The 7 Best Pickleball Gifts In 2023
Looking for a thoughtful pickleball gift for a loved one? Here's what you need to know and our pick of some great options
Are you looking for a great pickleball gift for someone important in your life?
The sport has exploded in popularity in recent years, and that has led to more and more people stepping out onto the pickleball court to work on their game.
As pickleball grew, it’s led to there being many more companies manufacturing pickleball products and accessories. In short, there’s more choice than ever when it comes to finding great pickleball gifts.
In this article, we’re going to cover some of the main types of gifts that would make any pickleball player happy. We’re going to look at the main categories of products and accessories, and also reveal our pick of some of the very best options on the market right now.
So, with the introductions out of the way, let’s start by looking at some of the main categories of pickleball accessories and equipment that can make great gifts.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Shopping For Pickleball Gifts
If you’re just starting out on your search for a pickleball gift or present, then the first thing to do is to decide what type of product the person you’re buying for is likely to appreciate the most.
So, let’s start by covering some of the main types of pickleball products that would make good gifts for a loved one.
• A New Paddle – It’s probably the most obvious choice, but a new pickleball paddle can always make a great gift. Perhaps your loved one started out with a more basic beginners’ paddle and now may be ready to move on to something more advanced. You can check out our in-depth guide to the best pickleball paddles here. Alternatively, you could consider a pickleball paddle set containing multiple paddles and balls.
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• A Pickleball Bag – Having a great bag that can house a few paddles and balls, as well as other items such as a drinks bottle and a change of clothes is a must for most pickleball players. Buying a bag may not have been a priority for players who are just starting out, so it can make a great gift. Here is our guide to the best pickleball bags.
• A Set Of Pickleball Balls – If you’re looking for a gift that’s guaranteed to be useful, then a set of pickleball balls is a great option. Balls endure wear and tear and will need to be replaced at some point, so having some extra ones to practice and play with is never a bad thing. You can see our guide to the best pickleball balls here.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
• A Pickleball Net System – If your loved one has an open space they could use for pickleball, then a portable pickleball net system could be a great option. These systems include a net and poles to help you set up to play wherever possible. You can see our guide to the best pickleball net systems here.
• A Pickleball Paddle Cover – A low-key but useful accessory, a pickleball paddle cover can help to keep your loved one’s paddle in tip-top shape. You can check out our guide to some of the best pickleball paddle covers here.
• Pickleball Paddle Edge Tape – If you’re loved one has just purchased a new paddle, then some edge tape to help protect it can be a great gift. Edge tape can be placed around the outer edge of the paddle to prevent it from getting scuffed and scratched, and is a great way to personalise paddles. We have a separate guide to the best pickleball paddle edge tape here.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
• A Pickleball Trivia Game – Finally, for those looking for a gift they can enjoy away from the court, you might want to consider a pickleball-related product such as a trivia game. There are some great ones available to buy on Amazon and elsewhere.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Best Pickleball Gifts 2023 – Our Pick
So, now that we’ve covered some of the main categories of gifts to consider, it’s time to reveal our pick of seven of the best options.
All of the accessories and products below were available to buy on Amazon at the time of writing. If you want to know more about each product and see some other options, we recommend taking a look at our individual product guides which are linked to above.
Also, bear in mind that the details of the products below may change from time to time, so be sure to carefully check the product page on Amazon before making a purchase.
1) Onix Graphite Z5 Pickleball Paddle
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon.com)
The first option on our list is a pickleball paddle. The Onix Graphite Z5 (available here on Amazon) is currently our top rated all-round pickleball paddle. Onix are one of the world’s top pickleball brands and the Z5 Graphite is a hugely popular and highly-rated paddle. The Z5 Graphite is the brand’s most popular paddle and it boasts a tennis racket-shaped handle and has a nomex honeycomb core. At the time of writing, the Z5 Graphite boasted an average score of 4.6 out of five stars from more than 4,800 ratings on Amazon.
