Padel Racket Review - Oxdog Ultimate NXT-GEN 2026

What the reviewers say

The reviewers agree on the core idea. This is a light, easy racket with more ball output than its weight suggests, and it makes the most sense for the players Oxdog built it for.

PADELREVIEW ENG measured their test unit at 338g with a 25.2cm balance and called it very easy to handle. From the back of the court, they said "you don't need a big swing to generate depth, and it helps a lot in defensive situations." Ignacio Álvarez De Mon was surprised by the output too. In his Spanish review he said "as soon as you touch the ball, it comes off," and he described the feel as medium-soft.

Total Padel tested the 35mm beam against a regular racket. Their tester found it fast through the air and noticed that low balls were easier to lob. He liked the soft touch and the backspin on volleys and bajadas, but warned that "you'll need many of these shots to build up the points, as smashes won't be as effective as with other rackets."

On stability they disagree. Total Padel felt no loss of stability in defence. The PADELREVIEW team, and the same presenters in their longer Italian test on Padel Review, found that the racket moves in the hand once the pace rises. In the Italian video, one of them said the grip is so small that a large hand needs "at least two or three overgrips." All of them made the same point: at the level and pace of its target players, this rarely matters.

Our take: Kaj's summary

The NXT-GEN is easy to play well with, and that is its main value. Depth comes without a full swing, the Vibradamp handle keeps vibration down, and the light head gives a developing player time to get the racket in place. As with most diamonds, hits low on the face lose more than on a round racket. Players who face hard, heavy balls every week are better served by a heavier model.

In defence the NXT-GEN does much of the work for you. Its ball output sends lobs and balls out of the glass deep without a big swing. In the Total Padel test, low lobs with an open face were easier thanks to the thin beam, and chiquitas were easy to place. Pressure is where it struggles: against hard, heavy shots two reviewers felt the racket twist in the hand, and blocks lost some precision.

Overhead, the power is easy to reach but not big. Reviewers scored power and smash at the lower end, and there is not enough mass to finish points with a flat smash from the back. Placement works better: bajadas and víboras with spin, and a smash off the glass aimed for angle rather than height. For a young or light player, that is still enough to punish a short lob.

At the net the low weight is the big advantage. The racket moves very fast, which helps on the first volley after coming forward and in quick exchanges. Its soft touch gives good feel on short volleys and backspin. The longer grip also makes two-handed shots easier, useful for juniors who still hit the backhand with two hands.

How it compares

Inside the Oxdog range, the Oxdog Ultimate Tour X 2026 is the logical next step: around 355g, a standard profile and a medium core, with more power on the smash. Move to the Tour X once heavy balls start to push the NXT-GEN around. The Ultimate Court 2026 is the other option for comfort. It is heavier at around 365g, with a carbon and fibreglass face and a regular grip. Pick the NXT-GEN if weight and grip size are your real limits, and the Court if they are not.