2026 Foam Paddle Guide
Hey guys, 2025 has been the year of foam paddles that I've jokingly termed 2020foam, and today we're going to take a look at all the different options I've hit this year and when I would recommend a certain one. Let's get into it
First off let's start with my top recommendation for a power paddle on the list, and that's going to be the Vatic V-Sol Pros. This utilizes a floating EPP foam core surrounded by EVA, and comes in multiple shape and handle options. This floating EPP foam is going to be a common core construction we'll be seeing more of on this list as it was a very popular construction in 2025. The V-Sol Pros use this core with a carbon fiber surface and they are near the top end for overall fire power. Both power on drives and pop on the counters is high and around the same level as the Joola Pro IV 16mm series. For the feel they lean towards the stiffer end and have a noticeable hollow feedback while for the metrics across all the shapes, they lean a bit towards the lighter side so all of them are usable in stock form but they leave room for customization if one does want to add weight in certain areas. It's the foam paddle on this list most similar to being like a Joola Pro IV. At $99 it's a crazy good price for a foam power paddle and with its flexible stock weight and variety of shape options, it's a very easy recommendation for anyone looking for a well rounded power paddle.
Now Vatic actually has another $99 option in their V-Sol Power series that comes in all the same shapes. However the name is quite interesting since you would expect the power to hit harder than the V-Sol Pros, but this actually isn't the case. Instead of a floating epp foam core, this uses a singular piece of foam with circular indents across the face. I've spent more time with both now and from what I've experienced, the power series actually has less firepower than the Pros. It's got more of a muted feedback and while drives still have decent power, the pop isn't quite there. While I still would classify this as a power paddle, mainly due to the power you can generate on drives, it sits more on the bottom of that category. I personally found the Pros to have a more predictable linear power curve which is why I recommend that model more. The Power series does have more pop than the muted feedback indicates which can be a bit confusing for some as it isn't a one to one match like the Pros. Some other things to note about the Power series vs the Pros is that across all the shapes, they do come with slightly higher swingweights and the sweetspots aren't as forgiving as the Pros. But for people that do enjoy having a softer ball feel over the stiff and hollow feedback of most power paddles, I do think the Powers are still a great option for people as it still has some juice to it and also comes in that same low price point and multiple shape options as Vatic's other series.
Next let's talk about the Ronbus Quantas. Previously the king of the $100 foam paddles, it still is a great recommendation at the end of 2025. If the Vatic V-Sol Pros didn't exist then this would dominate the budget foam market and be the top recommendation. However, with the V-Sol Pros now taking that spot, the Quantas moved to suit certain use cases. It's similar in construction to the V-Sol Pros but the main difference is that it's significantly lighter across all of the shapes making it more maneuverable but also less stable in stock form. Out of the box, the power isn't high and the sweetspots are honestly abysmal. The advantage of it being so light though is that all of the Quanta paddles are very customizable, just like the Franklin C45 series. So if you're someone who enjoys tinkering around with your own weight setup and controlling how the balance is distributed, or if you're someone who really wants a light feeling foam paddle, then you'll really enjoy the Quanta series. That said, I do think the people looking for super light or customizable paddles is a smaller percentage which is why I think the V-Sol Pros are more appealing to the general public. On top of that the feel is different compared to most of the other foam paddles, even with weight added. They still retain more of a lighter feel on contact; the ball feel isn't as full or dense though depending on your preferences, this could be a good thing. Overall I personally don't enjoy this series as much as the Vatics, but I do think the Quanta still has its place in the market, especially at its similarly low price point.
Next let's talk about a higher end floating epp foam core paddle, and that's going to be the Selkirk Boomstik. Coming in at $333, this is significantly more expensive than the previous paddles but it has two features that make it stand out. One is the 'infinigrit' which claims to last 3x as long as regular peel ply though this is something that hasn't been fully proven but if the claim does hold true, this could potentially have the durability of 3 foam paddles if the core also holds up. The other is the addition of the MOI tuning system which are these external weights at the 9 and 3 positions of the paddle. This makes the paddle usable out of the box with good stability and top end power for all shots. The one downside is that you do have to be okay with the weight on the sides here and customization is harder to do, but for the vast majority of players I do think this is a very good baseline weight setup on both their shapes, offering a great blend of forgiveness and power. The Boomstik is top tier for power above both the Ronbus and Vatic paddles and it has a more solid feel after its break in period compared to the other two from the MOI being external. At $333 though this is a high price point and there have been issues with edge guards coming loose so it is a bit tough to recommend and it only comes in the elongated and widebody shape, but for what it is, it's still a great top end power paddle that almost anyone can enjoy.
