Best Foam-Core Pickleball Paddles: Every Approved Model Compared
Edited by DanPublished Updated How we research
Foam-core paddles have taken over the top of the market: instead of a polypropylene honeycomb, the core is made entirely of foam, often a floating foam core surrounded by a ring of firmer foam. Brands say foam adds power and dwell time and holds up better than honeycomb over time. This guide compares the foam-core paddles we review that are on the USA Pickleball approved list, using manufacturer specifications, our spec-based rating scale and the buyer ratings on each brand’s own site. We haven’t play-tested these paddles.
Quick Picks
- Highest score: Onix Praxis (9.5). A 16 mm Endurafoam solid foam core behind a T700 raw carbon face, rating 10 for power and 9.5 for spin and sweet spot. It has only a few buyer ratings so far.
- Best premium picks with lots of buyer feedback: Selkirk LABS Project Boomstik (9.4, 2,693 ratings) and Selkirk OMNI (9.4, 477 ratings). Both pair a PureFoam core and EVA power ring with Selkirk’s InfiniGrit surface for a spin rating of 10.
- Best value: Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7. A floating EPP foam core with an EVA perimeter ring and a 9.1 score, for well under half the price of the premium picks.
- Best for control: Paddletek Honeyfoam ESQ (9.1). A wide foam-core paddle with a 9.5 control rating and a top sweet-spot rating of 10.
- Best wide face for less: Volair SHIFT WB. A 14 mm channeled foam core in a widebody shape with a light 106 swing weight. Volair sells it as final sale.
- Best for pop and fast hands: CRBN⁴ TruFoam Barrage (9.1). A 14 mm floating foam core in an EVA ring, which CRBN positions as its pop-focused paddle.
Every Approved Foam-Core Paddle We Review
How Foam Cores Differ
“Foam core” covers several different designs:
- Floating foam core with a perimeter ring: a softer foam center set inside a ring of firmer EVA foam, which brands say adds stability and a bigger sweet spot. Examples: Vatic Pro V-Sol (EPP core), CRBN Barrage, Selkirk OMNI and Boomstik (PureFoam with an EVA power ring) and Paddletek Honeyfoam (EPP core with an EVA wrap and perimeter ring).
- Channeled foam: Volair’s SHIFT cuts flex channels into a full-foam floating core, with an EVA perimeter and a ring of carbon-infused edge foam.
- Single-design foam cores: the Onix Praxis uses a solid Endurafoam core, and CRBN’s Genesis and Waves use 100% TruFoam cores with different internal designs.
- Dual-density foam: the Bread & Butter Loco combines EPP and EVA foam.
- Mixed structures: HEAD’s TRIFLEX cores combine foam layers with a honeycomb perimeter (Gravity) or a polypropylene foam center with an EPP perimeter (Boom).
Our rating scale treats every all-foam core the same: it adds the biggest power bonus on the scale, which is why most of these paddles rate 9 to 10 for power. The differences in their overall scores come from thickness, shape, face material and texture. Read foam core vs honeycomb for how the two core types compare.
Thickness: 14, 15 or 16 mm
Most foam paddles here are 16 mm, but CRBN’s TruFoam line and Volair’s SHIFT are 14 mm and HEAD’s are 15 mm. On our scale a thinner core adds power and takes away a little control and sweet spot. CRBN says it tunes foam density instead of offering different thicknesses, and Volair says its SHIFT core stays connected to the handle so the 14 mm paddle plays like a 16 mm one.
Durability Claims
Brands pitch foam as more durable than honeycomb. CRBN says its TruFoam cores eliminate core crush and the break-in changes of older paddles, and Onix says the Praxis’s Endurafoam is designed not to break down over time the way honeycomb cores can. We can’t verify those claims without testing, so each review summarizes what buyers report about durability on the brand’s own site.
Foam-Core Paddles Not on the USA Pickleball List
11SIX24’s Power 2 and Jelly Bean 2 paddles also use foam cores and score highly on our scale (the Vapor Power 2 rates 9.4), but we couldn’t find them on the USA Pickleball approved list. 11SIX24 says they are UPA-A certified. They are left out of the table above; see the 11SIX24 brand page if you don’t play USA Pickleball-sanctioned events.
Which Should You Choose?
- You want the top-rated foam paddle: Onix Praxis, or Selkirk OMNI if you prefer a paddle with more buyer feedback.
- You want foam-core power without a premium price: Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7, Volair SHIFT WB or the Bread & Butter Loco.
- You want control and a forgiving face: Paddletek Honeyfoam ESQ.
- You want maximum spin: Selkirk Boomstik or OMNI, both rated 10 for spin.
- You want a lighter-swinging 14 mm paddle: CRBN⁴ Barrage or Genesis.
Compare lower-priced foam paddles in the best budget pickleball paddles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a foam-core pickleball paddle?
A paddle whose core is made entirely of foam instead of a polypropylene honeycomb, often a floating foam center inside a ring of firmer EVA foam. Brands say foam adds power and dwell time and resists the core crush honeycomb paddles can develop.
What is the best foam-core pickleball paddle?
On our research scale the Onix Praxis scores highest (9.5) among USA Pickleball-approved foam paddles, followed by the Selkirk OMNI and LABS Project Boomstik (9.4), which have far more buyer ratings.
What is the best cheap foam-core paddle?
The Vatic Pro V-Sol Pro V7 and the Volair SHIFT WB are the lowest-priced high scorers we review; each review shows today’s price. Volair sells SHIFT paddles as final sale.
Are foam-core paddles more powerful?
On our scale, yes: an all-foam core adds the biggest power bonus, so most foam paddles rate 9 to 10 for power. Brands also design some foam cores for control, such as the Paddletek Honeyfoam ESQ.
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