of best pickleball paddles for this year. If you’re a pickleball geek like us, you know why being on the lookout for the next pickleball court companion is essential to us.
If I talk about myself solely, I bought myself a CRBN 3X Power Series two weeks ago. Yet, despite being very satisfied with my purchase, I’m wondering which paddle to invest in later this year. One could say it’s a consumerist mindset, and perhaps they’re partially correct.
However, with so many great paddles on the market that are known to transform people’s game on the court, it feels unfair for someone like me to stick not to test out other paddles to ensure I’m with the best paddle for my game at the moment. And one thing about your playing style in pickleball is that it’s constantly evolving. So are the paddles, which is why I’ve made this list of the best pickleball paddles of 2024.
We tested about 15 paddles recommended by our team members, each of whom made a case for their choices.
The following paddles are our final picks from their recommendations. Each paddle has been tested for its durability, power, spin, precision, and finesse.
Additionally, we have had team members with different levels of command over pickleball to have a go at these paddles and let us know their experiences.
This list is not confined to a single quality or player level; it’s an ode to paddle design and manufacturers’ innovative spirit. The paddles are also not tested by one person; instead, multiple people have tested each other and reached a consensus on their performance.
Don’t be disappointed if your favorite paddle is not at the top of our pickleball paddle reviews because paddle performance is somewhat subjective, too.
Besides, our list is not a ranking; even if it were, we’d never claim it is definitive. Keep an open mind while hearing our argument, and let us know of your experience with any of the paddles in the comments below.
How To Choose a Pickleball Paddle?
Choosing a pickleball paddle is a personalized decision that requires knowing your playing style and preferences in depth to know which paddle features can aid and enhance your game. You can also take our Pickleball Paddle quiz.
Depending on your performance rating, whether you compete, if you like making aggressive shots, if your game is defensive and sneaky, sink shots, as well as your weight, size, and grip preferences, all of them count toward the choice of your ideal paddle.
The following list will explain these features in our top-rated pickleball paddles to help you decide.
Highest Rated Pickleball Paddles in 2024
Six Zero Black Diamond
Overall rating: 10/10
The Six Zero Black Diamond is the God of 2nd generation paddles. The latest technology, mixed with premium materials and design, delivers a high-performing paddle that has it all. The Black Diamond has been made meticulously with attention to the minutest details of the playing styles of its target audience. This player seeks a practical blend of power, control, and spin. It is the highest-rated pickleball paddle on our list for its excellence in design and technology.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 10/10
The Black Diamond has a composite surface with multiple Carbon Fusion Edge Technology (CFET) layers. The edges of the paddle are foam-injected and tied together with carbon inseams to result in a robust structure. This is where the paddle draws its power majorly.
The polymer honeycomb core used in the Black Diamond has proven longevity and ensures an optimal mix of power and control for ideal gameplay.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 10/10
Black Diamond’s surface is slightly flared to ensure the central core of the paddle is where the sweet spot spreads from. The design of the paddle is to favor the aerodynamics of the game, and that ensures a large sweet spot for the player to make their best shots with a trustworthy assistant.
The mishits are also very forgiving with the paddle because the CFET extends the sweet spot around the paddle perimeter, resulting in a tighter, crisper feel and improved responsiveness.
Power
Rating: 10/10
Black Diamond’s elongated handle reduces shock and vibration, letting players confidently perform long, intense rallies. The responsive surface, balanced ergonomics, and equal balance weight ensure that the players can wield power confidently without compromising on the precision and finesse of their shots. These impressive achievements of Black Diamond’s design make it the top-rated pickleball paddle on our list.
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Vatic Pro Prism Flash
Overall rating: 9/10
Vatic Pro Prism Flash and the V7 were both released together as what was described as improvements over Joola’s Hyperion and that too at a throwaway price of $100. Our experience has been that Vatic Pro Prism Flash and the V7 are promising paddles with many of the same qualities as the Hyperion, especially their thermoform injected edges and small size that give them the sweetest sweet spot.
While the Prism Series doesn’t match the Hyperion in its feel, it is still a great design attempt that matches the famous paddle’s power, spin, and control potential. Let’s discuss why it is one of the best pickleball paddles on this list.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 10/10
Like BnB’s Filth, the Prism Series boasts a high-quality T700 carbon fiber surface and unibody construction, meaning the carbon fiber construct continues into the handle, improving from Hyperion’s constantly dislodging handle. This is accompanied by a C7 polymer core that aids the spin feature of the paddle. The swing weight of Flash lands at 114, while it is 128 for the V7.
