Best Pickleball Gear to Get Into the Game

The craziest thing about pickleball? It’s not that it’s the fastest growing sport in America—with almost 5 million people now playing, two professional annual tournaments, and an emerging breed of pickleball resorts. The craziest thing about pickleball is that we’re all just now discovering this sport, which has been around since the 1960s, when a couple of dads invented it to keep their families entertained on the weekend.

Falling in love with pickleball now, after all these years, is a lot like the well-worn plot of a romantic comedy where the protagonist finally recognizes his best friend for who she/he really is. Who knows why it took us nearly 60 years to fall in love with pickleball, the important thing is that we do love the sport—because pickleball is fun. Imagine if tennis and ping pong had a baby, and then that baby was raised by badminton. That’s pickleball. We don’t think anybody should be left out of that fun, so we found the best pickleball gear on the market so you can jump head first into this burgeoning sport and look good doing it. Here are our favorite pickleball picks, from the shoes on your feet to the ball you strike.

1. Recess Zuma Paddle

Your pickleball paddle is more than just a tool. It’s an accessory that speaks volumes about your personal style. The Zuma is beautiful, with a leather-wrapped handle and understated, but whimsical, flora print. And this beauty performs, too; the composite paddle has a honeycomb polypropylene core wrapped in a fiberglass surface that’s given a sanded texture to help increase ball spin and control. It comes with a canvas case.

[$86; recesspickleball.com]

2. Onix Pure 2 Outdoor Pickleball Balls

Not all balls are created equal. The Onix Pure 2 is built specifically for outdoor play, with a heavier build and smaller holes so the ball flies straight in the wind, but still offers that quintessential pickleball bounce. They’re durable too, proven to resist splitting, even at the hands of heavy hitters.

[$17; onixpickleball.com]