The J3NF is Honolulu's 2025 all-foam widebody, with no honeycomb inside, and what sets it apart is its 6 inch handle, as long as you'll find on any widebody. That gives a two-handed backhand room to spare, but for the same price, I'd buy the J3CR Crystal Blue instead. It's Honolulu's 2026 version of the J3, with the same shape and handle, and its Crystal Blue grit gives it more spin than any other widebody I've tested. On its own, the J3NF hits a bit harder than the average widebody, and it's about average on control, spin and sweet spot.
The Crystal Blue's main catch is that it isn't USA Pickleball approved. If you play USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments, get the raw carbon J3CR, which is approved and has more pop than the J3NF, so the ball jumps off the face quicker on punches and counters. When I checked Honolulu's store on November 6, 2026, the J3NF and both J3CRs were $176 with code STS10.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Its long handle gives a two-handed backhand more room than almost any other widebody.
- There's a bit more power here than in the average widebody, and it swings about like one.
- Its control is about average for a widebody, which is more than most all-foam widebodies give you.
Cons
- Unless you find it on sale, the newer J3CR is the better buy for the same money, with way more spin on the Crystal Blue and more pop on the raw version.
- If forgiveness is why you want a widebody, this isn't the one, since its sweet spot is only average for the shape and it's less stable than most when you miss the center.
Quick answers
Is the J3NF good for a two-handed backhand?
Yes, and that's the best reason to look at it. Honolulu lists the handle at 6 inches, counting the taper where it meets the face, and the only other widebodies on the market with a handle that long are the two J3CRs.
Should I get the J3NF or the J2NF?
The J2NF is Honolulu's NF hybrid from June 2025, with the same all-foam core and face and a 5.5 inch handle. The two play about the same. The J2NF hits a bit harder and the J3NF has a bit more pop, but control and sweet spot barely differ, so it comes down to shape. Take the J3NF for the longer handle, or the J2NF if you'd rather play a hybrid. Honolulu also sells the J2NF with a 6 inch handle, the J2NF Long Handle, and while it hits a bit harder and swings a bit lighter, I'd still take the J3NF, since the Long Handle has a bit less pop, a bit smaller sweet spot and less stability on mishits.
Is the J3NF USA Pickleball approved?
Yes. USA Pickleball added it to its approved list in August 2025, so it's legal in any USA Pickleball sanctioned tournament. It doesn't have UPA-A approval, the one PPA and MLP pro events go by.
How I tested
I haven't made a video on the J3NF itself, so this page rests on my test numbers, plus what I've said about the J3 shape and Honolulu's foam paddles in other videos. On a widebody, the two numbers I'd watch are sweet spot and twist weight, because forgiveness is why most people buy one. Twist weight tells you how steady the face stays when you miss the center, and I measure it on my Briffidi SW1. Sweet spot and control are my own scores, from the ball machine feeding me dinks and resets at the kitchen. Power and pop are scores built on the ball speed my Stalker Pro 3S radar clocks, and that radar also gives me spin in RPM off my serves. Every score here is from my testing as of October 22, 2026.
The J3 shape and its long handle
Honolulu calls the J3 shape its "aero standard square," and at 16 inches long and 8 inches wide, it's a true widebody. Back in July 2025, before it came out, I said the J3 would be a standard-shaped widebody, and that the shape "hasn't been as popular these days." What makes it worth a look anyway is the handle. Most widebodies stop at 5.5 inches or shorter, and Honolulu lists the J3's at 6, so there's plenty of space when you bring the second hand up for a backhand.
How it feels in your hand next to other widebodies you can buy
About average in your hands, a little less steady when you miss the middle
How heavy the paddle feels when you swing it. Lower means faster hands.
About average swing weight for a widebody.
How well the paddle resists turning in your hand when you hit off center. Higher means steadier.
Less steady than most widebodies.
How its sweet spot stacks up against other widebodies you can buy
An average-size sweet spot for a widebody
Both rings are sized to their score.
