Buying guides

What the specs mean, what actually changes how a racket plays, and where the marketing gets ahead of the evidence.

After a shortlist rather than an explanation? See the best-of lists, or compare two rackets head to head.

Which padel racket should a beginner buy?

The honest answer involves spending less than you think, and one spec that matters more than the rest.

What the shape actually changes, and why the marketing description of your level is not a rule.

Racket choice matters, but probably less than the internet claims. Here is what the evidence supports and what it does not.

Core, face, balance, thickness, surface. What each number means and which ones you can safely ignore.

New ranges land, old ones drop 30 to 50 per cent, and the difference between them is often paint.

What you can realistically get for under a hundred pounds, and the price below which rackets stop being worth buying.

Rough, sandy and 3D faces do grip the ball. They also wear smooth, and the effect is smaller than the marketing suggests.

Sometimes a genuinely different racket, sometimes the same racket in a different colour. Here is how to tell.