Two things are genuinely essential: an overgrip and a frame protector. Together they cost under $35 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. Around fourteen 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: padel protectors are universal. They are cut to fit any frame, so you are choosing colour and finish, not compatibility. Don't let anyone sell you a brand-specific one at a premium.
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 runs $13–$19. 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.
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. It also adds a little thickness, so pick the size by your hand: Small (1.5mm) for most, Medium (2.0mm) for large hands or anyone who likes a fat handle, Extra Small (1.0mm) for smaller hands.
It is a $40 item that 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.
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.
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.