V VICLION Pickleball Paddles Review: budget-friendly starter set that gets you on court fast

I bought this V VICLION pickleball set because a few friends got into pickleball and I didn’t want to drop a ton of money on a single fancy paddle right away. This set gives you two paddles, four balls, a bag, and even some extras, so it looked like a simple way to get started. I used it for a few weeks, a couple of times per week, mostly casual games with friends and some open play at a local gym.

From the start, my expectation was pretty low: I just wanted something that didn’t feel like a toy and wouldn’t fall apart after two sessions. I’ve tried a couple of club paddles before (more expensive brands), so I had some idea of what a decent paddle should feel like in terms of weight and balance. I’m not a pro, just a regular player who wants something that feels solid and doesn’t wreck my wrist.

In practice, this set did what I needed: it got me on the court without any fuss. The paddles are light, easy to handle, and clearly aimed at beginners or casual players. You can tell they’re not high-end gear, especially if you’ve held a premium paddle before, but they’re far from junk. I’d call them “pretty solid for the price” rather than anything fancy.

So overall, if you’re just dabbling in pickleball or you want a backup set for friends or family, this pack makes sense. If you’re already playing in leagues and obsessing over spin and control, this is probably more of a loaner or backup than your main paddle. I’ll break down what worked and what annoyed me in more detail below.

For the price, this set sits in that sweet spot where you’re clearly not buying top-tier equipment, but you’re also not wasting money on junk. You get two usable paddles, four balls, a bag, cooling towels, and extra grip tape. If you divide the cost by everything in the box, each paddle ends up very cheap, and yet they play way better than the random wooden sets you see in big-box stores.

Compared to borrowing club paddles or buying a single mid-range paddle, this is a good way to test the waters. You and a friend or partner can start playing immediately without extra purchases. If you end up loving pickleball and want to upgrade later, these can become your backup or guest paddles. If you decide the sport isn’t for you, at least you didn’t sink a big chunk of money into it.

Where the value is slightly weaker is if you’re already an intermediate player with some experience. In that case, spending more on a single better paddle might make more sense, and you can buy balls and a cheap bag separately. The performance difference is noticeable once you know what you’re doing and care about fine control and spin. For complete newbies or people who just want something for casual games on weekends or holidays, though, this set makes financial sense.

In short, I’d call the value pretty solid: you get a full, functional setup that doesn’t feel like a toy, at a price that’s easy to justify. Not the best paddles on the market, but in terms of cost vs what you get, it’s hard to complain too much.

Design-wise, the paddles are pretty standard: wide body, carbon fiber face, and a polypropylene honeycomb core. The size feels normal compared to the club paddles I’ve tried: about 15.75 x 7.87 inches, so you get a good-sized hitting area and a forgiving sweet spot. The blue and purple design is decent – nothing flashy, but it doesn’t look cheap or childish either. If you’re picky about aesthetics, you’ll probably call it “fine, nothing special.”

The grip length (around 4.72 inches) is enough for a one-handed grip with some room at the top, but probably too short for any serious two-handed backhand unless you have small hands. The grip circumference is about 4.25–4.33 inches, which worked well for me (medium hands). People with very large hands might find it a bit skinny, but they do include extra grip tape if you want to bulk it up a bit.

What I liked is that the paddles feel well-balanced. The weight is in that 7.7–8.1 oz range, so light enough for quick reactions at the net but not so light that they feel hollow. When you hold them, they don’t feel head-heavy or weirdly weighted, which is something I’ve noticed on cheaper wood paddles or really low-end composites. For dinks and quick volleys, the shape and balance feel quite natural.

If I nitpick, the edge guard and finishing are clearly mid-range. The edge guard is slightly thicker than on more expensive paddles, and after a few weeks I noticed a couple of small scuffs from scraping the court on low shots. Nothing coming loose, just cosmetic wear. So in terms of design, I’d say: practical, thought-through for beginners, but you can tell corners were cut to keep the price low. It’s a tool, not a showpiece.

On the comfort side, I was pleasantly surprised. The weight and grip size make it easy to play for an hour or more without your wrist or forearm complaining. I’ve used cheap wooden paddles before that felt like swinging a brick; these are nothing like that. The 7.8–8.1 oz range is a sweet spot for casual players. After a few sessions in a row, I didn’t notice any extra soreness compared to the more expensive paddles I’ve borrowed.

The grip itself is perforated, cushioned, and reasonably sweat-absorbent. During a couple of indoor sessions where the hall was pretty warm, my hand got sweaty but the paddle never felt like it was going to slip. The texture gives you enough traction without feeling sticky. After maybe six or seven uses, the top of the grip wrap shifted just a millimeter near the edge, but nothing dramatic. Worst case, you re-wrap it with the included tape and move on.

One thing to note: if you have very large hands or prefer chunky grips, you might find the stock grip a bit on the slim side. I ended up adding one extra layer of overgrip on one paddle, which made it more comfortable for me on harder hits. Luckily, since the paddles are fairly light, adding a bit of grip tape doesn’t suddenly make them feel like a hammer.

Noise-wise, the paddles have a normal, slightly hollow pop. Not super loud, not super quiet, just standard composite sound. If you’re coming from wooden paddles, you’ll probably find these less harsh both in feel and in sound. Overall, for casual and beginner use, I’d say comfort is one of the strong points here: you can just play and not think too much about your wrist or grip the whole time.

