Best Pickleball Balls for Indoor and Outdoor Play

Four balls to start with

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.

Franklin X-40

Franklin prints 40 machine-drilled holes and a one-piece build for concrete, asphalt and other outdoor surfaces. It says USA Pickleball approves it for outdoor tournament play, and the listing gives 26 g and 74 mm.

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Dura Fast 40

Onix prints a patented 40-hole design with large and small holes in a one-piece hollow build, and calls it the fastest ball in the sport. This listing names Pro Aviana as the brand and sells a 6-pack, so compare it with Onix’s own page.

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Onix Fuse Indoor

Onix prints seam welding and precision-drilled holes, and lists the ball as meeting USAPA requirements. The listing is a 6-pack in orange, and Onix does not print a hole count.

Not in stock on Amazon as of 1 Nov 2026.

Franklin X-26

Franklin prints 26 holes, a two-piece build and USA Pickleball approval for indoor tournament play, optimized for wood and composite surfaces. The listing gives 24 g and 74 mm and opens on the 3-pack.

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Video: seven balls ranked by use

This ten-minute video reviews seven popular balls ranked by use, including speed, wind, cold weather, bulk buying and indoor courts.

Compare six balls on the maker pages

Holes, size and weight: the official rules

USA Pickleball’s equipment standards set the ball at 2.87 to 2.97 inches in diameter and 0.78 to 0.935 oz in weight. The bounce must be 30 to 34 inches when dropped from 78 inches.

The ball must have a minimum of 26 and a maximum of 40 circular holes. For a sanctioned tournament it must also be named on the official approved list.

Our guide to how many holes a pickleball has explains why the count changes how a ball flies.

Indoor or outdoor

Franklin builds the X-26 as a two-piece indoor ball optimized for wood and composite surfaces. It builds the X-40 as a one-piece ball for concrete, asphalt and other outdoor surfaces.

Onix takes a different line with the Fuse, saying it creates consistency between the indoor and outdoor game. Read indoor versus outdoor balls and the pickleball balls guide for the on-court differences.

Best outdoor pickleball

The Franklin X-40 is the default: 40 holes, a one-piece build and the approval Franklin states. The Dura Fast 40 is the pace pick, since Onix calls it the fastest ball in the sport.

The Onix Pure 2 is the wind answer, with smaller holes and heavier weighting. Onix lists it as not meeting USAPA requirements, so keep it for casual games. The HEAD Tour 40 is the bulk route, sold in packs up to 100.

Cold is a separate problem, covered in best pickleball balls for cold weather. To know when a ball is finished, read how long pickleballs last and how to tell if a pickleball is cracked.

Best indoor pickleball

The Franklin X-26 and the Onix Fuse Indoor are the two to start with. Franklin says USA Pickleball approves the X-26 for indoor tournament play, and Onix lists the Fuse as meeting USAPA requirements.

The X-26 lists 26 holes and 24 g. The Fuse is seam welded, but Onix prints neither a hole count nor a weight for it.

Cracks and lifespan

Franklin says the no-seam one-piece build of the X-40 resists dents and cracking on outdoor courts. The Dura listing says the ball lasts 3 to 10 games in tough conditions, so plan on spares.

The video above says the Dura becomes prone to cracking in cold temperatures or after 5 to 10 games of hard play. Makers publish no standard lifespan, so retire a ball when it sounds dead or goes out of round.

Buying in bulk

Franklin sells the X-40 in packs of 3, 12, 36, 50 and 100, and the X-26 in 3, 12 and 100. The HEAD Tour 40 listing offers 3, 6, 12, 36 and 100.

Bigger packs usually bring the per-ball price down, but prices change, so check the button. If you also need a net, see the best portable pickleball net guide, and the best pickleball paddle guide covers the paddle side.

How we sourced these figures

We did not test these balls. Holes, weights and approvals are what the Franklin, Onix and HEAD pages or the Amazon listings say, and the table names the source for each row.

Onix prints no weight for several of its balls, and approval wording changes, so check the USA Pickleball list before any sanctioned event. We show no prices because they change daily.