Padel Racket Review - Adidas Metalbone Carbon 35 2026

What the reviewers say

The headline is consistent across sources: this is a power diamond that behaves better than power diamonds usually do, and the soft core is why.

PadelVerdict scores it 8.1 overall, with Power at 8.4 and Stability at 8.2, and credits the octagonal frame section: "the frame holds its line even when the hit isn't perfect". Padelful's numbers, republished by openplay.ie, arrive at the same conclusion from another direction, rating rebound 9.7 and calling it "easier to use than most aggressive diamonds".

The Spanish site Pala Hack took it on court and set the condition plainly: "there is power here, but you have to know how to switch it on". Tengo Pádel, who sell and test it, draw the same line against the harder sibling, saying it is not explosive the way the HRD+ is, but gives controlled, progressive power instead. Germany's Padel-Kompass rates it 8.7 out of 10 and puts it the same way: "explosive power, with better control than the HRD+".

Where they split is forgiveness. PadelVerdict marks the sweet spot 7.0 and calls that the honest consequence of a diamond head with the mass up top. Padelful is more generous at 7.8. Padel-Kompass is harshest of all, scoring error tolerance 3.3 out of 10 against a catalogue average of 5.6. Pala Hack lands in between, finding the sweet spot neither huge nor especially punishing when contact is slightly off. Read together: the margin is real but it sits high on the head.

Two caveats worth stating. PadelRacketReviews.nl scores it 8.1 but says openly that its rating comes from specification analysis rather than physical testing. And on video, no reviewer has covered this exact model at length. Dani 13's piece is on the round CTRL sibling, where he notes that among the Adidas rackets using this soft core, "this one and the Metalbone Carbon are the firmest".

Our take: Lars's summary

The appeal here is the ball exit. A soft core behind a firm carbon face returns pace even on a shortened swing, which is rarer on a diamond than the shape suggests. The limit shows up in the two places a point builder lives, fast second volleys and stretched defensive resets, where the head weight costs time you do not get back. Right side players who construct rather than finish should hit it alongside a teardrop before committing, because most of what this racket gives back arrives above shoulder height.

Defence is the honest weak point, and every source says so in its own way. The high balance does not absorb incoming pace, so blocks and stretched balls need clean footwork and an early racket. What rescues it is the core: deep lobs and balls off the back glass come out easily without a long swing, which is more help than a hard diamond usually offers. PadelVerdict's defender profile score of 7.33 is the lowest reading on the racket, and that is the right order of things.

This is where it earns its price. The diamond head, the head heavy balance and the long grip stack leverage into the smash, and the firm face sends the ball into the glass without flex eating the shot. The rough Spin Blade surface bites enough to lift a kick smash and make it climb after the bounce. It is not the fastest finisher in the Metalbone family, the HRD+ keeps that, but it is the one that lets you attack repeatedly without the arm paying for it.

Volleys come off tense and stable, with the octagonal frame keeping the face from twisting when you block real pace. Bandejas land deep without an exaggerated gesture, and the rough finish gives the víbora extra angle. The catch is speed of hands. In a fast exchange at the net this racket is not the quickest to reset, and that is the head weight rather than the shape.

How it compares

Against the Adidas Metalbone 3.5 2026, Galán's own racket, the Carbon gives up some outright finishing ceiling and the Weight & Balance screw system, and costs roughly €50 to €70 less. Pay up if you want the last percent of smash pace and a balance you can tune. Take the Carbon if you want most of the punch with a friendlier feel.

Against the Adidas Metalbone Carbon CTRL 2026, the choice is shape, not family. The CTRL is round and evenly balanced, scores far higher on control and sweet spot, and caps out around 7.2 for power. Point builders and left back players should take the CTRL. Players who want to end rallies above the net should take this one.