Which Gearbox paddle should you buy
These are the nine Gearbox paddles I've tested that you can still buy, in the order I'd buy them. I've linked my full reviews of the GX2 Power and the Pro Ultimate.
Gearbox's names take a minute to learn. The GX2 Power is the 2025 power line, and the GBX Power is the cheaper 2026 line with a different core. The GX2 Hyper and the GX2 Integra XL came out earlier in 2025 on the same rib core as the GX2 Power. Hyper is Gearbox's name for a widebody, and the Integra XL is a hybrid. The Pro Ultimate is the older line from 2024.
When the GX2 Power came out in the summer of 2025, I called it my number one pick in the Gearbox lineup. It still is, and the hybrid is the shape I'd get. There's no grit on the face, but it still spins about as much as the average hybrid, because the face holds the ball before it lets go. It's the best spinner of the nine. When I ranked the hottest paddles of 2025 that December, it was No. 3, and I said, "almost 10 out of 10 balls that I get with a little forehand roll over the net, I put it away."
Newer paddles have caught up on power since that ranking, so don't buy it expecting a big hitter. Today its power, sweet spot and control are all about average for a hybrid. Pop is the exception. It has more than the average hybrid, so your punches and counters come off with some pace. You can take it to any event, too, because it's approved by both USA Pickleball and UPA-A, the approval PPA and MLP pro events use. The hard part is the price. It's $280 before my code, and only one hybrid costs more. My GX2 Power review has the full breakdown.
2. GBX Power Hybrid
The GBX Power is Gearbox's lower priced line from March 2026. It's built on a honeycomb core, not the carbon ribs, and it's the stiffer paddle of the two.
What you get is the GX2 Power Hybrid's power, with about the same sweet spot and control, for $162 with my code. You give up a good bit of pop and spin, and you lose the UPA-A approval. So it's for someone who wants a Gearbox that hits that hard and forgives that much, and who doesn't need the pop or the pro approval.
3. GBX Power Elongated
For an elongated Gearbox, I'd take this one over the GX2 Power Elongated and keep the $90. The two are about even on power, pop, spin and control, but the GBX Power Elongated's sweet spot is a good bit bigger, so more of your off center hits still go where you aimed. It's quick for the shape, too. Only ten elongateds swing lighter.
The Pro Power Elongated was Gearbox's power paddle from 2023, and USA Pickleball took it off its approved list in July 2025. If you miss that paddle, this is the one to try. Back in 2025 I said, "this feels like a Pro Power elongated with an edgeguard, and that's awesome." Today, though, it's about an average elongated, with a bit more control than the average elongated and a bit smaller sweet spot. So the main reason to pay $252 for it over the GBX Power Elongated is UPA-A approval.
There's a wrinkle with that approval. Gearbox now sells this shape only in a Limited Edition colorway and a camo one, and Gearbox's Limited Edition page says the UPA-A approval leaves out the pro main draw and MLP pro events in the U.S. Every other division is covered, so it's fine for the amateur divisions at UPA-A events. If that's where you play and you want an elongated, this is your Gearbox. For the pro main draw, get the GX2 Power Hybrid, and for everything else, the GBX Power Elongated is the better buy. The GX2 Power review covers both shapes.
5. GX2 Hyper
The GX2 Hyper and the Integra XL are the lowest priced Gearbox paddles on this page, and the Hyper is the one worth buying. Gearbox had both marked down to $140 on its outlet page when I checked on November 11, 2026.
The Hyper has a bit less power than the average widebody and a lot less pop, with about average control. So it suits someone who keeps hitting long and wants less pace off the paddle. Just don't buy it for forgiveness, because only four widebodies have a smaller sweet spot.
The best thing about the Pro Ultimate is the feel. It's dense and quiet, and it feels more like a soft control paddle than like most of today's loud power paddles. There are three Pro Ultimates here, and the Hyper is the widebody and the easiest one to play. It does need a break-in. I reviewed it in December 2024, and it felt tight and pretty clunky until it broke in and opened up into a more plush paddle.