Now in between the budget and high end paddles is going to be the Bread & Butter Locos which retail for around $200. Another floating epp foam core paddle that comes in the three major shapes, the main difference compared to the other epp power paddles is the inclusion of fiberglass. It has a CFC surface so one layer of fiberglass is sandwiched in between two layers of carbon fiber which gives the Locos a more lively feel off the face and more pop. It's the most comparable to the V Sol Pros as they both have that stiffer and hollow feedback but the Loco is less hollow feeling and instead has a bit less dwell time from the fiberglass pop it gives, so firepower wise I would place this closer to the Selkirk Boomstik. I personally really enjoy the feel of this paddle as historically I've been a fan of CFC surfaces like the Gherkin Nightshades, Chorus Supercourts, and the 11Six24 paddles because of the feel of that fiberglass layer. Other than the fiberglass layer, the other distinction the Loco has is in its slight differences in their shape offerings. Their widebody has the most stability out of the foam widebodies on this list, but this does come at the cost of the handle being the shortest and it having a lower balance point. The hybrid doesn't have a taper like the Vatic Flash and is instead a straight edged hybrid with a curved top while the Loco elongated is the same shape as the Crbn 1. These aren’t big changes to the shapes but they are some things that should be considered when picking between foam paddle options. But overall it’s been one of my favorite paddle series and the only series I've taken to competitive play this year so definitely something I recommend for people that want a crisper feeling power paddle.
Before we continue with the next paddle, we're going to do a quick comparison between the previous paddle series because it is a question that does come up a lot since they do have similar construction. If price isn't a factor and you want the best performance out of the box without wanting to customize, that would be the Boomstik as it offers durable spin, great power, and stability. But you must remember though, the spin hasn't been 100% proven, there have been edgeguard issues, and they don't have a hybrid shape. For the complete opposite end of the spectrum if you want something light with great customization, go for the Quanta series which is also significantly cheaper. For an in between of the two, that's going to be the Vatic Pro V-Sol Pros which is the same price of the Quanta series and it has more handle length options. As for the Locos, this is still going to have the 3 major shapes and it's the only one of the series to have the fiberglass feel and pop so while the construction for all these series is very similar, there are some slight differences on why you would choose one over the other.
But moving on to our other foam paddles, let's briefly talk about the Diadem BluCore Edge. So these come in both 14 and 16mm options in the elongated and hybrid shapes. They're not a super popular release but I honestly don't think these are bad paddles. They do target a bit of a niche market of people that want that stiffer and lighter Gen 2 feel but with more firepower that's like a gen 3 or gen 4 as I would classify these at the bottom of the power category similar to the Vatic Powers. I would say for people that do want that crisp responsive feedback, the 14mms stand out more for uniqueness compared to the other foam options but again I do think that these may only be for a smaller market. Still, it's not a bad release from a bigger sized company. They are in that mid range pricing at slightly over $200 but I will say that they are a bit more unique feeling than some of the other epp paddles.
Next up let's talk about the GX2 power series from Gearbox. The core structure actually features carbon ribs but for how it plays, it's basically a juiced up version of their previous GX2 series. The original GX2s had this very muted feedback that was comparable to older Gen 1 models, and now with the power series, it retains a similar softer feel but it now has a hollow feedback on contact and significantly more power output. It's the most muted feeling paddle on this list but overall power is comparable to something like Pro IV or Vatic V-Sol Pro. I will say that the feel does take a bit to get used to because generally you expect power paddles to have a crisper feedback so there is a learning curve to get a feel for it but I do think it isn't a sharp one and the sweet spot it has is comparable to other floating epp core paddles. Right now it only comes in the elongated and hybrid shape options and it is pricey at $279 but for people that want a paddle with high end power and no stiff feedback, this is one of the best options right now.
