11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2, Proton Project Coyote, Ronbus Quanta Pro, RPM Jade, Six Zero Boulder Opal. From late August into September 2026, North American paddle makers released new models one after another. What runs through all five is how they use foam, and street prices spread from about 18,000 yen to 56,000 yen (converted at 150 yen to the dollar, shipping and duties excluded). None of them is on the shelves of Japanese retailers yet. Here we go through what is inside each model, then line them up by use to show which is worth reaching for.
What the five share: foam in the core and around the edge
Through 2024 and 2025 the mainstream build wrapped a polypropylene honeycomb core in carbon and thermoformed it. The 2026 releases either replace that core with foam or pour foam around the perimeter of the honeycomb. The aim is to make the core harder to crush for a more even response, and to add foam at the edges to widen the tolerance for off-center contact. This shift started earlier, and as covered inFrom honeycomb to foam core: the lead role in paddles is changing, it has reached a milestone with these five paddles.
11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2: a 16mm EMA foam core in four shapes
Released on August 21 at 169.99 dollars (about 25,000 yen). It succeeds the first Jelly Bean, which made 11SIX24 widely known in 2024. The core is a soft, dense EMA foam, the thickness is 16mm, and the face is the company's HexGrit. Four shapes are offered, Hurache-X (elongated), Vapor (hybrid), Ultré (hybrid) and Pegasus (wide body), all with UPA-A approval. Being able to pick the shape that suits your grip within one model is the real advance over the original. Some shapes sold out right after release. Background on the first model is in11SIX24 revives the classic Jelly Bean in four shapes at 16mm.
Proton Project Coyote: a Gen-3 honeycomb with perimeter foam, 15mm geared to power
Thickness 15mm, length 16.5 inches, width 7.5 inches, weight 7.78 ounces (about 221g), swing weight 116.8. The core is a Gen-3 build with polypropylene honeycomb hardened by reinforcing foam around the perimeter, and the face is carbon. The price is around 195 dollars (about 29,000 yen). Power rises on drives, serves and overheads, while twist weight is a modest 5.9, so contact away from the sweet spot loses pace. It suits elongated-leaning players who can create their own touch. Measured spin is high at about 2,279 RPM, a number that ties into the regulation discussed below.
Ronbus Quanta Pro: an EPP foam core kept in the 10,000-yen range
119.99 dollars (about 18,000 yen). A fourth-generation build that combines a light EPP foam core with an EVA elastomer ring, keeping power and pop while damping vibration. The face is NanoBond grit, meant to keep producing spin even after an ordinary face has worn smooth. Internal weighting and a reinforced throat add stability, and the weight is 7.9 ounces (about 224g). It carries USAP PBCoR.43 approval and can be used in sanctioned tournaments. It is the cheapest way to try a foam core.
RPM Jade: a full-foam build with a silicon carbide face, the priciest of the group
At 375 dollars (about 56,000 yen) for the full build, it is the most expensive of the five. The face is SICmatrix silicon carbide, the core combines a foam body with an EVA perimeter, and the grip is 5.5 inches long with a circumference of 4.125 inches. It is registered with USAP at a PBCoR value of 0.43. You can choose 14mm or 16mm and elongated or wide body. A silicon carbide face resists wear and can be expected to hold its spin longer. For anyone who can accept the price, it is the paddle that buys face life and feel.
Six Zero Boulder Opal: a 14mm hybrid with a SharkSkin face that pushes spin
220 dollars (about 33,000 yen), a hybrid shape 14mm thick. The face is Six Zero's patent-pending SharkSkin carbon, with Tier 4 grit durability. The test sample weighed 8.14 ounces (about 231g), with spin at 2,099 RPM, swing weight 116, twist weight 6.28 and a balance point of 239mm. In lab measurement its 57.7 MPH power falls in the top 1 percent, combining a wide sweet spot with spin. It also catches the eye among the new releases. It suits players who like the quick feedback typical of 14mm.
Where each of the five fits by use
Rather than sorting by similar specs, reordering by what you prioritize makes the choice easier.
- To try different grip shapes, or to share one model across a family, the four-shape Jelly Bean 2. The easy handling of 16mm helps too.
- To push through with drives and smashes, Project Coyote, 15mm and geared to power. Accept that contact off the sweet spot loses pace.
- For a first foam core, or to hold the cost down, Ronbus Quanta Pro. In the 10,000-yen range it even covers sanctioned play.
- If you dislike face wear and want spin to last, RPM Jade. The trade-off is the high price.
- If quick 14mm feedback and spin are the priority, Six Zero Boulder Opal. It suits players moving from mid-thickness toward thinner.
As for thickness, 14mm leans toward quick feedback and 16mm toward ease of use. Foam-based cores tend to feel softer, while honeycomb with perimeter foam keeps a firmer pop. Choosing without a demo, narrowing down on those two axes keeps you from missing.
How to read the October spin limit
Equipment standards are in motion, and a cap on spin rate takes effect from October. The details are summarized inA ceiling on spin: October's 2100 spin-rate limit shakes Asia's paddle factories. Among these five, Boulder Opal's measured 2,099 RPM sits just under the cap while the Coyote's 2,279 RPM is above it. The numbers move with individual variation and test conditions, so anyone entering sanctioned tournaments should check each model's approval status before buying. Jelly Bean 2 has UPA-A; Quanta Pro and RPM Jade carry USAP PBCoR.43 approval. For recreational play, this cap does not matter much.
What buyers in Japan can do now
None of the five has official domestic distribution yet, so getting one means buying direct from each maker or through an overseas shop. Shipping and duties go on top of the price, so for something like the 375-dollar RPM Jade expect the total to run above domestic norms. If you are not in a hurry, one option is to wait until the first batches stop selling out and measured numbers from reviews are all in. Foam cores overall have moved toward less pop than at the peak, and the reasons for that were covered inApproved paddles are down 60% from the peak, and why the innovation has not stopped. Deciding on use and budget first, then narrowing to one paddle with the list above, is the route that avoids detours.
Sources
- The Dink Pickleball「5 New Pickleball Paddles That Are Sure to Sell Out Quick」
- The Dink Pickleball「11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2: Launch Date, Specs, and Photos」
- Pickleball Effect「Six Zero Boulder Opal Specs, Lab Test Data, and Review」
- The Kitchen Pickleball「Proton Project Coyote Review」
- Pickleheads「Ronbus Quanta Pro Review」
- Pickld「RPM Jade Review」
