Upstreet Pickleball Paddle Reviews & Comparison 2021

Upstreet has been selling pickleball paddles online since 2016 and sells one of the best selling graphite paddles on Amazon.

Upstreet is a young company located in Cedar City, Utah which is a hot place to play pickleball and has a growing player base in part thanks to a large number of pickleball courts and pickleball clubs such as the program at Southern Utah University (SUU).

The thing that struck me most when I first saw the paddle line from Upstreet was their very unique and creative graphic designs on the paddle faces: including a jungle theme with plants or a pine forest while another has a multi-colored paint spatter pattern.

Upstreet Pickleball Paddles

My favorite Upstreet paddle design is the one with the NYC skyline with the statue of liberty with red and white American flag stripes– this paddle is a great one to show off anytime but especially around memorial day and the 4th of July!

Upstreet also sells the same graphite paddle in basic blue or black if you prefer simple, solid colors.

In 2020, they also have this modern-looking line of monochrome black and white paddles including the doodle model which has a unique stencil design that definitely stands out from a lot of the loud colored paddles we see on the courts. Unlike some of their previous models, this one is USAPA approved – a major plus for anyone that is planning to play in a sanctioned tournament where this seal of approval is required to participate.

But on to the important stuff about the paddle…

Underneath the cool paddle faces, the different Upstreet graphite paddles have the same features:

• Upstreet’s Graphite Pickleball Paddle weights 8.6 ounces.
• The core is made with Polypropylene (PP) Honeycomb composite
• Paddle length: 15.75 inches
• Paddle Width: 7.75 inches
• Grip Size: 4.5″

This is not a high-end premium paddle but it’s a good quality composite core graphite paddle and for the price range it normally sells at, in my opinion, it’s a good value compared to others in the same range. It has a sturdy feel, the polymer core makes it quiet and has a good feel for a mid-priced graphite paddle.

One main drawback to the Upstreet graphite paddle is that it is NOT approved for USAPA tournaments, so if you are a competitive player- or think you may start competing in the future- this would not be the best paddle. Newer Upstreet paddles have been USAPA approved.

For a list of approved paddles, take a look at some of our top picks for best graphite pickleball paddles.

It’s a definite upgrade from a wooden paddle with more touch and feel.   For a graphite paddle, the weight is slightly on the heavy side and at 8.6 ounces it just breaks into what we consider the “heavy” category (8.5 oz and up) compared to the lightest paddles on the market (under 7 ounces).

But for a beginner-intermediate player, the extra weight can help give you extra power, especially when hitting from the backcourt.  Keep in mind a wood paddle would be somewhere in the 10-14 ounce range so this paddle is lighter while still packing quite a bit of punch to your shots.

The weight of the Upstreet graphite paddle is still manageable and does give an added power boost. But if you have any elbow pain or issues like tennis elbow, this paddle is NOT for you– I would spend the extra money to get a mid-weight range pickleball paddle (something closer to 7.5 oz).

About weight: The paddle is advertised as “lightweight”. This is someone debatable, a lot depends on perspective. If you are comparing it to a wood paddle, then yes it is quite a bit lighter. There are no official weight classes for the pickleball paddle market, different companies have different definitions.

Newer paddles that have come out in the past few years have gotten so light that the terms “lightweight, mid-weight, and heavy” continue to change and what used to be light doesn’t seem so light anymore.  The weight is still manageable and for a beginner looking at wood paddles, this will seem light. 

The grip size on the Upstreet is 4.5 inches which is good for larger, taller players. It may be a bit large for shorter players with smaller hand grip.

Upstreet does offer a 12-month warranty against defects on all of their pickleball paddles.

Upstreet also sells a beginner wooden paddle set that includes two wood paddles. These are 7 ply maple wood paddles with a cushioned grip.

Similar to other cheap beginner wooden paddles we’ve reviewed here, the Upstreet wooden paddles are over 10 oz.

If you’re new to pickleball, that may not sound very heavy at all but wooden paddles are definitely in the very heavy category. Swing around these paddles for a few hours and you’ll definitely feel the difference a couple of ounces makes.  Some can weigh up to 13 ounces, so this one from Upstreet is actually not as heavy as some other wooden options on the market.

Wood paddles are very affordable so they can be a decent option for complete beginners, camps, YMCAs, schools, and other people that are buying a large number of paddles on a limited budget.

For everyone else, we would recommend skipping the wood category and upgrading to a beginner composite or graphite pickleball paddle. The Upstreet graphite paddle would be one of our top picks.

If you are still debating if the Upstreet Graphite Pickleball Paddle is for you, check out our full review of the best graphite paddles here: According to the Upstreet website, they describe their company philosophy as:

“Upstreet Pickleball comprises of young entrepreneurs who operate under a simple business promise, “Deliver demonstrably superior, pleasingly different products with a 5-star customer service experience.”

Here is a quick but very cool intro video showing off Upstreet pickleball paddles in play, I love the quality of this video and the cool overhead effects of footage taken from a drone!

Are you new to the sport and confused by all the slang terms and lingo you hear on the court?

Click here for a complete list of pickleball terms and definitions.