The 11SIX24 Vapor Power 2 is a 16mm full foam power hybrid, and it swings lighter than most paddles I've tested. I'd hand it to an aggressive player with quick hands, someone who wins points on counters and speed-ups at the net. It also spins more than almost anything I've scored, so the pace comes with a lot of spin. The catch is your soft game. There's a lot of pop in the face, so dinks and resets come off faster than you'd expect, and keeping them low takes some touch. If your hands win you points and your touch can handle that, it's my pick. It's $209.99, or $199.99 with the code STSPICKLEBALL.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Only 10 paddles I've tested got 85 or higher for power, pop and spin together, and the Vapor Power 2 is one of them.
- Only 11 paddles I've tested have more spin, and only six of them are hybrids.
- Most of the paddles I've tested swing heavier, so it's quick in your hands at the net.
- In my wear test, HexGrit, the grit 11SIX24 builds into the face, lost about 1% of its spin over 75 games.
Cons
- It has a lot of pop on short swings, so a rushed dink or reset can sit up high enough to get attacked.
- It's a little less controllable than the typical hybrid.
- It's only UPA-A approved, which keeps it out of USA Pickleball sanctioned events.
Quick answers
Is the Vapor Power 2 USAP approved?
No. If you play USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments, look at the Pickleball Apes Zen S+ or the Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Hybrid. Both are USA Pickleball approved, and both cost less.
Is the Vapor Power 2 Gen 4?
Yes. It's thermoformed, with a full foam core instead of honeycomb.
When did the Vapor Power 2 come out?
It launched February 13, 2026. My test date was June 23, 2026.
Firm with a little give, and a lot of pop on short swings
Soft or stiff? Neither, really. The face is firm but gives a little at contact. The 16mm JOOLA Perseus Pro IV is stiffer, and the Spartus P1 is softer and feels less hollow. If you've hit the original Vapor Power, that one feels sharper when the ball hits it. This one sounds a little hollow, and you feel every hit in your hand.
On short swings the ball jumps off the face, just not trampoline-style.
There are no hot spots sending balls long, which is why I'd call it an easy paddle to switch to.
Strongest in hands battles, trickiest on dinks and resets
How its spin stacks up against other hybrids you can buy
Only six hybrids you can buy spin more, 98 RPM above the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J2CR Long Handle Crystal Blue2,467
- 211SIX24 Vapor Jelly Bean 22,40364 RPM behind
- 311SIX24 Ultré Jelly Bean 22,39770 RPM behind
- 711SIX24 Vapor Power 22,37493 RPM behind
Drives, serves and returns
Drives, serves and returns get good pace. Not the most, though. It scored 91 out of 100 for power, and 13 paddles I've tested hit harder.
Spin is the bigger story. I measured 2,374 RPM, a 92 out of 100 for spin, which is far more than the typical hybrid and about the same as the regular Honolulu J2CR Crystal Blue. Hit a hard topspin drive and it still dips into the court.
Speed-ups, counters and flicks
Hands battles are where I'd want it. Counters come off quick and clean, thanks to the pop plus the light swing, and a paddle this light gets into position early. Flicks too: quick off the face, and you can be really aggressive with them.
Dinks and resets
Dinks and resets are where all that pop costs you, so you have to be a little careful with the Vapor Power 2 at the kitchen. It scored 65 out of 100 for control, and about half the paddles I've tested are more controllable.
If you're popping balls up at first, shorten your backswing and give it a few games. If they're still sitting up after that, the Vapor Power 2 isn't the paddle for you.
Rolls are the bright spot at the kitchen. On rolled dinks and roll speed-ups, the HexGrit surface lets you put a lot of topspin on the ball.
Off-center hits
For a light hybrid, the Vapor Power 2 doesn't twist much when you miss the center. Its sweet spot is a little bigger than the typical hybrid, so off-center hits stay playable.
How it feels in your hand next to other hybrids you can buy
About average in your hands, about average when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. A lower number swings quicker.
About average swing weight for a hybrid.
How much the paddle fights twisting when you miss the middle. A higher number is steadier.
About average twist weight for a hybrid.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other hybrids you can buy
A bigger sweet spot than most hybrids
Both rings are sized to their score.
Hits clearly harder than the typical 16mm full foam hybrid
Under the HexGrit, the face is carbon fiber on both sides of a fiberglass layer. Inside is 16mm thermoformed full foam: MPP in the center, an EVA ring around it, more foam along the edges. It's 16.25 by 7.75 inches. 11SIX24 lists 8.0 to 8.3 oz. The 5.75 inch handle has room for a two-handed backhand, and the warranty is one year.
11SIX24 lists a swing weight of 108 to 112, and mine read 110.6. Twist weight is a different story. They list a twist weight of 6.6 to 6.8, mine came in at 6.49, and that's only about average for a hybrid.
Next to the typical 16mm full foam hybrid, the Vapor Power 2 has clearly more power and a little more pop, and it's a little less controllable. If you're coming from a 16mm honeycomb hybrid, it's a big change. You get far more power and clearly more pop, and it's clearly less controllable.
On spin, the HexGrit surface puts it far ahead of the typical 16mm hybrid with a raw peel-ply face. Next to the typical 16mm hybrid with a grit surface, the spin is about the same.
