StarVie Arkos 2026 Padel Racket

Padelgids lists a round racket at 358 g give or take 8, 38 mm thick, with a low balance, an X-Glass Tech elastic fibreglass face with Spin Boost texture and a soft S-EVA Flex foam core. T-Carbon tubing adds stiffness to the frame, and an Advance Core area is there to absorb vibration.

Padelful's face field is inconsistent, with X-Glass Tech in one place and fibreglass in another, and its weight is 350 and 365 with no unit. Padelgids is clear on fibreglass, so that is what we say. We show the weight as a range.

Padelful describes a generous sweet spot, easy handling at the net and a comfortable, arm-friendly feel, with predictable behaviour in defence. A round head with a low balance puts the sweet spot in the middle and keeps the weight in your hand, which is why round rackets suit people who are still learning to place the ball.

The trade is pace. Overheads have limited power, there is little free depth, and the speed on the ball depends on your technique. Padelful's power score of 5.6 is the lowest on the card, so you will win points with placement and patience, not with the smash.

The Polaris 2026 is the teardrop with the same soft recipe. On Padelful's scores the Arkos has the better control (7.0 against 5.9), handling and sweet spot, and the Polaris has a little more power (6.1 against 5.6). If you like to defend and build points, take the round Arkos; if you like to move forward and volley, the teardrop Polaris is the more natural shape.

The Nyra is the easier-swinging sibling. The next step up in the range is the Kenta+ 2026, a round 12K carbon racket that is livelier and still soft, and the Raptor+ 2026 is the control-first all-courter.

Anyone who wants power or bite. A power score of 5.6 and a fibreglass face give very little, and our best padel racket for intermediate players page lists rackets with more in reserve. If you are buying your first racket, the best padel racket for beginners page compares others, and the control padel rackets page covers firmer round frames.

A soft racket likes a tacky grip. An overgrip such as the Head Pro overgrip is the usual first extra, and our padel grips page explains when to replace instead. Frame tape from the racket protector range is worth fitting, since new players clip the floor often.

A racket that adds little pace wants live balls, so a tube of Bullpadel Next balls is a sensible companion, and the padel balls page explains how fast pressure fades. The padel bags and padel shoes pages complete the kit, and the full padel racket range and our guide to choosing a padel racket put it in context.