CPX Hyper+ 16mm Paddle Review: Full-Foam Power Without Losing Control

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The CPX Hyper+ 16mm is a power-leaning full-foam paddle with a huge sweet spot, excellent forgiveness, strong spin, and surprisingly good control. It feels stable and fast for an elongated paddle, making it a strong option for intermediate and advanced all-court players.

One of my first true game-changing paddles was a CPX—or Carbon Pickle, as the Chicago company was called then. Their Original Pro helped my game tremendously as a beginner, and over the past three years I’ve played with everything from that original model to their Ultra and Max.

CPX has traditionally built sleek, elongated, edgeless paddles that lean toward power. So when I saw the company developing a full-foam paddle with an edge guard, I had to try it.

Spoiler alert: I really like this paddle.

After about three hours, the Hyper+ had already become my favorite CPX and one of my favorite full-foam paddles. After five weeks, that opinion only got stronger.

The Hyper+ combines a proprietary quad-density Hyperfoam X Core, internal Redline weighting, raw carbon fiber face, excellent spin, a huge sweet spot, and more power than you might expect from a paddle with this much control.

It feels solid, balanced and fast in hand—and that strange hollow pop from the foam core is oddly satisfying.

My score: 4.75 out of 5 balls.

CPX Hyper+ at a Glance

Category	My Take
Overall	4.75/5
Style	Power-leaning all-court
Best for	Intermediate through advanced players
Power	Very good, with significant pop
Control	Excellent once you tame the power
Touch	Soft, connected and predictable
Sweet spot	Massive
Forgiveness	Outstanding
Spin	Excellent
Stability	Excellent
Hand speed	Surprisingly fast
Best trait	Sweet spot + control + power combination
Main tradeoff	Initial power adjustment and below-average grip tack
Bottom line	Premium full-foam performance at a very aggressive price

Who This Paddle Is For | Who Should Skip It

Who It’s For	Who Should Skip It
✔ 3.5+ all-court players	✖ Players committed to traditional honeycomb feel
✔ Players wanting power without sacrificing touch	✖ Players wanting a true widebody or hybrid
✔ Players who value forgiveness	✖ Players who dislike lively paddles
✔ Spin-heavy players	✖ Players who strongly prefer major legacy brands
✔ Two-handed backhand players	✖ Players who dislike the hollow sound of foam
✔ Players wanting premium foam tech for less	✖ Anyone who wants an ultra-tacky stock grip

For almost everyone else, the Hyper+ deserves a serious look.

CPX Hyper+ Specs and Build

Category	Details
Shape	Elongated
Length	16.54 inches
Width	7.48 inches
Core thickness	16 mm tested; 14 mm also available
Grip length	5.5 inches
Grip circumference	4.25 inches
Core	Quad-density Hyperfoam X full-foam core
Face	Raw carbon fiber
Construction	Thermoformed
Weighting	Internal Redline perimeter weighting
Grip	Long perforated grip
Edge	Edge guard
Approval	USA Pickleball approved; PBCoR 0.43
Trial	90 days
Warranty	Lifetime against defects
Introductory price	$150
Included accessory	Padded embossed leather case

*Preorder price is $150, but keep in mind that it could switch to the full retail price at any time.

What Makes the Hyper+ Different

The biggest story is the Hyperfoam X Core.

Instead of traditional polypropylene honeycomb, CPX uses multiple foam densities, with denser material around the perimeter and lower-density foam through the center.

According to CPX founder Kyle Sulkar, the goal is to make off-center hits respond more like center contact while improving damping and vibration mediation and avoiding the core-crushing issues that can affect honeycomb construction.

Then there’s the Redline Tuning System—internal perimeter weighting designed to increase stability and plow-through without requiring external lead or tungsten tape.

Technology only matters if you can feel it on court. With the Hyper+, I could.

First Impressions

When the box arrived, I wasn’t expecting the presentation.

The full-grain, embossed and embroidered leather case is honestly the nicest paddle case I’ve seen. It might even be overkill—but when it’s included at this price, I’m certainly not complaining.

