Table tennis can become a pretty serious hobby, which is a reason why it’s ideal having a paddle that has the desired attributes. Luckily, it is possible to get a high-quality ping pong paddle at an affordable price – giving you the chance to up your game, even when on a budget. For this piece, we’ll look at 5 different paddles, and try to find the best ping pong paddle under 50 dollars.
| Paddle | Details | Style | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Killerspin JET 200 | Best Overall | Perfect first premium paddle for a new player – control focused | Check Price |
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Butterfly 401 | Best Budget | Affordable and high-quality paddle which is great for learning the basic strokes | Check Price |
Things to Consider Before Buying a Ping Pong Paddle
Choosing a ping pong paddle may seem easy, but if you really want to take your game a notch up, then you need to pay close attention to its features. Furthermore, you need to analyze your playing style and experience, because it has a massive impact on how you would adjust to the new paddle. After all, none of us want to spend our hard-earned coin on an item to later find out that it doesn’t suit our style!
If you are unsure in any way of what factors to consider when choosing a ping pong paddle, we recommend reading our buyer’s guide here.
The Best Ping Paddles Under $50 Compared
Now that you know what to consider when buying your ping pong paddle, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and compare the best paddles out there for 50 dollars or less.
1 – Killerspin JET200
Killerspin’s JET 200 has become one of the most popular paddles for beginners and has racked up some seriously high ratings and reviews. The JET 200 provides players with premium components that will boost all attributes of your game whilst being at an affordable price. This would be a great first paddle to help develop your technique and work on the fundamental strokes.
The JET 200 has a 5 ply real wood blade which has a light feel. However, the paddle is considerably heavier than the likes of the Omega Control – as it weighs in at 182 grams. A heavier paddle will give shots a bit more power and slightly less control – players can get used to this weight though and still be good when it comes to control.
This blade might be slightly heavier than others in its class, but it is still comfortable and is suited to control. Killerspin are known for their high-quality, durable blades and the JET 200 has become ever popular because of this.
Killerspin’s Jet Basic rubbers are used for the JET 200. These rubbers are used to help boost control in the paddle, as well as having a tacky top sheet to help grip and spin the ball.
The sponge thickness of the JET 200 is 1.8mm, which is relatively thin. Having a sponge thickness between 1.5mm-1.8mm is suited perfectly for control, which is what this paddle specializes in. Having a thicker sponge will cause the paddle to have increased speed – which is obviously harder to control. So a sponge thickness of 1.8mm is perfect if you’re looking for control.
The only problem with this rubber is that it isn’t ITTF approved, meaning it won’t be allowed for use in tournament play. This may seem like an issue, however, if you’re competing in tournaments, you should probably be looking for a paddle with greater speed. This paddle is geared towards beginners.
2 – AirBlades AB3000
If you are looking for a solid balance of speed. spin and control and an ergonomic design for a fair price, the Airblades AB3000 should definitely be on your radar. This is a great paddle for beginners and intermediate to advanced players on a budget due to its high-quality construction.
At its base, the paddle comprises of a five-layer blade made from Ayous Wood. This blade has made this product well known for its impressive resistance to temperature and resultant durability. This paddle is tough and will provide you with some serious playing hours without looking worn out.
The AirBlades AB3000’s 2mm of a high-quality sponge combined with 1.6mm of premium top sheet inverted rubber is what enables this product to deliver on its promise of providing exceptional control.
Oh, and did we mention, it even comes with a carry case included!
3 – Palio Expert 2.0
Palio’s Expert 2.0 is the second generation of the popular Expert model. This is the control-focused paddle in Palio’s series of pre-made bats, making it a good option for newer players or beginners. We thought this would be one of the better options if you’re looking for a paddle with good control, which is why we’ve included it in this piece. We’ve written a full review on this paddle here – if interested in getting some more info.
The Expert 2.0 has an all-real wood blade, giving it a solid and durable base. This blade is the lightest in Palio’s paddle options – which benefits control majorly. Having a lighter blade will take away unnecessary power in a paddle, and give players greater ability to control their shots.
Palio has a great reputation for creating long-lasting durable blades that give players consistent results for their strokes, and this lighter blade is geared towards giving players precise control.
Another bonus of this paddle is that it comes with a protective case. This will protect the paddle from accumulating dust or other dirt whilst not in use.
Palio’s CJ8000 rubber is used for the Expert 2.0. This ITTF approved rubber is a highly rated all-round rubber, with a greater focus on control and spin. This rubber is also used on the more advanced Palio Master – a paddle that has a bit more speed.
The CJ8000 rubber has a very tacky top sheet, giving players a good ability to grip and spin the ball – this is the main reason for the paddle’s high spin rating. The sponge is also considerably softer compared to other Palio rubbers – this majorly benefits the control within the paddles, giving players more precision.
The handle used for the Palio Expert 2.0 is a flared handle. This is the ideal handle for a Shakehand grip user.
Palio has used a flared handle in all of their pre-made paddle builds, as it provides great comfort to players. A flared handle suits Shakehand grip users who often look to forehand play, while also being able to control and place their shots ideally.
4 – Butterfly 401
the Butterfly 401 ping pong paddle offers a versatile set of specifications at an incredibly reasonable price. This product boasts an impressive set of spin, speed, and control scores of 8.0, 8.0, and 8.5 respectively.
In addition to its impressive performance offering, this paddle is also exceptionally ergonomic and comfortable thanks to its rounded, flared grip. It feels like a high-performance tool and will no doubt provide beginners and intermediate players with plenty of confidence, even when their opponent cranks up the pace past what they are used to.
One thing to note with this paddle is that while it does offer a significant level of control, it may not have quite enough control for brand new beginners. Similar to the JET400, the Butterfly 401 is better suited to the “advanced beginner” that already has some ability and is looking for a paddle that will provide them with the confidence to start making more advanced shots.
Conclusion & Summary
Hopefully, this review will help you choose a ping pong paddle with a price tag of less than $50. If you are still not sure of what factors to look for when purchasing a ping pong paddle, go ahead and check out our buyer’s guide.
If you are looking for some help in choosing paddles in different categories, check out some of our other reviews below:
