Best pickleball balls in 2023 - top 10 compared

Why we picked it

The PCKL Elite 40 is the perfect blend of quality, durability and price. So, it's no surprise that it's the ball of choice for competitive play for both the Amateur Pickleball Association (APA) and the Southern Pickleball Association (SPA).

Who it's for

These balls are made for anyone wanting a long-lasting, high-performance ball. What's more, anyone who likes to play in low-light conditions will value the bright, neon green color.

Features

With their standard 40-hole pattern, these balls are rotationally molded in one piece to help them avoid cracking. This comes thanks to the blend of plastics specially designed to resist cracking, even in cold conditions.

Design and feel

This ball only comes in one color: neon green. This makes them highly visible, even in low light conditions. It also makes it easier to play with, resulting in fewer mishits because your eye is naturally drawn to the ball.

The Elite 40s have excellent bounce, which reviewers say holds up over time. When tested with a durometer, the Elite 40 is similar in hardness to the Franklin X-40 and slightly softer than the Dura Fast 40.

Performance

Players agree that these balls 'fly true', meaning they go where you hit them. We found this to be the case in testing, and we were impressed by their accuracy—even after playing a few tough matches.

Over time, the balls retained their shape and firm feel, with plenty of bounce game after game.

Value for money

For just $14.99, you get four high-performance pickleballs that feel firm and responsive off your paddle. They can also take a beating from game to game. While they're not the cheapest on the list, they deliver big time when it comes to quality and durability.

Pros:

✔️ Premium balls, designed for competitive play

✔️ Superior durability, even in cold weather, meaning fewer cracked balls

✔️ USA Pickleball approved

✔️ Official pickleball of the APA and the SPA

Cons:

❌ Only comes in one color option (neon green)

❌ A little pricey compared to other options

Why we picked it

Franklin Sports is one of the top brands in pickleball, and there's a reason the X-40s are the most popular pickleball ball you'll find on outdoor courts. They're a consistent performer, durable, and well-priced.

Who it's for

This is an outdoor ball, so will suit those who prefer pickleball out in the elements. It's durable enough for rough and unforgiving courts and the toughest weather conditions. The X-40 is also approved for use in outdoor tournaments by USA Pickleball.

Features

Franklin X-40 balls feature a standard 40-hole pattern for outdoor play. They use a one-piece, rotationally-molded construction without seams. This makes them more crack-resistant and ensures a longer lifespan.

Design and feel

These balls come in a range of colors to suit any playing conditions, with options that will stand out clearly no matter what color your court is and in low light conditions.

Players often comment how these have a 'hard' feel off the paddle, rather than a softer option like the JOOLA Primo.

Performance

I've played with these balls more than any other on this list—and for good reason. They're consistent on the court and provide a regular bounce that I've come to expect. Their consistency also makes them great for drilling.

Value for money

At just $21 on Pickleball Central for a pack of six, you won't get better value for money.

Pros:

✔️ Official ball of US Open Pickleball Championships

✔️ Four color options available

✔️ USA Pickleball-approved for tournaments

Cons:

❌ Not designed for indoor use

❌ Can crack when used below 40ºF

Why we picked it

The ONIX Dura Fast 40 is one of the most popular pickleballs on the market. For many, this is the go-to option since these were the first dedicated pickleball ball available back in the day.

They are also the official ball of the Association of Pickleball Players (APP) and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA).

Who it's for

This ball is great for anyone who is progressing their game from beginner to intermediate level. It's a solid ball with excellent on-court performance and a great bounce.

Features

The Dura Fast 40 features 40 precisely drilled holes for outdoor pickleball play. These balls are a patented design using two different hole sizes, which ONIX say gives this ball the best possible flight pattern.

Design and feel

The Dura Fast 40 comes in two eye-catching color options—neon green and yellow. It's a harder ball than the PCKL Elite, but softer than the CORE offering.

Performance

A patented hole design gives this ball a perfect flight even in windy conditions. It's a one-piece seamless ball, and it's fast, making it ideal for the advancing beginner. These balls are also praised for their consistency in flight and bounce. I can say these balls feel and play lightning-fast, especially after many games with the Franklin X-40s.

The single-piece construction ensures they can withstand the rigors of outdoor play and maintain consistent performance, but reviewers warn that these balls may start to crack after 10 games in tough (i.e. cold) conditions.

Value for money

At $24 for a 6-pack on Pickleball Central, these balls are slightly more expensive than other offerings, but their performance makes them worth it.

Pros:

✔️ Ideal for advancing-beginners

✔️ High performance and consistency

✔️ Official ball of the APP & PPA tours

Cons:

❌ May not last as long as some other offerings, like the JOOLA Primo

❌ Higher price tag

Why we picked it

We picked the CORE ball as our favorite for outdoors simply because we love its performance on the court. It's got a consistent bounce and goes where you want it, even in windy conditions.