Inside is a sleek red-and-black elongated paddle that looks and feels premium.

My next impression was the balance. It felt light and fast through a few air swings without feeling insubstantial. The construction was solid, and the carbon face had so much grit that it almost felt illegal.

Then I bounced a ball on it. That hollow foam-core pop was exactly what I hoped for. I wanted to get it onto a court immediately.

Game On… Playtesting

My first real trial came while I was coaching a group clinic for seniors. And I immediately learned something: This paddle has pop.

My first few midcourt balls flew long. Then my serves started going long. I had to dial everything back.

Within about 20 minutes, though, the Hyper+ and I were getting along much better.

Dinks, drops and drips were considerably easier to control, and the huge sweet spot showed itself almost immediately.

By my third, fourth and fifth sessions, I had the power much more dialed in. Serves and drives became easier to place, while that distinctive hollow pop became something I actually enjoyed. My partners and opponents noticed it too.

What surprised me most was the soft game.

For a paddle with this much inherent power, crosscourt dinks, drops, lobs and resets were remarkably easy to control. Slight mishits also retained far more pace and directional accuracy than I expected.

That’s when the Hyper+ stopped feeling like a power paddle with good control and started feeling like a true all-court paddle that happens to lean toward power.

Paddle Performance

For comparisons, I’m sticking to popular elongated full-foam paddles I’ve personally tested. That gives the Hyper+ a much fairer benchmark than comparing it with completely different shapes and core technologies. Unfortunately, CPX paddles aren’t sold through JustPaddles, so I don’t have Paddle Lab data to put alongside my on-court impression.

1. Power ★★★★½

There is plenty here.

Serves, drives, counters and putaways all come off with authority. Initially, it almost felt like an uncontrollable rocket launcher, but after a couple of sessions the power became much more predictable.

Among comparable foam paddles I’ve tested, I would still give the Selkirk Boomstik the power edge. The Hyper+ and Selkirk OMNI sit just behind it, followed by the CRBN TruFoam Waves, Diadem BluCore Edge, and Bread & Butter Loco.

2. Control ★★★★★

This may be the biggest surprise.

Once I adjusted to the pop, dinks, third-shot drops, resets and directional shots became very easy to trust.

The foam core provides enough dwell and feedback that I could soften the ball without feeling disconnected from it.

That’s what makes the Hyper+ more than just another power paddle.

3. Touch ★★★★¾

Touch is excellent.

The paddle has a connected, almost cushioned response without feeling dead. Resets absorb pace nicely, while dinks and drops remain easy to shape.

There is enough feedback to know what happened at contact, but enough softness to keep the ball under control.

4. Sweet Spot & Forgiveness ★★★★★

This is one of the best features of the paddle.

The usable hitting area feels enormous.

Slight mishits retain surprising pace and direction, and off-center contact during blocks and counters does not immediately punish you.

Among the elongated foam paddles I’ve tested, the Hyper+ may be the most forgiving of the group.

5. Spin ★★★★★

Spin is excellent.

The raw carbon face has substantial grit, and the foam core provides enough dwell to really grab the ball.

I could generate plenty of shape on serves and drives, roll balls aggressively at the kitchen, and create sharp angles on dinks.

6. Hand Speed & Maneuverability

The Hyper+ feels faster than I expected from a stable elongated foam paddle.

It moves easily during hand battles and forehand-to-backhand transitions, and I never felt like the added stability came at the cost of sluggishness.

The relatively light stock setup also gives players room to customize with additional weight if they want more plow-through.

7. Stability & Balance ★★★★¾

This is another standout.

Some power paddles become excessively head-heavy. Some softer control paddles don’t give you enough mass behind the ball.

The Hyper+ lands nicely between those extremes.

Blocks and counters stay composed, and off-center contact does not twist the paddle dramatically.

I think the internal weighting deserves a lot of credit here. There is enough mass behind the ball to create power, but the paddle never feels like CPX simply added weight for the sake of hitting harder.

It feels intentionally balanced.

