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Top 10 Best Pickleball Brands

Top 10 Best Pickleball Brands

Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States and is becoming increasingly popular among younger generations. As the sport has grown, demand for pickleball equipment, apparel, and other related supplies has also increased. The rise of professional pickleball players has led to sponsorships between sports companies and professional pickleball players.

What Are the Best Pickleball Brands?

  1. Selkirk Sports
  2. Joola
  3. Paddletek
  4. ONIX
  5. Engage Pickleball
  6. PROLITE Sports
  7. Niupipo
  8. PB1965
  9. Franklin Sports
  10. Electrum Pickleball

1. Selkirk Sports

  • Year Founded: 2014
  • Website: https://www.selkirk.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Catherine Parenteau, Parris Todd, Dylan Frazier, James Ignatowich
  • Products: Paddles, Bags, Apparel, Accessories

Selkirk Sports claims that “they are pickleball,” and they back that claim up with high-quality pickleball equipment and a mission to promote pickleball and spread enthusiasm for the sport to people of all generations. Making good on that promise, Selkirk Sports was started in 2014 in anticipation of the growing demand for pickleball equipment.

Pickleball is now one of the fastest-growing sports in the United States, and Selkirk Sports was ready with sleek branding and high-quality products. They have Selkirk TV, an app to watch pickleball, and Selkirk Labs, an independent development and research division of Selkirk Sport that allows members of the pickleball community to participate in the development of new paddle technology by invitation or request.

2. Joola

  • Year Founded: 1952
  • Website: https://joolausa.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Ben Johns, Christine McGrath, Aspen Kern
  • Products: Balls, Bags, Paddles, Net Sets, Accessories

Joola is a German table tennis manufacturer that expanded into making high-quality pickleball equipment in 2022. The brand was founded in 1952 and slowly grew to become a top name in table tennis, even becoming the sport’s official sponsor at the 1996 Olympics. In 2022, Joola opened their own pickleball subdivision and began dominating the sport thanks to their long company legacy and premium merchandise. In that year alone, Joola became the sponsor of men’s singles legend Ben Johns and officially partnered with the USAPA.

3. Paddletek

  • Year Founded: 2010
  • Website: https://www.paddletek.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Anna Leigh Waters, Leigh Waters, Kyle Yates, Adam Stone
  • Products: Paddles, Apparel

Paddletek is a pickleball brand that primarily specializes in paddles but also produces other gear and apparel. Paddletek revolutionized the honeycomb core in paddles after being founded in 2010. They place emphasis on growing the game by sponsoring players and tournaments and are consistently proving themselves to be a leader in innovation in the pickleball world. They sponsor some of the top professional pickleball players in the world, including Kyle Yates, Leigh Waters, and Catherine Parenteau.

4. ONIX

  • Year Founded: 2005
  • Website: https://www.onixpickleball.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Eli Bertram, Steve Cole, Byron Freso, KaSandra Gehrke, Lucy Kovalova
  • Products: Paddles, Balls, Apparel, Accessories

ONIX is a pickleball industry leader in developing paddles, balls, accessories, and apparel. Founded in 2005, it is also one of the older brands in the relatively young pickleball world. ONIX takes pride in developing equipment tailored to each pickleball player’s specific game. They currently sponsor dozens of professional pickleball players and coaches, including Steve Cole, Byron Freso, KaSandra Gehrke, and Lucy Kovalova.

5. Engage Pickleball

  • Year Founded: 2015
  • Website: https://engagepickleball.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Gigi LeMaster, Jessie Irvine, Robert Elliot, Stephen Kennedy
  • Products: Paddles, Bags, Apparel, Accessories

One of the best-selling brands of pickleball paddles in the world, Engage is the brand of paddle most often chosen by national champions. All of their paddles are USAPA-approved and are designed through rigorous development and testing. In addition to their world-class paddles, they offer a wide range of pickleball equipment and accessories.

