The Best Pickleball Paddles
Pickleball Effect's 2024 pickleball paddle Hot List awarding the best control, all-court, power and budget paddles.
Braydon reviews paddles all year long and has found the best paddles in the control, power, all-court, and budget categories. He’s considered over 200 paddles and awarded 24 of them with either a gold or silver badge award in their respective categories. These are his top rated pickleball paddles of 2024. Check out the Frequently Asked Question section below to learn more about how the list is curated.
We believe there isn’t one paddle that’s right for everyone but there is one paddle that’s right for you. Our Hot List makes it easier to find the perfect paddle that will compliment and enhance your game.
Table of Contents
The Best Control Pickleball Paddles
Control paddles are designed to absorb pace and make it easier to slow the ball down to better execute softer shots like drops, dinks, and resets. Attributes like feel, stability, and forgiveness are signals of a good control paddle. Here are the best control paddles in 2024 that Braydon has reviewed.
Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta
A pure control paddle that will enhance your soft game and do a lot of the hard work for you to reduce pop ups and flyers. Backed with a limited lifetime warranty.
$250 (gift card code ADV-BRAYDONU)
Vatic Pro Prism Flash 16mm
A dense, plush feel with a semi elongated shape for extra reach without giving up forgiveness. Plays well above its price point.
$99 ($89 with code 10EFFECT)
Volair Mach 2 Forza 16mm
A top-tier control paddle offering an unmatched combination of control, speed, forgiveness, and spin.
$179.99 ($162 with code 10EFFECT)
Bread & Butter Fat Boy
A light, buttery feel with great touch from the back and mid court but still packs a punch on volleys and counters.
$189.99 ($162 with code 15EFFECT)
JOOLA Perseus 16mm
Paddle of the #1 male player, Ben Johns. An aggressive style control paddle and is one of the softer feeling thermoformed paddles you’ll find.
$199.95 ($180 with code 10EFFECT)
Ronbus R1 Nova
Features a grid thermoformed edge for more power than your typical control paddle but retains a softer, crisp, responsive feel for good control.
$180 ($160 with code 10EFFECT)
The Best All-Court Pickleball Paddles
All-court paddles are designed to provide a balanced blend of power and control. A good all-court paddle is characterized by attributes such as a harmonious combination of power, control, feel, spin, and forgiveness. While not excelling in any specific area, these paddles are versatile and perform well in all aspects. Here are best all-court paddles in 2024 that Braydon has reviewed.
CRBN 2X
This one is a wall. It’s standard shape boasts one of the largest sweet spots you’ll find while still maintaining all-court capabilities.
$229.99 ($207 with code 10EFFECT)
Six Zero Double Black Diamond
Six Zero designed and popularized the hybrid shape and is one of the most popular paddles due to its extra reach, good forgiveness and responsive feel.
$180 ($162 with code 10EFFECT)
11Six24 Hurache-X Control +
One of the more offensive styled all-court paddles that uses a combination of carbon fiber & fiberglass to achieve its unique performance characteristics.
$139.99 ($129.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Engage Pursuit Pro EX 6.0
The only non thermoformed paddle on the all-court list. This gives the paddle a softer feel without sacrificing its offensive ability.
$259.99 ($233.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Honolulu J2K
This one is a sleeper. The most forgiving hybrid shaped paddle that’s paired with all-court characteristics.
$155 ($140 with code 10EFFECT)
Volair Mach 1 Forza 16mm & 14mm
The Volair Mach 1 Forza just does everything right. Expect good spin, power, forgiveness, and some style.
$179.99 ($162 with code 10EFFECT)
The Best Power Pickleball Paddles
Power paddles are specifically designed to enhance the offensive aspect of your game. A good power paddle is characterized by attributes such as power, pop, spin, and maneuverability. Although using a power paddle grants you more offensive capabilities, it often comes with the trade off of control and forgiveness. Here are the best power paddles in 2024 that Braydon has reviewed.
Engage Pursuit MX
Engage’s Black Polymer core gives their paddles boost in power & pop without the paddle feeling too stiff.
$259.99 ($233.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Paddletek Bantam TKO-C 12.7
Big power and pop with a consistent bounce that makes it more predictable compared to other high power paddles.
$229.99 ($206.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Thrive AZUL 16
A very approachable power paddle that fits a wide array of player abilities with its good power and forgiveness combination.
