I had heard a lot of hype about the CRBN paddles and have been seeing them all over the place. Several of my playing buddies even converted. I’ve dinked with my buddies CRBNs before but nothing extensive so I was excited to finally get these in my hands to do a proper review.
CRBN offers two shapes and two thickness. Their elongated shape is called the CRBN 1 and their classic or standard shape is called the CRBN 2. For this review, I played with the 16 mm and 13 mm CRBN 1 models.
After drilling and playing with the paddles for over two weeks and playing over 30 games with them, here’s my review of their performance.
**This review was done using paddles made before the CRBN ban happened. I haven’t played with the new serial versions but imagine they play similar, just with a little less spin.**
Performance Summary
These paddles played absolutely amazing and definitely lived up to the hype, especially the 16 mm version. One aspect of these paddles that made them stand out was the spin. The 16 mm gave me more spin than any other paddle that I’ve played. I was getting noticeably more dip on my drives and drops. This fueled me with confidence to drive the ball and go for it more often and I found success doing it! The 13 mm had above average spin but not as much as the 16 mm. The ball jumped off the face of the 13 mm quicker which gave it more power than the 16 mm but produced less spin.
I’m classifying the 16 mm version as a control paddle. I liked its soft feel and the control it gave me and was surprised by the pop it produced as well. Though it’s not a power paddle, it certainly had some fire power that nearly lifted it out of the control category. The 13 mm version had a denser feel to it and falls into the power category. It had more power but was less forgiving and required a higher skill ceiling to be effective with it.
The bottom line: The 16 mm version of this paddle can be a great fit for any level of player who wants an elongated shape. The 13 mm version is going to be better for higher level players who are already confident in their soft game and are looking for more power and speed.
CRBN 1 16 mm Quick Stats
CRBN 1 13 mm Quick Stats
10% Off CRBN 1 16 MM Paddle
We liked the CRBN 16 mm so much that we decided to carry it in our store. If you think it's the right paddle for you, pick one up today for 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT. The discount is for new customers only.
SHOP CRBNPaddle Design and Technology
The CRBN 1 16 mm and 13 mm share the same elongated shape which is currently very popular throughout the pickleball world. These paddles are 16.5” long and 7.5” wide. The handle is extra long though at 5.5”. A 5.5” inch length handle is a bit on the extreme side and reduces the overall size of the head. The extra length is nice for those two handed shots and helps add leverage to really whip through the ball. However, it comes at the cost of less paddle surface area.
One of the important features of these paddles is the facing material which is T700 Raw Carbon Fiber. This facing material is one of the main reasons why this paddle can generate so much spin. These also come with a perforated comfort grip which I thought felt great. If you are not someone who typically uses over grips, you will like how this grip feels. The size of the 16 mm grip is noticeably larger than the 13 mm. I thought the grip on the 16 mm was too big, but I got used to it over time.
The only design difference between the two paddles are the widths.
Attacking
These paddles are great for attacking. They have an elongated shape which is always helpful for attacking because it allows you to generate more whip on your swing and gives you some extra reach to attack more balls out of the air when you’re at the kitchen.
The spin provided by these paddles is another feature that is super helpful when attacking. The extra spin helps you get more movement and dip on your drives to make it harder for your opponents to defend. It also helps to keep any quick flick attacks from flying long.
The 16 mm version gives you a solid amount of power and spin which makes your attacks consistent and opens up options for you. The 13 mm version gives you more power but slightly less spin which can make your attacks equally effective in a different way. I liked the power the 13 mm gave me but I wish it had the same spin potential as the 16 mm to keep the power in check.
Soft Game and Defense
16 mm model
The 16 mm version of the CRBN 1 offers you a thicker core which is typically the best choice when it comes to soft game and defense. The thicker core allows you to have a consistent sweet spot throughout the paddle so that no matter where the ball hits on your paddle face, you will have a solid hit. This paddle stayed true to that theory. It was more forgiving than the 13 mm though I thought there were more forgiving elongated shapes out there like the Electrum E or Vanguard Invicta. The thicker core also allows you to grip the ball well for better control of your shot placement.
This paddle version also was extremely effective when blocking my opponents drives. When blocking, I didn’t even have to move the paddle. I just had to hold it in the right place and I was able to return each drive with a good amount of pace.
13 mm model
This version of the paddle is not quite as effective when it comes to the soft game. It felt good when you hit the sweet spot, however, towards the edges of the paddle, you will get some dead spots. Those dead spots end up giving you some mishits on dinks and make it harder to block and scramble. I personally thought the gains in power from the 16 mm did not compensate for what you lost in control.
Other Player Comments
Who Would Like These Paddles?
Overall, I would recommend the 16 MM version of this paddle to just about anyone who wants an elongated paddle and is looking for some extra spin. I believe that this is one of the best elongated paddles out there. The only reason I wouldn’t recommend this is if you want something extremely forgiving or if you’re not a fan of extra long handles.
As for the 13 mm. I thought the power you gained from it didn’t outweigh what you lost in forgiveness and spin. I thought the 16 mm offered enough power to be threat and finish points anyway. However, it was easier to maneuver and did offer more power. If those are things you value, then you may prefer the 13 mm. I will say that I like the 13 mm more in singles where forgiveness and control are not as important.
I would definitely tell anyone looking for a new paddle to give CRBN paddles a serious look.
10% Off CRBN 1 16 mm Paddle
We liked the CRBN 16 mm so much that we decided to carry it in our store. If you think it's the right paddle for you, pick one up today for 10% off with the discount code 10EFFECT. The discount is for new customers only.
SHOP CRBNGage competes at the 5.0 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and is always working on something.
