Padel Racket Review - Wilson Blade LS V4 2026 Pink

What the reviewers say

There is broad agreement on what this racket does well and where it stops. Padel Tonic put both 2026 Blades on court and found the LS the easier of the two by some distance, with defending low balls and changing direction from the wrist coming naturally, although "raw power was harder to achieve, while ball placement stayed consistently accurate".

Stephane Penso at Padel Magazine tested the whole Wilson 2026 range back to back and pinned the change on the new core. In his reading, the bio based foam "stretches out the contact time on impact, which gives you more feel, more comfort and better tolerance on off centre shots", and the price for that is a softer, more gradual release instead of the sharp kick the standard Blade gives you. He still filed the LS under the family motto: good everywhere, bad nowhere.

Padel Addict arrived at the same place from the spec sheet, calling it the version built around "handling, comfort and keeping the joints out of trouble", with a much softer feel and an effortless ball output aimed at intermediate players chasing agility. Fun Padel Shop, reviewing the pair on video, kept it blunt: "the LS is lighter, softer and easier to swing, ideal for players who put comfort and manoeuvrability first."

Total Padel put both V4s on court as well and landed on the same split. Aladdin found defending effortless on balls close to the ground that need a quick grip change and a fast wrist, and summed the trade-off up as "powerful smashes were a little more challenging, but placing the ball exactly where I wanted was incredibly easy". He files the LS with beginner and medium level players who want comfort, forgiveness and manoeuvrability.

The German site Padel-Kompass is the most numerical and also the least flattering on one axis. It scores the racket 7.6 out of 10, rates forgiveness 8.2 against a catalogue average of 5.6, and then says plainly that there is "little in reserve for an all out attack".

Where reviewers split is on level. Padel Tonic and Padel Magazine are comfortable recommending it to beginners, while Wilson and most retailers pitch it at intermediates. Both are defensible, and which one you believe depends on whether you already have a swing to accelerate the racket with.

Our take: Lars's summary

For a player who wins points by staying in rallies rather than ending them, this racket does the important part well. Balls that should have died against the back glass come back deep, and the hands stay fast enough to win a net exchange on reaction alone. The catch is what happens when the patience pays off: the ball sits up, the point is there to be taken, and the soft core gives back a well placed shot rather than a finished one. Right side point builders should weigh that honestly, because a racket that never punishes you also never rewards a properly struck smash.

Defense is the strongest part of this racket and the reason to buy it. At 355g with a fibreglass face it is quick enough to get you into position late, and the soft core takes the sting out of a hard ball so blocks stay on the face instead of spitting off. Low balls coming off the glass are the clearest example, with reviewers consistently reporting depth on resets without a full swing, and lobs travelling further than the weight suggests. The limit is heavy pace. Against a properly struck smash the light frame moves in the hand, and centring the ball matters more than it would on a heavier racket.

Offense is where the honesty has to come in. There is spin on tap, the moulded texture grips well enough to shape a bandeja or bite a slice, and wrist driven shots come easily because there is so little weight to move. What is missing is weight behind the ball. A flat smash goes in rather than through, and the gradual energy release that makes this racket comfortable is exactly what takes the sting out of a finishing shot. Players who generate their own racket head speed will get more out of it than players who lean on the frame.

Net play splits the difference. Reaction volleys are excellent, because the racket is fast in the hand and the sweet spot is wide enough that a rushed block still comes back. Punch volleys are less convincing, since the soft core absorbs pace rather than returning it, so the ball lands deep instead of dying at the opponent's feet. Overheads reward good contact and quietly punish bad contact, which is the one place where reviewers agree the LS asks something of you.

How it compares

The obvious comparison is inside the family. The Wilson Blade V4 2026 is the same shape with the same technologies, but a carbon hybrid face, a firm core and ten grams more mass. It costs about thirty euros more and asks for a swing to go with it. If you already accelerate the racket yourself, take the V4. If you are still building that swing, or you want the comfort, the LS is the right call.

Outside Wilson, the Babolat Air Vertuo 2026 sits at similar money and plays a lighter, livelier version of the same idea: more pop off the face, less help on defensive resets. Pick the Babolat if you attack from the net and the Wilson if you win points from the back of the court.

One practical note: the Blade LS V4 in the mint colourway is the identical racket. Buy whichever is cheaper.