Adidas Metalbone HRD Padel Racket vs Babolat Air Viper Woman Padel Racket — Padel Rackets Comparison UK 2026

The £150 price gap here is doing a lot of work, and frankly so is the technique gap between target buyers. The Adidas Metalbone HRD at £280 is the racket for people who already know what a Metalbone is: diamond-shape, very high balance, ferocious on the smash, unforgiving on a mistimed wall return, with a stiff carbon face that demands proper racket-head speed. The Babolat Air Viper Woman at £130 borrows the Viper attacking DNA but in a lighter, slightly more rounded package designed for players still building swing speed, with a softer EVA core that's noticeably kinder to the elbow over a 90-minute match. Unless you're playing 3+ times a week and competing seriously, the HRD is more racket than your arm or your game can use. Buy the Adidas Metalbone HRD if you're a strong attacker with the conditioning to wield a stiff diamond; otherwise go for the Babolat Air Viper Woman, which delivers the attacking flavour at less than half the price and far less elbow strain.