HEAD

HEAD · SKU B993

HEAD VIBE 2026 Padel Racket - 350g Blue/Yellow

Name: HEAD VIBE 2026 Padel Racket - 350g Blue/Yellow | 361 Degrees Adventure Tanzania
SKU: B993
Price: 450000 TZS
Availability: InStock

Pickleball & Paddleball

HEAD's Vibe 2026 padel racket - an oversize 525 cm2 teardrop with a fibreglass face and Power Foam core, at 350 g with a head-light 265 mm balance. Please note HEAD make this in Blue/Yellow: their BL code means blue, and there is no black Vibe 2026.

TZS450,000+ VAT

In stock

Order on WhatsApp

DeliveryDelivered across Tanzania with additional delivery charges.

Visit our showroom to pick upOpen in Google Maps

Payment Options

Cash on Delivery. You can pay cash at our store on pickup, or pay the rider upon delivery (Dar es Salaam only).
Pay by Lipa Number
Pay by Card
Pay by Apple Pay or Google Pay

Highlights

Oversize, and head-light

A bigger sweet spot, placed where you can actually find it.

525 cm2 oversize face

A bigger sweet spot than a standard racket, in a shape that keeps it centrally placed.

Head-light at 265 mm

Weight toward the hand, which makes it quicker to swing and easier to control.

Fibreglass over carbon

More flex, more forgiveness on a mishit, and less shock reaching the elbow.

It is Blue/Yellow

HEAD's BL code means blue. There is no black Vibe 2026 - worth knowing before you order.

Product description

About this product

HEAD’s Vibe 2026, article 226106 – an oversize teardrop padel racket aimed at casual players starting to play club competition.

One thing to correct before anything else. HEAD list this colourway as Blue/Yellow: the BL in their product code means blue, not black. The Vibe 2026 is made in exactly two colours, Blue/Yellow and Green/Orange, and there is no black version. If you have seen it listed as black anywhere, including here, that is a mistranslation of the code.

The specification is built around forgiveness. A 525 cm2 oversize face gives a larger sweet spot than a standard racket, the rounded teardrop shape keeps that sweet spot centrally placed where you can find it, and the 265 mm balance is medium-low, which means the weight sits toward your hand rather than the tip – easier to swing, easier to control.

The fibreglass hitting surface is a deliberate choice rather than a cost saving. Fibreglass flexes more than carbon, which forgives an off-centre hit and transmits less shock to the arm. HEAD pair it with Power Foam, their high-response core, so the racket still returns energy on a smash.

The IPS bumper is a pre-moulded carbon protector around the frame edge – the part that takes the scrapes against the glass and the cage.

This is a padel racket, not a pickleball paddle. The two sports are unrelated.

Specifications

The details

Brand	HEAD
Model	Vibe 2026, article 226106
Sport	Padel - not pickleball
Colourway	Blue/Yellow (HEAD code BL/YL)
Shape	Rounded teardrop, oversize
Head size	525 cm2
Weight	350 g
Balance	265 mm, medium-low (head-light)
Profile thickness	38 mm
Face	Fibreglass
Core	Power Foam
Frame protection	IPS Integrated Protector System, pre-moulded carbon bumper
Level	Casual players starting club competition
SKU	B993

Questions

Good to know

Is padel the same as pickleball?

No, they are different sports and the equipment is not interchangeable. Padel is played on an enclosed 20 by 10 metre court with glass walls that are in play, using a solid perforated racket and a depressurised tennis-type ball. Pickleball is played on a badminton-sized open court with a flat unperforated paddle and a rigid plastic ball with holes in it. A padel racket is too heavy for pickleball and a pickleball paddle cannot play a wall.

Round, teardrop or diamond - which padel racket shape?

Round rackets put the sweet spot low and central, near your hand: the most control, the most forgiveness, the least power. Diamond rackets put it high near the tip: maximum power on a smash, a small sweet spot, and unforgiving of a mishit. Teardrop sits between the two and is where most players should be. Start round or teardrop and move to diamond only when your contact point is reliable.

What does oversize mean on a padel racket?

A larger hitting face than standard - 525 cm2 against roughly 455 to 475 cm2 for a normal racket. More face means a bigger sweet spot and more forgiveness, which is exactly what a developing player needs. The trade-off is slightly more air resistance through the swing.

Does the heat here affect the racket?

Yes. The EVA or foam core of a padel racket softens as it warms, so the same racket plays livelier and softer on a hot Dar afternoon than it would in a European winter. That is not a fault. What does damage it is sustained extreme heat - never leave a racket in a parked car boot, where interior temperatures will permanently deform the core.

What is the IPS bumper?

HEAD's Integrated Protector System - a pre-moulded carbon bumper around the frame edge. Padel frames get damaged by the court rather than the ball: scraping the glass, catching the cage, hitting the floor on a low volley. The bumper is the consumable that takes that damage instead of the frame.

How do I look after the racket?

Wear the wrist cord every point - a dropped racket against glass is how frames crack. Keep it in a cover, out of direct sun, and never in a car boot. Check the bumper strip periodically and replace it when it wears through; it costs a fraction of a frame.

What weight should I look for?

Padel rackets mostly sit between 350 and 375 g. Lighter is quicker at the net, heavier gives more on the smash and absorbs the ball better. At 350 g this is at the manoeuvrable end, which suits a player who wants speed of hand over raw power.

Do you deliver in Dar es Salaam?

Yes. We deliver across Dar es Salaam and send nationwide to Arusha, Moshi, Mwanza, Dodoma, Zanzibar and beyond by courier. Call or WhatsApp us if you need a same-day drop in the city.