Hirostar Andromeda Padel Racket

Retailers list a 12K carbon face with a rough, sandblasted texture over a Soft Black EVA core, with a 3K carbon frame. It is 45.5 cm long and 38 mm thick. One retailer calls the 2026 version a hybrid teardrop, another simply says teardrop, and the balance is described as mid, with no figure in millimetres.

The sweet spot is described as medium to large. Padelspeed says it is forgiving enough for fast exchanges while still rewarding clean, centred contact. That is what a soft core, a 12K face and a lighter weight should give you, and it is the main reason to pick this over the Alien rackets.

The Andromeda is the gentler Hirostar. At 345 to 360 g it is roughly 20 g lighter than the Alien Core and the Alien Pro, and it has a teardrop head and a soft core where the Aliens are diamonds with firmer cores. If you want an easier first step into the brand's range, this is it.

For a round control shape, the Hirostar Solar is the alternative. For a child, the Junior Alien is lighter again. If you would rather have a diamond from the same brand, the older Hirostar Blackstone is one. Outside Hirostar, a similar player might look at the Black Crown Iconic or the Enebe Genius Red, two soft-feeling rackets that are independently scored.

Beginners, players who want a reviewed racket and anyone who needs the year pinned down. We found no independent test and our listing does not name a season. Newer players should look at our beginner padel rackets page, and improvers can compare options on the intermediate padel rackets and teardrop padel rackets pages.

Fit a racket protector and a fresh overgrip from the padel grips range. Consistent padel balls and good padel shoes help a soft-cored racket do its job, and a padel bag with a thermal pocket protects the face.

Our guide to choosing a padel racket explains shape and balance, and the full padel racket range has the rest.