Best pickleball racket (it is called a paddle)
If you are searching for a pickleball racket you are probably coming from tennis. Here is the terminology, and the equipment answer.
Reviewed Sep 16, 2026
The equipment is called a paddle, not a racket. A racket has a frame and strings; a pickleball paddle is a solid surface with no strings at all. The distinction matters mostly because searching for the right word gets you better information.
Almost everyone searching this way is arriving from tennis, squash or badminton, so this page covers both the terminology and the equipment question underneath it.
Paddle is the correct and near-universal term in pickleball, used by USA Pickleball, by every manufacturer, and by every player you will meet on a court.
You will occasionally see racket or racquet used by general sporting-goods retailers and in product listings aimed at newcomers, which is why the search term persists. It is not wrong so much as outside the sport's own vocabulary.
Table tennis has the same split, where paddle, bat and racket are all in circulation. Pickleball has settled firmly on paddle.
Strings store and return energy by deforming, which is what gives a tennis racquet its power and its large sweet spot. A pickleball paddle gets those properties from its core instead: a honeycomb layer that compresses on impact.
That is why core thickness is the most discussed spec in pickleball and string tension has no equivalent. A 16mm core is the rough analogue of a lower tension, absorbing more and returning less; a 14mm core behaves more like a tighter string bed.
It also explains the size difference. Rules cap combined length and width at 24 inches with a maximum length of 17 inches, so paddles are far smaller than racquets and contact happens much closer to the hand.
Look for an elongated shape and a handle of at least 5.5 inches, which will feel closest to a racquet and will let you keep a two-handed backhand.
Expect to shorten your swing dramatically. The single most common error among tennis converts is taking a full backswing, which sends the ball long on a court that is a fraction of the size.
Our guide for tennis players covers the transition in detail, including the elbow risk that catches a lot of converts out.
Chosen from the database by the criteria above. Every spec was checked against the manufacturer on the date shown on each card.
Selkirk
A thick 19mm, carbon-faced Epic-shape paddle built around control, suited to players who win with dinks, resets and placement.
Selkirk
The wide 8-inch version of the 16mm carbon Boomstik, for power players who want a more forgiving face than the elongated shape.
Selkirk
The wider 8-inch Dauntless with a 16mm foam core and raw T700 carbon face, for players who want spin with a forgiving, quick-handling shape.
Selkirk
The wider 8-inch OMNI with the same 16mm foam core and carbon face, for all-court players who want more stability than the elongated shape.
Selkirk
The wider 8-inch ERA Power with a hybrid 16mm core and fiberglass-and-raw-carbon face, for aggressive players who want a more forgiving shape.
ProXR
A 16mm raw T700 carbon paddle with a wide 16 x 8 inch face, for players who want a large, forgiving hitting area and control from a thick core.