This is as high as some of the greatest spin-generating paddles, which puts the Prism Series on our list of top-rated pickleball paddles in 2024.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 10/10
The edge walls of the Prism Series are injected with foam similar to Hyperion, resulting in a control-oriented paddle that is ideal for players who prefer forgiving paddles. The sweet spot is enhanced through a high-grade performance honeycomb core that spreads the weight evenly. Resetting through the Prism Series feels effortless, more so in the Flash than in the V7 because of the latter’s heavier weight.
Power
Rating: 8.5/10
For a control-oriented paddle, power is an afterthought. Don’t buy this paddle expecting an exceptional generation 2 level aggression in an offense game. We believe the series to be some of the top-rating pickleball paddles for dink shots, resetting, serving, etc. However, power is not its forte.
To make long or aggressive shots, you have to put in effort. However, this quality of the Prism Series gives it the most exceptional spin potential. The V7 can pack more power than the Flash owing to the former’s heavier weight.
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Bread & Butter Filth
Rating: 9/10
Bread & Butter’s Filth is the best pickleball paddle choice for people who prefer an aggressive playing style on the court. The paddle is an equal balance and low swing weight achievement in design that packs speed and power that catch your opponent off-guard.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 10/10
The Filth paddle boasts high-quality T70 carbon fiber on its surface with a unibody construction reinforced by carbon inseams. It makes it a hard surface paddle that gives you the satisfaction of popping in your shots. The paddle’s core is formed with a polypropylene honeycomb structure, further pushing the paddle’s power play into the exceptional category.
One of the paddle’s strongest fortes is its speed toward the higher end of the USAPA-approved paddles, falling just short of the paddle producing the highest mph in a 10-serve average. This feat of excellence is owed to Bread & Butter’s robust construction and design experimentation, which makes it an obvious mention on this top ten pickleball paddles list.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 9/10
The Filth enjoys a fair weight distribution throughout its construction, resulting in a wide sweet spot for an elongated paddle. An injected foam along the edges also boosts the ability of the sweet spot to deliver power punches that are hard to return.
Whether you like a baseline game or come closer to attack near the kitchen, the paddle’s power will catch the opponent by surprise. For an elongated paddle, its weight and swing are unusual, which again is an achievement of excellent design on the part of Bread & Butter. The paddle is also more forgiving during power play than most in its price range.
Control and Spin
Rating: 8/10
Since the Filth is a paddle catering to aggressive play styles, tapping into a softer play near the net takes a while. You may notice difficulty playing dink shots if you’re directly coming from a baseline shot. The paddle requires you to loosen the grip in real time when you move toward softer play. This is not to say the transition can’t be smooth, just that its effects are tangible only after adjustment.
The spin, however, is a different story. The Filth packs a spin rpm of 1845, a fair amount for power generation. So, when you transition to softer play, your dink shots will hold promise.
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JOOLA Ben Johns Perseus CFS 16
Overall Rating: 8/10
Joola’s Perseus CFS 16 is approved by the game’s greatest pros and designed through constant feedback on their needs. Arguably the best pickleball player globally, Ben Johns endorses this paddle as his official tournament partner. He uses Perseus CFS 16 in all his professional matches, making it a trendy pickleball paddle.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 10/10
The paddle has all the technological advancements to make it a performance-boosting equipment. It inherits the Carbon Friction Surface from its predecessor, the impressive Hyperion CFS 16, which gives your shots excellent spin potential. The new addition, however, is the charged carbon surface, which improves the sturdiness of the carbon structure, helps it deliver more power, and enhances the material’s feel.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 9/10
Perseus CFS 16’s shape is optimized to spread the sweet spot to cover a substantial surface. The Hyperfoam Edge Wall adds weight to the perimeters, expanding the sweet spot far over the surface. The carbon fiber surface and core make a robust structure that responds to high-impact shots with unmatched finesse, creating more power in response.
The sweet spot of Perseus CFS 16 is an enviable feat of design excellence for paddle manufacturers and justifies its presence in the list of top rated pickleball paddles. For full disclosure, however, the paddle has little to offer outside the sweet spot.
