Gearbox is known for their technology that uses carbon fiber to make thin, edgeless paddles. Taking polymer out of the equation. Their edgeless paddles have a unique solid feeling to them that is very different from the prevalent polymer core paddles on market. People either love or hate their paddles’ solid feel. Their new CX14 paddles change this. Gearbox managed to make a paddle using their carbon fiber technology that feels and plays like a thicker polymer core paddle.
The CX14 paddles play more like a polymer core paddle than any other molded paddle that Gearbox or any other brand has made in the past.
The new CX14 series consists of two paddles. The 8.0E and the 8.0H. For this review, I drilled and played with both models for two weeks before I developed my opinion of their performance.
Performance Summary
The CX14 8.0E and 8.0H are both constructed with Gearbox’s all carbon fiber design but have different shapes. The 8.0E is elongated while the 8.0H has a shorter and wider body. They play similarly enough that picking between the two is more preference of shape rather than performance.
They have a soft feeling to them, unlike Gearbox molded paddles of the past. I thought they felt more like a thick core polymer paddle than the solid feel of their older GX5 and GX6 molded paddles.
I would categorize these paddles as control paddles. You can somehow feel the ball off the face better with this paddle than a polymer core paddle. Its feel is similar to a thick polymer core, but it’s a lighter feeling. Not as dense. That’s the best way I can describe it. You can control the pace and placement of your shots well as a result.
Both paddles feel very light, though they weigh 8.0oz. This contributes to their enhanced control, but takes away power from serves, drives, and overheads.
They don’t have strong power from the baseline, but the ball did jump off the face quickly which helped with counter punches and attacks at the net.
They are forgiving paddles, especially from top to bottom. This is especially unique for the 8.0E. Elongated polymer core paddles tend to have a dead spot close to the throat of the paddle but the 8.0E didn’t. Mishits close to the sides turned the paddle more than I’m used to, but the ball still didn’t die afterwards.
The bottom line: The CX14s are control oriented paddles with a polymer core like feel. Their edgeless design and lighter weight increase their maneuverability. Combine the maneuverability with their forgiving face and it makes them easy paddles to play. Spin and power were average and they didn’t feel as stable as advertised.
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Combined Quick Stats
One note about the combined quick stats. The 8.0E has a little more power and the 8.0H is a little more forgiving from side to side.
| Technical Specifications | |
|---|---|
|
Weight |
8.0 oz |
|
8.0E Length x Width |
16 5/8″ x 7.3/8″ |
|
8.0H Length x Width |
15 7/8″ x 8″ |
|
Thickness |
14mm |
|
Handle Length |
5 5/8″ |
|
Face |
Carbon Fiber |
The Core and Paddle Design
The CX14 paddles are packed with Gearbox technology. No other brand makes paddles like Gearbox.
Both paddles are constructed the same but have different shapes. Let’s talk about what they share first.
What’s the same?
Gearbox uses a technology they call SST Core. This is essentially a core made of carbon fiber tubes rather than a sheet of polymer honeycomb. The carbon fiber tubes are aligned vertically and then molded to the facing and edge, which is why they don’t need an edge guard.
The big benefit of this is the durability of the paddle. Carbon fiber breaks down a lot slower than polymer. If you play 2-5 times a week with a polymer core then you have to get a new stick every 6-12 months because you start to notice dead spots on the paddle. That doesn’t happen with a Gearbox SST Core paddle. These CX14 paddles are going to last years without a break in performance. This durability is a major draw for Gearbox paddles.
Gearbox used unidirectional carbon fiber with older molded paddle models but the CX14 uses a carbon fiber weave. This is supposed to increase forgiveness, spin, and add consistency across the face. From my play test, I thought the paddles were more forgiving and consistent compared to previous models, but I didn’t notice an increase in spin.
The CX14s have a 14mm thickness. This is significant because older Gearbox models were only 11mm thick. This increase in thickness is why the paddle is softer and plays more like a polymer core paddle.
Both paddles weigh 8.0oz. This is usually considered a midweight range, but they felt lighter which means there was more weight in the handle.
What’s different?
The only difference between the two paddles are their shape.
The CX14 8.0E is an elongated shape with a longer handle. This shape gives you a little extra reach and moves the sweet spot up the face.
The CX14 8.0H is a shorter and wider shape, but it still has a longer handle at about 5.5″. The longer handle gives you leverage, power, and the adds room for comfortable two-handed shots. It’s uncommon seeing a longer handle with a wider body shape, so it was worth mentioning here.
Though they have different shapes, I thought they played very similarly. Picking between the shapes is more a matter of preference than performance.
Attacking
I gave the CX14s an 84 on the power rating. Carbon fiber, which is known for adding more control than power, and its lighter weight both kept the paddle back from having a higher power rating. However, it still has a relatively thinner core which helped it maintain an above average power rating for a control paddle.
I was effective when attacking at the net, but simply overpowering the other team when they were at the baseline was difficult. I don’t consider myself a power player so I wasn’t able to get the speed I wanted there. Friends I shared the paddle with were able to generate more speed than me, so the paddle is capable if you can generate it yourself. But if you’re like me and need a little help, then don’t expect this paddle to do it for you.
I didn’t play around with adding lead tape, but I personally would have liked to have a little more weight in the head. This might of helped generate that extra ball speed I wanted when attacking and especially with my weaker backhand.
Its edgeless frame and lighter weight made the paddle fast in your hands. I found myself on top of more hand battles than usual. However, the paddle seemed to lose some stability when the ball would speed up.
Both paddles have good spin but not great spin. I could add enough topspin on my drives and rolls to be effective, but nothing special. Carbon fiber weave faces tend to get better spin over time as the fibers start to fray. I’d expect their spin production to increase the more you play with them.
Soft Game and Defense
The paddles’ soft feel and connection to the ball enhanced the consistency of my soft game. The feedback was immediate. I knew how good or bad my shot was going to be based on the feel of the paddle. This helped me make better decisions when working my way to the net from the baseline.
My touch around the net was great. Defensive lift dinks and block shots were easier to execute without a pop up. I always felt in control and was hitting my targets with offensive dinks. I also knew immediately when I left a ball too high and could respond appropriately by backing up or prepping for a counter attack.
The paddle is forgiving, especially when your dinking and handling slower balls. However, when the ball would speed up, the paddle seemed to lose some stability from side to side. This made defending drives more difficult. From top to bottom, though, these may be the most forgiving paddles out there. When I caught a block shot or counter near the throat or tip of the paddle it always gave me more pop than I expected.
Additionally, their lighter weight and edgeless frame made it easy to move around and scramble.
Other Player Comments
Other Considerations
The paddles got dinged up around the edges quickly. I recommend adding some of Gearbox’s protective tape around the edges to prevent the scraps and scratches. I wish they had some sort of thin replaceable edge guard like the Diadem Icon paddle has. That would have been a nice feature.
Who Would Like This Paddle?
The strongest draw to these paddles is their excellent feel and durability. If you’ve been playing with a polymer core paddle and don’t like that they start to break down after 6 months of use or so then these may be a good option. The CX14s give you that thick polymer core type control without the eventual dead spots. The paddle is expensive at $200, but the value it better considering it will last you longer.
The paddles are light weight and forgiving, which made them easy to play with. They have a lower skill ceiling and could be used by any skill level.
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GET FITTEDBraydon competes at the 4.5 level and plays in 5-10 tournaments a year. He plays/drills 3 to 4 times a week and would play more if time allowed it.
