The Aireo Cyclone is a 16mm elongated, the only shape it comes in, with an MPP foam core. It's stiff, loud and built for power, with a lot of pop and no heavy swing. The downside is control. Nearly every paddle I've tested is more controllable. If you play offense first, it's my pick. Just know you'll have to learn to take pace off your soft game, because the face won't do it for you. If your soft game matters more than raw pace, get the Aireo Cyclone X Hybrid. It's $199.00, or $179.10 with the code STSPICKLEBALL.
Pros and cons
Pros
- It's got more pop than almost anything I've tested, so it's great in hands battles.
- It swings lighter than almost every elongated.
- It hits hard on drives and serves.
- It's $134 less than the Selkirk Boomstik Elongated.
Cons
- Control is F tier, so drops and dinks take a careful touch.
- Spin is only about average for an elongated.
- Aireo's warranty is only six months.
- If you'll play a hybrid, the Pickleball Apes Zen S+ costs less and scores as well or better across the board.
Quick answers
Is the Aireo Cyclone elongated?
Yes. The Cyclone only comes as a 16mm elongated, 16.46 inches long and 7.51 inches wide. Aireo's hybrid is a separate paddle called the Cyclone X Hybrid.
Is Aireo a good pickleball paddle?
The Cyclone is a good paddle for players who attack. It's S tier for power and pop, and no other MPP elongated paddle I've tested swings lighter. Touch players will have a harder time with it, since it's F tier for control.
A very stiff foam paddle with a loud, hollow sound
The Cyclone is very stiff for foam, and it only softens a little as you play it. It's closer in stiffness to the Selkirk Boomstik Elongated than the softer Luzz Pro 4 Inferno. It's loud and hollow like the Boomstik, one of the loudest foam paddles around. Next to it, a Pickleball Apes Zen S+ is softer at impact.
The ball leaves the face right away. On short swings, the Cyclone has a lot of pop. Coming from an Inferno? Expect more pace off every short swing, since the Inferno has clearly less pop.
And it swings really light for an elongated power paddle. Lower swing weight means quicker hands. The Cyclone's swing weight measured 108.9 against 117.6 for the typical elongated. Just three elongateds I've tested swing lighter. It's even lighter than the typical paddle I've tested across all three shapes, widebodies and hybrids too.
Great for counters and speed-ups, harder work on drops and dinks
How its spin stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
About average spin for an elongated paddle, right at the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue2,424
- 211SIX24 Hurache-X Jelly Bean 22,39529 RPM behind
- 3Engage Axiom Elongated2,39430 RPM behind
- 45Aireo Cyclone Elongated2,266158 RPM behind
Drives and serves
The Cyclone scored 90 out of 100 for power. Only 19 paddles I've tested score higher, and 10 of those are elongated. That's clearly more power than the typical elongated.
Spin on serves and drives is good, but it isn't elite. It's about the same as the typical 16mm raw carbon elongated, and the typical 16mm elongated with a grit or coated face spins more. Even with the sprayed grit on the face, the Cyclone spins like raw carbon.
Hands battles
This is where the Cyclone is at its best. Pop is how much pace the ball picks up off a short, quick swing, and the Cyclone scored 90 out of 100 for it. Only 17 paddles I've tested score higher, and none of the other nine MPP elongated paddles I've tested pops more.
Even when you're a little late, counters jump off the face with pace, since the pop's always there and it swings light.
Drops and dinks
Keep in mind the same pop that wins hands battles makes the soft game harder on the Cyclone. The ball jumps off the face on third-shot drops, so they need a careful touch. Dinks take some getting used to as well, because the face doesn't soak up pace.
It scored 24 out of 100 for control, and nearly every paddle I've tested beats that. So take pace off on purpose, and expect it to take some time for your hands to adjust. If your drops already tend to pop up, skip this paddle.
Off-center hits
The sweet spot is a little bigger than on the typical elongated. Twist weight, which is how much the face resists turning when you miss the center, is about the same as the typical elongated. But if you miss the center a lot, the Cyclone X Hybrid below is the better choice.
How it feels in your hand next to other elongateds you can buy
Quick in your hands, about average when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. A lower number swings quicker.
Only two elongated paddles you can buy swing lighter.
How much the paddle fights twisting when you miss the middle. A higher number is steadier.
About average twist weight for an elongated paddle.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other elongateds you can buy
A bigger sweet spot than most elongated paddles
Both rings are sized to their score.
More pop than the typical full foam elongated, with less control
It's 16mm full foam, with an MPP center, an EVA foam perimeter and edge foam, and it's thermoformed. The face is raw carbon with a sprayed grit Aireo calls NanoGraph. That's what was on the one I tested on June 23, 2026.
