How to Buy a Pickleball Paddle: Complete Guide [2026]
You can buy a pickleball paddle in three ways: at a sports shop such as Decathlon (entry paddles from around €25), online from a brand specialist (€50 to €200), or as a custom paddle with your own design (with us, €39, incl. VAT and free shipping within the Netherlands, shipped across the EU). Which one fits best depends on your level and whether you want something unique.
Written byTeam Custom Your Pickleball
“Pickleball paddle” and “pickleball racket” are two words for the same thing: the bat you use to play pickleball. The official term is paddle, though plenty of players still say racket out of habit. Below we use paddle, but everything applies equally if you searched for “pickleball racket” instead.
Where can you buy a pickleball paddle?
There are roughly three routes, each with its own price and lead time:
| Where | What you get | Price | Lead time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports shop (e.g. Decathlon) | Standard entry-level paddle | €25 - €60 | Take it home same day |
| Online brand specialist | Branded paddle (JOOLA, Head, etc.) | €50 - €200 | 1 - 3 days |
| Custom (Custom Your Pickleball) | Your own design on the hitting surface | €39 | Max 7 days |
For your first pickleball paddle, an entry-level model is perfectly fine. Once you play more often, you will want a better core and a paddle that is actually yours, without someone else's logo on it.
What does a pickleball paddle cost?
Price mostly comes down to materials (core and hitting surface) and brand. A rough breakdown:
- Entry-level (€25 - €40): plastic or composite, fine to get started.
- Mid-range (€50 - €120): carbon or fiberglass hitting surface, polymer honeycomb core.
- Pro (€150 and up): full carbon, thermoformed, built for advanced players.
- Custom (€39): with us, a 100% carbon hitting surface with a polymer core and your own design, at a mid-range price.
Which pickleball paddle should you buy?
When choosing, pay attention to three things:
- Weight: a lighter paddle (around 210 grams) is more maneuverable at the net, a heavier one gives more power.
- Core: a polymer honeycomb core is the standard, soft and controllable.
- Hitting surface: carbon gives more control and spin, fiberglass gives more power.
For beginners, the difference between brands matters less than you think: pick something with a carbon or composite hitting surface and a comfortable grip. Advanced players tend to focus more on spin and balance.
Why buy a custom pickleball paddle?
A custom paddle costs €39 with us, the same price bracket as a decent mid-range paddle, but with your own design on the hitting surface: color, name, logo or photo. We design, print and finish every paddle in the Netherlands and ship from a single unit, within 7 days. No import wait, no minimum order and no one else's logo on your gear.
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