The hidden cost of new gear#
When you buy a brand new padel racket, you're not just paying 150-300 euros. You're also buying:
- Carbon fibre production (extremely energy-intensive)
- EVA foam manufacturing (petroleum-based)
- Shipping from factory (usually Asia) to warehouse to shop to you
- Packaging materials
- Marketing and retail overhead
The carbon footprint of a single new racket is estimated at 8-12kg of CO2 equivalent. That's roughly the same as driving 50km in a petrol car.
By buying pre-owned, you're not just saving money. You're preventing a perfectly good racket from becoming landfill and avoiding the need to manufacture a new one.
Rackets don't expire#
Here's what the manufacturers don't want you to think about: a quality racket that's been used 50 times still has 90%+ of its original performance characteristics.
The foam core loses a tiny amount of compression over time. The face doesn't degrade meaningfully. The frame is either broken or it isn't. There's no gradual decline into unusability.
A racket from 2024 performs virtually identically to the same model from 2026. The "improvements" between model years are largely cosmetic and marketing-driven.
The numbers on pre-owned#
When you buy a pre-owned racket on EpicRackets:
- Zero manufacturing emissions for that transaction
- Zero new packaging (most sellers reuse the original case)
- Minimal shipping (domestic, person to person)
- Extended product life by 2-5 years on average
If every recreational padel player bought their second and third rackets pre-owned, we'd prevent thousands of tonnes of unnecessary manufacturing annually in Europe alone.
What about strings and grips?#
These are the consumable parts. Buy them new. A fresh overgrip costs 3-5 euros and makes any racket feel brand new in your hand. If you play padel (not tennis), you're rarely restringing anyway since most padel rackets aren't strung.
The circular economy of sport#
We built EpicRackets because we believe gear should flow between players, not sit in cupboards or end up in bins. When you sell a racket you've outgrown, you're:
- Putting it in the hands of someone who'll actually use it
- Recovering value to fund your own upgrade
- Keeping functional equipment out of waste streams
That's not just sustainable. It's common sense.
Take the pledge#
Next time you're upgrading: list your old racket before buying the new one. Let someone else enjoy it. Use the sale to offset your new purchase.
The planet thanks you. Your wallet thanks you. The beginner who gets your old racket for half price definitely thanks you.
Ready to sell? Here's how to photograph and price your racket so it actually moves. And if you're on the buying side, our first padel racket guide will help you pick the right pre-owned racket for your level.