$200 ($180 with code 10EFFECT)
Pickleball Apes Pro Line Energy
Its extra elongated design at 17″ long combined with an extra long handle and a kevlar/carbon face gives it good power while it’s 16.5mm core keeps the control game in tact.
$149.99 ($135 with code 10EFFECT)
Selkirk Power Air Invikta
The Power Air combines power with speed. It’s a poppy paddle that moves easily and quickly, making you big threat at the net.
$250 (gift card code ADV-BRAYDONU)
Gearbox Power Pro Series
Gearbox unlocked a new level of power in their Pro Power series. If power is your #1 priority, this is what you want.
$274.99 (No discount code available)
The Best Budget Pickleball Paddles
As paddle technology has advanced, the quality of inexpensive paddles has significantly improved. However, the budget-friendly category still has its share of subpar paddles so I curated a list of the best cheap performance paddles under or around $100. My aim was not only to identify quality budget paddle options but also to offer a range of shapes and types to cater to different preferences. Interestingly, the best inexpensive paddles I have discovered come from lesser-known brands, rather than the major players in the industry.
Friday Original Series
This is the best inexpensive paddle set I’ve found. You can get two for $99 or one for $69. It’s a well rounded all-court style paddle with multiple fun designs.
$69 (Get 2 for $99 with code 10EFFECT)
Vatic Pro Prism Flash 16mm
This is a high quality control paddle that also qualified for my list of the best control paddles in general. Available in multiple shapes and handle lengths too.
$99.99 ($89.99 with code 10EFFECT)
11SIX24 Monarch Jelly Bean
A control oriented widebody paddle that is extra forgiving but packs more punch than comparable paddles.
$99.99 ($89.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Neonic Force
An elongated all-court style paddle that is easier to maneuver compared to other elongated shapes and is built with the same technology as high end paddles.
$99.99 ($89.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Spartus Apollo
Light weight, big sweet spot, and good spin packaged into a pure control paddle. Easy to use and connect with.
$129.99 ($116.99 with code 10EFFECT)
Versix Vector XL
There aren’t many power paddles in the budget price and this one is the best you’ll find. Elongated shape with extra long handle, built for players with tennis background.
$129.99 ($110.49 with code 10EFFECT)
FIND YOUR PADDLE
Custom Paddle Fitting Quiz
We developed this paddle fitting quiz to identify your needs and style of play so we can recommend the best paddles that will fit your game. We’ve reviewed a lot of paddles but will only recommend the paddles we feel are worth recommending. We essentially scrubbed out the junk and are presenting you with the best. Take the quiz to find the best paddles for your game.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did brands pay to be on this list?
No brand paid or compensated us in any way to include them in our Hot List for the best pickleball paddles. Some brands did send us their paddles without cost to be tested, reviewed and considered for the list, but that was done knowing it did not alter our opinion during the testing.
How were the paddles selected?
Pickleball Effect has been thoroughly reviewing paddles all year long. All paddles included in each category has been played, tested, and reviewed by Pickleball Effect. New paddles that have been released during 2024 will be evaluated and included as the year progresses.
Was every brand represented in the testing?
We thoroughly tested and reviewed over 100 paddles, but not every brand was represented. We did our best to include as many of the major brands as possible along with a few lesser known brands.
What factors were considered to make the list?
Paddles are split up into four categories, control, power, all-court, and budget. Each category has its unique attributes that we considered. As a general guideline we looked at category performance, innovation, value and demand.
Does Pickleball Effect make any money from this?
No brands paid to be included in this list. It was created from our reviewers’ experience with the paddles. We do have an affiliate relationship with Fromuth Pickleball and some of the brands presented. Purchasing through the links does give Pickleball Effect a small commission that helps support the website and our review efforts. However, our goal is not to make money from this list but to advise and help you find the best paddle for your game.
Who is Pickleball Effect?
Pickleball Effect was created by pickleball enthusiast, Braydon Unsicker. Braydon started reviewing paddles in 2019 and hasn’t stopped since. It’s his goal to help others find the best paddle for their game and succeed in the sport.
Is it possible for the same paddle to be on the list two years in a row?
Yes, the same paddle can earn a hot list award two years in a row. Although there were many good paddles released in 2024, there are several paddles that we feel are still the best in their respective categories that were released in 2023.
How often is the Hot List updated?
We update the Hot List as we see fit. We do our best to keep the list as updated as possible as new paddles are released that displace others that are on the list.