Engage was founded in 2015 by family members Robert, Jodi, Joshua, and Rachel Elliot, who were all experienced pickleball players. The brand offers three lines of paddles, Encore, Poach, and Pursuit, with prices ranging from $100 to $200. Engage sponsors several professional pickleball players, including Gigi LeMaster, Jessie Irvine, and Stephen Kennedy.

6. PROLITE Sports

  • Year Founded: 1984
  • Website: https://prolitesports.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Sara Weiss, Dominick Deslandes, Davey Williams
  • Products: Balls, Paddles, Grips, Nets, Accessories

PROLITE Sports was founded in 1984 under the name ULTRA-LITE Paddle Co., making it one of the oldest pickleball brands still around today. They introduced the first composite pickleball racquet to the market, revolutionizing the way pickleball paddles are made. The company’s CEO and President, Neil Freidenberg, is a star pickleball player himself, with a 5.0 rating. PROLITE Sports produces high-quality paddles, grips, apparel, and accessories for all ages and skill levels.

7. Niupipo

  • Year Founded: 2012
  • Website: https://niupipo.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Ignacio De Elia, Jack Foster, Frank Anthony Davis
  • Products: Paddles, Balls, Nets

Niupipo is one of the most popular pickleball brands and is the best-selling pickleball brand on Amazon. They have been in business since 2012 and focus on providing affordable pickleball paddles and equipment to help new players get into the game. Niupipo is known for its beginner and intermediate paddles but has also begun to branch out into professional-level paddles.

They recently designed the Niupipo Explorer, their first professional performance paddle, with Frank Anthony Davis, who they sponsor. All of their paddles are USAPA-approved, sanctioned for tournament play, and touted as being able to withstand whatever challenges may arise on the court.

8. PB1965

  • Year Founded: 2019
  • Website: https://www.pb1965.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: Kyle Yates, Eva Welsher
  • Products: Athletic Apparel, Accessories

PB1965 was founded in 2019 by professional pickleball player Kyle Yates and pickleball enthusiast Randy Sussman. PB1965 may have a lot of competition in the athletic apparel market, but its focus on pickleball sets them apart from the rest. PB1965 features apparel solely for pickleball that is focused on maximum comfort and functionality for professional pickleball athletes and casual enthusiasts alike.

On top of being the official clothing brand for Yates, PB1965 is also the official clothing brand for Eva Welsher, a superstar on the pickleball scene. Their high-quality apparel is reasonably priced and fashionable with a wide range of sizes making their apparel, and pickleball as a whole, more accessible to people of all sizes.

9. Franklin Sports

Franklin Sports was the first sports company to offer a professional pickleball player an endorsement deal. Ben Johns signed with them in 2019, and Franklin introduced its Ben Johns Signature Pickleball Paddle in September of that same year. Franklin sells everything a player could possibly need on their website, including net sets and bags. 

However, Franklin sells products for all sports, so their selection of pickleball gear is less specialized than other brands that focus specifically on pickleball. Franklin has been around since 1946 and is now a global company that has partnerships with most professional sporting organizations.

10. Electrum Pickleball

Electrum Pickleball is a brand that focuses exclusively on paddles and pickleball apparel. Their two paddles are the Electrum Pro Pickleball Paddle and Electrum Model E Pickleball Paddle, and they offer a few shirts and hats. While Electrum Pickleball currently has a fairly small selection, they are likely to grow along with pickleball. Electrum Pickleball was founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and pickleball fans Moheeth Alvi and Mike Kazley in 2019. Electrum Pickleball’s mission is to be an asset to the pickleball community by providing great products and making pickleball more accessible. They currently sponsor Collin Johns and Lauren ‘Lolo’ Stratman.

Honorable Mentions

Acacia Sports

Acacia Sports is an innovative and younger brand that provides gear for various sports, specializing in curling, broomball, and soccer. They offer pickleball balls, shoes, and accessories, and their shoes are the official footwear of USA Pickleball. Their shoes are the biggest draw for pickleball players.