The trouble is that the GX2 Hyper costs a lot less and is easier to play. It has a good bit bigger sweet spot and more control, and it swings lighter. The Pro Ultimate Hyper swings heavier than any other widebody, and at about $250, I'd only buy it if that dense feel is the reason you want one. My Pro Ultimate review covers all three.
This is the 16mm elongated, the first Pro Ultimate that Gearbox released. It hits about as hard as the average elongated, and that's the best thing I can say about it from my testing. Only one elongated has a smaller sweet spot, and only one has less control. It's for someone who loves the Pro Ultimate feel and already hits the center of the paddle pretty consistently.
The Power Elongated is the 14mm Pro Ultimate, and it has the smallest sweet spot and the least control of any paddle you can still buy. It's heavy to swing, too. Back in January 2025 I called it "extremely head heavy," and only two elongateds swing heavier. In March 2025 it was No. 3 on my list of the top power paddles, but its power is just average for an elongated now. Unless you love a lot of weight in the head behind your drives, I'd pass on it.
9. GX2 Integra XL
The Integra XL is last because I can't find a player it fits. It's a hybrid from the same 2025 release as the GX2 Hyper. It has the smallest sweet spot of any hybrid, and it doesn't make up for it with power or control. It was the same $140 as the GX2 Hyper on the outlet page, and the Hyper is a much easier paddle to play.
How I tested
I put every paddle through the same tests, so a Gearbox score means the same thing as a score on any other page here. Power, pop and spin come off my Stalker Pro 3S radar, with spin measured in RPM on serves. My Briffidi SW1 tells me how heavy each paddle swings. For sweet spot and control, I run the same dink, drop and reset drills off my ball machine and rate each paddle on them. Power, pop, spin, sweet spot and control are each scored out of 100. The averages I mention are for a paddle's own shape, because each shape plays differently, and when I say only ten elongateds swing lighter, I'm counting the ones you can still buy.
This page covers nine Gearbox paddles: both shapes of the GX2 Power and the GBX Power, the GX2 Hyper and Integra XL, and all three Pro Ultimates. I also put the GX2 Power's face on my Starrett SR160 roughness tester when I ranked paddles by grit in 2025. I haven't run the Pressure X, the older CX14 and CX11 or the budget G series through these tests, so they aren't ranked here.
How the lineup compares
None of the nine is one of the big hitters anymore. Every Gearbox with Power in its name hits about as hard as the average paddle of its shape, and the GX2 Hyper and the Integra XL have less power than that.
Pop is where the lineup falls behind. Apart from the GX2 Power Hybrid, every Gearbox here has less pop than average, and the Pro Ultimates and the GX2 Hyper are the furthest behind. So with most of these, when someone speeds one up at you, you have to put the pace on your counter yourself.
Spin is about average, and that's with no grit coating on any of these faces. They're all raw carbon, and when I measured the GX2 Power's face in 2025, there was no real grit to speak of. Eight of the nine spin about as much as the average paddle of their shape, and the 16mm Pro Ultimate Elongated spins a lot less. Raw carbon wears smooth as you play, though, so expect the spin to fade some. No Gearbox face has been through my wear test yet, but the raw carbon faces I have put through it lost 14 to 20% of their spin.
Forgiveness depends on which line you buy. The GBX Power Elongated's sweet spot is a bit bigger than the average elongated's, and both Power hybrids are right at the average for a hybrid. The Pro Ultimates and the Integra XL are at or near the bottom of their shapes.
Which one fits your game
Newer players: none of these is an easy first paddle, because no Gearbox here has a big sweet spot for its shape. If you want one anyway, get the GBX Power Hybrid, where the sweet spot and control are right at the average for a hybrid.
If you often hit long: the GX2 Hyper. With less power than the average widebody and very little pop, it's the easiest one here to keep in the court.
Hands battles at the kitchen: the GX2 Power Hybrid. It has a good bit more pop than any other Gearbox I've tested.
If you want an elongated: the GBX Power Elongated. It hits about as hard as the GX2 Power Elongated and forgives more.
Two-handed backhands: the handle won't decide it. All nine have a 5.5 inch handle, which has room for two hands, so pick by the rest of this list.
