Aside from your pickleball paddle, every pickleball player should look to acquire proper pickleball shoes, balls, and apparel so they can fully enjoy the game and compete at a high level. Pickleball accessories help optimize your game further by using training aids and gadgets to improve your play and the overall experience of the sport.
What to Consider
Since we’re not looking at a single product category, here are a few things to think about when buying accessories that complement your game.
Skill Level and Involvement
If you just occasionally play, you don’t need to go out and spend money on something like a pickleball launcher. But, if you fancy yourself as a player looking to make the PPA tour, all of these accessories may be for you.
Budget
If you’re a beginner, it is best to choose your gear from a more affordable standpoint. This allows you to get a feel for the sport without bankrupting yourself. Advanced players may be looking to spend more cash for the slightest improvement in one’s game, like specialized sunglasses.
Court Type and Environment
A vast majority of pickleball courts will be outdoors, so maybe buying some sunglasses might be applicable. If you’re playing indoors, you may want to opt for appropriate gear like indoor pickleballs—yes, there is a difference between indoor vs. outdoor balls.
Reviews and Recommendations
Just because one of your buddies bought the latest pickleball gadget doesn’t necessarily mean you need to. You can also hop online and check out some reviews of products before you make a purchase. Luckily, we’re here to help you cut through the noise for some of the best gear available today.
How We Selected
If there’s one thing that we’re pretty good at, it’s testing out gear. And that’s especially true in the realm of pickleball, as there are quite a few of us at Men’s Health who play on a regular basis. We took into consideration things that would help improve anyone’s game, gear that can keep your equipment neat and organized, and accessories that would be useful on a more regular basis. No matter your skill level, the best pickleball accessories can help you take your pickle game to the next level.
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Allow Franklin’s ProShot Pickleballer to be your training partner when you regular playing buddy is busy. This automated pickleball launcher is designed to streamline your practice sessions by launching up to 15 pickleballs in intervals of 8-9 seconds, each with varying spins and speeds. The cool part is the device operates on battery power for fully wireless use anywhere.
This duffel from Ogio is one of the smartest pickleball bags we’ve used. It features two side pockets that can quite literally hold four paddles to each pocket (so eight paddles total). There’s also a separate shoe compartment and a couple zippered compartments for small goods. The best part is you can use the attached straps and transform the duffel into a backpack, making it super versatile.
Oakley’s Prizm lens is hailed by many for its ability to absorb the right amount of light and create an ideal contrast between colors, which is especially helpful outdoors when striking a highlighter green ball on a blue-colored court. When looking for a timeless pair of shades that would translate well both on and off the courts, the Holbrook models prove to be the most suitable.
Bending over time and time again, especially during training, gets tiresome. This ball picker tube saves time, energy, and most important, your back. The tube will pick up to 12 pickleballs at a time, and it features a hook for attaching to a chain link fence for easy access.
It’s definitely a great idea to protect your investments, especially when some paddles are pushing hundreds of dollars. This simple neoprene cover will protect your paddle from the elements and keep it fresh for play. Even better is the fact the cover has a netted pocket and comes in a set of two.
You deserve optimal pickleball balls. This bucket of USAPA-approved balls from Franklin Sports is the most-reviewed multipack on Amazon, with over 13,500 five-star reviews. You’ll be hard pressed to find a better deal on quality balls anywhere.
Whether you need a high-performance top that’s the perfect warm-up or something you can wear all match long on a brisk, cool day, the Snap Popover from Outerknown is the one you need. Made from airy organic cotton, this super soft pullover top is lightweight and breathable, providing just enough warmth. It’s roomy enough not to disrupt your paddle swing, but it may be beneficial to size up just in case. Once you’re done on the courts, it’s stylish enough to wear out to the bars, too.
Turn up the heat on your game with these premium pickleball gloves. The gloves have a grippy leather makeup similar to a baseball batting glove, and the back of the hand features a breathable moisture-wicking mesh. Franklin cut off the finger ends to help minimize sweaty hands, and added padding to common wear spots (like the thumb).
The SoundLink Max is perhaps the most cost-efficient mid-sized Bluetooth speaker on the market right now. The sound capacity is incredible; powerful enough to power up and fill the multiple courts with great tunes–provided everyone wants to hear your music. Big sound, impressive design, and special EQ features all drive the excellence of the SoundLink Max. Take into account its 20-hour battery life (a nice touch for such a big speaker) and its IP67 water and dust rating, and you have Bluetooth speaker that’s ideal for any pickleball court.
There are water bottles, then there is the Pro smart water bottle from Hidrate Spark. Its list of smart features is vast: Tracks your daily water intake, lights up to remind you to drink, sends you push notifications to remind you to hydrate, provides a free app—also integrates with most major health apps—and sets a customizable daily hydration goal based on your specific hydration needs. So no matter how many hours you love to play pickleball in the hot beating sun, the Hidrate Spark ensures your hydrated and replenishing what you sweat out.
A quality cooling towel is a must own for the active pickler. The Mission Max Cooling Towel is made from chemical-free material and has the remarkable ability to cool to 30 degrees below the average body temperature in less than thirty seconds when activated with water. Once activated, it maintains a refreshing coolness for up to two hours, according to the brand.
Just to make sure you’re set to hit the courts, a pickleball paddle made to handle competitive play is in order. The Head Radical Elite is one of our best performance paddles you can get for well under $75.
If you’re new to the game, this paddle from Onix is a good investment to make sure time spent on the court is enjoyable. The Graphite Z5 is a trusted pick that’s big on ball control and clean returns. The takeaway from the Z5 is that you get the best qualities of a graphite paddle for a price point of just under $100, which is an excellent value. Its Large sweet spot delivers solid power.
For those who want an aesthetically pleasing paddle, Recess makes some of the most unique styles on the market. We are partial to its Camden color, which gives off chocolate-y vintage vibes. The paddle itself is made with a textured fiberglass surface and a composite inner material.
This pickleball shoe does it all. The performance on this shoe is superb, and the style promises a clean look that’s suitable for wearing in a country club environment. The comfort of the shoe—namely, the supportive arch and cushioned padding around the tongue and ankle—became the final selling point. Did we mention that it’s under $100, too?
Yes, you can get a solid performing pair of pickleball shoes for under $60. Just look at this pair from Asics. This pair uses synthetic leather overlays for solid durability and its signature Trusstic tech, which helps to enhance stability. It is lightweight at only 13.5 ounces, comes in nine color options, and they have excellent traction on hard outdoor courts.
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