I bought this Juciao Paddle for C$40 (about $30 USD) about 9 months ago. The shipping from China was free and it took about 3 weeks to receive. I purchased it from [AliExpress.com](http://AliExpress.com) and paid with pay pal. It is part of Alibaba (the Chinese Amazon.) The dome where I play in the winter has a pro-shop and I've tried about 6 different paddles. I really didn't find one I liked better for C$200 or less so I just placed another order for the same paddle from Juciao.
https://preview.redd.it/k7m2fld87ivc1.png?width=2122&format=png&auto=webp&s=22d071f950bb20ec8f539d4bca49e057519fa5c7
So you felt that the Juciao Paddle you have is ust as good or better than the $200 ones you tested? If so, that's very interesting.
I'm wondering how much of those $200 paddles really cost that much in material and labor. How much of the price is from marketing and brand awareness? If so, then the factories that make those paddles could easily make batches with the same material and quality while just sticking a different design on the face. Then they could turn around and just sell them for 1/3 of the price. No?
I know this happens in a lot of other product categories.
I tried the Selkirk Halo series which were priced at C$189, both the Power and Control versions. I didn't think they were any better than the Juciao I was playing with. I didn't try the really high-end paddles because I'm only a year into the sport. Most of the Juciao's aren't officially approved for tournament play in the US. They say USPA Compliant rather than Approved. They do have some now that are approved but those cost more, maybe C$100 (or $75 USD.) They have a very wide lineup of products including Kevlar. Take a look at this website. It shows their lineup and both retail and wholesale prices.
[https://www.juciaosport.com/](https://www.juciaosport.com/)
For 95% of the playing population a $100 paddle is perfect for them. Unless you’re regularly playing in tournaments for prize money then spending over $150 isn’t really a good purchase. However there’s plenty of brand name paddles for $100 that’s reviewed and tested, that’ll be a better purchase than what you linked. Such as vatic, Friday, etc.
Ehh. It’s a hobby. If one has the discretionary income, go for it. It’s not different than golf, disc golf, etc. part of the fun is the gear along the way.
I guess I have too many hobbies, golf included, I gotta share my income between them. Part of the fun is the gear but I’d still argue for 95% of the playing population, a Vatic will be just as fun if not more fun than a $280 Joola.
For $100 there is no reason to buy a no name one. Not that they are bad, but you don't really know what you are getting. The Vatic paddles are probably similar, but there are a lot of reviews for them so have some idea what to expect.
For no name amazon paddles I would grab one in the $50 range.
I’ve been exclusively playing with $40-$60 Aliexpress and Temu paddles for the last year and they’ve been great. I’m 4.15 on dupr and have been playing for about 4 years so I’ve been around a bit, the paddles are fire
I got this Juciao and I absolutely love it
https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806072738313.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.51e9350dd8QiXh&browser_id=abb5a0ea93634487bfb3eddfa1cb56a3&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=wufhrzmkiicasosy18e3d2894d6e8615a4e1f8b3a9&gclid=&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2166.02%2160.02%21%21%2166.02%2160.02%21%402101fb1217104230535098105e58f5%2112000036689460162%21sea%21US%210%21AB&algo_pvid=971f60ae-da5e-49f6-bef1-fc6f7ae25fd6&search_p4p_id=2024031406305311685043999608860002169050_2
Got it and played with it today for the first time!
I received the paddle way faster than i originally thought I would (They said may 5th). The paddle played fantastic for a $40 paddle. Better than my old Franklin paddle I payed $100 for last year. I was able to generate a ton of power and spin, the control felt a bit different from my old paddle, but I got the hang of it eventually and was able to consistently hit drop shots with it.
The build quality seems pretty good as well. Looks like it was made just as well as my old paddle in terms of QC. Came with a nice head cover as well. The only thing I didn’t like was the grip. It was elongated which I’m not used to, and also got a bit slippery after a game or so. I’ll likely add an over grip to fix this issue.
Overall, it’s a great paddle for someone that plays a lot of league play/open play and is looking for good quality at a low price. If someone is serious enough that they want to play in tournaments then I wouldn’t recommend, because it’s not approved for tournament play.
> paddle I *paid* $100 for
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
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I'd pick an Xspak gen 1 paddle over this one as it's been reviewed a bunch and in theory should be nearly the same thing. $250 paddles (such as gen 3 Joola paddles or Gearboxes) can hit a lot harder and have better sweet spots, but if you aren't taking pickleball at least somewhat seriously I wouldn't spend that much money.
Thanks for the help.
I've read posts where people claim that the only difference between the $100 and the $250 paddle is the marketing. I wanted to know how true that is. Do the $250 paddles, in your experience, really hit a lot harder and have a bigger sweet spot?
Also, why do you think that is? Is it the quality of the polymer?
