First Annual MyPickleList Paddle Awards 2025

Welcome to the First Annual MyPickleList Paddle Awards. Over the past few months, I've built MyPickleList, a platform for community-driven paddle ratings where players share their honest experiences with paddles they've actually played with.

Today, we're handing out 5 awards based on a combination of MyPickleList data, my personal thoughts and experience testing these paddles, and what I'm seeing on the courts.

The awards we're giving out today:

1. Innovation of the Year
2. Breakout Brand of the Year
3. Biggest Turnaround of the Year
4. Budget Paddle of the Year
5. Paddle of the Year

Let's dive in.

Innovation of the Year: Full Foam Core Technology (CRBN Trufoam Genesis)

The past few years of pickleball have always had a couple of innovations that changed the pickleball landscape.

One year it was thermoforming. Last year was Gearbox using foam more aggressively.

I think there's an obvious answer this year: CRBN and their full foam core technology.

The CRBN Trufoam paddles came out in January, and ever since, there have been way more full foam core paddles hitting the market.

It took a few months for brands to catch up, but now there are lots of Gen 4 options available, and it seems like core crushing has not been a thing with those paddles.

There are some mixed feelings about the performance of Gen 4 paddles in general, but I think it's undeniable the impact full foam core technology had on the pickleball landscape. I think it's a good thing to try and tackle the obvious durability issues we had for the past two years.

Winner: CRBN Trufoam Genesis - For introducing full foam core technology that changed the game.

Breakout Brand of the Year: RPM

Every year, there seems to be at least a few brands that shake up the pickleball market.

This year, two brands came to my mind that seemingly came out of nowhere.

The Contenders

Luzz - I briefly heard of Luzz since they sponsored some players I knew, but the paddles at the time were just some Gen 2 paddles, so nothing that really caught anyone's attention.

In July, the Luzz Cannon released and was known to have Joola Pro IV power for $99—a super budget option at the time.

Then a month later, Luzz came out with Gen 4 paddles. The Inferno in particular was popular and even was on the top of MyPickleList at one point.

RPM - They literally started late this year and already have captured a bunch of the market, at least in my area.

James Ignatowich basically took a Joola Pro IV, made some slight improvements, and it worked.

Both Luzz and RPM were seemingly unheard of in 2024 and the first half of 2025, and now I would say they are two of the most popular smaller brands.

The Winner

However, there can only be one winner of Breakout Brand of the Year, and I will have to give it to RPM.

According to MyPickleList, the RPM paddles are more popular and higher rated, and that's typically the same with what I see online and on the courts.

The amount of success that they had in such a short amount of time is crazy, and it seems like they are only getting started with new paddles set to release within a month or so.

Winner: RPM - For going from zero to one of the most popular brands in just a few months.

Biggest Turnaround of the Year: Selkirk

A brand's image in the eyes of the general public can change so quickly in pickleball.

The market moves so fast that one wrong move or even a subpar move can make a brand "fall off."

Here are some comebacks in 2025 that come to mind.

The Contenders

Engage - When I first started playing pickleball, Engage was one of the top paddles, back when fiberglass faces were popular. But ever since, it seems like they've been stuck making similar stuff that never got much traction.

This year they came out with 3 new paddles that were drastically different than their other stuff. I do think they were all good, but I think they still may be underrated by the general public.

Bread & Butter - Their Filth paddle was in the discussions of one of the best paddles back in the day, but ever since they were more known for niche stuff and clever marketing.

Now with the Loco, they have a top-performing paddle in many players' eyes, which is a great change of pace for them.

The Winner

There are more brands that had a comeback, but the one who made the biggest comeback in 2025 was Selkirk.

One may argue Selkirk never "fell off" that hard in terms of popularity, but I think the perception of Selkirk in terms of pure performance made a huge comeback.

I was probably the biggest Selkirk hater ever since I was super excited to win a free Power Air then greatly disappointed by its performance.

Before mid-2025, Selkirk didn't really have a top-performing paddle in a long time.

They were always making their own things that didn't seem to impress "paddle nerds."

I didn't know many higher-level players who actively chose to use Selkirk unless they were ambassadors or sponsored.

Both the 007 and 008 were big flops in my opinion. They got a couple people with the marketing in the beginning, but nobody really kept playing with them.

Then the Era came out, and it was probably the first good paddle they came out with in a while. I even made a video reviewing it and admitting I would reconsider my hatred.

And then the Boomstik came, which just completely dominated the market.

They are my preference in paddles, but they made a top-tier paddle in terms of power when they haven't had anything similar since maybe the Power Air.

As a Selkirk Hater, I think Selkirk deserves the Biggest Turnaround Award of 2025.

Winner: Selkirk - For going from "paddle nerds don't use it" to dominating the market with the Boomstik.

Budget Paddle of the Year: Ronbus Quanta

For the Budget Paddle of the Year, I'm going to use the threshold of $150. There are many budget paddles close to $100, so the $50 buffer seems reasonable.

I think the big three are:

1. Luzz Cannon - Gen 3 power at $99
2. Vatic V-Sol Pro - Gen 4 option with great pop
3. Ronbus Quanta - Full foam core at budget price

Before these three, you couldn't really get a top-tier power paddle for anywhere close to $100.

I do think these 3 finally broke down the paywall of top-level power and are the example of budget-friendly options that aren't holding back.

The Winner

After looking at MyPickleList, it seems like the Ronbus Quanta is both more popular and higher rated, which also aligns with my personal thoughts on all 3 paddles.

The Vatic V-Sol is a better option if you like more poppiness and a crisper feel. The Luzz Cannon is better if you like Gen 3 paddles. But overall, the ratings point to the Ronbus Quanta being the best performer, and I agree since I played and enjoyed it the best.

Winner: Ronbus Quanta - For delivering top-tier performance at a budget price point.

Paddle of the Year: Joola Perseus Pro IV

This was closer than I would've thought based on MyPickleList data and even personal experience, but due to the longevity and dominance, the Paddle of the Year is going to be the Joola Perseus Pro IV.

The runner-up would've been the Selkirk Boomstik.

The Joola Pro IV Perseus is the most popular paddle, and although the courts are more varied with the introduction of the Boomstik, there was just a point in time from when they were released up until recently where everyone was using a Pro IV.

They are good power paddles and well-rounded for most players.

According to MyPickleList:

• The 14mm was more popular with a score of 8.23/10
• The 16mm ended the year with an 8.53/10

Joola set the standard of power paddles, and the Perseus Pro IV rightfully deserves the Paddle of the Year award.

Winner: Joola Perseus Pro IV - For dominating the courts and setting the standard for power paddles in 2025.

Award Summary

Here's a quick recap of all the winners:

• 🏆 Innovation of the Year: CRBN Trufoam Genesis (Full Foam Core Technology)
• 🚀 Breakout Brand of the Year: RPM
• 📈 Biggest Turnaround of the Year: Selkirk
• 💰 Budget Paddle of the Year: Ronbus Quanta
• 🎯 Paddle of the Year: Joola Perseus Pro IV

What Do You Think?

Were these awards valid, or should I quit pickleball content? Let me know in the comments below!

These awards are based on a combination of MyPickleList community data and my personal experience testing these paddles. The beauty of MyPickleList is that it's community-driven—everyone's voice matters.

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Awards based on MyPickleList community data and personal play testing throughout 2025. Data includes ratings, popularity metrics, and on-court observations. All opinions are my own based on extensive play testing.