No winner on this page on purpose. The numbers are below and the call is yours. Buying through my links or with code supports the testing at no extra cost to you. How this site makes money
Vapor Jelly Bean 2
Spins more: +185 RPM
Quicker in hand: 2.7 lower swing weight
More forgiving: +0.7 twist weight
More control: +0.8
Grit tested more durable: +1.5
Costs $92 less with code
Pressure X 8E
More power: +5.0
More pop: +4.9
By the numbers.
Scores run 0 to 10. Measurement bars are relative to each other.
Vapor Jelly Bean 2
Pressure X 8E
Spin
RPM, lab average
2,383RPM
lab avg · 2 sourcesTop 10% of the database
2,199RPM
lab avg · 2 sources
Power
drives and serves
4.0/10
9.0/10
Pop
speed off the face on short swings
4.0/10
8.9/10
Control
stability and a calm face
9.5/10
8.7/10
Grit durability
how long the bite lasts
9.5/10
8.0/10
Swing weight
lower swings quicker
115.5
brand claims
118.2
lab avg · 2 sources
Twist weight
higher forgives mishits
6.75
brand claimsTop quarter
6.08
lab avg · 2 sources
Static weight
ounces on the scale
8.2oz
brand claims
8.0oz
brand claims
Power, Pop, Control and Grit durability are my scores on my 10-point scale. Every paddle starts from a default I compute from where its measurements land against the whole database, and I set the number myself once I've played the paddle. Power is drives and serves, Pop is speed off the face on short swings, Control is stability with a calm face, Grit durability is how long the bite lasts. Spin, swing weight, twist weight and static weight are raw measurements: “lab avg” averages the independent reviewer labs in my database (John Kew, Pickleball Studio, Matt's Pickleball, The Pickleball Blast), and “brand claims” is the manufacturer's published number. I don't own a bench rig, and I say so.
The build
Vapor Jelly Bean 2
Pressure X 8E
Shape
Hybrid
Elongated
Core
16mm, EMA foam (EMA center, EVA floating ring, expanding foam edge)
16mm, Pressure X Core: SSTCore with Micro Cell EPP foam, SST 2.0 carbon fiber rib structure
