The Jade is RPM's third paddle of 2026 and the first one without a carbon fiber face. RPM swapped the carbon for a silicon carbide grit it calls SICmatrix, and built the whole pitch around a single claim: the spin doesn't wear off.
That's the claim I'm testing. The Jade is in my bag and I'm putting hours on it now. No score until I've played it enough to defend one.
What RPM says it is
A full-foam paddle with an MPP core floating inside soft EVA foam, which RPM says resists the dead spots that creep into foam paddles over time. The face is the headline. SICmatrix is silicon carbide grit set into the epoxy before the face is pressed, and RPM sells it as roughness that lasts, where most textured faces sand smooth within a season.
It comes in four versions: elongated or widebody, 14mm or 16mm. All four are $269.99, or $229.49 with code NICOTHELEFTY.
Where it sits in the RPM lineup
RPM now makes three paddles, and on paper they split cleanly:
- Friction Pro V2. Carbon face and the heaviest swing of the three, 117 claimed on the 16mm elongated. James Ignatowich co-designed it.
- Q2. Carbon face, density-tuned foam, firm feel. Co-developed with John Kew. 114 claimed on the 16mm elongated.
- Jade. Grit face, and the lightest listed swing weights in the lineup: 112 on the 16mm elongated, down to 104 on the 14mm widebody.
Those are RPM's numbers, not a lab's. None of the labs I pull from have published Jade measurements yet. When John Kew, Matt's Pickleball or Pickleball Studio do, they go on this page next to the brand's.
What I'm watching for
The durability claim is the whole paddle, so that's the test: does the face still grab the ball once it has real hours on it? I'm also playing it next to the Q2. Pre-release testers quoted by pickleball.com called the Jade a slightly toned-down Q2 with a crisper feel, and I want to know if that holds up on my court.
Want the verdict the day it lands? Get the review by email below.
RPM sent me the Jade to test. If you buy through my link or use code NICOTHELEFTY, I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Neither one changes the score.