If you were looking for a new padel racket you have probably browsed through several websites and compared a lot of rackets. Some sites are more reputable than others, that begs the question: is it worth buying a Padel racket from Aliexpress
In short, yes AliExpress is a trustworthy website where you could buy a good Padel racket from. If you should do it depends on your situation and your needs on the Padel court.
In this article, we will go through our experience and give you the tools to carefully select a vendor and a Padel racket.
Buying products and merchandise from overseas sources like AliExpress always involve some apprehension and unease. The reason is partly that buying from these parties involves some risks.
As a regular reviewer of Padel gear, I’m used to sourcing equipment from various online stores. But this was my first Padel racket purchase from AliExpress. And I figured that there must be others out there who’ve browsed through the site but held back from ordering.
So, I’m sharing my experience of buying a Padel racket from AliExpress in the hope that it may help those of you who may have considered a similar purchase. Anyway, that’s enough about me. Let’s get into this!
Table of Contents
Initial Impressions
For starters, I wasn’t sure if they would have any Padel rackets, to begin with. As a sport, Padel is widely popular in Europe and other ‘western’ countries. So, there’s no shortage of gear, equipment, and merchandise on sale both online and in physical stores. But what about Asian markets and retailers like AliExpress?
I was doubtful of whether AliExpress would have a good selection because the sport isn’t that big in Asia. You’ll understand my embarrassment when I found quite a decent collection of Padel rackets on sale.
Maybe I momentarily overlooked the fact that AliExpress is among the fastest-growing online retailers. With a market value of $232 billion and sales in over 200 countries, the platform is no pushover when it comes to online retailing.
My Padel Racket Requirements
Let me give you a quick description of what I was looking for.
One of my top priorities was to stay clear of cheap knockoffs and imitations. Scams and fraudulent products are an inevitable part of most online retailing platforms, not just AliExpress. So, I wanted to go for a Padel racket that, at least, appeared to be legit.
Another parameter was non-premium Padel rackets. High-end Padel rackets are easily available closer home (both online and brick-mortar shops). Also, even if I got them online, enough alternative platforms were willing to ship them in much less time.
Finally, I measured each product against specific red flags and indicators of reliability. For instance, I preferred well-reviewed and widely ordered rackets. AliExpress shows you the number of orders placed for the product you’re viewing. Also, I checked out the retailer’s other products and equipment to see if they’re a niche business or a foot-in-every-door kind of retailer.
Browsing Padel Rackets on AliExpress
Anyway, a search for Padel rackets resulted in a fair collection of products that ranged in both price and quality.
Here’s what I found.
Poor options in premium Padel rackets
The first trend that struck me was the lack of premium quality brands. Yes, there were a few. But they don’t have enough alternatives for a seasoned player. To be honest, this wasn’t a deal-breaker because it fell in line with my approach too.
The closest thing to a premium racket I found was a carbon-fiber racket by Teloon that cost over $140. Now, Teloon has manufactured tennis gear since the late 80s. So, they’re not a rip-off brand.
But at that price, I figured that I could get an Adidas Training CTRL racket much faster in my part of the world. Also, the slightly more expensive Padel rackets did not have nearly as many reviews or purchases to form an impression.
Note: Premium rackets will retain their brand value regardless of where you buy them. So, a brand new BullPadel Vertex series should cost the same on their official site, on Amazon, or on eBay.
Budget-friendly Padel rackets
There was an impressive collection of mid-range and cheaper Padel rackets. But here too, I found an excessive number of obscure brands that weren’t really big in the industry.
Most of the cheaper rackets came from a Chinese brand named Jusenda. There were also several models by Kawasaki. The Kawasaki Padel rackets came with heavy-top, EVA cores, and glass-fiber grips. But there weren’t enough reviews and ratings to really consider them in the final draw.
Most of these Padel rackets were cheap enough, yet there were complaints of inferior build and quality on a lot of them.
However, I did find enough options by brands like Camewin. Camewin isn’t necessarily a big name in the industry. But their Padel rackets on AliExpress had enough positive feedback to grab attention.
Do this before buying a Padel racket from Ali Express
- Check the seller’s reputation
AliExpress offers quick ways to check if you are buying from a legit seller. The number of positive reviews and a seller’s rating are very good indicators. A seller with 4 out of 5 stars and a large number of positive reviews are more trustworthy
- Number of orders shipped
The number of sales is a good reflection of a buyer’s reputation. The more sales complete, the more trustworthy a seller is
- Seller guarantees
From within the product page, you should be able to find the “seller Guarantees” tab where the seller put their commitments such as delivery specifics, refund conditions as well as guaranteeing quality
- Make payment through AliExpress
Never send the money directly to the seller if you are ever requested to. AliExpress offers a payment solution that will cover you. Direct payment to seller exposes you to fraud and removes any protection
- Inspect your order before purchase
If it seems too good to be true it probably is too good to be true. Even though you will probably find lower prices than you are used to on the local market, there is a limit to the depth of prices. Carefully examine the product with the help of pictures and customer reviews before committing to the purchase.
Buying my Padel racket from AliExpress
After browsing several options, I settled on a Camewin model. The Camewin BR4015 is a balanced Padel that weighs 360g and is about 380mm thick. These are numbers I can get behind as far as standard Padel rackets go.
Assessing before purchasing
With an EVA foam core and a carbon fiber exterior, the build seemed good enough. But what really caught my undivided attention were the 140+ reviews that gave it an average of 4.8 stars. Going through the reviews, I found satisfied clients from countries all over the world.
The retailer’s other products included cycling, hiking, and tennis equipment. So, it was clear that they dealt with sports/adventure gear (another good sign).
The delivery was scheduled for two weeks, which was longer than I expected. But I decide to go along with it anyway.
Great pricing
As a recognized brand, I was slightly surprised at the pricing. Most online stores here charged about 10 Euros ($12-13) more than the price on AliExpress. So, it was definitely a good deal.
Receiving and unboxing
The Padel racket arrived in less than a week (the initial schedule was two weeks), which was a pleasant surprise. Given the pricing, I was a bit cynical about the build and quality. But the racket looked, felt, and worked as great as advertised on the site.
After more than a month of using this racket, I’m inclined to agree with my fellow reviewers on AliExpress. The product comes as shown, works great, and AliExpress deserves a shout-out for the prompt delivery.
Testing
After finding 4 people to play with we went out to the Padel court to test this new racket out. At first sight, nothing was off, and even after playing a couple of hours, there were no remarkable differences in terms of quality with more expensive rackets.
I am quite strong and I hit the ball hard and the racket withstood the endeavor. The blade itself is a bit more sturdy and hard I was not able to find breaks in the blade or any other damages.
Even after a few months and many more hours of play, the racket is still in a perfect state.
Final Thoughts
I’m still somewhat on the fence regarding whether this great buy can offset the tons of knockoffs that are on AliExpress. I guess navigating through some less-than-stellar products before finding a great deal is part of the Ali experience. All in all, there’s no doubt that AliExpress offers better pricing on many budget products (Padel rackets being one of them).
The trade-off is that your delivery may take time, depending on your location. And you may have to go through some copper before you find the silverware. But for budget buys, there are definitely great deals to be claimed on this platform.
If you are not in a hurry and prepare to wait up to a month for your racket, and if you are just starting playing this could be quite a good alternative to buying an expensive brand glass fibre-racket that breaks within a few hours of playing
