Y1 RX1 Padel Racket

Look past the marketing and the RX1 is a classic entry racket. The face is fibreglass, which flexes on contact and gives the ball an easy, springy return. Behind it sits AirSpring EVA, which the listing itself calls a soft core. The frame is a double tube, listed as 30% carbon and 70% fibreglass. All of that adds up to comfort and forgiveness, not raw power.

What the teardrop shape adds, compared with Y1's round CX1, is a sweet spot sitting a little higher on the face and a touch more reach and bite on overheads. That's the honest version of the "attacking" claim: slightly more reward on a smash than a round racket gives, while staying kind on mishits.

Two things don't line up on Padel Shack's page. The spec field gives the balance as even, while the description talks about a higher, mid-high balance point. And the description pitches the racket at aggressive, attacking players, while every material listed points to comfort and a forgiving response.

Our reading: treat it as an even-to-slightly-head-heavy teardrop with a soft feel. If you're a big hitter, it will feel soft in the hand; if you're a newer player, the description's power talk shouldn't put you off.

Fibreglass teardrops are a busy category at this level. Here's the RX1 against Y1's round option and three other soft teardrops we stock.

Beginners who already know they like to get to the net, improvers moving on from a basic round racket, and social players who want comfort first. It sits naturally with our best padel rackets for beginners and the cheap padel rackets. When you outgrow it, Y1's RX3 keeps the teardrop shape and moves to a 3K carbon face.

Y1 also sells a junior round racket, the JX1 in blue, and a pink special-edition RX1, the RXLTD. A padel racket protector saves the frame from early knocks off the glass and floor. An overgrip from our padel grip range over the perforated grip adds tack once the original wears smooth.

Add a tube of padel balls, padel shoes with a proper turf sole and a padel bag; Y1's racket cover fits too. If you're still choosing between teardrop and round, our guide on how to choose a padel racket sets out the difference.