Top 5 compared
The best ping pong paddles
Quick games and long rallies at the basement table, the cottage or the community centre.
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The top 5 at a glance
A ping pong paddle is a wooden blade with a layer of sponge and rubber on each face, and the rubber is what grips the ball and puts spin on it. Sets come with two or four paddles and balls, and some add a net that clamps onto the table. Single paddles, often with carbon in the blade, are the step up for regular players.
Balls crack when they’re stepped on and slip behind furniture, so a tube of spares is worth having: the sets include some and a single paddle comes with none. Balls marked 40+ are the plastic kind competitions have used instead of celluloid since July 2014.
What matters
- Four paddles, if doubles or the whole family will play.
- ITTF-approved rubber, if you’ll play in a club or league.
- A case or bag to keep the paddles together between games.
#1Sportout Ping Pong Paddle Set (4 paddles, 8 balls)
$30–$50
Four paddles with 7-ply poplar blades and 2 mm sponge, enough for doubles or a family game where nobody sits out. Sportout rates them 90 out of 100 for control and 85 for spin. PRO-SPIN’s set below comes with a clamp-on net but two paddles, and its owners think more of the net than of the paddles.
What owners say: The look of the paddles wins praise, and owners find the set easy to take along and good for family play, though they’re split on how well it holds up.
A closer look: The flared handles widen toward the end, so the paddle is less likely to slip in the hand. When the game is over, the four paddles and all eight balls go back into the one storage case, so nothing goes missing.
- 7-ply poplar blades
- Flared handles
- Maker rates control 90/100
Best for: Doubles and family games
- Type
- Set of 4 paddles
- Balls included
- 8
- ITTF-approved rubber
- No
- Case or bag
- Storage case
#2PRO-SPIN Portable Ping Pong Set with Retractable Net (Red, 2 paddles)
$30–$50
A dining table or picnic table becomes a ping pong table: the net pulls out across tops up to 183 cm (72 in) wide and clamps onto edges up to 5 cm (2 in) thick. The paddles are solid wood with a sponge layer under smooth rubber.
What owners say: Solid and a lot of fun, owners say, with a net that’s easy to put up and a good fit on their tables. The paddles themselves are rated only fair.
A closer look: Clamp the first post where the top is flat and solid, away from a leaf seam or a lip under the edge, then pull the net across to the far edge before clamping the second. The net, paddles and balls all pack into the zippered case, so the whole set travels to a friend’s place or the campground.
- Retractable clamp-on net
- Solid wood paddles
- Works on picnic tables too
Best for: Ping pong in the kitchen or backyard
- Type
- Set of 2 paddles + net
- Balls included
- 3
- ITTF-approved rubber
- No
- Case or bag
- Zippered case
#3Glymnis Ping Pong Paddle Set (4 paddles, 8 balls)
$30–$50
Bands around the edges guard these 7-ply poplar blades against chips when a shot clips the table, and the rubber is the inverted kind, smooth side out. It costs less than the Sportout set above.
What owners say: Well-made paddles that suit family games and regular play, owners report. Some find them peeling soon after they start using them, the edges included.
Heads up: The rubber comes under a thin protective film: peel it off before the first game, or the ball won’t grip.
A closer look: Two storage bags split the set in two, so one pair can ride along in the car while the other stays by the table at home. Four of the balls are orange and four white: orange shows up better against a light floor or a white wall.
- Edge bands guard the blades
- 7-ply poplar blades
- Orange and white balls
Best for: Play at home and on the road
- Type
- Set of 4 paddles
- Balls included
- 8
- ITTF-approved rubber
- No
- Case or bag
- 2 storage bags
#4JOOLA Duo Pro Ping Pong Paddle Set (2 paddles, 3 balls)
$50–$75
Two of JOOLA’s Match Pro paddles with ITTF-approved Vizon rubber, three 3-star (top-grade) tournament balls and a case, all in one box for two players. JOOLA classes them as control paddles rather than speed paddles.
What owners say: A decent, good-quality set by owners’ accounts, light in the hand and great fun to play with. The recurring complaint is that the paddles break or get damaged quickly.
A closer look: Forgiving in a slow rally, these paddles let a player practise spin without the ball flying off the end. The contoured handle sits comfortably through a long session, and the protective case takes both paddles.
- Made for control over speed
- Tournament-grade balls
Best for: Two players heading for club play
- Type
- Set of 2 paddles
- Balls included
- 3
- ITTF-approved rubber
- Yes
- Case or bag
- Dual paddle case
#5PRO-SPIN Carbon Ping Pong Paddle (Red)
$30–$50
The 7-ply blade, five plies of wood and two of carbon fibre, is made for spin, stability and accurate placement, and carries ITTF-approved rubber on 2 mm sponge. A carbon tube inside the handle damps the sting of a hard hit. PRO-SPIN Sports is a Canadian company.
What owners say: Owners rate the spin and control it gives, find it fairly priced and like how it sits in the hand; some say it suits beginners. Weight, durability and rubber quality draw mixed views.
Heads up: It’s sold as one paddle on its own, so a game needs a second paddle and some 40+ balls.
A closer look: Keep it in the rubber protector case when it’s not in play: dust and finger grease are what dull the rubber’s grip, and a wipe with a damp cloth after play keeps it tacky. PRO-SPIN covers manufacturing defects for a year, and the same paddle also comes as a two-player set.
- Carbon fibre in the blade
- Carbon tube damps vibration
- 2 mm sponge layer
Best for: Regular players after more spin
- Type
- Single paddle
- Balls included
- None
- ITTF-approved rubber
- Yes
- Case or bag
- Rubber protector case
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Sportout 4-player set | #2PRO-SPIN set with net | #3Glymnis 4-player set | #4JOOLA Duo Pro | #5PRO-SPIN Carbon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best with a net | Best single paddle | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.8 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $30–$50 | $50–$75 | $30–$50 |
| Type | Set of 4 paddles | Set of 2 paddles + net | Set of 4 paddles | Set of 2 paddles | Single paddle |
| Balls included | 8 | 3 | 8 | 3 | None |
| ITTF-approved rubber | No | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Case or bag | Storage case | Zippered case | 2 storage bags | Dual paddle case | Rubber protector case |
| Best for | Doubles and family games | Ping pong in the kitchen or backyard | Play at home and on the road | Two players heading for club play | Regular players after more spin |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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