KiwiLabs has started early-access preorders for Project KiwiCore, a $99 paddle ($89 with SLICE10) featuring a new EPU (Expanded Polyurethane) double-foam core with a 12K carbon fiber face. The goal is simple: offer a tour-style feel, comfort, and consistency at a starter-stick price. If Kiwi delivers, this could be the most exciting budget disruptor of the year. KiwiLabs says production is already underway; paddles will ship as soon as they are ready. By preordering, you’re securing one of the first paddles made with our KiwiCore EPU technology, at a $99 price point they won't offer again.
Return Policy: It also includes a generous 21-day no-questions-asked return policy, so you can send it back if you don't like it.
EPU vs Other Foams: What Sets It Apart
Not all foams feel the same. Here is the plain-English breakdown.
- EPU (Expanded Polyurethane), higher vibration damping, resilient under repeated impacts, nicely tunable across densities. It tends to stay consistent across temperatures, so the paddle feels similar on a cold morning or a hot afternoon. In play, EPU usually translates to a plusher, more arm-friendly contact without getting mushy.
- EPP (Expanded Polypropylene), light and lively, has good toughness, but typically less damping than EPU. You get a springier hit, which some players love for pop, and others find a bit harsh on the arm during long sessions. CRBN Trufoams and Honolulu foam paddles use this foam.
- EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), very light and inexpensive but brittle relative to EPU and EPP, and less resilient under repeated high-stress impacts. It can feel pingy, with less of that plush, controlled hold.
In short, EPU is the “comfort and control” foam, better at soaking up sting, better at keeping the face response uniform, and better at feeling the same from chilly dawn games to sun-baked afternoons.
What To Expect On Court, If The Specs Translate
- A bigger “real” sweet spot, foam spreads impact energy, shrinking dead zones near the edges, so blocks and jammed counters stay on line.
- Arm-friendlier contact, EPU’s higher damping takes the bite out of mishits, great if you are managing elbow or wrist irritation.
- Spin with shape control, 12K carbon grabs, the foam core tempers rebound, so you can drive with shape and drop with confidence.
Price Check: Why $99 Is An Absolute Steal
Just a year ago, foam-core or foam-like “flagship” builds were clustered at $200 to $300. Today, the value tier is capturing premium tech.
- CRBN TruFoam, about $280
- Many other new foam or foam-hybrid paddles, like Honolulu J2 and Gruvn Lazr, are often around $200
- Vatic Pro V-Core™ is another $99 full-foam series after code, positioned as true Gen 4. It is currently delayed while Vatic addresses bonding issues that caused bubbling and potential delamination; once fixed, it will reenter the same $99 battleground.
- Project KiwiCore matches that trend, but with EPU double-foam and a 12K face at $99, it is to be the comfort-and-control favorite in the budget-tech arms race.
Against that landscape, Project KiwiCore at $99 undercuts foam competitors by $80 to $180, while promising the feel players notice every rally, a larger usable sweet spot, better damping, and raw-carbon spin.
Quick Specs and Highlights
Core, KiwiCore EPU double-foam
Face, 12K carbon fiber
Shape, hybrid 16.25" × 7.75"
Handle, 5.5" two-hand friendly
Extras, Aero Top for lower swing weight
Status, preorder, USAP estimate 3 months, 21-day return policy
Price, $99 early access ($89 with SLICE10)
Shipping, production is underway, and paddles ship as they are ready.
USAP approval, estimated 3 months; play it in rec now, tournaments once approved.
Cosmetics, final graphics, and name still TBD.
Risk-free try, 21-day, no-questions-asked return window, you cover shipping.
Bottom Line
If you have been waiting for a foam-core, carbon-faced paddle that will not wreck your budget or your arm, Project KiwiCore is a standout preorder. Almost no one has them yet, so early buyers will be first on their courts with a modern foam feel that used to require $200 to $300. If the on-court play matches the promise, this $99 experiment has daily-driver written all over it.