Drives, counters and spin
How its spin stacks up against other widebodies you can buy
About average spin for a widebody, right at the average
The top three for spin
- 1Honolulu J3CR Crystal Blue2,436
- 211SIX24 Pegasus Jelly Bean 22,37561 RPM behind
- 3RPM Q2 Widebody2,36967 RPM behind
- 25Honolulu J3NF2,270166 RPM behind
Drives come off the J3NF a bit faster than they do off the average widebody, so there's some real pace from the baseline. That doesn't make it a power paddle, though, and plenty of widebodies hit harder.
Pop is middle of the pack for a widebody, which cuts both ways. Your counters don't get any extra pace, but your resets don't jump off the face any more than usual either. Spin is about average too, and if spin is high on your list, this is where the J3CR Crystal Blue pulls way ahead.
Control and forgiveness
Control is right around the widebody average, and for an all-foam widebody, that's actually pretty good, since most of them have less.
For a widebody, though, it just isn't that forgiving. The sweet spot is no bigger than the average widebody's, and when you catch a block or reset off center, the face twists more than it would on most widebodies. In a comparison video in February 2026, my take on the J3CR was that Honolulu "just didn't shape that paddle quite as well as they could have," and the J3NF has that same J3 shape.
A firmer feel than Honolulu's newer paddles
The J3NF has the NF line's all-foam core, built around an EPP foam center, and the face is layered carbon, then fiberglass, then carbon again. Honolulu's CR paddles came after the NF line, and when they launched with the J6CR elongated in November 2025, I said the NF series "feels more rigid now in comparison to the CR series." Firm is relative here, though. Honolulu's paddles in general feel a bit more plush than most brands, so next to the CR paddles the J3NF feels firm, but next to most other brands, it still feels a bit plush.
Grip, warranty and where to buy it
Honolulu sells it as the Sword & Shield J3NF, in black only, with a grip that's 4.125 inches around. Honolulu's warranty runs 1 year against manufacturing defects, but only on paddles bought from its own site, so a J3NF from another store goes back through that store. Returns work the same way, with 30 days to send it back unused if you bought it from Honolulu. When I checked on November 6, 2026, Honolulu's store listed the black J3NF as available, Desert Paddles had it in stock too, and Spinwave had it for $165. That's only $11 under the J3CR with my code, though, which isn't enough of a sale for me to pass on the J3CR.
What owners are saying
I couldn't find any. I checked Honolulu's own page, Desert Paddles, Spinwave and the forums on November 6, 2026, and nobody had reviewed it yet. So for now, my numbers are the best guide.
J3NF or J3CR
In 2026, Honolulu added the J3 to its newer CR line as the J3CR, which comes two ways and keeps the J3NF's shape and handle in both. In that same J6CR launch video, I also said the CR series was "definitely going to be a better pick" than the NF series, and on the J3, the numbers bear that out.
Between the two J3CRs, the Crystal Blue is my pick, and it's all about the spin. Honolulu's Crystal Blue grit gives it way more spin than the J3NF, and the grit holds up, since Crystal Blue lost only about 1% of its spin across 75 games of my wear test. Next to the J3NF, it also hits harder, has a bit more pop and swings a bit lighter, with about the same control and sweet spot. The catch is approval. Crystal Blue is UPA-A approved, and most local leagues and clubs take it, but you can't use it in USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments.
For those tournaments, the raw carbon J3CR is the one to get, since USA Pickleball approved it in February 2026. It has a good bit more pop than the J3NF, which helps if you like to speed the ball up at the kitchen, and it hits a bit harder too. Control, spin and sweet spot stay about the same, and what you give up is a little hand speed, since it swings a bit heavier.
Honolulu prices both J3CRs the same as the J3NF, and on November 6, 2026, its store listed both as available in blue and white, though the pages also showed sold-out badges, so check before you order.
Other widebodies to consider
Two paddles you might pick instead
How it stacks up against the Pegasus Power 2 and the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Widebody
A paddle only wins a score when it leads by 5 points or more.
J3NFWidebody · $175.50
Pegasus Power 2Widebody · $199.99The J3NF is more controllable. The Pegasus Power 2 hits harder, has more pop, spins more and has a bigger sweet spot. The Pegasus Power 2 costs about $24 more.
