Best Pickleball Paddle Under $150
Five paddles near or under $150 compared on core, weight and shape from maker pages, with maker prices where printed and a picker that matches one to you.
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Quick answer
Under $150, buy thickness and shape, not face material. Paddletek prints the Bantam EX-L at a 12.7 mm core and 7.8 to 8.4 oz, and showed $89.99 on its own page on 1 November. Vatic Pro prints a 16 mm V-Sol Pro at $109.99. Prices change, so check each button.
- Core. Selkirk puts power paddles at about 13 mm or less and control paddles at about 16 mm or more.
- Price. Only some makers print a price. We show those with the date we read them, and use Check price buttons for the rest.
- Limits. USA Pickleball sets no limit on paddle weight or thickness, so price does not decide legality.
Find your budget paddle in four questions
Pick a budget band, a style, a shape and arm comfort. You get one paddle from this page, with the maker price where one is printed.
This is guidance built from maker specs and the ranges Selkirk prints, not a test result. Maker prices were read on 1 November 2026 and change.
Five paddles that sit near or under the line
Specs come from each maker page or, where the maker prints nothing, from the Amazon listing text. Each button opens the current listing because prices change. Paddlory earns a commission on qualifying purchases through these links, at no extra cost to you.
Paddletek Bantam EX-L
Paddletek prints a 12.7 mm PolyCore, a 16 by 8 in widebody shape and 7.8 to 8.4 oz. Its own page showed $89.99 on 1 November.
Onix Graphite Z5 Mod
Onix prints a 12 mm Nomex honeycomb core, a graphite face, a 15.5 by 8.125 in wide body and 7.5 to 8.2 oz. Its page showed $89.99 on 1 November. Choose the Mod option on the listing.
Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro 16mm
Vatic Pro prints a 16 mm floating EPP foam core, a raw Toray T700 carbon face and an 8.0 oz average. Its page showed $109.99 on 1 November.
HEAD Radical XL
The listing gives a 13 mm polypropylene core, a graphite face, a 17 by 7 in shape and 7.6 oz. We found no maker price, so use the button.
Franklin FS Tour
Franklin prints a raw T700 carbon face and a polymer core in 14 or 16 mm. The listing opens on the Dynasty 14 mm at 8 to 8.4 oz, and Franklin showed a start price of $149.99 on 1 November.
Video: five checks before you buy
This six-minute video from a coach walks through five checks before you buy a paddle, from forgiveness to thickness and shape.
Compare the five on the maker pages
| Paddle | Core | Face and weight | Shape | Maker price, read 1 November | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paddletek Bantam EX-L | 12.7 mm PolyCore | Polycarbonate, 7.8 to 8.4 oz | Widebody, 16 by 8 in | $89.99 | Paddletek product page |
| Onix Graphite Z5 Mod | 12 mm Nomex honeycomb | Graphite, 7.5 to 8.2 oz | Wide body, 15.5 by 8.125 in | $89.99 | Onix product page |
| Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro | 16 mm EPP foam | Raw Toray T700 carbon, 8.0 oz average | Varies by option on the listing | $109.99 | Vatic Pro product page |
| HEAD Radical XL | 13 mm polypropylene | Graphite, 7.6 oz | Elongated, 17 by 7 in | Not printed | Amazon listing |
| Franklin FS Tour | 14 or 16 mm polymer | Raw T700 carbon, 8 to 8.4 oz (14 mm) or 8.5 to 8.8 oz (16 mm) | Elongated, 5.6 in handle | Start price $149.99 | Franklin product page |
What the price band buys
These five span cores from 12 to 16 mm and three kinds of face: graphite, polycarbonate and raw T700 carbon. The two lowest-priced print thin cores and wide shapes, and the two raw carbon paddles print $109.99 and $149.99.
Selkirk puts power paddles at about 13 mm or less and control paddles at about 16 mm or more. By that measure, three of the five sit at the power end, the Franklin offers all-court and control cores, and the Vatic Pro sits at the control end. Read thick core versus thin core paddles for the trade-off.
Price is not a legality question. USA Pickleball’s equipment standards limit size and surface roughness, and place no limit on weight or thickness. Check approval before you enter a sanctioned event, as the approved paddles article explains.
Weight and your arm
Selkirk says lightweight paddles give quicker hands and midweights add power, and suggests a lighter paddle if a heavier one hurts your arm. Of these five, the Onix at 7.5 to 8.2 oz and the HEAD at 7.6 oz are the lightest.
The Franklin 16 mm option is listed at 8.5 to 8.8 oz, the heaviest here. See the paddle weight guide and lightweight versus heavy paddles before you choose.
Shape on a budget
Wide shapes give the larger sweet spot, and elongated shapes give reach. Selkirk describes the elongated Invikta as trading some sweet spot for reach, suited to intermediate and advanced players.
Our new elongated versus standard guide explains the trade-off in full. Paddles with a longer handle suit two-handed players, and the grip size guide covers grip fit.
Spending under $150 well
Set the budget before you read reviews, then choose on core, shape and weight. Check approval, and keep your old paddle for a month so you have a comparison.
If you already play at an intermediate level, the intermediate players guide compares four paddles on the same specs. The full ranking is in the best pickleball paddle guide, and how to choose a paddle walks through the whole decision.
How we sourced these figures
We did not test these paddles. Core, weight and shape are what each maker page or Amazon listing says, and prices are shown only where a maker page printed one, with the date we read it.
Maker prices and sales change, and Amazon often differs from a maker page. HEAD printed no price we could find. Listed weights are averages, so a paddle can differ by a few tenths of an ounce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes for most players. The five paddles here print cores from 12 to 16 mm, and Paddletek and Onix both showed $89.99 on their own pages on 1 November. USA Pickleball sets no limit on weight or thickness, so price does not decide legality. Core, shape and weight decide fit.
Core thickness and shape. Selkirk puts power paddles at about 13 mm or less, all-court paddles at about 14 to 16 mm and control paddles at about 16 mm or more. Wide shapes give a larger sweet spot and elongated shapes give reach, so choose the trade-off you can use.
Check each one. Onix lists the Z5 as meeting USAPA requirements, Franklin calls the FS Tour USA Pickleball approved, and the Bantam EX-L listing says USAPA approved. Rules cover size and surface roughness only, not price, so a lower price does not mean a paddle is unapproved.
The Onix Z5 at 7.5 to 8.2 oz and the HEAD Radical XL at 7.6 oz are the lightest of the five. The Franklin 16 mm option is the heaviest at 8.5 to 8.8 oz. Selkirk suggests trying a lighter paddle if a heavier one hurts your arm.
Makers print their own list or sale prices, and Amazon sets its own, which change often. We show a maker price only where the maker page printed one, with the date we read it, 1 November. The Check price button shows the current Amazon listing.
Franklin prints the Dynasty 14 mm at 8 to 8.4 oz and the 16 mm at 8.5 to 8.8 oz, both with a foam-injected perimeter. Selkirk puts all-court paddles at about 14 to 16 mm and control paddles at about 16 mm or more, so 16 mm leans control.
Keep reading
Last updated: November 1, 2026