Who it's for

This pickleball ball is ideal for intermediate to advanced pickleheads who play outdoors in tough conditions such as wind and rain. However, it's not suitable for areas that drop below 45ºF. It's made to stand up to aggressive play, making it ideal for the bangers among us.

Features

The CORE offering has a standard 40-hole design, with a weight that's as heavy as it can be within USA Pickleball limits.

CORE claims that these use a special urethane mix that makes it five times stronger than the average pickleball. Whether that's entirely true or not, these balls are certainly hard-wearing and tough enough to stand up to aggressive play.

Design and feel

These balls are hard, which means they react a little faster than the competition. They're lively and reactive on the court, and can stand up to intense play at the highest level.

Performance

This pickleball is praised for its precision. Based on reviews, players claim their shots go where they aim them—even with a little crosswind. The bounce height is also consistent, meaning you can rely on where the ball will end up, game after game.

Value for money

At $9.99 for a pack of three, these balls are great value for money because they deliver such great performance and durability.

Pros:

✔️ High performance in windy outdoor playing conditions

✔️ Strong build for aggressive shots

✔️ Great for intermediate to advanced players

Cons:

❌ Hard material becomes brittle in the cold

❌ Not designed for beginners

Why we picked it

The Fuse Indoors ball is ONIX's upgrade to their wildly successful Pure 2 ball, designed with a lower bounce to comply with USA Pickleball bounce rules. This upgraded ball is approved for tournaments and offers excellent speed and performance on the courts.

Who it's for

These are perfect for players of any level who prefer indoor pickleball. They have a large hole pattern, which helps to reduce excessive bounce on indoor surfaces like concrete or wooden gym floors.

Features

These balls feature 26 holes, the standard for indoor pickleballs. These holes are larger than those in outdoor pickleballs, so the ball weighs just slightly less.

Design and feel

Indoor pickleballs are typically softer than outdoor balls, and this is true for the ONIX Fuse. This means it will react and fly a little slower than balls designed for the outdoors. The Fuse is known for its excellent balance, which is achieved by the precision-drilled holes.
They feature a high-end design that adds to their durability, and gives them a more consistent bounce.

Performance

This ball definitely performs on the courts, even at the highest level. Their hole configuration is optimized for indoor play, offering stable flight characteristics and better control in indoor court conditions.

Value for money

At $40 for a 12-pack, these balls don't come cheap, but they deliver plenty of bang for your buck.

Pros:

✔️ Meets USA Pickleball regulations for tournaments

✔️ Consistent bounce

✔️ Two color choices (yellow & orange)

Cons:

❌ Not as tough as their previous offering, the Pure 2

❌ Orange option not so visible against hardwood floors in gyms

❌ High price tag

Why we picked it

We picked the Pure 2 as our best all-weather ball as this is an all-time favorite among pickleball players and is ideal for any conditions.

It can stand up to a ton of play, even on rough and uneven surfaces. It would have been our pick for 'most durable' if it weren't for the JOOLA Primo, which just wins out.

Who it's for

While anyone can use this ball, it's particularly great for outdoor play and can handle tougher conditions.

Features

The ONIX Pure 2 features 40 holes. These are all the same size, unlike the Dura Fast 40 which has holes of two different diameters. The ball is made using a two-piece construction, whereby two halves are melted together leaving an almost invisible seam.

Design and feel

The ONIX Pure 2 offers a soft touch and a smooth, precise flight path—even if it gets a little windy.

Performance

The ball is known for its stable flight and consistent response. This reliability allows players to focus on their skills rather than worrying about unpredictable ball behavior.

Value for money

At $16.99 for a 6-pack, these balls offer great value for money, especially given the fact they'll last for many hours of play.

Pros:

✔️ Known for their toughness

✔️ Seam welded for fewer cracked balls

✔️ High bounce suits some players

Cons:

❌ Not approved for tournament use

❌ Seam can be raised to begin with, but soon wears off

Why we picked it

JOOLA has a long history in ping-pong, but they've recently exploded onto the pickleball scene. They make some of the best pickleball paddles on the market, and now they've turned their attention to pickleball balls.

With the JOOLA Primo, they've managed to create the most durable pickleball we've tested yet.

Who it's for

These balls are for anyone who knows the frustration of several cracked balls during a pickleball session. You can hit these in rough conditions for hours without worrying about broken balls.

Features

The most unique aspect of these balls is that they're specially built to resist cracking and deforming. This is achieved through a one-piece construction (rotomolded polyethylene).

These balls feature a standard 40-hole outdoor pickleball pattern. The holes are precision drilled for balance, which gives them a consistently accurate flight and a regular, predictable bounce. This makes them great for games as well as practice.

Design and feel

The Primo comes in one color: bright neon yellow. This makes it highly visible, even in low-light conditions.

The polyethylene material performs well in the heat and also hardens in cold climates to prevent cracking. That said, some reviewers found these balls a little too soft when playing in warm conditions.