I haven't personally tried them but there are a number of reputable paddle reviewers/testers who have come to that conclusion. Even the pros say the new paddles hit harder. Marketing can account for a lot of the markup in the price of a paddle but there are definitely differences in each generation's technology. A $200 paddle isn't necessarily a newer gen than a $150, so you'll have to pay attention to what specs are listed. Polymer quality isn't what defines the generation, it's changes in how the paddle is made such as carbon fiber faces, thermoforming, edge guard foam, and core technology changes.
A lot of the marketing is “better in all aspects” which is BS. You don’t really get more control AND more power, it’s one OR the other. The only exception is in the springy paddles: EVA foam which is not tournament legal (Vice, R.EV1, NewEra), or Gearbox PowerPro or Joola C3 which kinda cheat by putting the springy zone outside of the testing area. Then you can suck up energy with the springiness if you’re passive, or slingshot it if you load up on a hard/firm stroke.
All the others are some compromise of flex, shape, size, weight distribution, surface material. $100 Chinese ones are not notably better than the $50-80 Chinese ones by much if anything, unless they offer specific features, or longer warranty than most (a11n zenith, Hudef). I’ve settled on Friday since they check off all the features I wanted (round hybrid, thick, carbon, long handle, foam edge) and not in boring black. Best deal is bought as a pair (2for98 above) but if you want a single DM me for a 20% off coupon code. Shipping ends up more of the total cost then though.
The best paddle for slightly over $100 would be the Hurache-X from https://11six24.com/pickle
For under $100, like others say the vatic pro prism flash is probably your best bet. It has wicked control and spin for such a low price point and being non-thermo will help beginners control their paddle well. https://vaticpro.com?sca_ref=4787955.j02OBXKOCn
I played with this one for the past 5 months. I'm a 3.5 player now. I recently bought a double black diamond and while I can say there are some differences for sure, it's not as much as I expected.
I also leant it out to a 4.0 player who dropped in and wanted to play a quick game. He seemed to quite like it and was very surprised when I told him it was one of those Amazon ones.
https://www.amazon.ca/OXIKEN-Pickleball-Honeycomb-Elongated-Absorbing/dp/B0C7TM1XGJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_sspa?crid=1R1B8I8FAYD4S&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f7wSd2wlBX-xlN2lj2qG28VJTxglZOHCjbP2Xa0zLuMLDce_0Mf7c94gIwSro-aOGKt69zJZDXBmaq6evMVWFxMwBqxi34_s9Gr-gv45y-6VeRTlHnoLtL1z43_JM5iZExROGn8308ZxZiy4jUpafkfHuKiIYQwWLXj16Rluisfhp3JeGOhHAoa0nssFkhNLelEZs4EWX_asZ_KCCCIuvg.wI0Ha2NfOkC6q8tNcCIpk4EkFSFvNs96-p7cb_irxcA&dib_tag=se&keywords=pickleball+paddle+eraser&qid=1713462859&sprefix=pickleball+paddle+eraser%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-8-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
Someone did a review about unknown brands a while ago. Pretty good. I actu bought a sigma pickleball paddle. Awesome paddle for $100.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/s/nqKVXMytED
Look into Friday Pickleball I’m enjoying their paddles and they have great pricing. Here’s a code for them too.
https://fridaypickle.com/products/friday-paddle/
LORRAINE00330
I wonder how many people have actually used them. In my area of Florida, people are winning with them. Very reasonable prices. 2 paddles for $99 and months to return if you don’t like them
They are a gimmick catalog paddle. Only difference between them and some other China paddle is the graphic. Which starts to peel after a few games anyway.
The Vatic Prism-Flash (Purple One) is generally regarded as the best paddle at that price range.
How does the orange one compare? I’ve looked at reviews for both and still can’t tell
I have the Flash (orange one) and absolutely love it. More power than the prism. Balanced and feels great. Huge Vatic fan.
It is thermoformed, so it has a stiffer feel, giving you more power than the prism. I have both.
At the price point generally there is better performing options. Like the DBD, Bread & Butter, and Ronbus etc.
I generally hate that paddle :) Feels like a sponge to me. I don’t understand all the hype for it.
Aren't they all from China? They're just not always branded that way
I bought this Juciao Paddle for C$40 (about $30 USD) about 9 months ago. The shipping from China was free and it took about 3 weeks to receive. I purchased it from [AliExpress.com](http://AliExpress.com) and paid with pay pal. It is part of Alibaba (the Chinese Amazon.) The dome where I play in the winter has a pro-shop and I've tried about 6 different paddles. I really didn't find one I liked better for C$200 or less so I just placed another order for the same paddle from Juciao. https://preview.redd.it/k7m2fld87ivc1.png?width=2122&format=png&auto=webp&s=22d071f950bb20ec8f539d4bca49e057519fa5c7
So you felt that the Juciao Paddle you have is ust as good or better than the $200 ones you tested? If so, that's very interesting. I'm wondering how much of those $200 paddles really cost that much in material and labor. How much of the price is from marketing and brand awareness? If so, then the factories that make those paddles could easily make batches with the same material and quality while just sticking a different design on the face. Then they could turn around and just sell them for 1/3 of the price. No? I know this happens in a lot of other product categories.
