It’s been a long time since a paddle release has been discussed and hyped as much as the RPM Jade. When clips of RPM Founder James Ignatowich using the paddle started circulating over a month ago, the paddle world immediately started buzzing — Will this be RPM’s best model yet? Is the durable grit legit? […]
The best full-foam (Gen 4) pickleball paddles
In the past 2 years, full-foam pickleball paddles have taken over a huge share of the market. Paddles that are constructed using a foam core are commonly referred to as “Gen 4” paddles, as opposed to “Gen 3” paddles that use a polypropylene honeycomb core (typically with a foam ring around the edge). But not […]
Expert review: Enhance just UPGRADED our top budget paddle with the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit
The Enhance MPP Turbo was already one of our favorite power paddles, delivering incredible performance for just $99 after code “KITCHEN.” We’ve had it ranked No. 1 on our list of the best paddles under $150 since its release earlier this year. Now Enhance is back with the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit, featuring the same powerful […]
Expert review: New JOOLA POWER FX pickleball paddle feels nothing like what we expected
JOOLA recently released the brand’s first full-foam pickleball paddle — the POWER FX — and after playing with it for a couple weeks, we have been surprised with how this paddle feels and performs. The POWER FX has a stiff, crisp, hollow feel on contact, with an incredibly quick response off the face. That’s quite […]
The Top 10 pickleball paddles right now, voted on by The Kitchen community (September 2026)
We recently asked members of The Kitchen Facebook Group one simple question: “What’s your favorite pickleball paddle right now?” The response was massive. Across two community polls and hundreds of comments from rec players, 5.0 tournament grinders, coaches and gear junkies, a clear group of paddles separated themselves from the pack. Our biggest takeaway: The […]
The best all-court pickleball paddles
One of the biggest trends in the pickleball paddle industry over the past year has been the increasing number of all-court paddles that have hit the market. Companies are intentionally dialing back the overall power that their paddles produce in favor of a more balanced performance profile. Many players feel that paddles with slightly lower […]
7 upcoming pickleball paddle releases we’re excited about
Things have been busy in the pickleball paddle industry over the past few weeks, with several new releases from some of the biggest brands in the sport. And there’s no sign of that trend slowing down, with even more new paddles set to be released in the coming weeks and months. Below are seven intriguing […]
Expert review: New Warping Point Nightblade lineup gives you two very different options
Warping Point has taken the Nightblade in two different directions with the brand-new Nightblade 01 and Nightblade 02, which were released this month. Both are power-focused paddles, but they use different foam constructions that give them noticeably different feels and play characteristics. In our video review, we break down both versions of the Nightblade, including […]
5 new pickleball paddles that have impressed us recently
There are a LOT of pickleball paddles that have been released in the past few weeks, but a handful of them have genuinely stood out to us in our play testing. In this paddle roundup, we’re taking a look at those five paddles, which offer very different playing characteristics and will be a good fit […]
The best pickleball paddles for drives and serves
One of the first things our paddle reviewers ask themselves when they’re trying a new paddle is, “What is this paddle good at?” In general, most new releases these days will be good at something — sometimes multiple things. But with so many different options and materials being used — polypropelyne, EVA foam, EPP foam, […]