Paddle Reviews

5 Foam-Core Pickleball Paddles for Players Who Want Max Power

by The Dink Media Team on

Foam-core pickleball paddles offer the sweet-spot of performance and durability. Here are five that tip the scales toward maximum power.

Full foam, or "Gen 4," pickleball paddles have gained popularity in the past year or so given their consistent performance and improved durability when compared to polypropylene options.

Options run the gamut from control-oriented to all-court to full-blown power paddles.

At the beginning of 2025, nobody was making them. Now, it's rare that a legitimate paddle brand doesn't have at least one full-foam option in its lineup. JOOLA remains a Gen 3 holdout while Selkirk has flipped its entire portfolio to foam.

If the future of high-performing, durable pickleball paddles is full-foam construction, that future appears to be now. And we're all better off for it.

As we said, there are tons of great options on the market. Here are five we're loving right now that tip the power scale to the maximum.

  1. The Selkirk Boomstik, Everglade edition
  2. The RPM Q2
  3. The CRBN TruFoam Barrage
  4. The Holbrook Fuze
  5. The Luzz Pro 4 Inferno
SELKIRK BOOMSTIK EVERGLADE
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The Boomstik you know and love, now in a limited-edition Everglade colorway. Snap this one up while supplies last.

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RPM Q2 Elongated
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A collab with paddle reviewer John Kew, this is RPM's first foray into full-foam. And serious players are loving it.

Code "THEDINK" scores you an extra discount at checkout.

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CRBN Trufoam barrage
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The brand that started the full-foam revolution arrives with its latest entrant. And it's a winner. Available in widebody and hybrid now, with additional shapes on pre-order.

Code "THEDINK" scores you an extra discount at checkout.

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holbrook fuze
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Built with Holbrook's patent-pending Dual Density Foam Core, it's a paddle that plays just as clean as it looks.

Code "THEDINK" scores you an extra discount at checkout.

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LUZZ pro 4 inferno
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A new favorite among pickleball die-hards, the Luzz Inferno has developed a reputation for a consistent sweet-spot and impressive linear power.

Code "THEDINK" scores you an extra discount at checkout.

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The Dink Media Team

The Dink Media Team

The team behind The Dink, pickleball's original multi-channel media company, now publishing daily for over 1 million avid pickleballers.

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