Spin is what owners praise the most
My owner-report check was in September 2026, seven months after launch. Spin gets the most praise. On drives, serves and soft shots, owners say the ball grabs the face, and a lot of them found more control and touch than they expected.
The complaints are where owners and my numbers split. The most common one is that the sweet spot is smaller than owners expected, or that the ball goes dead toward the edges and the top of the face. My numbers don't back that up. My sweet spot number is 78 out of 100, and only about a fifth of the paddles I've tested beat it.
Next, some owners wanted more power or pop, while a smaller group said the opposite, too poppy on dinks and resets. My numbers side with the second group: clearly more power and pop than the typical hybrid.
A handful of owners, from March to June 21, 2026, had the face separate from the core or one side go dead with a cracked sound. I found none after that by September 2026, so it looks like an early problem.
The other Power 2 shapes cost the same but play differently
The Pegasus Power 2, the Hurache-X Power 2 and the Ultré Power 2 are all $209.99, or $199.99 with the code STSPICKLEBALL. They've got the same core, face and HexGrit surface, and they're all UPA-A only with a one year warranty.
Pegasus Power 2
The Pegasus Power 2 is the widebody, and its sweet spot scored 100 out of 100, far bigger than the Vapor Power 2's. It's got a little more pop and a little more control, and it swings even lighter. You give up reach, since it's 15.8 inches long and the Vapor Power 2 is 16.25 inches.
Hurache-X Power 2
The Hurache-X Power 2 is the elongated. At 16.5 inches long with a 6 inch handle, it's the longest paddle in the line, so it's the one for players who want reach. Power, pop and spin are about the same as the Vapor Power 2's. But it's far less controllable, and its sweet spot is clearly smaller. It swings heavier too.
Ultré Power 2
The Ultré Power 2 is a hybrid too, just a little longer and narrower at 16.35 by 7.65 inches. By my numbers, it's about the same as the Vapor Power 2 on power, pop, spin and sweet spot. It's a little less controllable, though, and it swings heavier. Its 5.5 inch handle is also shorter.
Three cheaper paddles, two of them USA Pickleball approved
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the Zen S+ and the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Hybrid
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
Vapor Power 2Hybrid · $199.99
Zen S+Hybrid · $169.99The Vapor Power 2 spins more. The Zen S+ hits harder, has more pop, a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. The Zen S+ costs about $30 less.
Vapor Power 2Hybrid · $199.99
MPP Turbo ArmorGrit HybridHybrid · $99.99The Vapor Power 2 hits harder. The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit is more controllable. Pop, spin and sweet spot are about the same. The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit costs about $100 less.
Pickleball Apes Zen S+, $188.88, or $169.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL
It's the hybrid I'd look at for this much pace with USA Pickleball approval. It's $21.11 less at list price and $30 less with the codes. It's a little ahead of the Vapor Power 2 on power, pop, control and sweet spot, and the spin is about the same. It also swings much lighter. The other difference is the grit. HexGrit is in my wear test, and the Zen S+ grit coating isn't. Pickleball Apes also doesn't publish what foam is in its core, and the Zen S+ is a half millimeter thicker, at 16.5mm. If my wear test matters to you, that's the reason to pick the Vapor Power 2 over the Zen S+.
Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Hybrid, $119.99, or $99.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL
If you want to spend a lot less, the Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Hybrid is the one I'd get. It costs $90 less than the Vapor Power 2, or $100 less with the codes. It's USA Pickleball approved. It's built almost the same way too, with an MPP foam center, an EVA ring and the same fiberglass and carbon face. It has a little more control and a little less power than the Vapor Power 2. Pop, spin and sweet spot are about the same. The 5.5 inch handle just fits a two-handed backhand. Just know that the warranty only covers the core, for one year, and ArmorGrit isn't in my wear test.
Honolulu J2CR Long Handle Crystal Blue, $195.00, or $175.50 with code STS10
If you're deciding between the Vapor Power 2 and a Honolulu J2CR, the Long Handle Crystal Blue is the version I'd look at. It's $14.99 less than the Vapor Power 2 at list price, and $24.49 less with the codes. It's for players who care most about spin and want a 6 inch handle. It has more spin, and its 2,467 RPM is the highest spin reading I've measured. It's a little more controllable too, and pop and sweet spot are about the same. What you give up is a little power. It swings a little lighter, and like the Vapor Power 2, it's UPA-A only.
The pick for players who win fast exchanges at the net
It's my pick if you've got quick hands and want power and spin in a light hybrid. If your counters don't have enough pace and your put-aways keep coming back, get the Vapor Power 2. If your dinks and resets keep popping up, go with the Vapor Jelly Bean 2, which has far less pop and is clearly more controllable.
Testing details
- Tested
- June 23, 2026
- Power and pop
- 20 full serves for power and 20 punch volleys for pop, every ball speed read on a Stalker radar gun.
- Spin
- 20 more serves on the radar. I drop the outliers and average the rest, which gave this paddle 2,374 RPM.
- Swing and twist weight
- Measured on a Briffidi SW1 swing weight machine.
- Sweet spot and control
- The same dinks, drops, resets and drives off a Titan ONE ball machine, for every paddle.
- The scores
- Out of 100, with the same tests for every paddle. The top paddles I've tested score 100.
- Published
- Scores from
- My database, updated October 15, 2026. How I test
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No. 2
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