When two giants like Tesla and Selkirk collaborate on a pickleball paddle, the entire industry starts buzzing. And with a $350 price tag, expectations are sky-high. This paddle is marketed as the peak of aerodynamics and elite performance, but does the tech live up to the hype, or are you just paying for the logo?
We didn't just take their word for it. We bought one, put it through our Paddle Lab testing, and handed it to our team to see how it delivers on the court. Here are the results.
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The Lab Results
Our Paddle Lab testing confirmed that the Tesla Plaid isn’t trying to be everything to everyone. Instead, it’s designed for a very specific style of play. While it may not be the "bazooka" that pure power-hitters are looking for, its engineering excels in areas that finesse and spin-heavy players will appreciate.
The Standout: Spin
The Tesla paddle features a surface material called InfiniGrit™. Upon testing, this paddle produced a 1600.55 RPM Spin Rate, ranking it the 3rd highest spin rate of all paddles currently live on our PaddleLab data page.
To put that into perspective, this performance ranks the Plaid right alongside the industry’s top "spin masters," sitting just behind the Babolat WZRD (1607.18 RPM) and the Diadem Hush Quiet (1828.12 RPM).
If you win points by dipping drives at your opponent's feet, the friction here is top-tier.
Watch how we test spin below!
Power Output: Exit Velocity
The Tesla Plaid’s exit velocity (how fast the ball leaves the paddle face) clocked in at 38.99 MPH. While we initially expected a higher ranking, this number lands it squarely in the "mid-tier" for power, comparable to the CRBN TruFoam Genesis (39.02 MPH)
Instead of the raw, runaway power found in some ultra-aggressive paddles, the Plaid offers a more dampened and predictable response. Many players prefer the predictability of a mid-tier response, as it provides enough "pop" to put balls away at the net, but still offers the stability needed to keep your resets and dinks from popping up too high. This balance favors precision and "soft game" mastery over pure baseline bashing.
Real On-Court Feedback From Our Team
We asked Kyle from the JustPaddles team to put the Tesla paddle through its paces. Here’s his unfiltered take:
"The face is extremely gritty, which leads to a high level of spin. My drives had a lot of dip on them, and I was able to create a ton of topspin. It’s a great defensive paddle—resets felt effortless, and I had great control over drops and dinks. Balls don't just 'fly' off the face, which is ideal for my control-style game."
The Downside?
"It’s definitely head-heavy. I felt my hand speed at the net was a bit slower than normal. Overall, I don’t think I’d spend $350 for this. I’d choose the Boomstik or ERA over this hands down—I get a better blend of power and control with those for a much better value."
The JustPaddles Verdict
The Tesla Plaid paddle is a marvel of engineering and aesthetics. If you are a collector or a Tesla die-hard who values maximum spin and defensive resets above all else, you’ll enjoy this paddle.
However, for the competitive player looking for the best "bang for their buck," our lab data and on-court testing suggest that you can find a better balance of power and maneuverability for less.
Want to see how your current paddle—or the one you’ve been eyeing—stacks up against the Tesla Plaid? Check out our Paddle Lab Data. We’ve put 250+ paddles through the same testing to bring you unbiased stats on Spin Rate, Exit Velocity, Swing Weight, and more.
