Padel Racket Review - Bullpadel XPLO 02 2027

What the reviewers say

Three reviewers have had this racket on court since the 2027 Pro Line launch, and they agree on the headline: the XPLO 02 hits harder than the model it replaces, and it asks for a cleaner strike in return.

Dani 13, who plays every Bullpadel release back to back, puts the change down to the carbon: "The racket has become less dry and more reactive. You feel the ball less, but it is already leaving the face, and that gives you real speed when you want to play firm." He rates the stiffness at around 7.5 to 8 out of 10 and measured the balance at 26.9 cm, up on the previous XPLO.

Jared at All Court Padel reached the same conclusion from the other end of the court: "Straight away this racket feels really stiff, and with no holes through the middle of the face the smashes go all the way back to the back glass." Jake from Tennis Nuts, walking through the build in the same video, points at the throat rather than the face: a hexagonal structure with a bar running through the middle and more overall thickness, which he says buys extra stability and less flexion for extra power.

The design intent is not a secret either. Bullpadel's Pablo Rovaletti, interviewed at the Pro Line launch by Hotel Palas, said the target was simply the most powerful frame they could make: "We cheated a little to keep it manageable. We made the head slightly bigger, because a smaller, more triangular one would accelerate more, but then digging the ball off the glass or counter attacking becomes much harder."

Where they disagree is handling. Dani 13 found the racket slower than the 2026 XPLO and reported leaving the tip behind in defence and in fast volley exchanges. Jared, who plays the previous XPLO himself, called it "really maneuverable in the back" and still his favourite Bullpadel. The gap is probably arm speed: a 27 cm balance costs more the later you arrive.

Our take: Lars's summary

The XPLO 02 does exactly what Bullpadel says it does, and it charges for it. Overheads and víboras are where the money is: the higher balance gives real leverage, and at pace the ball leaves the 3K face faster than anything else in the range. The bill arrives at the back of the court and in fast volley exchanges, where the extra head weight wants you set earlier than the 2026 model did. Players who build points rather than end them will find this racket helping least on the shots they play most.

Slow tempo is unchanged. The XPLO 02 gives back about as little as the 2026 model, so lifting a ball out of the corner still takes a full arm. Speed it up and the picture flips: hit firm off the glass and the ball travels noticeably further for the same effort, which is a real gain on the aggressive low ball and a real risk on the one you meant to keep in play. The bigger change is handling. At roughly 27 cm the balance pulls from the tip, and reviewers who played the two generations back to back reported leaving the head behind when the ball came quickly.

This is the reason the racket exists. The smash is where reviewers found the biggest jump over the 2026 XPLO: the raised balance levers the tip down through the ball, the stiffer 3K face gives more rebound, and the undrilled central panel keeps the strike solid. Kick smashes gained most, because the extra rebound helps the ball climb. Víboras and bandejas gained almost as much, but both now demand a clean, centred contact. Struck high or late, the response drops away quickly, and the racket forgives less than the Neuron 02 Edge.

Two things pull in opposite directions at the net. Putting weight into a volley is much easier than it was: at pace the ball carries to the back glass with modest effort, and blocks come off the face slightly livelier. Direction changes and fast volley exchanges are harder, because the head heavy balance wants you early and well positioned. Touch suffers a little too, since the 3K face reports less of the ball back to the hand than the 12K did.

How it compares

Bullpadel XPLO 02 Comfort 2027. Same mould, same weight, same 27 cm balance, with a carbon and fibreglass face instead of the 3K. It gives up top end power for comfort and a wider margin for error. Pick it if the standard XPLO reads as too stiff or too demanding, or if arm comfort is a factor.

Bullpadel Hack and Neuron 02. Both are quicker to move and kinder on off centre contact. Reviewers who preferred the drier, more controlled feel of the 2026 XPLO were pointed at these rather than at the new version. Pick the XPLO 02 only if raw finishing power is the priority.