Paddletek vs JOOLA

Almost every paddle in the current power conversation is built the same way: layers hot-molded into a single unibody shell, often with foam packed into the edge walls. Paddletek has largely stayed out of that arms race, and the Bantam TKO-CX is the argument for why.

This comparison is therefore less about which brand is better and more about whether you want a thermoformed paddle at all. Live Amazon prices for both are above. Units we claim to have tested: 0.

Side by side

Thermoformed shell versus layered honeycomb

JOOLA's Perseus is hot-molded as one piece, with the perimeter compressed into a continuous shell. That shell is stiff, and stiffness at the edges is what returns energy to the ball instead of absorbing it into flex. It is the reason modern paddles hit harder than the generation before them. Our thermoformed paddles guide covers the process.

Paddletek gets its pop from the layup instead: a Bantam polymer honeycomb core, a base layer of glass epoxy on each side, and an outer ply of unidirectional PT-700 raw carbon. Stiff plies over a honeycomb core produce a lively face without a molded shell — which is why the TKO-CX hits harder than a spec sheet reading "polymer honeycomb core" would lead you to expect.

The argument nobody makes in the marketing

Thermoformed paddles introduced a set of failure modes that did not exist before them: foam settling in the edge walls, core cells crushing behind the hitting area on hard-hit paddles, and separation between the face and what sits under it. Those are not universal and they are not immediate, but they are real, and they are specific to the construction.

A layered honeycomb paddle with no shell and no foam walls cannot fail in those particular ways. It still wears — the face polishes down like any raw carbon surface, and honeycomb cores soften over years of play — but the structural risks are different in kind. Our guide to delamination and core crush explains what to look and listen for, and when a paddle is worn out covers the checks.

For a heavy hitter who plays several times a week and has already replaced a paddle under warranty, that is a legitimate reason to choose the Paddletek — arguably a better one than any performance number in the table.

Shape and handle length

The Perseus Pro IV is a hybrid: shorter and slightly wider, which keeps more of the face near the sweet spot and makes it quicker to move. The TKO-CX is a genuine elongated frame with a long handle listed at 5.75 inches.

Handle length is the quietly decisive spec here. If you hit a two-handed backhand, a short handle forces your top hand onto the face and compromises the stroke; the TKO-CX has room for both hands with none of that. If you do not, the extra handle is length you are carrying for no benefit. Our handle length guide covers how to work out what you need, and our two-handed backhand picks cover the rest of the field.

Feel and feedback

The two paddles feel different in a way that survives every specification argument. A thermoformed frame delivers a firmer, more unified response — the whole paddle behaves as one object. A layered honeycomb build gives more localized feedback: you feel the face more and the frame less.

Neither is better. It is closer to a preference about how much information you want back from the paddle, and it is the main reason long-time Paddletek players tend to stay with the brand. Our how to choose a paddle guide works through the properties that are genuinely worth prioritizing.

Who should buy which

Buy the JOOLA Perseus Pro IV if you want maximum pace and grip, you play doubles where the counter-attack decides points, or you simply want the current benchmark. It leads our best power paddles roundup, and our 14mm vs 16mm comparison covers which version to take.

Buy the Paddletek Bantam TKO-CX if you hit a two-handed backhand, you want a long handle without a thermoformed shell, or durability has burned you before. Our Bantam TKO-CX review goes into the layup in more detail.

Verdict

On raw performance the Perseus wins: a point more power, a point more spin, and a wider sweet spot in the 16mm build. If you are shopping purely on what the paddle does when it is new, take the JOOLA.

The Paddletek is the more interesting purchase for a specific player — the two-handed backhand hitter, the heavy hitter who has watched a thermoformed paddle go soft, the person who wants flagship-adjacent pop from a construction with a longer track record. That is a narrower case, but for the player it fits, it is a better paddle than the scores make it look.