It’s a pattern that every sport in the world has followed — as the skill level increases, more and more “extra” gear comes out that can help you get the edge over your opponent.

Pickleball accessories are made to fill a gap in your on-court experience that paddles and shoes can’t do alone, and today we’re going to run you through a list of the most important accessories you need to know about in summer 2025.

Protective Eyewear

Pickleball has sped up, that much is obvious.

With the pace at which the game is played now, it feels almost irresponsible to play without protective eyewear. Balls are coming at you with insane speed from very close range, and a speed-up hitting you in the eye can be painful, or much worse.

Protective eyewear saves you from serious eye damage and it can also give you more confidence when playing in the kitchen because you are shielded from rogue balls.

We recommend eyewear for everyone. Players who don’t wear eyewear probably didn’t start playing pickleball with them, so they’re not used to how they feel, but it’s probably time to start. The good news is, some great options don’t intrude on your field of view like the Gearbox Vision Clear glasses or the tried and true Black Knight Stilettos.

Nowadays, we’ve even got protective glasses that double up as sunglasses, which you may not think you need, but try hitting an overhead on a sunny day. Not only will you lose track of the ball staring directly into the sun, but you’ll be blinded for the next two points recovering from that stare down.

The CRBN Pivot glasses feature photochromic lenses that adjust their tint to match the surrounding brightness, ensuring you’ll never have to worry about it being too bright. They also come with a second pair of clear lenses in case you don’t want any sort of tint reduction.

Now maybe you're reading this thinking, "I get the idea with protective glasses but I hate lenses fogging up and taking away visibility", well, Kitchen Blockers may have you covered (literally). Kitchen Blockers are a lenseless protective eyewear that doesn't intrude on your field of view but still protects you like any other pair of glasses. They are made from a military grade material that is lightweight, breathable, and adjustable to different face shapes. Again, we can't stress how important it is to protect your eyes and this is the perfect solution for those of you wanting something minimalistic. 

Grips

A good grip is essential to feeling totally in control of your paddle, and it starts with the replacement grip. The replacement grip goes directly on the handle, and because pickleball is still in its infancy, some paddles (even great paddles) come with mediocre replacement grips. All of the big tennis brands have their own high-quality replacement grips; Babolat & Wilson make slightly firmer ones in the Syntec Pro and Sublime, and Head’s Hydrosorb Pro is a little bit softer.

If you want to drastically change the feel of your handle, a new style of replacement grip has been tearing its way through the pickleball world — the Hesacore Grip. Hesacore grips are different from standard replacement grips: they are a one-piece, sock-application type of grip that’s made from silicone, and the performance benefits are different from standard replacement grips. Standard replacement grips have a smooth finish; Hesacore grips have a honeycomb pattern that creates a textured finish for your hand to adapt to. Essentially, your fingers fall into the honeycomb grooves to develop a more connected feel for your paddle.

Fair warning, not everyone likes the feel of a Hesacore grip. They are very unique, and those who swear by them say they will never go back to anything else. The personalised sensation you get from the honeycomb grooves is much stronger than what you get from a replacement grip or even a replacement grip and overgrip combo.

Overgrips

Speaking of overgrips, they are another great addition to your paddle. Most of you probably know this already, but overgrips allow you to further customise that feel by changing how grippy your paddle feels in your hand.

Some overgrips are sticky like Tourna Mega Tac, and these are perfect for those of you with dry hands who want to feel like the paddle is glued to you. If you sweat a lot, you actually want to go for a dry grip like Tourna Original. It acts like a shammy and absorbs your sweat so that you don’t have to worry about the handle slipping in your hand. Lastly, there are “hybrid” overgrips that combine the best of both worlds. Wilson Pro Overgrip is by far the most popular hybrid grip and will work for the vast majority of players.

Gloves

Some of you may want to eliminate the issue of sweaty hands or handle personalisation altogether by wearing a glove. Gloves also stop any potential blisters from occurring or redeveloping if you are recovering from one, but gloves are becoming less common in pickleball. Adding an extra layer of cloth between you and the paddle does take away from some feel, and with touch being such an important part of the sport, many players want to keep that as seamless as possible.

Still, if you do want to wear a glove, the Selkirk Boost Glove is a great option — it’s one of the least intrusive gloves out there but it still absorbs all your sweat and grips onto the paddle exceptionally well.

Paddle Eraser

You see all those white specks on your paddle’s carbon face? They might not look like much, but that’s actually part of the ball’s urethane getting lodged inside the carbon. Clogging the carbon grit like that decreases the paddle’s ability to spin the ball, so cleaning it off can keep your paddle playing fresh for much longer.

That’s where a paddle eraser comes in. Paddle erasers are made from a rubber material that’s designed to wipe away the excess urethane without causing damage to the carbon itself. They work very well and cleaning off your paddle won’t only help it play like new, it will also drastically improve its durability. Clogging up the carbon puts extra pressure on it every time you make contact with the ball, which speeds up its degradation process.

Protective Tape

Using an edge guard can also help to improve your paddle’s lifespan. In pickleball, you’re always getting low, whether it’s for a slice, a dink, or whatever it may be, so naturally, your paddle is going to hit the ground sometimes. Adding tape to your edge guard means the tape will take the brunt of the impact, and tape is much cheaper to replace than a full-on paddle.

Protective tape also serves a secondary purpose — covering up customisation, especially lead tape. Lead tape is one of the best customisation tools (that we’ll talk about in a second), but some players prefer not to leave that lead exposed since it is a toxic material. If you add lead to the sides of your paddle, covering it up with protective tape means you won’t have to worry about any negative side effects.

Lead Tape

We could write a whole separate article about paddle customisation, but I will briefly touch on it here. Customising your paddle can unlock its playability, especially in terms of personalisation. If you want a bigger sweet spot, add lead to the sides; if you want more swing weight for power and spin, add some to the tip. These are just a couple of examples of how using lead tape can help you perfect your paddle’s playability.

We sell lead tape off of rolls in store, as well as CRBN’s Lead Tape Strips, which come with 12 adhesive bars weighing 3 grams each.

Paddle Cover

Last but not least, we always recommend covering your paddle with a paddle cover, especially with how expensive pickleball paddles have become. You never know what could go wrong during transportation, and covering your paddle’s face will make sure that nothing unwanted comes into contact with it. Buying our very own Rackets & Runners Cover also means you get to rep your favourite pickleball store everywhere you go!

Explore all our pickleball accessories online or in-store.