2025 vs 2026 Padel Racket Reviewers

When it comes to padel rackets, it's generally never "worth it" to get the latest model. Often the only thing that changes is the esthetics, and not always for the better. If you can get a 2025 pala for 50% of the price, go for it.

They don't make racket reviews, I think, but there is a rare female padel channel Underdog Padel on YouTube, if you might be interested

Yesterday I was chatting with a match friend. She’s originally a tennis player and has tennis elbow. She tried several Siux rackets but none of them worked for her.. the pain always came back. Eventually she borrowed the Adidas Cross It Light 2025 (Martita Ortega), and her tennis elbow didn’t hurt anymore. She actually bought that racket the same day. She also told me the 2025 version feels lighter than the 2026 one. I also once saw a TikTok where a woman said she changed rackets like 12 times, and the one that finally worked for her was also the Adidas Cross It Light 2025 Martita Ortega. At first I didn’t like it because it feels like a “racket everyone uses.” 😂 But honestly… I think I need something that really helps me improve my game, because maybe I just haven’t found a racket that truly feels comfortable and right for me yet.

I don't believe there were any significant updates on Women's rackets between 2025 and 2026. I spent a lot of time looking and researching this with my partner as we wanted to upgrade her racket. She tested a few, a Bullpadel Vertex W, Bullpadel Elite and Adidas Cross It light and she didn't like any of them. They're not bad rackets, but not to her liking. She is an intermediate level with good overheads and her complaint was they all lack power. Eventually she tried my Babolat Air Viper 2025 (355g) and really liked it, and now it's been her racket for the last 6 months :) Light and agile but lots of power (medium/hard touch). Do you have any brands in particular that you have been looking at? There were some new women's rackets on the market for 26, I think Nox did some and also offered light weight versions on some of their main models, Suix too maybe. So I'd advise don't just look at rackets that say 'for women' because mostly they are light weight (345-355g) and softer, but that means less power. Instead, just look at lighter rackets in that range both women's and unisex. Head offer many lighter rackets for example that aren't branded as women's, but are great rackets!

**Update:** I picked up the Bullpadel Vertex 04W (white Pro Line) 👀🎾 Finally got to play with it yesterday in a club tournament, and honestly I didn’t expect the transition from the Valkiria to be this easy. After just a few games, I was already getting comfortable with it. The first thing I noticed was how much harder it feels compared to my Valkiria. It’s definitely less forgiving, but the sweet spot isn’t as small as I expected. The harder face actually helps compensate, especially on those tricky low balls off the glass, they’re still surprisingly manageable. One big plus: my lobs are going way higher with less effort, which is perfect because my footwork isn’t exactly my strong suit 😅 That extra time to move up to the net makes a huge difference. Volleys feel amazing too—but I guess that’s no surprise with this racket 😌 A guy from the club (M3 level) tried it as well and said it felt really good, which was nice to hear. That said, I’ve only got about 2 hours on it so far, so still plenty to learn and adjust before I really get the most out of it. Huge thanks to everyone who shared tips and advice! **P.S.** Weight shown in the photo is 356g (including string + 1 head overgrip). https://preview.redd.it/ujtavfk090qg1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3c45d169a5741f86bd3f58f31cf13c5fb1e8b5f5

No need to go for a dedicated women’s racket. Let me know what racket you are using now and maybe what you would change. Can see if I can recommend you something

Not sure if this counts, but Otro Nivo had a woman in his video when reviewing the recent Wilson Endure: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CvuVww1nYc&t=1083s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CvuVww1nYc&t=1083s)

I think the only one that seems to have changed a lot between 25 and 26 is the adidas cross it Martita Ortega which feels very different this year to last years. Many of the ladies I play with (intermediate) have switched to it because it’s light, good for tennis elbow but still gives them power when they need it. I have the bullpadel vertex w 26 but I’ve played with the 25 and it’s basically identical. This is probably true for most rackets - last years models will be cheaper and much the same.