Performance

Their precision regularity in hole size and overall construction minimizes the wobble that some pickleball balls suffer from.

The precision cut of the holes is a big part of what makes these balls so reliable on the court. Their accuracy and consistent bounce make them ideal for use with pickleball machines, since you always know where they'll go.

Value for money

At just under $12 for a 4-pack, these balls are excellent value. Plus, if you buy a 20-pack for $50, they come with a free carry bag and work out to just $2.50 per ball.

Pros:

✔️ Super tough, crack-resistant construction

✔️ Can stand up to very cold temperatures (below 40ºF)

✔️ USA Pickleball-approved for tournament play

Cons:

❌ Only available in one color

❌ Some players find it a little soft in warm conditions

Why we picked it

Our second pick from PCKL, the Optic Outdoor pickleball is designed for—you guessed it—speed! We found it noticeably faster than most balls we were used to playing with. The duo-tone practice ball is also a nice touch.

Who it's for

These are ideal for anyone who plays mostly outdoor pickleball and is looking for a bit of extra speed in their shots. The duo-tone balls are perfect if you want to practice your spin game, as well as defend against spin from opponents.

Features

While these are standard 40-hole outdoor balls, they weigh a gram less than most others on our list. That might not sound like much, but it makes a real difference to the feel of the ball in play.

They're seam-welded, which adds to their durability in all weather conditions and provides extra structural stability.

Design and feel

These balls are faster than most because they have a small amount of give, or 'squishiness' as some reviewers describe it. This bit of flex in the ball creates more spring off your paddle. Combine this with a hard swing and these will really zip through the air.

The Optic Outdoor comes in three color options: neon green, yellow, and duo-tone. The duo-tone ones are pickleball's first ever two-tone balls, and were designed as training aids.

The two colors allow players to track the ball's spin and flight mid-air. These aren't approved for tournament use, but they are an excellent tool for pickleball practice sessions.

Performance

This pickleball is highly responsive given all that extra spring off the paddle face. They also bounce well, and reviewers have praised them for their consistently true flight.

Value for money

At $13.99 for a 4-pack, these aren't the cheapest options on our list. However, they're worth it for their sheer quality and speed on the courts.

Pros:

✔️ Extra spring for added speed

✔️ Seam-welded for durability

✔️ Duo-tone practice colors available

Cons:

❌ Only comes in packs of four

❌ A little pricey

Why we picked it

We picked the Fuse G2 as our best ball for competitive play as it's a premium ball that will stand up to heavy use in competitions. When it comes to competitions, no other ball makes an appearance quite as often.

Who it's for

This ball is ideal for anyone who plays tournaments and competitions outdoors, particularly where wind is an issue.

Features

This is the outdoor version of our best pickleball for indoor play. It's seam-welded and will stand up to heavy play for many hours.

These are 'weather-weighted' balls, which means they're designed to play well in windy conditions. This is achieved through the use of slightly smaller holes, which help to resist wind interference.

Design and feel

These balls feel accurate and responsive on the court, giving a satisfying pop and true flight. While they only come in one color (neon green), it makes them highly visible, even in low light.

Performance

These balls are ready to play straight out of the box, with no conditioning required (some balls require some pre-squeezing for optimal performance).

Players swear by these balls for their excellent flight performance, staying true throughout their flight, regardless of the wind.

They also use what ONIX call their 'authentic bounce technology' to deliver optimal rebound off the ground and paddle face. This creates a satisfying pop on impact.

Value for money

A 6-pack of these will set you back just $16.99, which is great value for such a high-performance ball.

Pros:

✔️ USA Pickleball approved

✔️ Wind-resistant accuracy

Cons:

❌ Only one color option

❌ May feel a little heavy for beginners

Why we picked it

We picked the Tourna Strike as the best bulk buy pickleball because of how affordable they are without being too cheaply built. They also come in the biggest batches of any balls we've found.

Who it's for

These are great for pickleball clubs, pickleball camps, and those who use pickleball machines for practice. They're cheap, cheerful, and surprisingly good quality.

Features

With a 40-hole outdoor pickleball design, these balls have a standard size while being slightly lighter than others on our list. This is down to the use of thinner plastic, meaning they are a little less durable.

Design and feel

These are the lightest balls on our list, which gives them a lively bounce—ideal for beginners. They fly straight most of the time, and are more than adequate for beginner practice sessions.

Performance

These aren't going to blow your socks off when it comes to on-court performance, but they are good enough for amateurs and practice play.

Value for money

These balls come in at $1.25 a ball, or $1 per ball if you buy 200. We can't argue with that price, but remember that you get what you pay for.

Pros:

✔️ USA Pickleball-approved

✔️ Perfect as practice balls

✔️ Cheaper the more you buy

✔️ 12 and 36-packs come with a reusable carry bag

Cons:

❌ Visible seam, but this will wear off

❌ Can be inconsistent in bounce and performance

❌ Only one color choice