Babolat Alioth Mini Junior Padel Racket

Tennis Warehouse Europe describes a very light racket with a low balance, which makes it easy to manoeuvre, and a large head with a heart-shaped cover design that adds hitting surface and forgiveness. The frame is a carbon and fibreglass hybrid, the surface is fibreglass, the core is EVA and the hole pattern is meant to help power and precision.

The grip is smaller than an adult one and carries Babolat's Improver Grip technology, which is there to help a child hold the racket correctly. That matters more than it sounds, because a grip that is too big is the most common reason a small child cannot control a racket.

Babolat positions the Mini for children under 8 and the Alioth Junior for ages 8 to 12. The Mini is 290 g against the Junior's 320 g, with a 33 mm beam against 34 mm, so it is a noticeable step down in weight.

Age is only a guide. A taller or stronger seven-year-old may manage the Junior, and a small ten-year-old might prefer the Mini. Let them swing both if you can, and watch the wrist: if the racket head drops or they use two hands for every shot, it is too heavy.

For a child over eight, or one who has outgrown it. A racket that is too light is as unhelpful as one that is too heavy, because it gives no feedback, and the Alioth Junior is the sensible next step. Our kids padel rackets page lists the other junior options.

Short rallies against a wall or on a small court are the easiest way to start, and our padel balls page explains how a ball's pressure changes how lively it feels. A pack of overgrips from the padel grips page is worth having, because children sweat and the reduced grip wears quickly.

Frame tape from the racket protector range saves a racket from being dragged on the floor, our padel bags page lists small bags, and the padel shoes page covers court shoes. When your child is ready to move up, our guide to choosing a padel racket explains shape and balance, and the full padel racket range is on one page.