Padel Overgrip Brands Compared: How to Choose Beyond the Logo

Padel overgrips occupy a strange corner of the equipment market: they're cheap enough that most players don't research them seriously, but they have a bigger effect on feel and control than most players realise — see our full grips and overgrips range. The result is that overgrip choice often comes down to brand loyalty or what happened to be in stock at the club shop, rather than a considered match to the player's hand characteristics, sweat level, and feel preferences. This guide explains what actually differentiates overgrips across brands and how to choose more deliberately.

The materials that matter

Most padel overgrips fall into two material categories: polyurethane (PU) and towel (cotton-blend). PU overgrips are smooth, slightly tacky, and thin — typically 0.5mm to 0.6mm. They're the dominant choice for recreational padel players because they maintain consistent feel across varying temperatures and humidity, absorb moderate sweat, and hold tack for several sessions before degrading noticeably. Towel overgrips are thicker, softer, and more absorbent — they're the choice for players with very sweaty hands or who play in hot and humid conditions where PU can saturate quickly. The trade-off is that towel overgrips feel different from a bare handle: they add cushioning that can slightly reduce direct feedback on contact.

A smaller category of hybrid overgrips combines a PU-like surface with a more absorbent backing. These aim to deliver both tack and moisture management, though the result varies significantly by brand and product line.

Thickness and handle feel

Overgrip thickness — usually stated in millimetres — directly affects handle diameter and how the grip fills your hand. Most padel players use overgrips in the 0.5mm to 0.65mm range. Thicker overgrips (0.75mm and above, more common in tennis crossover products) can meaningfully change the feel of the handle, which matters if you're particular about grip size. Players with smaller hands sometimes use a single thin overgrip to maintain the stock handle feel; players who want more cushion or a slightly larger grip use thicker options. Stacking two overgrips — a practice some players use — adds both thickness and an extra layer of sweat absorption, though it can reduce tactile feedback.

Tack ratings and what they mean in practice

Most overgrip manufacturers describe their products using terms like "tacky," "super tacky," "dry feel," or "semi-tacky." These aren't standardised, so a "super tacky" from one brand may feel similar to a standard "tacky" from another. The more useful approach is to separate tack from absorption: a tacky overgrip grips your palm through mechanical surface friction; an absorbing overgrip keeps your hand dry so it doesn't slip. These are different mechanisms, and different players need different balances. If you have dry hands, tack is the priority. If you sweat heavily, absorption matters more than tack.

Perforated vs. non-perforated

Perforated overgrips have small holes punched through the material. The theory is that perforations allow moisture to pass through the overgrip and dissipate rather than accumulating on the surface. In practice, the difference is modest for most players — perforated overgrips are slightly more breathable and may feel marginally cooler in hot conditions, but they don't dramatically outperform non-perforated options for sweat management. Players who primarily notice heat at the handle (a warm, clammy grip) sometimes prefer perforated; players whose hands get wet quickly often find that neither option makes a decisive difference at high sweat levels.

Replacement frequency and value

The case for replacing overgrips as a consumable — running a schedule rather than waiting until they fail — is straightforward: the performance difference between a fresh overgrip and a worn one is significant, especially in fine-touch shots like the bandeja, the drop, and net exchanges. A pack of three overgrips at typical retail price costs less than a single match fee at most clubs. If you play twice a week, replacing every two to three weeks costs roughly the same per month as one coffee. Brands that sell in larger packs (six or twelve) bring the per-unit cost down further and make the consumable habit easier to maintain.

How to choose

Rather than starting with brand, start with three questions: How much do my hands sweat? (Light: standard PU. Heavy: towel or high-absorption PU.) Do I want more or less cushion? (More: thicker overgrip. Less: thin standard.) How important is direct feel? (Critical: thin PU, minimal layers. Less critical: thicker or hybrid.) From there, pick any reputable brand that fits those parameters — the major differences between established brands in the same material/thickness category are small. Test a pack of three, play with them fresh and near the end of their life, and adjust from there.