Pickleball Paddle Materials Explained: Face, Core & Construction

So, you’ve caught the pickleball bug. Welcome to the club! Once you start comparing paddles, you’ll quickly run into terms like T700 carbon, fiberglass, aramid, polypropylene honeycomb, foam core and thermoformed construction.

It can sound complicated, but there’s one important thing to understand: no single material determines how a paddle plays. The face, surface finish, core, thickness and construction all work together to create the final feel.

At TOCO67, we believe the right paddle is the one that matches the way you actually play. So let’s open one up — figuratively — and look at what’s inside.

The Anatomy of a Pickleball Paddle

Most modern pickleball paddles can be broken down into a few key elements:

• Face material — carbon fiber, fiberglass, aramid or a hybrid composite.
• Surface finish — smooth, peel-ply textured, grit-coated or another engineered finish.
• Core — commonly polypropylene honeycomb, but increasingly foam or hybrid constructions.
• Core thickness — often around 13–16 mm, although thinner and thicker designs exist.
• Construction — traditional sandwich construction, thermoforming, foam-reinforced edges or full-foam designs.

Change one of these and the paddle can behave differently. Change several at once and two paddles that look almost identical can feel completely different on court.

Pickleball Paddle Face Materials

T700 Carbon Fiber

T700 is a grade of carbon fiber known for its high strength-to-weight ratio. It has become extremely popular in performance pickleball paddles because it can create a strong, stable and relatively lightweight face.

But there’s an important distinction: T700 does not automatically mean rough or high-spin. T700 describes the carbon fiber itself, not the final surface texture.

The term “T700 raw carbon fiber” is often used for paddles with a textured carbon surface, but much of the grip players associate with raw carbon comes from the way the surface is manufactured and finished.

Woven Carbon: 3K, 12K and 18K

Those numbers can look like performance ratings, but they aren't. The “K” refers to the approximate number of individual carbon filaments in a bundle, or tow.

A 3K tow contains around 3,000 filaments, while 12K and 18K use larger bundles. This changes the weave, appearance and manufacturing characteristics of the carbon fabric.

A higher K-number does not automatically mean more power, more spin or better carbon. The resin system, layup, orientation, thickness and overall paddle construction are just as important.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass has been used in pickleball paddles for years and remains a very useful face material. Compared with many carbon laminates, fiberglass can provide more flex and a lively response.

That can translate into an accessible sense of pop and power, which makes fiberglass especially popular in recreational and power-oriented paddles.

Its playing characteristics still depend heavily on what sits underneath it. A fiberglass face on a soft 16 mm core can behave very differently from fiberglass on a thinner, stiffer construction.

Aramid Fiber

Aramid is a family of extremely tough synthetic fibers. Kevlar® is one well-known brand of aramid fiber, but not every aramid paddle uses Kevlar.

Aramid can offer a distinctive impact sensation and is often used together with carbon fiber in hybrid woven faces. Depending on the layup, these combinations can be engineered for durability, stability and a more dampened response.

And just like carbon, aramid can have a smooth or textured finish. The visible weave itself doesn't tell you how much spin the paddle will generate.

Hybrid Faces

Manufacturers don't have to choose only one material. Carbon, fiberglass and aramid can be combined in different layers or weaves.

This gives designers another way to tune stiffness, flex, weight and impact feel. That's why simply reading “carbon fiber” on a specification sheet never tells the whole story.

Surface Material vs Surface Texture

This is where paddle specifications often become confusing.

The face material and the surface texture are not the same thing.

A paddle can have a T700 carbon face with a textured finish, while another T700 paddle can feel relatively smooth. Woven carbon can look extremely technical while having surprisingly little surface texture.

Surface treatments such as peel-ply textures and grit coatings are used to change how the outermost surface interacts with the ball.

Because this subject deserves more than a paragraph, we cover it separately in our guide to pickleball paddle surface materials and textures.

What's Inside? Pickleball Paddle Core Materials

If the face is what you see, the core is what you feel.

The core makes up most of the paddle's internal volume and has a major influence on stiffness, energy return, vibration, sound, stability and the size and character of the sweet spot.

Polypropylene Honeycomb (PP)

Polypropylene honeycomb is one of the most common core materials in modern pickleball paddles.

Instead of being a solid block of plastic, thin polypropylene walls form a honeycomb structure. This creates a lightweight core with a useful balance between stiffness and energy absorption.

PP honeycomb can produce a relatively comfortable and predictable feel, but don't assume that every PP paddle feels soft. Cell size, wall thickness, core thickness, face material and construction can dramatically change the result.

A thin thermoformed PP paddle, for example, can feel considerably firmer and more powerful than a thicker traditionally constructed PP paddle.

Foam-Reinforced Honeycomb

Not every paddle described as having “foam” uses a completely solid foam core.

Many modern paddles still use a honeycomb core but add foam around the perimeter. This foam edge reinforcement can increase structural support around the edge and can help manufacturers tune stability and the effective sweet spot.

This is important when comparing specifications: “foam injected” and “full foam core” are not the same construction.

Full Foam Cores

Full foam paddles replace the traditional honeycomb structure with an engineered foam core or multi-density foam system.

This gives paddle designers much more freedom to control density and deformation throughout the paddle. Depending on the foam and construction, it can be used to tune vibration damping, stability, dwell and energy return.

But “foam core” doesn't automatically mean soft.

A dense or highly reinforced foam construction can feel surprisingly firm and direct, while another foam system can feel plush and dampened. The type and density of the foam matter just as much as the word foam itself.

EPP Foam

Expanded Polypropylene (EPP) is a lightweight closed-cell foam made from polypropylene. Unlike PP honeycomb, it consists of expanded foam beads rather than hollow honeycomb cells.

EPP can be engineered in different densities, allowing manufacturers to tune cushioning, resilience and structural support. It is increasingly interesting for paddle development because it offers different design possibilities from conventional honeycomb.

Again, EPP is not automatically “better” than PP honeycomb. They are fundamentally different structures and can be tuned toward very different playing characteristics.

Other Engineered Foams

You may also encounter EVA, specialty polymer foams and multi-density foam constructions.

The important specification isn't simply “foam”. Ask what type of foam is being used, where it is positioned, its density and whether it forms the entire core or is combined with another structure.

PP Honeycomb vs Foam Core

There is no universal winner. Core material is only one variable in the complete paddle construction.

What Does Thermoformed Mean?

Thermoforming is a construction method, not a face material or core material.

In many modern thermoformed paddles, the face and perimeter construction are bonded together using heat and pressure to create a more unified structure. Foam is also commonly added around the perimeter.

The result can be a stiffer and more structurally connected paddle than a traditional sandwich construction, often producing a solid, responsive sensation and increased stability.

But once again, “thermoformed” doesn't tell you exactly how a paddle will play. Face layup, core, thickness, shape and perimeter construction still matter.

Core Thickness: 13mm vs 16mm vs 20mm

Core thickness changes how much material sits between the two paddle faces and can have a noticeable influence on stiffness and feel.

13mm — Fast & Direct

Thinner cores generally create a more direct connection between the two faces. They are commonly used in paddles designed for quick response, manoeuvrability and power.

The trade-off can be a firmer impact sensation and less forgiveness, although construction can change this significantly.

16mm — The Popular Middle Ground

16 mm has become one of the most common thicknesses in performance pickleball. It provides manufacturers with enough core depth to engineer stability and control while still allowing plenty of power.

That's why you'll find everything from very soft control paddles to powerful thermoformed paddles at 16 mm.

20mm — More Material, Different Response

A very thick core can provide additional damping and stability and may produce a softer, more controlled response depending on its construction.

But thickness alone doesn't guarantee a larger sweet spot or more control. A 20 mm foam paddle and a 20 mm honeycomb paddle can still feel completely different.

Why Two “Carbon Paddles” Can Feel Completely Different

Imagine two paddles that both say 16mm T700 Carbon Fiber on the product page.

One could use traditional PP honeycomb with a relatively flexible layup. The other could use a thermoformed construction with perimeter foam, a stiffer face layup and a completely different surface finish.

On paper they sound similar. On court they may have very different power, feedback, spin, stability and impact feel.

That's why we prefer looking at the complete construction rather than choosing a paddle based on one fashionable material name.

Quick Guide: What Should You Look At?