Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 Padel Racket vs Bullpadel Vertex 04 Comfort Padel Racket — Padel Rackets Comparison UK 2026

Two advanced-level rackets with very different goals — and, these days, very similar money. The Adidas Metalbone CTRL 3.4 at £158 is professional-grade kit, 360 to 375g diamond shape with high balance, EVA Hard Performance core, and 18K carbon construction. The Bullpadel Vertex 04 Comfort at £131 is the more forgiving member of the Vertex line, designed to give attacking performance without the punishment.

The price gap is modest now, around £25-30, so this is a decision about feel rather than budget.

• The Metalbone CTRL 3.4 is unforgiving on off-centre hits. The 18K carbon and Smart Holes deliver surgical control at high speeds, but only if your timing is on.
• The Vertex 04 Comfort softens the experience. You still get attacking shape, but a more usable sweet spot and less arm strain over a long match.

My take: the Metalbone CTRL is for players already winning advanced tournaments who want every marginal gain — and with the premium this small, it's a far easier stretch than it used to be. But for most UK club players who self-identify as advanced, the Vertex 04 Comfort still delivers 85 percent of the performance with significantly less downside on bad days.