All right now the TruFoam Waves and Genesis. The Genesis was the original foam core that started the whole foam revolution. Back then it brought a unique feel giving you a ball impact that gave more dwell time and bite on the ball for top tier spin. But there were some parts that were lacking such as the power and the sweetspot. In today's market, no company has 100% replicated the feel of the Genesis still but I do think it does not perform as well as other foam paddles on the market. Their elongated shapes and their standard come in with high swingweights for a 14mm, making customization difficult to compensate for the lack of stability, and again it doesn't have the firepower to match more recent releases. The Waves basically took the Genesis and changed the core structure but all this really did was give you more of that dwelly feel and a negligible increase in power. While I do think the 4 shape is pretty solid, I think the series as a whole is for a more niche market, people who really like the dwell and bite these paddles offer but performance wise I do think they are outshined by the other releases this year plus they are priced pretty high at $280.
For something similar to the TruFoams, I recommend this next series, the Pickleball Apes Charm. This uses a new epp foam core that has horizontal incisions and combined with its kevlar surface, this results in a more muted feeling all court paddle. It flexes in more than the average paddle but not as much as the TruFoams. I do think it's in a similar firepower range to the TruFoams, though the sweetspots are slightly higher across the board compared to the TruFoam shapes and they have more manageable swingweights that allow for more customization. The Charm series doesn't have the spin and dwell of the TruFoam paddles though and it isn't as unique feeling but I do think it does outperform them in all other metrics and it's a solid all court paddle I would recommend over it, especially since it comes with a lower price point at $200.
Another all court paddle series is going to be the new Six Zero Coral. This one is actually a floating epp foam core but it's not a power paddle and sits more in the all court category. While the original double black diamond was one of the best all court paddles at the time, with the release of more power paddles into the market, the double black diamond has now become classified as more of a control paddle with the new Coral replacing it as its all court successor. Compared to the double black diamond, it has the same shape dimensions but the Coral comes with a more solid and denser ball feel with more overall firepower. At $200 it's the same price as the Charm but it does come in more color options and also comes in the 3 major shapes but personally I enjoyed the Coral more than the Charm. It just had a bit more juice on drives and I found the stability and sweetspot to be superior over the Charm models. Overall I think the Coral is very solid and the best all court style paddle series you can get on the market right now.
Let's talk about six zero's other foam paddle release and that's going to be the Opal. Compared to the Coral, I actually think this is the more interesting paddle and one of the more unique ones on the list. It comes in the same hybrid shape as the double black diamond but it has a denser foam core than most of the others on the list, which is why it opts to go for a 14mm core instead of 16mm. It's one of the most muted and dense feeling paddles here, only being beat by the Gearbox GX2 power and similar to the GX2 power, it also has surprisingly high levels of firepower given its softer feel. I've heard several reviewers talk about it having a small sweet spot and personally I don't think it's as small as people make it out to be. I think it's overall less forgiving than say the Coral or the Loco hybrid but I did weight strips at the 9 and 3 positions which I found helped it out since you do have to remember that this is a thinner 14mm paddle. What I think is more apparent is the power drop off between the sweetspsot and off center shots but overall I do think this is a unique paddle that more advanced players will really enjoy, especially those that enjoy using shortened strokes to generate power. It's a more unique and difficult to use paddle but it still has solid performance if you're able to reign it in.
Moving on, let's talk about Enhance's paddles, they've got the 4.5 and the DUO. The 4.5 at the time was a pretty solid release as it was an all court style paddle that had a crisper response and better sweetspot compared to previous foam paddles at the time. These days it's outclassed in the power category but still for an all court style paddle that was more similar to a Gen 2, it does have its place for people that want a crisp all court paddle with a durable core. The Duo on the other hand is a more unique paddle compared to the 4.5 and in my opinion the better paddle. It doesn't have that same crisp feedback as the 4.5 but instead it gives a denser and springier feel while also having more firepower. The Duo sits in the power category though it is a step below paddles like the Loco and V-sol Pros while above the Vatic Powers and BluCores. It's a denser and more muted power paddle that sacrifices power for more control and shot absorption making this a very solid option for people that want a more toned down power paddle without that stiff feedback. I just received the widebody version of the Duo and I know they have the hybrid shape in the works as well. At its sub $200 price point, this is definitely a paddle series to consider in 2026.