Forgiveness
Rating: 7/10
The paddle barely provides forgiveness for a mishit, and the usual satisfying pop sound of the carbon surface is hard to hear. For an excellent player like Ben Johns, mishits may be a trivial thing to worry about (even though he adds to the edges further to spread the sweet spot over the surface). Still, for beginners and intermediaries, it can hurt performance.
This is why, despite being the paddle of choice of the Ben Johns, we have given it an 8/10 rating. Don’t get us wrong, though; the paddle is remarkable in its feel and performance. It’s just that outside the sweet spot, it has little to do for the player.
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Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta
Overall Rating: 8/10
Selkirk’s Luxx Control Air Invikta is the perfect paddle for players who like control in their shots and play a defensive game, resetting complex attacks and finishing with well-executed dinks.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 10/10
Luxx Control Invikta is an elongated paddle made with a carbon fiber surface and a thick core, giving it the biggest sweet spot of all the paddles on this list. Paired with the PopSpin+ NextGen technology that facilitates impressive spin shots, this paddle is one of our top 10 pickleball paddles of the year.
The paddle was launched after years of Selkirk’s efforts to deliver control paddles to a consumer player who wants finesse over pure aggression.
Luxx Control Invikta’s performance’s superiority over all contemporary paddles in terms of control and spin is precisely why it’s an ideal choice for tennis players who need a longer paddle with restricted power to hit perfect resets. Jack Sock, a former tennis player and renowned pickleball athlete, uses the Luxx Control Invikta in his professional matches.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 10/10
The paddle’s AirDynamic Throat and ThroatFlex features aid the dominant sweet spot, ensuring adequate airflow and increasing dwell time on shots to control power. FlexFoam is added along the edges to improve the sweet spot, increase the weight, and prolong the paddle’s use. We can easily call it the best pickleball paddle for control available in 2024.
Power Shots
Rating: 6/10
The paddle is not for all-rounders, especially those with an offensive game led through power shots. Luxx Control Invikta’s otherwise impressive sweet spot fails to meet player aggression in powerful shots. Its lightweight, thick, and elongated surface absorbs shock without flexing it. Offensive players struggle to keep up with the paddle’s soft play optimization.
However, there is a get-around to this if you still want to use the paddle. Taping the paddle can solve most of your problems concerned with its power play. In fact, players have experienced that the control of the paddle added with the power-assisted tape makes for some impressive power shots that will otherwise be wonky in execution.
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Volair Mach 2 Forza 16mm
Overall rating: 9/10
The Volair Mach 2 Forza is a high-performance paddle engineered with advanced materials and innovative features, offering exceptional power, precision, and control on the court. It is one of the top-rated pickleball paddles on the list for a perfect blend of power and control.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 9/10
The Mach 2 Forza has a Toray T700 carbon fiber face and polypropylene, making it a robust and durable choice for people who want to invest in a paddle that promises longevity in performance. (Most paddles start to wear off and get replaced in 6 months).
Mach 2 Forza’s carbon fiber reinforcement around the inside of the edges further aids the paddle’s strength and stability, delivering consistent performance with every strike. The foam-injected edge and the soft edge guard absorb shock and protect the paddle against impact and damage.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 9/10
Before commenting on the sweet spot of March 2 Forza sweet spot, we must commend its design for its forgiveness of mishits. The paddle’s thermoformed unibody construction can withstand the hardest hits and return them with great finesse even if they’re out of the sweet spot.
The heat-sealed edges of the paddle create a smooth and consistent design, extending the sweet spot’s reach. The paddle’s robust design and hard carbon surface make it a high-merit paddle for spin, often making it challenging for opponents to return shots. Nothing less than what is expected of a top-rated pickleball paddle.
Power
Rating: 10/10
Balanced and fast in hand, the Mach 2 Forza is engineered for commanding power. Both one- and two-handed backhands can be executed perfectly through this paddle by reasonably trained players who are still inconsistent with them. This is because the paddle offers exceptional control and responsiveness owing to its 16 mm thickness, giving it a softer build.
This is not to say that the paddle isn’t a power paddle in its right, but it also mixes power with control and finesse on the court.
