Whether you are looking to improve your play or you just want an easy way to increase your fun, a good ping pong paddle can make a big difference. The right ping pong paddle can give your game a huge advantage. However, if you don’t choose the right paddle, you may find your game becomes more challenging.
Ping pong paddles are made to fit your skill level, and certain aspects of ping pong play. To select the proper ping pong paddle you really need to understand what you want to improve, what you do well and what your goals for playing ping pong are.
In this article, we’ll show you some of the best options on the ping pong market. We’ll also offer some buying suggestions to help you pick the best paddle for your game.
Our Best Choice
Pro Carbon is our pick for the best Ping Pong Paddle. This paddle provides the competitive player with outstanding control, speed and spin. The Stiga Pro Carbon has outstanding multi-layer construction, including 2-layers of carbon fiber for more stability.
This professional grade paddle is a bit expensive. However, the competitive player that is wanting to take their game to the next level will appreciate the investment in an exceptionally high quality product.
- Perfect for beginners & recreational players
- Great value for the money
- Great durability
- ITTF ranked
- Perfect beginner’s racket
- Great surface for control
- Good grip for easy control and spin
- Light weight
- Comes at cheap price
What We Are Looking For?
If you are new to ping pong, you probably are just picking a paddle based on exterior features. However, new players that want to improve their game often wonder about the things they should look for in a good ping pong paddle. There are a lot of different ping pong paddles on the market. Some are made for leisure play. Others are made for competitive play. Here we’ll give you some hints on what to look for in a good paddle.
Handle Type
You might be surprised to learn that there are a number of different types of paddle handles out there. The most common that you will find are: anatomic, flared, penhold and straight. Most of you reading this article will likely select the straight or flared handle. These are usually available on paddles designed for recreational play or for competitive beginners. They are lower priced, but there are exceptions to this theory out there.
Blade Materials
Wood paddles are a great pick for recreational or beginner players. Wood absorbs the energy from the ball and slows it down. It’s a great way to keep the pace of play slow.
Competitive players that use defensive strategies will also want to use a good wood paddle. For competitive players that want to enjoy a fast-paced game, you’ll want a paddle with a blade that has carbon fiber or titanium carbon. These materials increase speed and spin.
Tacky or Firm
Every ping pong paddle has a rubber facing. The rubber layer can be either firm or tacky. A firm rubber is great for fast-paced play. On the other hand, a tacky rubber will slow down the game, but gives more spin, which means better control of the ball.
Skill Level
Skill level is definitely an important consideration when it comes to shopping for a ping pong paddle. If you’re new to the game or play for fun, you probably don’t care much about the type of paddle you use.
However, if you’re playing competitively, your coach will likely want you to use a particular paddle based on your level of experience and your weak points. The proper paddle for your skill level will make big improvements in your play.
Top 8 Best Ping Pong Paddles Reviews
1. Stiga Pro Carbon – BEST CHOICE
What We Liked
- Balsa wood and carbon fiber construction is very lightweight.
- Power and speed are exceptional.
- Great shock absorption
What We Didn’t Like
- Not great for beginners
- Unbalanced to the top of the paddle
- Rubbers are not replaceable
The Stiga Pro Carbon is one of the best ping pong paddles you find on the market today. It is also one of the most expensive ping pong paddles out there. The Stiga Pro carbon table tennis racket is made by Stiga, a Swedish company that is well known for making some of the best table tennis paddles in the world. If you look on their website, they consider this a paddle for intermediate level players. The paddle should improve play and help mid-level players move up in their game.
The Stiga Pro has two layers of carbon fiber for a more responsive result and less flex. This will increase speed during play. Over the carbon layers you’ll enjoy a unique rubber that features Stiga’s Nano Composite Technology. The rubber layer of this paddle will provide more ball control without noticeably reducing the speed of play. Additionally, you’ll notice that the improved rubber and carbon fiber layers reduce the weight of the paddle significantly.
Players that have used this paddle also enjoy the unique handle shape. The recessed handle provides additional ball sensitivity and a more responsive level of play.
The Stiga Pro is perfect for offensive players that want speed plus more spin. The carbon fiber and responsive rubbers provide power and spin while at the same time offering an additional level of control. This paddle is ideal for intermediate level competitive players.
2. Butterfly 401 – Best for Intermediate Players
What We Liked
- Comes with a nice carrying case
- A great paddle for beginner or intermediate players
- Compact and maneuverable
- Good speed and spin controlIt comes with a full case.
What We Didn’t Like
- Compact size isn’t great for larger hands
- Doesn’t provide a ton of power
The Butterfly 401 is a great paddle for intermediate level players that are looking for a paddle that provides more spin and control for their play. The Butterfly 401 features the Yuki rubbers that are tournament approved and the paddle features a shakehand flare for better control and comfort.
The sponge layer combined with the Yuki rubbers is perfect for adding spin to your ball. Besides being great for intermediate players, this paddle is a good choice for defensive players that are looking to add additional speed control to their game. This paddle is reasonably priced for most players. The Butterfly 401 comes with a single paddle and a carrying case to protect the rubbers when not in use.
3. Stiga Titan – Best Upgrade for Beginners
What We Liked
- Lightweight balsa wood construction
- Perfect for beginners
- Super affordable
What We Didn’t Like
- This is not a paddle for speed or power
- Sponge is not as good quality as other products
The Stiga Titan is a great paddle for the beginner player that wants a better paddle, but isn’t ready for the hard-core competitive style blade of the Stiga Pro. This lightweight, well-balanced paddle is easy to use, and offers a nice improvement to speed, control and spin for the beginner player. The Siga Titan has a 5-ply balsa wood core, a quality sponge layer, all topped with Stiga’s 2mm inverted tournament rubber.