Next let's talk about Luzz which has made a big splash into the paddle market scene this year. They actually have 2 foam paddles in the Inferno and the Tornzao which are both elongated and dual certified but let's talk about the Inferno first. This uses a floating MPP foam core which is denser than the EPP foam the other paddles on this list use. In my experience it gives the paddle a very stiff feel with little dwell. I found this to be the stiffest paddle on the list and surprisingly the one with the highest firepower overall as well. It was hard for me to control because of how little connection I could feel on ball contact and the high pop the paddle has. While I wouldn't say this paddle is for me, I do think this is a very solid choice for people that love the crisp feedback and want high firepower. I do want to note though that I have seen mixed experiences with the Inferno. I've had people say that they found the paddle to be plush with good feel and not the firepower I've seen but also people who have had the same thoughts as me. I know in an episode of the Pickleball Studio podcast, they did mention that one of the Infernos had changed overtime and became stiffer so I'm curious if the model I have now is just really broken in. I do have a new Inferno coming from Luzz soon so I'll be able to compare the two and see if I find any differences so stay tuned for that.
Now for the Tornazo, this is the same shape but it uses EPP instead of MPP and plays more like the Loco and Vatic V-Sol Pro. It's not as stiff as the MPP core of the Inferno and the firepower is also a step lower. It's like an in between of the Loco and V-Sol Pro since it doesn't have the fiberglass of the former but it's not as hollow feeling as the latter, and it has a bit more juice as well. I personally enjoy the Tornazo over the Inferno but between the two, the Inferno in my experience has been the more unique one while the Tornazo is the one I feel will appeal to more players. They are priced a bit higher than similar foam paddles at $229 retail but they are both dual certified so these are paddles you can use in pro events.
Next let's talk about the Avatar from Sypik. I believe this is a floating foam core as well and performance wise I thought it was decent though mine did come in at a lighter stock weight so I did need to add weight in order to bring out the performance. It's on the stiffer end and actually reminded me a lot in feel of the Luzz Inferno I have, but with less overall firepower. Like the Inferno it only comes in the elongated shape and with a carbon fiber surface but this paddle is a bit difficult to recommend if you're here in the US because it's not easy to buy here. It's easier to get if you're in Asia but you can't easily buy this online from their website from the US and instead you need to go through the few authorized dealers they have. I'll add a link in the description for a dealer I trust but to be honest I think you're better off getting one of the other foam power paddles on this list unless you just really wanna support QD.
Moving on, let's talk about the two foam releases from Flik pickleball, formerly known as BodyHelix. Their first one was the F1 which I found to be an extremely fun paddle to play. The core structure is similar to the Vatic Powers where it's a sheet of EPP foam with circular voids but it uses 4 layers of carbon fiber instead of the common 3 layers, and it has a small fiberglass patch on top of the core. Flik had planned to release this paddle in 3 shapes but ultimately only the elongated version passed PBCOR so that's the only shape they have at this time. It's the hardest hitting legal paddle on this list with top scores in both power and pop. The feel I found to be quite nice because it’s not as harsh and hollow as some of the other foam power paddles but instead it does lean more muted feeling though not as much as something like the Vatic Powers. The one complaint I have found is that the sweetspot isn’t as forgiving as other paddles on this list. Because of the use of the fiberglass patch in the core, shots that hit that area feel great and give off high power output. However, relying on this patch, especially in an elongated paddle shape, leads to a smaller sweetspot than other paddles on the list like the ones with floating EPP cores. That said, because the power level on this paddle is high, off center shots don’t have a sharp power drop off compared to something like the Six Zero Black Opal. But for what it is, I still think this is a very fun paddle that really slaps.
As for the Falcon paddle, this is also elongated but it’s thinner at 13mm vs 16mm and it has larger voids in the core that are replaced by a cork material. Unfortunately I wasn’t the biggest fan of this one as I was of the F1. The cork gives an interesting effect as it’s a heavier material which bumped up the swingweight and twistweight numbers while also giving the paddle a softer feel for a thinner paddle. It was interesting but performance wise I don’t think it really did much. The sweetspot was smaller than the F1 as was the overall power. Basically it just had an interesting feel where it wasn’t stiff and light like most thinner paddles but overall I didn’t find any reason to use this over any of the other foam power paddles unless you really wanted a thinner paddle with more flex in the face. It isn’t a bad paddle but it’s not my favorite and I would recommend the F1 over it.