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PCKL Pro Series
Overall rating: 7/10
The PCKL Pro Series comes in 13 mm and 16 mm honeycomb cores. We will discuss the 16 mm thick Pro Series, an elongated head-heavy paddle with a sweet spot in the top half. The paddle imparts surprising control, given its long length and good feel. This paddle is a cost-effective option for pickleball players who are comparatively new to the game and just getting acquainted with their playing style.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 8/10
The PCKL Pro Series surface is made of Toray T700 carbon fiber with a polypropylene honeycomb core. This is the first of PCKL’s series with carbon fiber surfaces. The paddle is a great companion for power play with an impressive spin potential that is only second to the Vatic Pro Prism Series, which warrants its status as a high-rated pickleball paddle.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 7/10
As a paddle with unibody construction and thermoformed injection, you’d expect a sturdier paddle with evenly distributed weight. The Pro Series 16, however, is head-heavy, meaning its center of mass lies in the top half. The sweet spot also lands in the top half, which results in a restricted sweet spot.
The paddle is pretty great for an aggressive playing style of a player with a rating of 3.0 to 4.0 as long as they don’t miss the sweet spot. Outside the sweet spot, which is easy to miss, the paddle is unforgiving with mishits.
Power
Rating: 9/10
Elongated paddles are already suitable for power play; however, this paddle’s gritty surface and long handle packs a power punch that’s often unreturnable. Baseline shots don’t require as much effort as most paddles in the price range. If the Prism Series is affordable for spin and control, this is ideal for power. The only catch is getting used to its relatively small sweet spot.
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Paddletek Bantam TS-5
Overall rating: 8/10
The Paddletek Bantam TS-5 is a powerhouse performer for aggressive shots. It is a small, lightweight paddle with a 12.7 mm thickness, making it the ultimate weapon on a pickleball court for power and maneuverability.
The Bantam TS-5 is the paddle of choice of renowned Anna Leigh Waters, who is seen playing with the paddle in tournaments. Its features, such as increased power, ample sweet spot, and forgiving nature, make it one of the top-rated pickleball paddles in 2024.
Surface and Core Performance
Rating: 9/10
The Paddletek paddle’s fiberglass surface feature is the only one on this list. It is a textured epoxy hybrid that makes the paddle tough but lightweight, drawing great power with the most straightforward moves. The beginner for early intermediary players looking to upgrade their game with a bit of plow, The Bantam TS-5 is an ideal candidate.
Paddletek’s special Bantam polymer PolyCore is used in the paddle, resulting in a high-performance paddle that remains true to the maker’s claims: an unmatchable paddle in terms of power and performance in its weight class.
Sweet Spot
Rating: 9/10
The paddle sports a huge sweet spot in its middle that drives significant pop and maturity in shots. The sweet spot for the Bantam TS-5 is very responsive and often makes unreturnable dink shots. With this paddle, you can play the oldest tricks in the book for unreturnable power shots and catch your opponent off-guard.
The forgiveness of the paddle is also commendable. Slight adjustments to gameplay for players who are used to heavier paddles lead to a playing style that is swift, aggressive, and high-yielding. It is easily one of the best pickleball paddles for offensive playing styles.
Power
Rating: 10/10
However much can be said about this paddle’s power is not enough. It’s simply too much for its own good. We say the last part because players often find themselves wishing the Bantam TS-5 had more control. Although Paddletek markets this as an improved version of the popular EX-L in terms of “power, spin, and maneuverability,” we have not experienced a significant change in its spin potential.
In summary, the Bantam TS-5 is suitable for players who already have reasonable control of their shots and wish to pack a power punch in their game. One thing we would agree on is that the paddle is the best in its price range for power play.
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Why Is Your Choice of Paddle Important?
Your choice of the paddle may not be an absolute determinant of your performance, but it plays a significant part in building your confidence on the court.
A paddle suitable for your playing style will sow visual enhancement in your game. It will assist your preferred shots, forgive where you are inconsistent, and train you to take risks in places you haven’t dared to go before.
While trying these new paddles, I often saw myself getting free points because of some shots I was good at that were further enhanced by the paddles’ features, making them often unreturnable. For people who are just starting to look around for new features in paddles, it’s best to try paddles first by borrowing them with friends or court partners, and if you feel an instant like, go with them. Or you can check list of pickleball paddles for all levels.
What are your thoughts on choosing paddles? Which part of your game did your paddle enhance? What have been your experiences with the paddles on this list, if any? Let us hear from you in the comments below.