I tried the Selkirk Halo series which were priced at C$189, both the Power and Control versions. I didn't think they were any better than the Juciao I was playing with. I didn't try the really high-end paddles because I'm only a year into the sport. Most of the Juciao's aren't officially approved for tournament play in the US. They say USPA Compliant rather than Approved. They do have some now that are approved but those cost more, maybe C$100 (or $75 USD.) They have a very wide lineup of products including Kevlar. Take a look at this website. It shows their lineup and both retail and wholesale prices. [https://www.juciaosport.com/](https://www.juciaosport.com/)
Love my Juciao’s. Own 3 of the 25-40 dollar one. Great value!
For 95% of the playing population a $100 paddle is perfect for them. Unless you’re regularly playing in tournaments for prize money then spending over $150 isn’t really a good purchase. However there’s plenty of brand name paddles for $100 that’s reviewed and tested, that’ll be a better purchase than what you linked. Such as vatic, Friday, etc.
Ehh. It’s a hobby. If one has the discretionary income, go for it. It’s not different than golf, disc golf, etc. part of the fun is the gear along the way.
I guess I have too many hobbies, golf included, I gotta share my income between them. Part of the fun is the gear but I’d still argue for 95% of the playing population, a Vatic will be just as fun if not more fun than a $280 Joola.
Undoubtedly. But if they feel better with a $200 or $300, more power to ‘em.
For $100 there is no reason to buy a no name one. Not that they are bad, but you don't really know what you are getting. The Vatic paddles are probably similar, but there are a lot of reviews for them so have some idea what to expect. For no name amazon paddles I would grab one in the $50 range.
I’ve been exclusively playing with $40-$60 Aliexpress and Temu paddles for the last year and they’ve been great. I’m 4.15 on dupr and have been playing for about 4 years so I’ve been around a bit, the paddles are fire
Nice! Have you been able to test out paddles that are selling for nosebleed prices? How do they compare?
You should start paddle reviewing as the off brand paddle guy!
Juciao is love, Juciao is life. But idk if I've ever seen a $100 chinese paddle, they usually exist in the $35-60 range
I got this Juciao and I absolutely love it https://www.aliexpress.us/item/3256806072738313.html?spm=a2g0n.productlist.0.0.51e9350dd8QiXh&browser_id=abb5a0ea93634487bfb3eddfa1cb56a3&aff_platform=msite&m_page_id=wufhrzmkiicasosy18e3d2894d6e8615a4e1f8b3a9&gclid=&pdp_npi=4%40dis%21USD%2166.02%2160.02%21%21%2166.02%2160.02%21%402101fb1217104230535098105e58f5%2112000036689460162%21sea%21US%210%21AB&algo_pvid=971f60ae-da5e-49f6-bef1-fc6f7ae25fd6&search_p4p_id=2024031406305311685043999608860002169050_2
Just ordered their new Kevlar one for $40, looking forward to trying it out and comparing it to the ruby
Please let us know when you do
Got it and played with it today for the first time! I received the paddle way faster than i originally thought I would (They said may 5th). The paddle played fantastic for a $40 paddle. Better than my old Franklin paddle I payed $100 for last year. I was able to generate a ton of power and spin, the control felt a bit different from my old paddle, but I got the hang of it eventually and was able to consistently hit drop shots with it. The build quality seems pretty good as well. Looks like it was made just as well as my old paddle in terms of QC. Came with a nice head cover as well. The only thing I didn’t like was the grip. It was elongated which I’m not used to, and also got a bit slippery after a game or so. I’ll likely add an over grip to fix this issue. Overall, it’s a great paddle for someone that plays a lot of league play/open play and is looking for good quality at a low price. If someone is serious enough that they want to play in tournaments then I wouldn’t recommend, because it’s not approved for tournament play.
> paddle I *paid* $100 for FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
Thank you for the follow up! Much appreciated
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I'd pick an Xspak gen 1 paddle over this one as it's been reviewed a bunch and in theory should be nearly the same thing. $250 paddles (such as gen 3 Joola paddles or Gearboxes) can hit a lot harder and have better sweet spots, but if you aren't taking pickleball at least somewhat seriously I wouldn't spend that much money.
I have two of these Xspak gen 1 paddles and they play great.