One of the features we like the best about this paddle is the Italian composite handle. This handle is exceptionally comfortable to hold and also looks very attractive. The price point for this paddle is great for beginners that want to learn technique but aren’t ready for a competition level paddle. However, this paddle is ITTF approved for competition if you’re ready to take that step.
4. Killerspin JET200 – Best Value
What We Liked
- Great for beginners who want to improve their skills
- Comes in fun colors
- Protective case included
What We Didn’t Like
- Paddle is not approved by ITTF for competition
- Rubbers cannot be replaced
Killerspin JET 200 is one of the best paddles for recreational players that want to up their game and improve their ping pong skills. This affordable paddle has many of the features that you’ll find on professional level paddles, but at an affordable price for the everyday player.
This paddle comes with 5-ply lightweight wood construction, Jet rubbers for speed and spin control, and a flexible PVC tape edge for added protection. The flared handle of this paddle makes it comfortable to hold and easy to control. This paddle is not ITTF approved, so it is best for recreational play. It is not acceptable for competition.
5. DHS Hurricane II – Best Paddle with Carrying Case
What We Liked
- Provides improved spin
- Tacky rubbers give increased speed control
- Two different rubbers for offensive and defensive play
- Nice option for intermediate players
What We Didn’t Like
- Case isn’t as durable as it could be
- Higher priced than other options
If you are looking for a great paddle at a reasonable price for competitive play, then the DHS Hurricane II is a great option. For the player that travels to competitions frequently, this is a great option as it comes with its own carrying case. This is a great added extra that you don’t get with many other paddles. The case is hard sided, and does a good job of protecting your paddle.
The DHS Hurricane is a great paddle for increasing spin and speed control. The tacky rubbers are fairly durable, and allow for about 75 rounds of play before they need to be replaced. We like this paddle for intermediate players that are looking to gain a bit of advantage during competitive play. The paddle blade is slightly larger than other paddles, allowing for faster and more aggressive hits. The Hurricane II is reasonably priced, and ITTF approved for competition play.
6. Killerspin Jet600 – Best for Intermediate or Advanced Players
What We Liked
- Nitrx-4z rubbers are perfect for intermediate and professional players
- Good quality carrying case included
- Flared shakehand handle is comfortable to grip
What We Didn’t Like
- Lacked in durability
- A bit more expensive than other options
The Killerspin Jet600 is one of our favorite paddles for intermediate and advanced players. This is an exceptionally well balanced paddle that provides good control, speed and spin for a reasonable price.
Killerspin is a relatively new company but they are making a name for their paddles thanks to outstanding construction and well designed competition paddles. The Jet600 is a great example of this quality. With two different rubbers, a soft but thin sponge layer and a blade made from 5 different woods, this paddle performs well for the intermediate level competitive player.
While ideal for competitive players that are looking for a balanced paddle for both speed, and control, this paddle is also great for recreational or leisure games. The soft but tacky rubbers are ideal for a gentle controlled game if you just like to enjoy a bit of fun with friends.
7. Stiga Supreme – Best for Control
What We Liked
- Sponge layer and rubbers provide good ball control
- Good quality, lightweight materials and construction
- Great for beginners
Key Features
- Slower ball speed
- Rubbers don’t provide much spin
The Stiga Supreme Performance is a tournament quality paddle that is ideal for intermediate and professional level players. This paddle offers outstanding ball control while also giving the competitive player amazing speed and spin.
Stiga has been making tournament quality paddle since 1944, so they have many years of innovation to build from. The Supreme Performance is a great example of this innovation. The blade features a blend of three unique woods that create a lightweight and durable blade. The blade is covered with a springy sponge layer topped with moderately tacky rubbers. This combination of materials gives the advanced player the ability to hit at higher speeds, while holding the ball just long enough to add spin for competitive play.
Though this paddle is ITTF approved for tournament play, we also like the Supreme Performance for beginner players. The lightweight paddle makes it easy to use for beginners, and the spring sponge layer helps the beginner learn good ball control.
8. Killerspin JET 800 – Best for Speed
What We Liked
- Paddle is perfect for men or women players
- Provides exceptional speed
- 7-ply carbon fiber and composite blade
- Large sweet spot for better spin
- Simple, but protective case
What We Didn’t Like
- More expensive than similar products
- Not as durable as we hoped
- Heavier than inexpensive beginner paddles
The Killerspin Jet 800 is another outstanding product from the relatively new Killerspin company. This paddle is ideal for the intermediate level, competitive player that is looking for more speed and attack from their paddle. The Jet 800 features a 7-layer blade construction that includes dual carbon fiber layers for a sharp ball release.
On the outside of this paddle is the Killerspin Nitrx-4z rubbers that provide just a bit of tackiness for control and spin. This paddle comes with a nice storage box that keeps your paddle protected when not in use. This is one of the more expensive paddles on the market, but if you are committed to improving your game, this paddle is worth the investment.
Final Verdict
Stiga PRO Carbon
When it comes to the best ping pong paddle, our choice is the Stiga Pro table tennis paddle. This paddle is a great investment for the competitive player that wants to add finesse to their game. It’s also a great investment for leisure players that are ready to venture into tournaments or just more competitive recreational play.
The Stiga Pro is a high quality paddle built to last with unique rubbers and 7-ply wood and carbon fiber blade. For the ping pong enthusiast the best ping pong table and ping pong robot are the great investment and the perfect tool for improving the speed and control of your game.