The paddles use a carbon fiber surface with a polypropylene honeycomb core, which is pretty standard for modern composite paddles, even on pricier models. The big difference here is more about refinement than the basic materials. The face feels smooth with very light texture, so don’t expect crazy spin from the surface alone. Compared to some gritty-faced paddles I’ve tried at the club, this one is more about control and basic power than spin tricks.

The core feels consistent across the face. When you tap it with your knuckles, the sound is fairly even, which usually means no obvious dead spots. In play, mishits near the edge still come off the paddle reasonably well, which is nice if your technique isn’t perfect yet. The weight range (around 8 oz) is a good middle ground: light enough that your arm doesn’t get tired fast, but hefty enough that the paddle doesn’t feel flimsy on harder shots.

The grip material is a classic perforated, cushioned wrap. It’s synthetic, a bit tacky at first, and reasonably sweat-absorbent. After a few longer sessions, it got slightly smoother but didn’t start peeling or shifting. They also include extra grip tapes, which is handy if you’re rough on grips or want to adjust thickness. For a budget set, getting spare tape in the box is actually one of the more useful extras.

Overall, the materials feel in line with what you’d expect at this price point: real carbon fiber, real honeycomb core, not some painted wood pretending to be high-tech. You do feel the difference if you switch straight to a premium $150 paddle – those feel a bit more lively and precise – but for beginner to intermediate play, the materials here are more than enough to learn the game and play regular matches.

I’ve put these paddles through a decent amount of use: weekly indoor games plus a few outdoor sessions on rougher courts. After a few weeks, the faces still look solid. There are the usual scuff marks from low shots and a couple of minor scratches on the edge guard, but nothing structurally worrying. No warping, no delamination, no weird buzzing sounds inside the core.

The edge guard has taken a few hits from scraping the ground and hitting the net posts, and it’s just slightly marked, not cracked. On really rough outdoor courts, I’d still try not to drag the paddle, but that’s true for any paddle. The carbon fiber face hasn’t chipped for me, which is good. With some cheap paddles, you start to see the surface bubbling or peeling; none of that here so far.

The grip has held up reasonably well. It’s a bit smoother than on day one, but still fine for use. If you’re picky about grips or you play a lot, you’ll probably re-wrap it after a while, but that’s normal maintenance. The included spare grip tape is a nice touch and should easily give you another cycle of use before you need to buy anything extra.

The balls are the least durable part of the kit, which I expected. One outdoor ball got a bit soft after several sessions, and the indoor ones picked up some scuffs. They’re still usable, but if you end up playing regularly, you’ll want to grab a better set of balls. Overall, I’d say the paddles themselves feel like they’ll last a good while for a casual or beginner player, as long as you don’t abuse them.

In terms of performance, these paddles are clearly tuned for control and forgiveness rather than raw power or spin. The wide face and big sweet spot make it easier to keep the ball in play, which is exactly what you want if you’re new or a bit rusty. Dinks and soft shots at the net feel pretty controlled; it’s not too bouncy, so you don’t constantly overshoot the kitchen like you do with some very poppy paddles.

Power-wise, they’re decent. If you swing hard, you can still put the ball away, but it doesn’t have that “rocket” feel that some stiffer, more expensive paddles have. For me, that’s actually a positive as a casual player: I’d rather have slightly less power and a bit more margin for error. On drives and serves, I had enough punch to pressure opponents at my level, but if you’re a heavy hitter used to premium paddles, you’ll probably feel these are a bit muted.

Spin is where you notice the price difference more. The surface is relatively smooth, so you can generate some spin with good technique, but it’s not going to magically grip the ball for you. Compared to a gritty-faced paddle I tried from a more expensive brand, I had to work harder to get the same amount of topspin and slice. For beginners, that’s not a big deal; you’re probably focused more on getting the ball over the net anyway.

For what they cost, I’d rate the performance as “good enough for casual play and learning the game.” The paddles are also USAPA approved, so if you decide to enter a small tournament, you’re technically covered, but realistically, if you get that serious, you’ll probably start shopping for a higher-end main paddle and keep these as backups or loaners. For starter gear, though, they do the job quite well.

Out of the box, you get a fairly complete kit: 2 paddles, 4 balls (2 indoor, 2 outdoor), a carry bag, 2 cooling towels, and extra grip tapes. For the price, that’s quite a bit of stuff. Nothing feels premium, but nothing looked like pound-shop junk either. The paddles came wrapped in plastic, the balls were loose in the bag, and the towels were folded up. No fancy unboxing moment, but that’s not what this set is about.

The bag is a simple over-the-shoulder style with a main compartment for the paddles and balls, plus a couple of small exterior pockets. I was able to fit both paddles and all four balls with room for my wallet, keys, and phone. Don’t expect heavy padding or structure; it’s more like a lightweight sports bag. It does its job: carry your stuff from home to the court without drama.

The balls are basic but usable. The indoor ones have larger holes, the outdoor ones smaller, as expected. They’re not on the level of the better-known brands in terms of bounce consistency, but for casual games they’re fine. After a handful of sessions, one outdoor ball started to feel a bit softer, but still playable. If you end up playing a lot, you’ll probably replace the balls with better ones anyway.

Overall, the presentation is straightforward and practical. Nothing here screams high-end, but the kit feels like honest budget gear. You open it, everything you need is there, and you can go straight to the court. For someone just starting out or buying a set to keep at a holiday home or club, that’s exactly what you want: minimal hassle, everything in one bag.