Paddletek is one of the best-known pickleball brands, with pros like Christian Alshon, Connor Garnett, and Zane Navratil on their roster. That's one of the reasons they can charge $250 for a new paddle.
Their first foam offering, the Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam has a plush feel with good dwell time on the paddle face. It shines on control, forgiveness, and spin. Its lack of speed, though, held me back when I wanted to play a quick attacking game.
We've secured a big $30 discount on this one at Pickleball Central. Still, there is stiff competition in this price range, and the Honeyfoam is up against some of the best pickleball paddles.
The Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam is a good control paddle with forgiveness and spin. It can get you out of sticky situations because it's reliable, with a nice foam feel that brings dwell time to the paddle face. I just couldn’t get past the weighting imbalance, making it head-heavy and weighing on my arm. That will rule out beginners and many intermediates, as well as anyone prone to tennis elbow or wrist strain. Even as an advanced pickleball paddle, it doesn't have the power most high-level players need. It feels more like one of the softer, earliest foam paddles from early 2025, not the 5-star foam paddles you can now get in the $150 to $250 range. I was left feeling like Paddletek entered the foam market behind the times.Today's best deals
Buy or pass?
Buy if:
You want reliable control and forgiveness:
if you're a 4.0+ player who wants a paddle with nice dwell time and a forgiving sweet spot, this is worth checking out.
You want to hit aggressive drops and serves:
I like this paddle for rolling and dipping my drops aggressively and curling serves down the middle to set up third shots.
You're loyal to the Paddletek brand:
many Paddletek fans will be excited to see what the brand does with its first foam paddle.
Pass if:
You want more power:
paddles like the CRBN TruFoam Barrage, Honolulu J6CR, and Holbrook Fuze have a lot more power than this.
You're sensitive to head-heavy weighting:
as someone who struggles with strains and tennis elbow, I find the top-heavy weighting uncomfortable.
You're a beginner:
new players will fare a lot better with a lighter, faster paddle like the Vatic Pro V-SOL Pro.
Paddletek enters the foam market
Paddletek has finally entered the foam market, and they've made a solid, reliable foam paddle. It has good dwell time on the surface, which helps you control pop-ups and hit accurate dinks. I like hitting angles out of the air, rolling the ball to the side, and forcing my opponents to move their feet.
It's very forgiving. I've won a lot of scrappy points where I force my opponent to take five or six extra shots when they have the advantage.
Overall, it lacks the power I need to compete effectively at the highest levels. It also feels head-heavy. I tried adjusting it with weighted paddle tape, but it became even more sluggish. Some head-heavy paddles at least give you more power (like the Spartus P1). This paddle just feels clunky for no reason.
The Reserve feels like one of the softer first foam paddles from early 2025, like the FLiK F1 or the original CRBN TruFoam Genesis paddles. Since then, foam tech has gone crazy, managing to bring in tons of power while maintaining control. Paddles like the FLiK F3, Honolulu J2NF, and Bread & Butter Loco are more impressive and innovative. All are cheaper than this, too.
With a $220 price tag (with our exclusive discount), it's hard to justify this paddle in today's market unless you're a Paddletek fan already who's looking for an upgrade to their current paddle.
Learn more about how we test and review pickleball gear.
Paddle Weight
7.8 to 8.2 oz
Paddle Length
16.5 inches
Paddle Width
7.5 inches
Handle Length
5.75 inches
Grip Circumference
4.25 inches
Paddle Face Material
PT-700 unidirectional raw carbon fiber
Core Material
Honeyfoam™ (multi-foam EPP, EVA)
Core Thickness
14 or 16 mm
Sweet Spot
Large
How the Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam plays
| Category | Rating | Notes |
| Power | 8/10 | This doesn't compare with other paddles at its price point when it comes to power. You really have to swing to unlock any power. That said, it works on aggressive drives because the dwell time propels the ball with force. |
| Control | 9/10 | It's better for control because there's nice dwell time on the paddle face. You can place dinks and drops easily and reliably. |
| Spin | 9/10 | I can cut into my serves really well. On the right side, I can pull them off the court, and on the left, I can curl it down the middle. Setting up third shots is easier as well. |
| Forgiveness | 9/10 | It's reliable on forgiveness. I can dig balls out nicely after pop-ups. I've had a lot of scrappy points where I forced my opponent to take five or six extra shots when they had the advantage, and I've won some points this way. |
| Weighting | 5/10 | I don't like the weight at all – it feels head-heavy and clunky. It's like the paddle wants to pull down in my hand. I can't add any weight because then it feels like I'm swinging a club. |
| Grip | 6/10 | I had to change the grip because it kept slipping in my hand during important points. It's also not quite long enough to get that extra reach some people like, but not short enough that people who don't like a long handle are fully satisfied – just kind of in the middle. |
| Durability | 7/10 | I feel like the very tip of this paddle becomes soft in the center. I'm a little bit worried that this Honeyfoam™ might have the same durability problems as JOOLA paddles, with core crushing and delaminating. |
| Aerodynamics | 5/10 | I play with the 16 mm model. These usually aren't very fast, but the Reserve feels especially head-heavy and sluggish. Maybe the 14 mm addresses those issues. |
✅ Pros
Reliable control and forgiveness
It has solid dwell time on the paddle face, which always lends itself to better control. Like other foam paddles at its price point, it's very reliable. On dinks, it's really easy to control pop-ups. The sweet spot is large, which means you can depend on it. You won't have to worry about mishits.
Learn about dwell based power vs pop based power.
Paddletek spin
Paddletek paddles usually have awesome spin. While this isn't one of the best paddles for spin, I can still get great angles on my shots. I really like it on aggressive drops because you can really roll them and get them dipping a lot.
Serve variety
On my serve, I can really cut into it. On the right side, I can pull them off the court, and on the left side, I can curl it down the middle. It lends itself to setting up third shots more easily.
❌ Considerations
Head-heavy weighting
This paddle really wants to pull down in your hand. It tires me out. I usually add weight to my paddles to correct any imbalances, but I can't do that here. It would just make it even more cumbersome.
Factory grip needs replacing
I had to change the grip almost immediately because it just kept slipping in my hand.
Durability concerns
I'm a little concerned about the durability. The very tip of the paddle becomes soft and a little core is crushed. I've felt this before with JOOLA paddles.
Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam – is it worth it?
The Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam comes in at $250, though you can take $30 off at Pickleball Central with our exclusive discount. It certainly offers better control and forgiveness than some paddles in this price range, like the RPM Friction Pro and the Franklin C45.
However, if you're after a foam paddle (and you have the budget), I'd recommend spending more for the super-premium CRBN TruFoam Barrage ($252 with our discount).
Alternatively, there are more great options in the $150-200 range, like the Gherkin Draco and the Volair Shift. They offer more of a rounded game, with a more up-to-date foam feel.
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Alternatives to the Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam
If the Paddletek Reserve Honeyfoam isn't for you, here are three alternatives worth considering:
Better for power
JOOLA Pro V
Best value alternative
Holbrook Fuze
Better for beginners
11SIX24 Pegasus Jelly Bean
What even more options? Try my 30-second quiz and I'll recommend the best paddles for your play style and budget.
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