J3NFWidebody · $175.50
MPP Turbo ArmorGrit WidebodyWidebody · $99.99The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit hits harder, has more pop, spins more and has a bigger sweet spot. Control is about the same. The MPP Turbo ArmorGrit costs about $75 less.
11SIX24 Pegasus Power 2: a better widebody shape
If you're not set on the J3, the Pegasus Power 2 is where I'd look next. It's one of 11SIX24's 2026 widebodies, with an MPP foam core and 11SIX24's HexGrit built into the face, and it's No. 2 on my widebody list. When I put it next to the J3CR in my beginner paddle video in May 2026, I said that between those two, "the Pegasus is going to be the best widebody pick," because "this is just a better shape. It better utilizes surface area." That shows in the numbers. Its sweet spot is the biggest I've tested, a good bit bigger than the J3NF's, it's very stable on off center hits, and it has more power, more pop and more spin. The trade is control. You get a bit less of it, and with that much more pop, resets and dinks take softer hands. Its 5.5 inch handle still leaves room for a two-handed backhand, and its HexGrit has held up as well as Crystal Blue in my wear test. Like the Crystal Blue, it's UPA-A only, so it's out for USA Pickleball sanctioned tournaments but fine at most local leagues and clubs. It's normally $200 with code STSPICKLEBALL, and when I checked on November 7, 2026, 11SIX24 had it on sale for $160 through December 4.
Enhance MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Widebody: more forgiveness for $76 less
Enhance's MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Widebody is the budget pick here, a 2026 foam widebody that's No. 4 on my widebody list. Coming from the J3NF, the choice is simple. You give up the long handle, since its 5.3 inch handle is tight for two hands, and you save $76. What you get back is a sweet spot that beats the J3NF's by a good bit and a face that holds steadier when you miss the center. It also hits harder, with more pop and spin, and it's a bit lighter in your hands. Control is about the same. Its MPP foam core usually feels softer and more plush than the J3NF's EPP foam. ArmorGrit is the coating Enhance puts over the carbon face, and so far, about 20 to 25 games into my wear test, it's wearing a little faster than Crystal Blue and HexGrit. It's been USA Pickleball approved since September 2026. On November 7, 2026, Enhance had the widebody in stock at $99.99 with code STSPICKLEBALL.
Selkirk SLK Dauntless Widebody: more control for players who reset
The SLK Dauntless Widebody is Selkirk's control widebody from February 2026, built on a one-piece foam core with a raw carbon face, and it has more control than any other paddle released this year. Against the J3NF, you get a good bit more control, a bit bigger sweet spot and more stability on mishits, so resets and blocks are easier to keep low. The cost is offense, since it hits a lot softer than the J3NF, with less pop and a lot less spin. With a 5.6 inch handle, there's still room for a two-handed backhand. USA Pickleball approved it in December 2025. On November 7, 2026, Selkirk's store had it at $150 and listed all four widebody colors as available, but the page also showed an out of stock notice, so check before you order. Code INF-STSPICKLEBALL adds a $20 Selkirk gift card without changing the price, so thank you for supporting the channel when you use it.
My call
For a widebody with a long handle, the J3NF is decent, but I wouldn't buy one unless it's on sale. For the same $176, both J3CRs beat it, and I'd take the J3CR Crystal Blue for its spin, or the raw J3CR if you need USA Pickleball approval. The only other time I'd pick the J3NF is if you need USA Pickleball approval and its slightly lighter swing matters more to you than the raw J3CR's extra pop. If the J3 shape isn't a must, I'd look at the Pegasus Power 2. It has the biggest sweet spot I've tested, and it still has room for two hands. If you'd rather spend less and can live with a shorter handle, the MPP Turbo ArmorGrit Widebody forgives more for $76 less, and if control is what you're after, the SLK Dauntless Widebody is the one.
Testing details
- Tested
- June 10, 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 2,270 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
- Updated
- Scores from
- My database, updated November 10, 2026. How I test
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