THE PADDLE REGISTER · 2026 · CURRENT
Paddletek Honeyfoam TKO-X
Announced the same day Paddletek settled with JOOLA. The 14mm is the clearest example of the two-rulebook era: legal on the pro tour, not at a USAP-sanctioned event.
- List price
- $249.99
- Launched
- May 13, 2026date known to the day
- Build
- Full foam (Gen 4)
- Thickness
- 14 / 16mm
- Shapes
- Elongated
- Pro
- Christian Alshon
- Made in
- China
photos and colorways at paddletek.com ↗ its row on the 2026 calendar
Certification note. USAP lists only the 16mm (Mar 3); the 14mm exceeded USAP's PBCoR limit in March testing. Paddletek's release claims UPA-A approval for both, but no TKO-X row was on the official UPA-A list on Sep 21.
Status checked Sep 21, 2026. Lists change; confirm on the USAP and UPA-A lists before a tournament.
TIMELINE
- Mar 2026 APPROVAL 14mm exceeded the USAP power threshold in PBCoR testing, per Paddletek. prnewswire.com ↗
- Mar 3, 2026 APPROVAL USA Pickleball lists 'Honeyfoam TKO-X 16MM' as approved. equipment.usapickleball.org ↗
- May 13, 2026 LAUNCH Paddletek announces the Honeyfoam TKO-X in 14mm and 16mm at $249.99, available immediately. prnewswire.com ↗
- Jul 9, 2026 NEW VARIANT Pickleheads publishes its TKO-X review. pickleheads.com ↗
HOW IT IS BUILT
Honeyfoam three-foam core in Christian Alshon's spec.
- 1low-density EPP foam core
- 2high-performance EVA foam wrap at targeted positions
- 3perimeter foam ring
- Face
- PT-700 unidirectional raw carbon fiber
- Edge
- Shock Arrestor edge guard
- Colorways
- Title Run Orange · Center Court Blue · Final Call White
Construction per prnewswire.com ↗
16mm is USAP + UPA-A per Paddletek; 14mm is UPA-A only and ships with a 'UPA Approved' sticker over the embossed USAP mark. Brand claims UPA-A approval for both, but no TKO-X row appears on the official UPA-A approved list as checked 2026-09-21 (only Honeyfoam ESQ 14/16mm are listed). Brand specs list swingweight 115 and twistweight ~6 for both thicknesses.
VARIANTS · PUBLISHED AND MEASURED NUMBERS
| Variant | Shape | Length × width | Handle | Core | Weight | Swingweight | Twistweight | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honeyfoam TKO-X 14mm | elongated | 16.5 × 7.5 in | 5.75 in | 14 mm | 7.8-8.2 oz | 115 | 6 | paddletek.com ↗ |
| Honeyfoam TKO-X 16mm | elongated | 16.5 × 7.5 in | 5.75 in | 16 mm | 7.8-8.2 oz | 115 | 6 | paddletek.com ↗ |
Swingweight and twistweight are each lab's own measurement of its own sample. Unit-to-unit variance is normal.
MEASURED BY THE LABS
The register does not re-measure paddles or copy a lab's numbers wholesale. Power, pop and spin belong to the people with the radar guns; go read them.
FIELD REPORTS · AFTER YOU BUY IT
Reviewers measure a paddle new. Nobody measures it at hour sixty.
Loading field reports…
Keep a bag on Rally: log the hours you put on this paddle, when the grit fades, and when it goes dead. It stays on your device until you press "send a wear report", and the report carries no name.
Open the bag on Rally ↗ Compare with…NEARBY IN THE REGISTER
the whole register · everything from Paddletek · the 2026 calendar · CC0