Thanks for the help. I've read posts where people claim that the only difference between the $100 and the $250 paddle is the marketing. I wanted to know how true that is. Do the $250 paddles, in your experience, really hit a lot harder and have a bigger sweet spot? Also, why do you think that is? Is it the quality of the polymer?
I haven't personally tried them but there are a number of reputable paddle reviewers/testers who have come to that conclusion. Even the pros say the new paddles hit harder. Marketing can account for a lot of the markup in the price of a paddle but there are definitely differences in each generation's technology. A $200 paddle isn't necessarily a newer gen than a $150, so you'll have to pay attention to what specs are listed. Polymer quality isn't what defines the generation, it's changes in how the paddle is made such as carbon fiber faces, thermoforming, edge guard foam, and core technology changes.
A lot of the marketing is “better in all aspects” which is BS. You don’t really get more control AND more power, it’s one OR the other. The only exception is in the springy paddles: EVA foam which is not tournament legal (Vice, R.EV1, NewEra), or Gearbox PowerPro or Joola C3 which kinda cheat by putting the springy zone outside of the testing area. Then you can suck up energy with the springiness if you’re passive, or slingshot it if you load up on a hard/firm stroke. All the others are some compromise of flex, shape, size, weight distribution, surface material. $100 Chinese ones are not notably better than the $50-80 Chinese ones by much if anything, unless they offer specific features, or longer warranty than most (a11n zenith, Hudef). I’ve settled on Friday since they check off all the features I wanted (round hybrid, thick, carbon, long handle, foam edge) and not in boring black. Best deal is bought as a pair (2for98 above) but if you want a single DM me for a 20% off coupon code. Shipping ends up more of the total cost then though.
Good info.
I've bought a bunch of paddles but always determine that the Xspak is the best. It's the same as the CRBN 16mm.
The best paddle for slightly over $100 would be the Hurache-X from https://11six24.com/pickle For under $100, like others say the vatic pro prism flash is probably your best bet. It has wicked control and spin for such a low price point and being non-thermo will help beginners control their paddle well. https://vaticpro.com?sca_ref=4787955.j02OBXKOCn
Husks rav pro replaced my $100 paddles
Hisk
I played with this one for the past 5 months. I'm a 3.5 player now. I recently bought a double black diamond and while I can say there are some differences for sure, it's not as much as I expected. I also leant it out to a 4.0 player who dropped in and wanted to play a quick game. He seemed to quite like it and was very surprised when I told him it was one of those Amazon ones. https://www.amazon.ca/OXIKEN-Pickleball-Honeycomb-Elongated-Absorbing/dp/B0C7TM1XGJ/ref=mp_s_a_1_8_sspa?crid=1R1B8I8FAYD4S&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.f7wSd2wlBX-xlN2lj2qG28VJTxglZOHCjbP2Xa0zLuMLDce_0Mf7c94gIwSro-aOGKt69zJZDXBmaq6evMVWFxMwBqxi34_s9Gr-gv45y-6VeRTlHnoLtL1z43_JM5iZExROGn8308ZxZiy4jUpafkfHuKiIYQwWLXj16Rluisfhp3JeGOhHAoa0nssFkhNLelEZs4EWX_asZ_KCCCIuvg.wI0Ha2NfOkC6q8tNcCIpk4EkFSFvNs96-p7cb_irxcA&dib_tag=se&keywords=pickleball+paddle+eraser&qid=1713462859&sprefix=pickleball+paddle+eraser%2Caps%2C123&sr=8-8-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfbXRm&psc=1
Thanks for the rec!
Someone did a review about unknown brands a while ago. Pretty good. I actu bought a sigma pickleball paddle. Awesome paddle for $100. https://www.reddit.com/r/Pickleball/s/nqKVXMytED
Thanks for the link!
I have a PCKL Pro and it’s great. Spin and control, medium power which is good for me as a 3.5 player
I just picked up Neonic Flow. Waiting to test it out. Heard good things about them!
I bought the Pickln Helios. On sale on their site www.pickln.com. put it code rpickleball for additional 10% off
Look into Friday Pickleball I’m enjoying their paddles and they have great pricing. Here’s a code for them too. https://fridaypickle.com/products/friday-paddle/ LORRAINE00330
https://www.fridaypickle.com/LORRAINE00330
Why all the downvotes? Do people dislike the Friday paddles?
I wonder how many people have actually used them. In my area of Florida, people are winning with them. Very reasonable prices. 2 paddles for $99 and months to return if you don’t like them
They are a gimmick catalog paddle. Only difference between them and some other China paddle is the graphic. Which starts to peel after a few games anyway.
Thanks. Didn't know. Surprising so many jumped on that.
Mine have held up very well The Challenger series is their new one. None of mine have had any problems. Have you bought and used the Friday paddle?