Top 3 Pickleball Paddles Right Now (Based on 542 Community Ratings)

Every so often, I dive into our community data to see which paddles are truly standing out. With over 542 ratings from real players on MyPickleList, we're seeing some clear favorites emerge.

Quick note: I've only included paddles with 5 or more ratings. There were some paddles that were rated 1-2 times with very high scores, but I want them to be validated a bit more before including them. The more ratings a paddle has, the more reliable the average becomes. Let's dive in, counting down from 3rd to 1st place.

🥉 3rd Place: Selkirk Boomstik Widebody

Community Rating: 8.43/10 (14 ratings)
Price: $333

No surprise here for me. Since the Selkirk Boomstik came out, it has become one of the most popular paddles out there for all skill levels. The elongated version is actually the 2nd most popular paddle right now on our site, only behind the Joola Perseus Pro IV that everyone and their momma has.

The Boomstiks are one of the most poppy and powerful paddles on the market, and the majority of people like power paddles. I played with the Elongated Boomstik for a session and didn't like it that much. I prefer more dwell time, and the Boomstik is like the opposite of that. The ball feels like it pops off right away with a lot of pop. I popped up way more stuff than I'm used to for sure.

I played with the widebody version for a game (albeit a few months later), and it was more controllable. Maybe that's why the widebody is rated higher.

Who This Paddle Is For

✅ Great if you want:

• Max power
• Max pop
• Responsive, instant feedback
• A powerful widebody paddle (limited options out there)

❌ Skip if you:

• Care about how much it costs
• Need more control in your games
• Like more dwell time
• Are newer to pickleball (may be difficult to control and keep balls in and down)

You probably won't listen to me on that last one though. All in all, the power is definitely there, and the sweet spot on the widebody is better, so I can see why people rated it this high.

🥈 2nd Place: Ronbus Quanta R3

Community Rating: 8.56/10 (9 ratings)
Price: $119.99

When the Ronbus Quantas and Vatic Vcores came out, they shocked the pickleball market. At the time, Gen 4 paddles were all around $280+, so releasing one for $120 or less was just crazy.

I didn't get to try either until a month or so after they released, but from the initial reviews of the Quanta, it seemed like with the right setup, it played just like the Boomstik—which everyone wanted and still wants. Maybe it's just me, but I would've thought a bunch of people would've bought the Quanta because they "played similar" for 1/3rd the price. But I didn't see anyone have one for the longest time.

I probably saw 20 Boomstiks for every Quanta I saw.

I did do a review on the Quanta R4, which is the hybrid shape. Long story short, I'd say it has similar firepower to the Boomstik but a different feel. The Boomstik is crisp and very poppy, while the Quanta is still poppy but more muted—the ball dwells a bit before popping off.

Overall, I gave the Quanta a 9/10, which is the highest rating I've given. I have 5 other paddles I gave a 9/10 to as well.

Who This Paddle Is For

✅ Great for:

• Want top-tier power
• Prefer a bit less poppy but more dwell than a Boomstik
• Care about price

❌ Skip if:

• You hate more muted paddles
• You're a newer player who needs more control

🥇 1st Place: Luzz Pro 4 Inferno

Community Rating: 8.71/10 (7 ratings)
Price: $229

Luzz, in my opinion, is a smaller brand that's definitely on the come-up recently. They made some power paddles with the Cannon and Inferno that are definitely getting some use here and there, compared to before when I didn't see a single one in the wild.

I haven't hit with either the Cannon or Inferno, but I've heard good things about both, so they're definitely on my list of paddles to potentially try.

Since I didn't try it myself, I'll skip the "Who This Paddle Is For" section, but I'll include some of the comments from our community later. 8.71 is very high after 7 ratings, and I'm curious if this will stay the top paddle for an extended time.

The Data Behind The Rankings

These rankings come from 542 community ratings across all paddles on MyPickleList as of December 2025.

Why Trust Community Ratings?

Unlike sponsored reviews or marketing materials, these ratings come from real players who've spent their own money and time testing these paddles. They have no incentive to inflate scores—just honest feedback about what works and what doesn't.

My idea is to supplement reviews you may see online! I agree I'd trust a trusted reviewer over someone random, but they may not always have the same exact taste as you. Also, that's a lot of videos to watch if you want to get the scoop on every paddle plus multiple reviewers' opinions. That's why I wanted to create a platform to accumulate a bunch of ratings so you can easily see what's worth looking into and what you can just skip.

For example, if a paddle has a 5-6 rating, you can probably ignore it. But if it has an 8.71? It might be worth looking into to see if it's for you.

Remember: The "best" paddle is subjective and depends on your play style, skill level, and preferences. Use these rankings as a starting point, but it may take some time actually playing with paddles to know if you'll actually like it.

Compare All Rated Paddles

Want to see the full rankings? Check out MyPickleList.com to browse all 400+ paddles with community ratings, filter by your preferences, and add your own ratings to help other players.

🎁 Atlanta area players: We're still running our beta tester incentive program! Rate and comment on 5 paddles to earn a $20 gift card to Premier Racquet Sports. 35 out of 100 spots claimed—don't miss out!

Rankings based on MyPickleList community data as of December 8, 2025. Individual experiences may vary. Always demo paddles when possible before making a purchase decision.