When you first start playing ping pong, the basic things you need is to have a table, a ball, and two ping pong paddles. After knowing more in-depth skills and mastering backspin and drop shots, you realize the importance of knowing the best ping pong paddles brands.
You must have heard that a craftsman is known for the equipment he keeps. The same goes for the players. You can’t play big or professionally if your paddles are not right.
Sooner or later, one needs to get rid of hard plastic paddles that come with the ping pong table, so here comes the deal.
You are on the go now and searching for the top brands for ping pong paddles. Here we go to bring the best brands you can buy a ping pong paddle from.
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Top ping pong paddle brands in 2022
Ping pong paddles come from dozens of brands, but there are only a few that you can count on and trust in the ping pong community.
Ping pong players worldwide, including myself, highly recommend the following brands of ping pong paddles. Every player knows the importance of a high-quality brand you can trust and rely on, whether they are competitive or casual players. There is nothing less than these four brands. I would like to share with you some of my favorite brands.
Stiga
When I was a kid, Stiga paddles were the first ping pong paddles I heard of. However, I was probably eight years old when they introduced their snow racers, not ping pong products. With a long history in the world, Stiga was founded by Stig Hjelmquist in 1944.
In terms of size, Stiga is among the top 3 in ping pong equipment because they offer a variety of sports equipment for many activities. Tennis balls and other accessories are also popular among fans of the brand in the ping pong world. The Stiga brand means a lot to me because of my long-standing relationship with it and the confidence I have in the quality of its products.
- Founded: 1944
- Founder: Stig Hjelmquist
- Nationality: Sweden
- Employees: 50
- Annual revenue: $36 million
- Famous for: Rackets, Paddles, and Other Sports Equipment
Butterfly
The butterfly is the most renowned and well-known among all ping-pong brands. The name and logo of this company are well known to everyone. Table tennis equipment is available, but perhaps ping pong paddles, rubbers, and shoes are the dominant products. Moreover, you can also get the tables, balls, racquet, and many more.
A Japanese entrepreneur named Hikosuke Tamasu founded Butterfly in 1950. Since then, they have achieved quite an accomplishment by becoming a famous brand in the ping pong industry. As well as camps and associations, Butterfly provides featured players, as well as table tennis and ping pong camps. As a whole, Butterfly products are everywhere.
- Founded: 1950
- Founder: Hikosuke Tamasu
- Nationality: Japan
- Employees: Unknown
- Annual revenue: 50-100 million (USD)
- Famous for: Paddles & Rubbers
Joola
Ping pong players of every type can find products from JOOLA, making it one of my favorite brands. They have a product for anyone, regardless of their budget, their level of wealth, or whether they are a world-class player or a beginner. There’s something for everyone there!
In 1952, Karl Frey founded JOOLA, another German brand with a long ping pong history. JOOLA offers everything you need to play table tennis and ping pong, including a vast variety of equipment. Its paddles, however, have been used multiple times in international tournaments, Olympic games, and more as the official table.
My love for JOOLA also stems from the fact that they are changing with the times and using new ways to compete. JOOLA ping pong balls are a perfect example since they are seamless, durable, and superior. The quality of the paddles, the wide selection of games, and the innovative ways they do things are why I love JOOLA!
- Founded: 1952
- Founder: Karl Frey
- Nationality: Germany
- Employees: 55
- Annual revenue: $7.5 million
- Famous for: Mainly Table Tennis Tables and Ping Pong Paddles
Donic
Although Donic is relatively new, it has already gained trustworthiness among ping pong players due to its reputation and reputation among other brands. In 1978, Georg Nicklas founded the German brand Donic.
From clothes to ping pong rackets and everything in between, Donic has what a table tennis and ping pong player needs. Most international-level players such as Dima Ovtcharov use Donic rubbers due to their innovation and quality. Donic is well reputed because of its history and rapid rise to the top of the ping pong world. Additionally, they have fantastic tennis tables!
- Founded: 1978
- Founder: Georg Nicklas
- Nationality: Germany
- Employees: 30
- Famous for: Rubbers and Paddles
Top ping pong paddle brands in 2022
To make a more informed choice about which brand of ping pong paddles is best for you, let’s also see how they are made. It’s worth knowing a little more about grips, as each player may find one that suits them better.
Ping Pong Paddle Grips and Handles
These two types of handles resemble a handshake or holding a pen and are called shake hands and penholds, respectively. You can pick whatever grip is most comfortable, but penhold grips provide much more freedom of movement. Most players prefer shakehand handles, while Asian players prefer penhold handles.
The Anatomy of a Ping Pong Paddle
Table tennis rackets consist of four parts: the handle, blade, rubber, and sponge. The combination of these parts determines racket quality. Sponge and paddle speed, spin, control, bounce, and softness/hardness are often used to determine the quality of table tennis paddles and sponges. Despite the lack of industry-wide values for these indicators, they provide buyers with a reference point when making racket selections. Choosing the right handle type is one of your first considerations.
Penhold
Handles for pen holders can be classified into Chinese style(CS) and Japanese style(JP).
Choosing the Blade
Natural wood must make up at least 85% of the blade. A composite material like carbon fiber or glass can make up the rest of the blade. The sweet spot is larger and the blade is strengthened with carbon fibers.
There are now speed ratings offered by manufacturers to assist beginners and recreational players in choosing the right blade or material. The slower the blade, the more control you’ll have, while the faster blade gives you more offensive power but less control.
Over 70: Although fast, this blade offers less control, so it is more suited to offensive players.
50–70: This range can be used by beginners and recreational players.
Defensive plays use slower blades because they are easier to control.
Sponge selection
Approximately 1.2mm to 2.5mm of sponge form a layer between the rubber blade and the blade. When you use a thin sponge, you have more control over the speed, while a thick sponge gives you more control over the speed.
Although high-quality materials are increasingly used in manufacturing ping pong paddles, consumers can still purchase pre-made paddles for convenience. The rubbers on a custom racket can easily be replaced over time, making it a more economical choice over the long term.
Conclusion
This article provides you with information and guidelines that can help you choose a ping pong paddle brand. We have spoken to a team of experts, including Sean O’Neill, the USATT high-performance director who has won the table tennis Olympics twice.
“It depends upon your command and grip on the paddle, and that’s where the rubber and blades come in handy,” says O’Neill. According to him, there are 1000s of rubbers only that one player can choose from, and no other game has such a vast customization option.
So practice, knowing your game’s competitiveness, and being aware of your style can make you the best suitable choice.
Frequently Ask Questions
To meet competition standards, table tennis blades must contain at least 85% wood and are not thicker than 0.35mm. The blade of a ping pong paddle doesn’t have to be rigid. Having a perfect fitting rubber allows it to have any shape or size.
Ping pong tables from Stiga are considered the most reliable on the market. Despite being a relatively new brand, most of the tables sold by this company are of the highest quality.
The red side of the ping pong ball usually allows the ball to move faster, but this isn’t always the case. The black side of the ball usually puts more spin on the ball. It is, however, possible to purchase rubbers separately for your paddle. You can assign different tasks to each side this way.
An expensive ping pong paddle is also a good investment if you want to up your game. Unlike a cheap racket, this racket is durable and flexible, providing enhanced gameplay and performance. Modern technology and high-quality materials are used in premium table tennis paddles.
A ping pong paddle painted on each side in a different color has an advantage over a paddle with a different color on the other side. There is a possibility that the red side is more spinnable than the black side. The players flip the paddle to return a ball in a specific manner.