Padel Racket Review - Adidas Cross It Light 3.4 2025 - Martita Ortega

What the reviewers say

The reviewers agree on the basics: it is light, quick in the hand, soft on contact and made for control more than for finishing. Where they differ is on how much the soft face gives back.

Zona de Pádel liked it most in defence, calling the sweet spot wide and centred, and named the main trade-off: “If you put spin on the ball it comes off well, but if you hit it flat the ball stays trapped in the face.” Padel Market went further on that point. Their reviewer found little ball output on hard hits and a face that “absorbs the ball, almost too much at times”, but rated the overhead game highly: the low weight helps with the bandeja, the víbora and the rulo, and spin and depth come without much effort. Padel Market also found the sweet spot not especially wide, which is the one clear disagreement with the other testers.

SetUP Padel tested it against the Cross It Carbon CTRL and made the Light the overall winner. “Even though it is a soft racket, you don't lose control from the back of the court,” he said, and his bandeja went deeper than with the Carbon CTRL. The smash is where it falls short: the softer face holds the ball longer, so getting it out of the court takes more work. Padel Reviews expected a firmer racket from the spec sheet: “In practice it felt relatively soft, which was a bit of a surprise.” He still got solid power out of it on flat, slap-style smashes.

Written reviews land in the same place. Practica Padel weighed their test racket at 347 grams and rates it strong on control, comfort and spin, with only small losses on blocks and maximum power. PadelShop.com calls it “perfectly built for control-oriented players”.

Our take: Kaj's summary

This is one of the easier rackets in the Adidas range to play well with. The low weight and soft face take the sting out of off-centre hits, so defence and the bandeja feel comfortable even when the technique is not finished yet. The trade-off is depth: flat, rushed hits stay short, and an improving player has to learn to finish the swing and brush the ball rather than slap it. For most players who are still getting better, that is a fair price for the comfort.

In defence

This is where the racket is at its best. The low weight lets you get it into position late, the soft face takes the pace off hard balls, and the wide central sweet spot keeps lobs and resets on target. SetUP Padel and Zona de Pádel both named defence as its strongest area.

In attack

Attack is its weak zone. Flat, hard hits lose depth because the face holds the ball, and a smash that leaves the court needs a full swing and good timing. Overheads with spin work much better than flat power: the rough surface and quick swing help the rulo and the víbora more than the flat smash.

At the net

At the net it is quick and controlled. The bandeja and víbora are the highlights, and testers added depth and spin without forcing the swing. Volleys are precise but lack punch. Padel Market struggled to push a volley deep when trying to be aggressive, while SetUP Padel found it helped him finish volleys better than the Carbon CTRL.

How it compares

Adidas Cross It Carbon CTRL 3.4 2025: the same mould, with a harder 6K carbon face and the Soft Performance core. SetUP Padel preferred the Light in defence, at the net and on the bandeja, and the Carbon CTRL only on the smash. Pick the Carbon CTRL for a bit more bite overhead, the Light for comfort and control.

Adidas Cross It Pro EDT 2025 Martita Ortega: the limited edition of the same racket, with the same specs (24K aluminized carbon, EVA Soft Energy, 345 to 360 grams). The difference is the finish and a higher price.