PPA and MLP pro events: the GX2 Power Hybrid. It's the one Gearbox here with UPA-A approval and no limits on it.
On a budget: the GBX Power Hybrid at $162. The GX2 Hyper was less on the outlet page, but only get it if a widebody with very little pop suits you.
If you want more for less money: look at the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit, which Enhance released in 2026 with its ArmorGrit grit on the face. The elongated is my pick for the best paddle under $100, and both shapes are just under $100 with my code. The ArmorGrit Hybrid hits a bit harder than the GX2 Power Hybrid, 84 out of 100 against 78, and it's about the same or a bit better everywhere else. The ArmorGrit Elongated has a good bit bigger sweet spot than the GX2 Power Elongated, 66 against 47. It has more pop and a bit more power, too. Both ArmorGrits are approved by USA Pickleball only. So the GX2 Power is still the one to get if you need UPA-A approval, or if you want that springy rib core feel.
Codes and where to buy
Code STSPICKLEBALL takes 10% off at gearboxsports.com. With it, both GX2 Power shapes are $252 and both GBX Power shapes are $162. Thank you for supporting the channel.
I earn a commission when you use my code.
The Pro Ultimates were $275 on Gearbox's site and about $250 at Tennis Warehouse and JustPaddles when I checked on November 7, 2026.
Gearbox covers factory defects for one year. The GBX Power gets six months, and that goes to a year if you register it. You can return a paddle you bought from Gearbox within 30 days, but you only get a full refund if it's brand new with the grip seal still on. A used paddle gets one exchange or store credit.
That's why Gearbox's demo program is worth knowing about. You pick any four demo paddles and pay $20 to cover shipping, and the GX2 Power Hybrid is one of the demos. The GX2 Power doesn't feel like most paddles, so I'd try one before spending $252.
FAQ
Are Gearbox paddles good?
Some of them are. The GX2 Power Hybrid and the two GBX Powers are solid all-around paddles. The three Pro Ultimates and the Integra XL are the ones I'd pass on, because each has one of the smallest sweet spots of its shape.
Should I get the GX2 Power or the GBX Power?
In the hybrid, get the GX2 Power if you want the pop, the spin and the springy feel, and the GBX Power if you'd rather keep the $90. In the elongated, I'd get the GBX Power, because its sweet spot is bigger.
Do Gearbox paddles need a break-in?
The Pro Ultimate does. Mine felt tight until it opened up. On the GX2 Power, the owner reviews I read on Tennis Warehouse in November 2026 were split. One owner said the power and pop went up after about 12 hours of play, and two said theirs never changed.
Can I use a Gearbox paddle in tournaments?
Yes. All nine are on USA Pickleball's approved list, so they're fine for its sanctioned events. PPA and MLP pro events use UPA-A approval, and for those the GX2 Power Hybrid is the one to get, because Gearbox says the elongated's approval doesn't cover the pro main draw or MLP pro events.
Is there a Gearbox discount code?
Yes. STSPICKLEBALL takes 10% off at Gearbox's store.
What about the Pressure X?
It's Gearbox's newest line, from September 2026, at the same $280 as the GX2 Power. I haven't tested it yet, so it isn't ranked here, and My call below covers whether to wait for it.
My call
If you want a Gearbox, get the GX2 Power Hybrid. It's the one I'd play, it's the one with real pop at the kitchen, and you can take it to any tournament. It's $252 with my code. If the feel isn't what's drawing you to Gearbox and you don't need UPA-A approval, though, Enhance's MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Hybrid hits a bit harder, 84 against 78, for $152 less.
One thing before you spend $252. Gearbox's newest line, the Pressure X, came out in September 2026 at the same $280, with a new pressurized core and a grit called SpinLock on the face, which Gearbox says keeps its friction as it wears. I haven't tested it yet. If you need UPA-A approval, don't wait, because the Pressure X is approved by USA Pickleball only. If you don't, I'd hold off until I have numbers on it, since grit is the one thing the GX2 Power's face is missing.
If you do want a Gearbox for less, the runner-up is the GBX Power at $162. Get the hybrid unless you want an elongated. The Pro Ultimates and the Integra XL are the ones I'd skip.
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