You can buy pickleball paddles online at Amazon, Just Paddles, Dick’s Sporting Goods, and Tennis Warehouse. Alternatively, you can buy equipment from your local brick and mortar sports store.
Purchasing pickleball paddles online gives you thousands of options ranging from unknown names to legacy brands like Selkirk. However, buying a paddle from your local store affords you the luxury of touching, feeling and swinging different paddles before making your decision. However, you have fewer options at your disposal.
If you’re a beginner you’ll want to read this guide to learn where to buy pickleball paddles and the unique selling points of each store.
Table of Contents
Our Top Recommendations Where To Buy Pickleball Paddles
1. Amazon – Best Store To Buy Pickleball Paddles
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Thousands of options | You can’t test the paddle before buying |
| Competitive prices | They are light on legacy brands |
| Verified reviews help you decide | |
| More budget options compared to competitors |
Amazon is the best store to buy pickleball paddles because of the immense selection, competitive prices and rapid shipping. You find brands on Amazon that you won’t spot anywhere else on the internet or at your local brick and mortar store. For example, we discovered the JoncAye set on the site, which was a bargain buy and impressed our entire team.
On the contrary, we struggle to find many products from legacy brands like Babolat, Head and Adidas. However, they do stock an abundance of Selkirk paddles to make up for it.
2. Just Paddles – Best For Intermediate To Advanced Players
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Suits intermediate and advanced players | No budget brands offered like on Amazon |
| Premium brands | Fewer choices than Amazon |
| Paddle specialists |
Just Paddles carries hundreds of mid-range and premium paddles from famed brands like ProKennex, CRBN, Engage and Selkirk. These products are perfect for intermediate and advanced picklers who are seeking a quality paddle to improve power and control on the pickleball court.
You won’t find any budget non name brands on Just Paddles, which is a positive for picklers concerned about the authenticity of unknown names. However, that means the paddles are more expensive on average compared to Amazon.
3. Pickleball Central – Best Customer Service
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent customer service | Fewer reviews than Amazon |
| They stock legacy brands | The test drive policy doesn’t apply to Gearbox paddles |
| Paddles for every budget | |
| Paddle selector tool guides beginners |
Pickleball Central know how to keep customers happy, and we love their 30-day Paddle Test Drive policy. If you don’t like the paddle you purchased, you can ship it back to them for a full refund. The process is seamless, their communication is excellent, and it only takes up to 15 days to finalize the refund.
As a smaller entity, Pickleball Central doesn’t have the quantity of products and reviews that you can find on Amazon. That makes it challenging to sometimes decide on a paddle, but their team of experts are more than happy to point you in the right direction if you call or email them.
4. Dick’s Sporting Goods – Best For Legacy Pickleball Paddle Brands
Pros And Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Hundreds of paddles | Shipping delays |
| Competitive prices | Fewer reviews |
| Verified reviews help you decide |
Dick’s Sporting Goods is the best place to find legacy pickleball paddle brands like Head, Selkirk, Joola, Diadem and ProKennex. The retailer stocks an abundant selection of entry-level, mid-range and expensive paddles to cover beginners, intermediates, and advanced picklers.
We experienced a shipping delay when ordering an Onix Z5 graphite pickleball paddle. However, it was around Thanks Giving, and I can understand that delays and mistakes happen. I will just avoid Dick’s if I need a paddle in a rush.
Brick And Mortar Stores
If you prefer touching, feeling and swinging a paddle before buying it, I totally understand. I recommend venturing down to your local brick and mortar stores to test out the merchandise. The independent stores will have fewer options compared to online stores , leading to less competitive pricing.
Alternatively, Dick’s Sporting Goods outlets offer a broader selection of pickleball paddles compared to the mom and pop setups.
Verdict On Where To Buy Pickleball Paddles
You can buy pickleball paddles online at Amazon, Just Paddles, and Pickleball Central. Alternatively, you can buy paddles from brick and mortar sports outlets like Dick’s Sporting Goods. However, I find that Amazon is the best overall place to buy pickleball paddles.
Amazon offers a broad selection of pickleball paddles for beginners, intermediates and advanced players. If you’re looking for an entry-level no name racquet or a legacy brand, you can find it on the platform. Finally, their customer service and rapid shipping turnaround brings instant gratification, helping you get onto the court faster.
FAQ
Is There Really A Difference In Pickleball Paddles?
Yes, there is a difference in power, control, feel, audio, and durability of pickleball paddles. Wood paddles are heavy, unforgiving and damage easily. However, carbon fiber paddles are light, feel smooth, and last years.
How To Choose A Pickleball Paddle For Beginners?
Your budget and playing style help you choose the best paddle core thickness, shape, weight, grip size, and materials for your game. An aggressive player should look at heavy, elongated paddles with a thin core. Converserly, control defensive picklers are better off with a heavy, standard shape paddle with a thicker core.
