Two things are genuinely essential: an overgrip and a frame protector. Together they cost a fraction of a racket and they are the difference between a racket that lasts a season and one that doesn't. Everything else can wait — with one exception for sore hands, covered below.
Buy these with the racket
A frame protector
An adhesive strip that runs along the top edge of the head. Padel is played in a glass and mesh cage, and sooner or later you will scrape the frame on the wall or clip the ground on a low volley. Everybody does. A protector takes that damage instead of the carbon.
This is the highest-value item in the entire shop. A few dollars against a $400 frame, fitted in two minutes, and it also preserves resale value. Fit it before you play, not after the first scrape.
One practical note: most padel protectors are universal. They are cut to fit any frame, so you are usually choosing colour and finish, not compatibility. Don't let anyone sell you a brand-specific one at a premium.
The exception on our shelf is the adidas Antishock protection tape (RRP $20, black or transparent): a 37cm × 3.6cm strip of 0.5mm polyurethane on 3M adhesive. adidas state it is not compatible with the Metalbone line or the Adipower Multiweight, so do not buy it for those; it fits the adidas Drive and most standard frames.
An overgrip
Your racket ships with a base grip. An overgrip wraps on top of it and does two jobs: it manages sweat, and it lets you fine-tune the handle thickness to your hand.
They're consumable. Replace every few weeks of regular play, or as soon as the grip starts feeling slick. A three-pack costs about as much as a can or two of balls. The choice worth making is texture:
- Tacky — grippier in the hand, the most common preference.
- Dry — a thinner, drier feel that some players much prefer.
- Perforated — channels the sweat away. Worth it in Australian humidity, and the difference is noticeable in summer.
The adidas overgrip (RRP $20 for three, black or white) is a micro-perforated polyurethane grip that is both tacky and absorbent — a middle ground if you cannot choose between the first and the third.
All overgrips → · All protectors →
Hesacore: the grip for sore hands and slipping rackets
A Hesacore is not an overgrip. It is a moulded, hexagonal-textured undergrip that replaces the base grip on the handle. The hexagons let you hold the racket with a looser grip without it turning in your hand, which is why it has a following among players with forearm, wrist or elbow complaints — less squeeze, less strain. Pick the size by the grip you play with now: Small (1.5mm) if it already suits your hand with one overgrip, Medium (2.0mm) if you use two overgrips or like a fatter handle, Extra Small (1.0mm) if your grip feels too big.
It costs more than an overgrip but lasts a year or more, and it is the one accessory here we'd call an upgrade rather than a consumable. Fit an overgrip over the top as normal. Our guide to grip size and fitting a Hesacore or overgrip has the step-by-step.
Buy these when you need them
A racket bag or backpack
A backpack with a racket sleeve protects the frame and carries shoes and a towel, and that is genuinely enough for your first year.
A paletero — the full padel bag — holds up to six rackets, separates shoes and wet kit, and is built for people playing several times a week. It is a good purchase eventually, and an unnecessary one at the start.
Wristbands
Not a fashion item on the Gold Coast in February. A sweaty hand is the number one reason a grip feels slick, and a towelling wristband fixes it for less than the price of a can of balls.
A wrist strap
A cord that loops from the handle around your wrist. Many clubs require one, because a padel racket released at speed inside an enclosed court is genuinely dangerous. Every racket we sell ships with one — keep it on.
Lead tape
Thin adhesive weight strips for adjusting balance. Three grams at the top of the head is enough to feel. Not something to buy early — but once you know your racket well, it is a cheap way to test whether you want something more head-heavy before you buy one.
What you don't need
Vibration dampeners. They are a tennis product, and tennis vibration comes from the string bed. A padel racket has no strings, so there is nothing for a dampener to dampen. If your arm hurts, the answer is a softer core or a lighter frame, not an accessory.
Grip powder, unless you already know you want it. A perforated overgrip solves the same problem for most people, more cheaply and with less mess.
Grips, protectors and wristbands are also the easiest padel presents; the padel gift guide sorts them by budget.
Shop grips, protectors and accessories
The things you replace most often, from the brands we range.
Written by the Australian Padel Shop team and last reviewed on 12 September 2026. Prices on this page are pulled live from our catalogue. We publish the manufacturer's specification for every product and record where and when we checked it. Where we haven't tested something ourselves, we say so.