Next to the typical 16mm full foam elongated, the Cyclone has about the same power, clearly more pop and a little less control. Next to the typical 16mm honeycomb elongated, it has clearly more power, far more pop, and far less control.
It's 7.6 to 7.9 ounces with a 4.13 inch grip, and there's room for two hands on the 5.7 inch handle. USA Pickleball approved too, so you can play it in sanctioned events.
Owners like adding weight, and the soft game takes time
Aireo first listed the Cyclone Elongated on its store on January 8, 2026. One thing owners praise is that it takes weight well. Four owners say it, and with a swing this light there's plenty of room to add weight.
One complaint is that the soft game and mid-court shots take time to control. Three owners reported that between January and September 2026, and it matches my control number.
Should you get the Boomstik Elongated or the Inferno instead?
The Selkirk Boomstik Elongated is what the Cyclone gets compared to most. It's $333.00, and the code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $40 Selkirk gift card instead of lowering the price. That's $134 more at list, and $153.90 more after codes.
On my numbers, the Boomstik Elongated is the better paddle. It has a little more power and a little more pop. Its sweet spot is clearly bigger, and it has far more control. Spin is about the same between the two. The Cyclone wins on swing weight, 108.9 to the Boomstik's 117.0, so it's quicker in your hands.
If you want the more complete paddle and a lifetime warranty, get the Boomstik Elongated. If you want close to the same pace for $134 less, with quicker hands, get the Cyclone.
The Luzz Pro 4 Inferno is the next most common comparison. It's $209.00, or $188.10 with the code STSPICKLEBALL, so it costs $10 more than the Cyclone. Power, spin and control are about the same between them. The Cyclone has clearly more pop and a clearly bigger sweet spot, and it swings lighter. Between those two, I'd take the Cyclone.
More control for the same money or less
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the J6CR Crystal Blue and the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Elongated
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
Cyclone ElongatedElongated · $179.10
J6CR Crystal BlueElongated · $175.50The Cyclone has more pop. The J6CR spins more, has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. Power is about the same. The J6CR costs about $3 less.
Cyclone ElongatedElongated · $179.10
MPP Turbo ArmorGrit ElongatedElongated · $99.99The Cyclone has more pop. The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit spins more, has a bigger sweet spot and is more controllable. Power is about the same. The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit costs about $79 less.
Elongated paddles
Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue, $195.00, or $175.50 with code STS10. The J6CR is for players who want the Cyclone's pace and a soft game they can count on, and it's $4 less. Power is about the same, and it has far more control, far more spin and a clearly bigger sweet spot. It also comes with a 6 inch handle and a one-year warranty. You give up a little pop, and the swing is slightly heavier, though only four elongateds I've tested swing lighter. Just know it's only on the UPA-A list, so it isn't approved for USA Pickleball events.
Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Elongated, $119.99, or $99.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. This is the value pick, at $79.01 less. It has the same power, far more control, more spin and a little bigger sweet spot. You give up a little pop, and it swings slightly heavier. It's USA Pickleball approved, with a one-year warranty on the core.
Enhance EPP Turbo Elongated, $119.99, or $99.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. This is the closest match to the Cyclone's numbers for less money. Power, pop, spin and sweet spot are all about the same, and it has a little more control. What you give up is the light swing, since it swings heavier than the typical elongated, and the face is raw peel-ply carbon. It's USA Pickleball approved, with a one-year warranty on the core.
If you're open to a hybrid
Pickleball Apes Zen S+, $188.88, or $169.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL. The Zen S+ is a 16.5mm hybrid, $10.12 less, and it matches or beats the Cyclone on every one of my scores. That's clearly more power, far more control, a far bigger sweet spot and more spin. Pop's about the same, and it swings lighter. It's softer at impact too, USA Pickleball approved, with a one-year warranty. You do give up elongated reach, though, at 16.2 inches long.
Aireo Cyclone X Hybrid, $199.00, or $179.10 with code STSPICKLEBALL. Different model, same price, and the same 16mm full foam MPP build and sprayed grit face. You get far more control, a clearly bigger sweet spot and steadier off-center hits. Pop and spin are about the same, and it swings slightly lighter. It has far less power, though, and less reach, since it's 16.1 inches long.
Get the Cyclone if you play offense first
It's the one for elongated reach and ending points with pace. Rather win with drops and dinks? The Cyclone X Hybrid fits better. Staying elongated and don't need USA Pickleball approval? Look at the J6CR Crystal Blue.
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 2,266 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. 3
No. 4
