Friday Goes Foam
Video Link: https://youtu.be/nhoHhHNue7k
Hey guys, today we're taking a look at the new Aura and Aura Pro paddles from Friday. Friday has generally been seen as a budget brand with their previous paddles but recently they've started targeting the performance paddle space more, especially since they've now signed pro players to sponsor. With the Aura and Aura Pro, Friday has gone into the foam paddle market so let's take a look to see how they are.
Let's start with the Aura Paddles. For construction, I've thrown an image of the x-ray on the screen but this is a foam core with their patent-pending rubber tech weighting in the horseshoe shape around the perimeter with 4 different types of foam in the paddle and a CFC face layup. This is going to come in 3 different shapes with the elongated having a sw of 115 and tw of 5.95, the hybrid having 114 and 6.45, and the widebody having 108 and 6.55. Of the 3 the elongated is the one I do think needs additional weight. The sweet spot and stability was below average on that shape. For weight setup I messed around with 3 gram pickle clips at 3 and 9 but also added some 3 inch strips of 1 gram per inch tape near the throat too, which really helped with the paddle's performance. Though personally I do wish they had gone for a flat top edge like on their Fever 102 and Aura Pro instead of this curved top. For the Hybrid and widebody I didn't experiment too much with weight setups but I did play around with pickle clips at 3 and 9 just for some added plow through and I personally think they performed better with weight added than stock but I unlike the elongated, I do think these shapes can be used stock if you want fast maneuverability. For how the paddle plays, I think it's a very solid all court foam option. Even though it has that fiberglass layer, you don't feel it at all and I wouldn't have guessed that they included fiberglass. It has a very smooth and dense feel to it while providing mid range all court levels of power. The feel actually reminds me of their previous Fever paddles that have the rubber weighting and I would say in a nutshell it's basically like a foam version of their Gen 3 paddles with a more solid ball feel. It's the most muted CFC paddle I've hit so far and for the hybrid and widebody shapes, this was a very easy paddle to pick up and play because it offers a great blend of power and control and shots were easy to dial in.
They go for $119 after a code which is a very solid deal as it comes in all three shape options, making this a very strong competitor into the all court foam market. The biggest competitors in this space right now that I tested against it are the Flik F3, Pickleball Apes Joys, GRUVN MUVN Full Foam, and the Six Zero Coral so I did want to talk a little on how they compare against each other.
Starting with the Flik F3, this had the most solid and dense impact feel of the group. I found this one the easiest to control but in stock form this is one I do recommend adding weight onto, especially on the hybrid shape. It is a bit pricey at $200 but I still think it's great for players wanting a more muted feel and the paddle does come in all three shapes.
Next for the GRUVN, this plays a bit stiffer than the F3 with a little bit more power and pop. It's another solid option and it comes in GRUVN’s unique shape with the edges coming more curved. It's only in a hybrid and goes for $169 retail but it's not a bad all court option.
In the middle of the pack for stiffness is where I place the Aura. It's similar to the GRUVN but I do think it has less dwell on the paddle face and a bit more pop which is likely from the fiberglass. It still has great control on a similar level to the other two paddles but it edges the two out in firepower.
Next up for the Six Zero Coral this is still a relevant all court paddle in 2026. It plays stiffer than the Aura and it isn't as dense feeling as the other three paddles. For firepower I would place it under the Aura though and it's more in line with the GRUVN. It's pricier at $200 retail but it does come in 3 shapes and it uses their diamond grit technology to prolong the lifespan of the surface texture and it's the only all court paddle to have longer lasting grit which makes it still a solid option.
Last paddle is going to be the Joy paddles from Pickleball Apes. Like the Aura, this also has fiberglass in the surface, but you feel it more in the Joy paddles because they feel stiffer and lighter than the other paddles in this list. It's the most powerful one out of the all court foam options with the stiffest feedback and only comes in two different hybrid shapes. However it's also the most affordable at around the $100 price point making this a very budget friendly paddle to consider.
Overall I think the Aura stacks up very well and it's my top recommendation now for an all court option to consider in the market right now.
Moving on let's talk about the Aura Pro. I've added the x-ray on the screen here but for construction this is double thermoformed with a blow molded carbon frame, and it has the rubber weighting like the Aura but now it's all the way around the perimeter between the EPP and EVA while the surface layers are only carbon fiber. Compared to the Aura this is their power paddle option and while it is planned for all 3 shapes, as of now it's only available in the elongated one. For metrics we got 117 and 6.05 so a little bit heavier than the elongated Aura but light overall compared to other elongated paddles. It's in a range where you could hit this in stock form if you like lighter elongated paddles but for myself threw pickle clips at 3 and 9 because I did want the paddle a bit heavier with more plow through.
Power wise this is a noticeable jump compared to the Aura. It's more hollow and stiff in comparison though I wouldn't say it's to the extent of a Vatic V-Sol Pro. It's similar in terms of metrics to the V-Sols as they're both a bit lighter in swingweight where you can hit them stock or customize with perimeter weighting. Their power profile is similar too but the rubber tech in the Aura Pro gives it a denser feel. It's not as hollow feeling and it has a more pleasant feedback that I found easier to control with but this is a personal preference. Overall I do think it's a solid power paddle and a more exciting release compared to the Auras but I personally I enjoy the release of the Auras more. The Aura Pro brings the rubber tech to give a denser ball feel to a power paddle and it's Friday's most powerful performance paddle to date, but I would recommend the smooth all court Auras to the majority of players because of its lower price point and how easy it is to pick up and play.
CODE: TICKLEMYPICKLE
