Tesla x Selkirk Plaid Paddle Review — A Premium Price for a Branded Paddle?

Every once in a while, a product launches that gets the entire pickleball world buzzing. The Tesla Plaid Pickleball Paddle, created through a collaboration between Tesla and Selkirk, is one of those products.

It’s sleek.
It’s futuristic.
It carries the Tesla name.
And it costs USD $350, which converts to roughly CAD $475–$500 after exchange, taxes, and shipping.

At Pickleball Partners, we love testing new equipment — but we didn’t feel the need to fork out half a thousand Canadian dollars for a paddle that is, in our opinion, primarily a branding exercise. Instead, we reviewed this paddle based on multiple independent sources, including John Kew, The Dink, The Kitchen Pickle, and others.

This review reflects our honest perspective as coaches, league operators, and daily pickleball players.

A Beautiful Paddle With a Strong Brand Halo

The Tesla Plaid paddle looks phenomenal.

The elongated silhouette, edgeless perimeter, aerodynamic throat cutout, and minimalist Tesla-inspired graphics make it arguably one of the cleanest-looking paddles ever produced.

Tesla knows aesthetics.
Selkirk knows paddle manufacturing.
Together, they created something that absolutely turns heads on the court.

If you’re buying this paddle because you love Tesla, love gear, and want something unique in your bag, we get it. But buying a paddle for its logo is very different than buying it for performance. And performance is where things get interesting.

The Spin Is Incredible — Truly Elite

What the reviewers have to say: The Tesla Plaid is one of the highest-spinning legal paddles ever made. John Kew measured spin at over 2,400 RPM, placing it in the top 1% of all paddles tested.

If your game revolves around:

• Heavy topspin drives

• Annoying slice returns

• Kick serves that jump off the court

• Crosscourt dipping attacks

…this paddle will feel like a weapon. For spin specialists, this is legitimately impressive technology.

But Here’s the Reality: It’s Not an All-Court Paddle

While the Tesla Plaid delivers outrageous spin, its other performance categories are… fine, not exceptional. Across multiple reviews, the paddle consistently ranked as:

• Muted feel with very little tactile feedback

• Mid-tier power

• A smaller sweet spot than most current full-foam paddles

• Heavier swing weight, making it a bit slower in hand than expected

Those characteristics matter. I prefer prefer all-court paddles — paddles that give us a blend of:

• Power

• Control

• Spin

• Manoeuvrability

• Forgiveness

The Tesla Plaid leans heavily toward spin, but compromises in other key areas. So, unless spin is 90% of your game, it won’t elevate your overall performance the way other paddles in a much lower price range would.

The Price Problem — This Is Where We Tap Out

Let’s be blunt:

CAD $475–$500 for a paddle is not a good value.
Not for us. Not for our members. Not for 99% of players.

You’re paying a significant premium for the Tesla name, not for performance that matches its price tag. In today’s market, there are exceptional paddles under $200–$300 CAD that outperform the Tesla Plaid in:

• Sweet spot size

• Power

• Control

• Manoeuvrability

• Value

The Tesla Plaid is not the "supercar of paddles.” It’s more like a limited-edition cosmetic package on a solid mid-range performance car.

Who Is This Paddle Really For?

Great Fit For:

✔ Tesla fans
✔ Spin-focused advanced players
✔ Collectors and gear lovers
✔ Players who value aesthetics just as much as performance

Not Great For:

✘ Players looking for the best all-court performance
✘ Anyone who wants great value for their dollar
✘ Beginners or intermediates needing forgiveness
✘ Players who care about swing speed and power

Our Verdict — A Beautiful Paddle… That We Wouldn’t Recommend Buying

The Tesla x Selkirk Plaid paddle is a fun piece of pickleball culture.
It’s cool.
It’s unique.
It’s a conversation starter.

But as coaches and players who use dozens of paddles each year, we simply cannot recommend spending nearly $500 CAD on a paddle whose primary differentiator is the logo. There are far better all-court paddles on the market at far lower prices, offering more complete performance and better overall value.

If Tesla ever produces a version that combines elite spin and elite all-court performance without the premium branding markup, we’ll be the first to test it.

But for now?
We’re happy we saved our $500 CAD.