The Foam + Internal Weighting Difference

There is no shortage of new paddle technology right now. The question is whether you can actually feel it.

Here, I think you can.

The multi-density foam gives the Hyper+ its large, consistent hitting area and connected feel. The internal perimeter weighting adds stability and plow-through.

Together, you get: power without excessive head weight, stability without sacrificing touch, and forgiveness without making the paddle feel numb.

That’s a pretty impressive combination.

How the Hyper+ Compares to Other Foam Paddles I’ve Tested

What You Care About	Hyper+	Closest Competition
Power	Excellent	Boomstik slightly stronger; OMNI close
Control / Touch	Excellent	Boomstik and OMNI among the closest
Sweet spot	Outstanding	Hyper+ is my leader
Spin	Excellent	OMNI and Boomstik close
Stability	Excellent	Boomstik, Waves and OMNI
Balance	Excellent	Boomstik, OMNI, Waves
Forgiveness	Outstanding	Boomstik and OMNI close
Value	Exceptional at introductory price	Very difficult to beat

My testing consistently put the Hyper+ at or near the top of these categories, especially sweet spot and forgiveness.

Value: A Big Win

This is where things get interesting. At the $150 introductory price, the Hyper+ is an exceptional value.

Premium paddles increasingly live in the $275–$350 range. The Hyper+ delivers the kind of full-foam construction, internal weighting, forgiveness, power and touch that belongs in that conversation for substantially less.

Add the 90-day trial, lifetime defect warranty and premium leather case, and the package becomes even harder to argue with.

Even if the eventual retail price lands closer to the $200–$250 range CPX indicated during testing, I still think the performance is competitive.

At $150?
It’s a steal.

CPX Hyper+ FAQ

Is the CPX Hyper+ a power paddle?

Yes, but I’d call it a power-leaning all-court paddle.

It has significant pop, but the excellent control and touch keep it from becoming one-dimensional.

Is it difficult to control?

Initially, it can be.

My first serves and drives were flying long. After a couple of sessions, I adjusted and found the power much easier to control.

How forgiving is it?

Extremely.

The sweet spot is one of the largest I’ve experienced among elongated full-foam paddles.

Is the Hyper+ good for the soft game?

Very.

Dinks, drops and resets were among my favorite shots with it. The foam provides useful dwell and a connected feel.

Does it feel head-heavy?

Not to me.

It has enough mass for stability and power, but the internal weighting keeps it feeling balanced and surprisingly quick.

Is the handle good for two-handed backhands?

Yes.

The 5.5-inch handle provides considerably more room than many elongated paddles with shorter grips.

Who should skip it?

Players who strongly prefer traditional polypropylene honeycomb, want a widebody/hybrid shape, dislike lively paddles, or simply don’t enjoy the feel and sound of full-foam construction.

Is the Hyper+ worth the money?

At the $150 introductory price, absolutely.

If the retail price moves toward $200–$250, it becomes a more competitive decision—but based on my testing, the performance still belongs in that conversation.

The Final Score

Category	Rating (1 Out of 5)
Design / Build	🎾🎾🎾🎾¾
Control	🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾
Touch	🎾🎾🎾🎾¾
Power	🎾🎾🎾🎾½
Sweet Spot / Forgiveness	🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾
Stability / Balance	🎾🎾🎾🎾¾
Price Point / Value	🎾🎾🎾🎾🎾
Overall	🎾🎾🎾🎾¾

The CPX Hyper+ 16mm is simply a really good paddle.

What impressed me most is that there isn’t one single characteristic carrying it. It’s the combination of very good power, excellent control and touch, a huge sweet spot, tremendous stability, spin and a balanced feel.

The full-foam construction is a big part of the story, but CPX’s internal weighting may be just as important. Together, they give the Hyper+ a solid, forgiving and powerful response without making it feel heavy or one-dimensional.

For players who want baseline power, kitchen touch, stability during fast hands battles, and enough forgiveness to survive the occasional mishit, the Hyper+ checks an awful lot of boxes.

And at the introductory price, the value is very difficult to beat.

Pickle on, my friends… pickle on.