All right moving on, let’s talk about the Element 6 Zephyr. This is a hybrid shaped floating core epp paddle. Now I’ve had an interesting experience with this paddle because my initial model I received was a pre production one. When I was set to receive their Surtr paddle, they actually had run out of stock so when they finally had the Surtr back in stock to send me, they threw in an early version of the Zehpyr. I thought the Zephyr was a decent paddle that reminded me of the J2NF at the time; overall firepower was decent and it had some good pop to it. However, I kept seeing people mention that they had a different experience so I ended up getting my hands on a more recent copy and my experience was drastically different. This newer one hits way harder than the original one I have where it’s the hardest hitting hybrid paddle I have ever hit. The feel and power reminds me a lot of the Flik F1 but just in the more stable hybrid shape with a bigger sweet spot so overall it’s a sleeper power paddle at a very low price of $129 before a code. While not as easy to control as other hybrid paddles on this list, it’s definitely the one to get if you’re looking for maximum power.
Now we are finally at the last paddle series we are going to talk about and this is going to be the Honolulu Pickleball Company’s NF and FC+ paddles. In my eyes, these are the paddles that really popularized foam as they were the first series to be true performance power paddles. The difference between the two is in the construction where the NF has notched foam while the FC+ has a multi density foam core but in terms of how they play, the NF has a crisper feel with more pop while the FC+ has more of a muted feedback. The NF uses fiberglass in the surface giving it a more lively feel off the face while the FC+ only has carbon fiber in the face and it plays with a softer feel. Firepower wise I give the slight edge to the NF though the FC+ isn’t far behind; while the pop is definitely lower, on drives the overall power output is close to the NF. Compared to other power paddles, this series sits closer to the lower end of the power category like the Vatic Powers. In my experience they’re closer to being around the level of the 11Six24 Power series. As for the shape options, this is where things get unique for Honolulu. Their flagship shape the J2 is going to be their most popular option as it’s a short handle hybrid that blends the stability of a widebody with the reach of a hybrid. This year they came out with the long handle variant which is a lighter option with more customization and a higher balance point. They’ve also come out with a new elongated shape in the J6 which also offers great numbers giving more stability to the elongated shape at the cost of a slightly lower balance. And finally they do have the J3 shape as well though this one is just a basic standard shape paddle and personally I prefer the J2s over these. Overall these are one of the best foam series this year for the everyday player. While it doesn’t offer top end power, its combination of more controllable power with stable paddle shapes serves as a great entry into the power paddle market and they’re all also affordably priced at under $200.
Now moving into 2026 we do have a few foam paddles that we have started a few thoughts on. A big one is going to be the USA assembled Spartus P1 which uses their new Permagrit texture that’s another longlasting grit claim to compete against Six Zero’s Diamond Grit and Selkirk’s InfiniGrit. This is going to be a floating EPP core similar to some of the other 2025 paddles with similar firepower level and a more muted feel but if the grit claims hold true, at its $200 price point this could be a big contender. Mark has their R3 paddle which is their first foam paddle that uses a kevlar blend in the surface that so far I’ve had pretty positive impressions on. And finally I also got the Enhance Duo widebody, Volair Shift, Gherkin Draco, Aireo Cylone, and the J6CR which I haven’t hit yet but will do so soon so stay tuned for more updates in 2026.
All right before we wrap up this video, I did want to give a big thank you to everyone who has been supporting this channel. I’ve hit 4000 subscribers recently and I really do appreciate all of you who have tuned in and stayed patient with me while I slowly learn video editing. All the kind comments really mean a lot and I always read what everyone is saying so I can learn what I can do to improve my content. As a thank you, I’m going to be running a channel giveaway that you can enter up to 3 times. For this giveaway we’re partnering up with Tip Toppers, the hat I’ve been wearing with the slots at the front you can use to mix and match different figurines. I’ve been rocking the bear and the pandas but they’ve got several different options available as well. For this giveaway Tip Toppers will be giving away a package and I’ll also be giving away a package that has a Pickleball Apes Charm X, a variety pack of overgrips from Cookie grips, and some weighted tape. To enter via youtube, like this video, subscribe if you haven’t, and comment down below what your favorite Topper is from the Tip Toppers Website. From Instagram, like this post, follow both me and TipToppers, and tag 2 friends in the comments. And finally to enter from my website, find this review post on my website and enter via the google form. I’ll be announcing the winner on my website one week from today.
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All right that’s it for this year’s video on 2025 foam paddles, I hope you all enjoyed it and as always if you do want to support this channel and pick up any of these paddles, I’ve added discount codes and links in the video description below. All right I will catch you all in the next video.