2) Joola Tour Elite Pro Pickleball Bag
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
Perhaps your loved one already has a great paddle but could do with something to store and transport it in. The Joola Tour Elite Pro Pickleball bag (available here on Amazon) is a great all-round bag for a regular pickleball player. It comes in a range of different colours and has space for up to four paddles and lots of other items thanks to its zipped compartments. Joola are a big name in the pickleball world, and this bag, which can be used as a backpack thanks to its two straps, had an average rating of four out of five stars from 13 reviews on Amazon at the time of writing.
3) Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleball Balls
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
No pickleball player should be without some good quality balls to hit with. The Franklin Sports X-40 Outdoor Pickleball Balls (available here on Amazon) come in sets of various sizes and are very highly rated amongst customers. As well as the Optic Yellow balls shown above, they are also available in different colours. These pickleball balls are very highly rated, and had an average score of 4.7 out of five stars from more than 15,000 ratings on Amazon at the time of writing.
4) Oncourt Offcourt Picklenet Portable Net
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
Next up on our list is the Oncourt Offcourt Picklenet Portable Net (available here on Amazon). This portable net system is specifically designed to be easy to assemble and is made with powder-coated steel for durability. It comes with a bag for easy storage and is highly rated on Amazon, with an average score of 4.5 out of five stars from more than 300 ratings at the time of writing.
5) Franklin Sports Pickleball Paddle Cover
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon.com)
A paddle cover can be a really useful pickleball gift, as it can help to protect the paddle face from getting scuffed and scratched when not in use. The Franklin Sports Pickleball Paddle Cover (available here on Amazon) is our top-rated all-round option. Franklin Sports are a huge name in the world of pickleball and this paddle cover comes with a fence clip for easy storage on the court during play. At the time of writing, it had an average score of 4.7 out of five stars from more than 500 ratings on Amazon.
6) Joola Pickleball Paddle Edge Tape
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon)
Paddle edge tape is a special type of tape which can help to protect the edge of a pickleball paddle from getting scuffed and scratched during play. The Joola Pickleball Paddle Edge Tape (available here on Amazon) is designed to do just that. It can be easily fixed to the outer rim of a paddle to help keep it protected. Just be sure to check that the width of the tape is suitable for the paddle. At the time of writing, the Joola Pickleball Paddle Edge Tape had an average rating of 4.3 out of five stars on Amazon from more than 60 ratings.
7) Pickleball Trivia Game
Where to buy: www.amazon.com
(Photo: Amazon.com)
The final option on our list is a great option for players looking for a bit of fun away from the court. The Pickleball Trivia Game (available here on Amazon) features a 200 card game-set with five different categories. It’s travel size and perfect for children who are just getting into the sport. At the time of writing, it had an average score of 4.5 out of five stars on Amazon from 24 ratings.
How We Chose The Best Pickleball Gifts
If you’ve done any research for yourself, you’ll know that there are lots of options out there when it comes to pickleball accessories and products that would make good gifts.
To compile this guide, we conducted our own online research. This involved reviewing retail websites such as Amazon to pick out some of the best-selling and top-rated pickleball-related gifts and products.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
We checked out what customers were saying about the leading products to narrow down our list, and we also looked to see what pickleball players were saying and recommending on social sites such as Reddit. We then combined all of this information during the process of creating this guide to bring you a list of some top pickleball gifts for consideration.
Although we very much hope that this guide has been useful, we do strongly recommend that you do some of your own research before making a purchase. This could include reading through some of the customer reviews of the product you’re looking at, or checking to see what actual pickleball players are saying and recommending on social sites such as Reddit.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Anything Else To Bear In Mind?
In some cases, it may be better to visit your local sports store to see what’s on offer in terms of pickleball gifts. This can also give you the chance to chat to store staff and get some personalised advice.
If you end up shopping online, just be sure to carefully check the returns, refunds and exchanges policy of the site you’ll be shopping from.
(Photo: Adobe Stock)
Wrapping Things Up – Our Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of our guide to some of the best pickleball gifts out there right now. We’ve singled out a few different categories of products that could make great presents, and have also revealed our pick of seven of the top options on Amazon right now.
We think that the Onix Z5 Graphite Paddle (available here on Amazon) is a great choice, but all of the gift ideas we’ve featured on this page should be solid choices!
