Hudef Apex Pro 2 Review: Can This Budget Paddle Compete?

Hudef just came out with a new foam paddle.

They're targeting the budget-friendly market with their latest paddle being $150, but are they actually good?

I've been testing the Hudef Apex Pro 2 for a few days now, and I'm ready to give you my honest first impressions and review.

Let's see if this budget paddle can compete with the big boys.

Image via Hudef

Caveats & Disclosures

Reminder: This is a first impressions review, not a full review.

I've only played with it for a few days, so I can't speak to long-term durability.

I'll be rating this paddle on MyPickleList at the end - that's the community platform where players rate and review paddles. It's a great way to see what other players think and make informed decisions.

Shout out to Hudef for sending this paddle for review! Use code PICKLELI if you decide to buy one for $135.

Hudef Apex Pro 2 Specs & Price

Right off the bat, this paddle is a widebody shape and the only shape of this model.

It's targeting a budget price point at $150 before any codes, which puts it in an interesting category of a bit more than true budget, but not an expensive paddle by any means.

The handle is on the shorter side, so keep that in mind if you have big hands or prefer longer handles.

The grip feels a bit cheap, but that's expected at this price point.

My paddle weighed 8.25 oz. I was able to test it with my normal setup and it weighed 8.8 oz.

Hudef Apex Pro 2 Performance: Power, Control & Feel

Pop

The pop of this paddle is pretty average. Counters were normal, which also means pretty easy to control.

Control & Feel

I think this paddle has pretty good control overall.

The widebody shape really helps with the sweet spot - I didn't feel like I was missing too much on shots I expected to hit.

It's more on the responsive side, not that much dwell time. Not my personal favorite, but good for those of you who do like responsive feels.

Regarding feel, definitely preferred drops over drives. I think just the way I hit drives, I need more dwell time to have it dip more. It was hard to get my drives low, similar to the 11six24 APP Pegasus.

That being said, playing the soft game was pretty easy even in stock form, which is nice.

Power

Regarding power, I would say it's an all-court leaning power paddle.

It's not the craziest thing ever, probably slightly less than my CRBN4 Trufoam Genesis.

It's definitely playable and gets the job done, but don't expect it to compete with the top power paddles.

Hudef Apex Pro 2 Rating & Verdict

Now let me rate this on MyPickleList.

MyPickleList is the website I built where you can keep track of all your paddles and in the meantime help others determine which paddles to get. This ideally makes it really easy to see if a paddle is good or not without having to watch a bunch of YouTube videos or blogs like this one!

I'm giving the Hudef Apex Pro 2 a 6/10 - that's above average but not exceptional.

It's a solid paddle that I could use and do well with, but it's just not the most exciting thing.

I do think I enjoy it more than the original Engage paddles and similar budget options.

For the price point, it's actually pretty good value.

I think this is a good paddle for someone who wants an all-court paddle leaning towards power.

It's also good for someone who doesn't like adding weight, since it plays pretty well stock already.

The shorter handle might be a dealbreaker for some, but I didn't have too much trouble with it.

If it had a bit more power or if I could shape the ball better, I would give it a higher rating.

But for $150, it's definitely a solid option.

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Want to buy the Hudef Apex Pro 2? Get it here with code PICKLELI → (use code PICKLELI for $135)

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This is a first impressions review based on a few days of play testing. Long-term durability and performance may vary. Shout out to Hudef for providing the demo paddle.