WHETHER YOU ARE a total newbie playing in your garage for the first time or a seasoned veteran taking on the top players at your local gym, the best ping pong paddles are the ones that make you feel the most confident when you're at the table. There are, of course, different ping pong paddles for different skill levels, but finding the right one isn’t actually that difficult.

Beginner paddles are generally the most affordable ones and feature flared handles for comfort and maneuverability along with tacky rubber surfaces for optimal forgiveness. More advanced ping pong paddles will have blades made from higher quality wood, incorporate premium materials like carbon fiber into the blade and handle, and utilize the top rubber materials you can buy, resulting in higher spin, more power, and more feel. These may set you back a bit more when it comes to the cost, but they are key to elevating your game.

Best Ping Pong Paddles

What to Consider

Intended Skill Level

When choosing a ping pong paddle, knowing your skill level, and what skill level the paddle is intended for, is crucial. Beginners should opt for affordable paddles with greater control and forgiveness, which often have a larger sweet spot and softer rubber. Intermediate players will want to prioritize paddles that balance control and speed, while advanced players often will want to choose paddles that maximize spin and speed. Understanding what the paddle you’re choosing was made for will ensure that you select a paddle that enhances your strengths and helps improve your weaknesses.

Blade Material

The blade material is one of the most important factors in determining a paddle’s performance. Paddles typically are made with wood or composite materials (including carbon fiber, like the Stiga paddle above). Wood blades offer better control and feel, making them the best bet for beginners and intermediate players. Composite blades provide more speed and a pure sweet spot, which is better for advanced players seeking power and precision.

Rubber

The rubber on a ping pong paddle affects spin, speed, and control. Soft rubber provides better control and is best for beginners who want more accuracy. Medium-hard rubber mixes spin and speed, making it best for intermediate players. Advanced players often choose harder rubber for maximum spin and speed. Additionally, the rubber's tackiness makes a big difference when it comes to generating speed.

Is It Better to Have a Light or Heavy Ping Pong Paddle?

The style of your play usually dictates if you want to go light or heavy in your paddle weight. A lightweight ping pong paddle always for faster reactions, easier maneuverability and better spin movements (easier to flick the wrist quick to generate). A heavier ping pong paddle will give you more power and better momentum when returning powerful shots. A heavier paddle can also help with control when playing defense, as you don't need to generate as much force to send a good shot back.

How We Selected

While you could spend a day sifting through the multitude of options, as you might assume by walking through the sporting goods section at your local Target or Walmart, that probably isn’t absolutely necessary. In spite of the sheer volume of paddles stocked at our favorite retailers, our team at Men’s Health thinks that a few top picks stand out above the rest. To find our top ping pong paddles, our editors and writers looked at paddle design notes (like the blade material and rubber), the intended skill level of the paddle, and the price point. Lastly, we considered popular opinion from the gaming community on forums like r/tabletennis on Reddit.

Read on to get the skinny on our top five favorite ping pong paddles you can buy right now.