Adidas vs Babolat padel rackets: which fits your game?

Drive 2026 has a round head, medium balance, a fibreglass face and EVA Soft Performance. Its specified weight is 360–375 g. We would compare it if you already like the mass of a standard club racket and want a straightforward round option while learning.

Air Vertuo 2.6 uses a teardrop head, fibreglass face, carbon frame and Black EVA. Babolat specifies 345 g with a ±10 g tolerance, giving a stated range of 335–355 g. Its technical table gives a 265 mm balance.

That lower weight range is the strongest reason to put Air Vertuo first when choosing between these two. Drive remains the more relevant starting point when you specifically prefer a round racket and are comfortable with its weight.

Try a return after the glass and several blocked volleys with your usual grip setup. Notice whether you prepare on time and whether the ball reaches the depth you intended. Neither an Air label nor a round shape guarantees that you will like the complete racket.

A first racket also does not need to predict the player you might become in two years. Buy for the shots and preparation you can repeat now, at a price you are comfortable paying.

Cross IT Light 2026 combines a round head and even balance with an aluminised 24K carbon face and Soft Energy EVA. Adidas specifies 345–360 g. It is the model to investigate here when you want a round performance racket within that weight range.

Air Viper 2.6 is a teardrop with a 16K carbon face and X-EVA core. Its manufacturer weight is 355 g ±10 g, so its stated range overlaps Cross IT Light's and extends to 365 g. The two are not separated by a dependable ten-gram gap.

Choose the Adidas as the first trial if you prefer a round head and its particular face/core combination interests you. Put the Babolat beside it if a teardrop is closer to your existing preference. Compare the individual units rather than assuming every Cross IT Light will be lighter than every Air Viper.

Air Viper's 16K and Cross IT Light's 24K labels do not establish a firmness ranking. The core, laminate and complete construction also differ. We have not measured these two on a common test rig, so we do not assign numerical power or comfort advantages.

These are performance options for players who know what they want to change. If you are choosing your first racket, return to Drive and Air Vertuo before paying more for construction you have not tried.

Metalbone HRD+ 2026 has a high-balance diamond shape, an aluminised carbon face and EVA High Memory. Adidas lists a base range of 345–360 g, with up to 11.2 g of optional weight adjustment.

Technical Viper 3.0 also uses a diamond head. Babolat specifies 370 g ±10 g, a 270 mm balance, a 3K carbon face and Hard EVA with a Carbon Power Layer. That makes the stated weight setup substantially different from an unweighted light example of the Metalbone.

Start with HRD+ if you already want a firm attacking racket and value adjusting its weight setup. Compare Technical Viper if you deliberately want a substantial diamond and can manage it on hurried defensive shots as well as overheads.

A low base weight does not turn HRD+ into an easy beginner racket. Its high balance and firm construction remain part of the decision. Adding the optional weights, an overgrip and protection changes the finished racket again.

In an El4Set comparison published by Padel Market, the reviewer preferred HRD+'s depth control to the softer standard Metalbone while still finding it reactive. That comparison concerned two Adidas rackets. It does not prove HRD+ has better control than Technical Viper.

For this pair, include short volleys, blocks and balls played late in the trial. A clean smash is only one part of the purchase.

Babolat uses two parts of a name to describe its range. Air, Counter and Technical identify different playing profiles. Vertuo, Veron and Viper distinguish constructions within those families. Air Veron 2.6, for example, shares Air Viper's nominal 355 g weight but uses CarbonFlex and Black EVA instead of the Viper's 16K carbon and X-EVA.

Adidas uses family names including Drive, Match, RX, Cross IT, Arrow Hit and Metalbone. Suffixes then change the proposition. Cross IT Light is round, while other Cross IT models have different shapes and balance. Metalbone HRD+ changes the core from the standard model, while CTRL identifies a different round option.

Read the full name on a retailer page before buying. A comparison of a previous-generation Technical Viper or a Metalbone CTRL cannot be transferred to the two attacking models above without checking the differences.

The manufacturer's weight description is a starting specification. Babolat explicitly supplies a tolerance for the models in this comparison. Adidas publishes ranges, and Metalbone's optional weights sit outside its base range.

If you have a narrow target, ask whether the seller can confirm the actual unit's weight. Keep the grips and accessories consistent when comparing rackets. Otherwise, you may be judging a change in setup as though it were a difference between brands.

Balance also explains why two similarly weighted rackets may prepare differently. Use the listed information to narrow your trial, then check whether you can repeat your normal shots over a full session.

Use the current prices beside the exact models. Neither brand is permanently the cheaper choice, and the largest discount may belong to a version that does not suit your game.

Our offers cover connected partner listings rather than every shop. A valid link can remain useful when a product is temporarily unavailable; a current price appears only when we can quote the regional offer under our checks.

An older model deserves the same specification and condition checks as a current one. Keep the year visible in your comparison, confirm the version and read the seller's return terms. Professional-player branding should not replace those steps.