Acacia Sports have signature edition shoes with professional pickleball athletes Tyler Loong and Corrine Carr. Acacia also offers sneakers, socks, slides, and sole savers for pickleball athletes. Acacia Sports serves athletes at every level of the sport worldwide with top-of-the-line technologies and materials. Acacia Sports has been hailed by USA Pickleball as a leader in innovation and quality.

GAMMA Sports

GAMMA has been selling tennis equipment since the 1970s, but it got into the pickleball game in 2014 when it noticed the emerging market of pickleball enthusiasts and professionals. GAMMA Sports serves tennis and pickleball athletes and produces grips, hoppers, and nets, along with the usual pickleball equipment and apparel. 

GAMMA is committed to always improving its knowledge of composites, manufacturing, and plastics in order to provide customers with the best pickleball paddles. In 2020, GAMMA launched Never Stop Playing Pickleball camps for intermediate and advanced players to hone their skills with coaching from professional pickleball players. They currently sponsor Riley Newman, Paul Olin, and several other professional pickleball players.

Vulcan Sporting Goods

Vulcan Sporting Goods serves baseball and pickleball athletes, though they have more pickleball products, and their blog is focused on all things pickleball. Vulcan was founded in 2015 and aims to combine style and innovation to create amazing ball sports products.

Located at Vulcan headquarters is Vulcan Pickleball Park, four outdoor lighted state-of-the-art pickleball courts that are free and open every day from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm to members of the public. The courts are also used by tourists, employees, and pickleball clubs and are occasionally used for Vulcan IQ Pickleball clinic sessions, exhibitions, invitationals, and clinics. They currently sponsor Tyler Loong and Jocelyn ‘Jay’ Devilliers.

Wilson Sporting Goods

Wilson Sporting Goods is a go-to brand for pickleball beginners who are attracted by its familiarity and its long history of excellence in the sporting goods industry. Wilson was founded in 1913 and was originally known as the Ashland Manufacturing Company, but it acquired its iconic name a few years later, in 1916. Wilson sells the Tru 32, a unique pickleball developed in their labs in 2018 with the intent of achieving game-changing performance. Wilson currently sponsors professional pickleball player Zane Navratil.

DUPR (Dreamland Universal Pickleball Ratings)

  • Year Founded: 2021
  • Website: https://mydupr.com/
  • Sponsored Athletes: N/A
  • Products: Global Rating System

DUPR (Dreamland Universal Pickleball Ratings) is a global rating system for pickleball players of all levels. DUPR is trusted by pickleball tours, professionals, and clubs globally to provide accurate ratings based on the margin of victory, type of result, and outcome. Their community ranges from professionals ranked number one globally to those just starting, and is accessible, user-friendly, and universal. DUPR even allows amateurs to have a rating without having to play in professional tournaments. They are endorsed by Ben Johns, Dekel Bar, and Zane Navratil, among other professional pickleball players.

FAQ

What are the best pickleball brands?

The best pickleball brands are Selkirk Sports and Paddletek. Selkirk Sports is a fast-growing pickleball empire that has been promoting the best of pickleball since it opened shop in 2014. Paddletek has meanwhile revolutionized the honeycomb core in paddles and focuses mainly on paddles though offering a fine array of pickleball gear.

What is the Niupipo pickleball paddle?

A Nipupipo pickleball paddle is renowned for its patented polypropylene honeycomb core, high-quality grip, and strong edge guard. The brand Niupipo is arguably the greatest producer of pickleball equipment, becoming especially known for its unique and affordable series of pickleball paddles. There are a variety of options based on the level of play, and they range from around $35 to over $100.

What are good tennis and pickleball brands?

The greatest purveyor of both tennis and pickleball is GAMMA Sports. GAMMA Sports began selling high-quality tennis equipment in the 1970s but branched out into designing pickleball gear in 2014. Almost ten years later, they are highly respected in both sports and are represented by many ambassador athletes.

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