Babolat Contact padel racket review

The specification

The retailer listing gives a round shape, 340 g, a soft EVA core, and a composite frame and face. Other listings describe the 2026 iteration as moving to a carbon composite layup at the frame's perimeter, which addresses the fragility associated with entry-level fiberglass rackets.

We are not quoting a balance figure, because the listing we retrieved does not publish one. Padel Market's beginner guidance is head-light balance for this class of racket, and round frames are naturally head light as a consequence of their outline.

Why round is right first

A padel racket's outline determines where its mass sits, and that determines where the sweet spot is. A round outline distributes mass low, which centers the sweet spot and produces a naturally head-light balance.

Both of those matter for a beginner. The centered sweet spot matches where your contact actually lands while your technique is developing; the head-light balance makes the racket quick to reposition at the net, which is where padel is decided.

Padel racket shapes explained goes through the alternatives and why buying a diamond first is the classic expensive mistake.

The soft core, and what it costs

EVA foam is the part of a padel racket that does the work. Soft EVA deforms further on impact, holds the ball fractionally longer, and returns it with less energy — which reads as control and comfort.

It also transmits less shock, which matters more in padel than people expect. The sport produces a lot of repetitive short-range impact at the wrist and elbow, and lateral epicondylitis is a genuine issue among regular players.

When you will outgrow it

Four markers, and if most of them are true the soft round configuration is now costing you more than it gives:

1. 01You play the back glass deliberately rather than reacting to it.
2. 02Your lob is deep enough to push the opposing pair off the net.
3. 03You have a bandeja, or are actively learning one, rather than smashing everything.
4. 04You finish some points at the net.

At that point the sensible move is one step along each dial — teardrop rather than round, medium core rather than soft, soft carbon rather than fiberglass. Best padel rackets for intermediate players covers it.

Practical notes

• The wrist tether is required, not optional — the rules specify a non-elastic cord of no more than 35 cm. In an enclosed court that is a safety rule, not a formality.
• Stock moves. Retailer listings for rackets at this price go in and out of availability, so check before planning around it.
• Buy shoes before you upgrade the racket. Padel is on sanded turf and hard-court tennis tread rides on top of the sand — see best padel shoes.

How this review was written

We did not hit with this product. Racket & Rally does not run a physical test lab, and nothing on this page is written as though we did.

What this review contains instead: the published specification from the retailer listing cited at the foot of the page, an explanation of what those numbers mean for different players, and a clear statement of who the product suits and who it does not. Every figure is quoted from a source we retrieved. Our full selection criteria set out the method.