The game of pickleball — a sport that takes its cue from tennis, ping-pong, and badminton — has become one of the fastest-growing activities in the world. And with good reason: it’s a fast, fun, kinetic sport that’s easy to learn and even easier to improve. All you need is a court and a handful of equipment.

In exploring the best pickleball gear, we focused on individual items like the Wilson Juice Carbon, our best overall paddle, and the Joola Hyperion CFS 16, the go-to paddle for expert players, as well as bundles like the starter Rally Meister Portable Light Pickleball Set. We also branched out to explore the best shoes (ones that provide solid support for the lateral movements typical to the sport) and other nice-to-haves, including the portable Rally Deluxe Portable Net System, which lets you set up a court wherever there’s a flat surface. For tips on finding the best pickleball gear for each individual’s skill level, we turned to Carl Schmits, Managing Director of Equipment Standards and Facilities Development at USA Pickleball Association.

With a polypropylene honeycomb core that cuts vibrations and reduces noise, the Juice Carbon from Wilson will help you up your game, regardless of your skill level. A layer of woven carbon fiber on the face affords serious power, helps adjust any mishits, and improves ball control with a wide body shape that expands the paddle’s sweet spot.  Wilson wraps the paddle with a shock-absorbing bumper guard that’ll dampen impacts and abrasions, which extends the life of the paddle and helps justify the Juice Carbon’s slightly high price tag.

Joola worked with pro player Ben Johns in developing their Hyperion series, and the Hyperion CFS 16 may be the holy grail of paddles. It boasts an advanced Carbon-Flex5 material on its face, which delivers serious power, max ball speed, and minute ball control. A reactive honeycomb poly core specifically designed for expert-level players provides the feel and bounce they demand. A proprietary Aero Curve shape promotes less drag, increasing swing speed, and Hyper-Foam has been injected into the paddle head perimeter to help dial the optimal weight and expand the sweet spot. High-strength carbon was also crafted into the flexible handle, and it comes with Joola’s Sure-Grip, which is built with sweat-wicking perforations, ridges for added traction, and solid shock absorption.