Set Padel Raquettes Akela

Pros

• ✓The XtraSoft EVA core soaks up the shock on block volleys and rushed defensive shots, cutting out the harsh kickback that punishes your wrist and elbow before your timing is dialled in The fiberglass face gives generous ball exit: on defensive lobs from the back you don't need much follow-through to send the ball deep into the opponents' service box Round shape with a medium balance and 355-365 g of weight: the racket reacts quickly at net and off the side walls without asking for early preparation The sweet spot — centred and wide thanks to the round geometry — keeps a consistent response whether the ball arrives high or close to the throat, which is exactly what you need on mistimed wall exits

Cons

• ✗Soft EVA paired with a fiberglass face caps your smash power: you can close out points with placement, but don't expect the racket to generate pace on its own The smooth face gives you less bite on the ball, so cut víboras and kick serves lose grip compared with rougher, textured faces The 38 mm frame and cushioned feel give little feedback on tight bandejas — dialling in depth takes a good few sessions before it clicks It's a racket you'll outgrow as your level rises; intermediate players with a settled swing will notice the lack of pop and response

The Set Padel Raquettes Akela is built for beginner players looking for an easy-to-handle, forgiving racket. Its round shape concentrates the sweet spot in the center of the face, increasing tolerance and favouring control. The medium balance keeps a balanced behaviour between baseline shots and volleys. Its 355-365g weight range places it in the medium-weight group, the most common among amateur players.

SET Akela review: the round fiberglass padel racket that does the work for you

The SET Akela weighs in at 355-365 g, pairs a fiberglass face with an XtraSoft EVA core, and rounds out the package with a 38 mm frame in a round shape with medium balance. Put those five specs together and you get an unambiguous beginner's padel racket: maximum forgiveness and easy ball exit, above every other priority.

SET is a Spanish brand founded in 2017 that designs and develops its rackets in-house, with a stated focus on maneuverability and durability. The Akela is the most literal expression of that philosophy.

SET Akela specs at a glance

Who is the SET Akela padel racket for?

It's built for players who are just starting out and don't yet strike the ball dead centre every time. The round shape places the sweet spot right in the zone where beginners tend to make contact, and the soft core takes the sting out of hits that drift toward the throat or the tip.

That's the real-world difference between a genuine beginner racket and one that only claims to be on the box: here, an off-centre shot still clears the net and lands in court, even if it loses some depth.

What fiberglass brings to the table versus carbon

Fiberglass flexes more than carbon under the same impact. It deforms on contact, holds the ball a fraction of a second longer, and releases it with a gentle trampoline effect.

For a player with an already-grooved technique, that reads as lost feedback and precision. For a beginner, it's the opposite: the racket does part of the work your arm hasn't learned to do yet. You can send deep balls off a short, incomplete swing, and a defensive lob travels much further than the stroke alone would suggest.

The XtraSoft EVA core pulls in the same direction. It's a soft-compression foam that filters out impact vibration and delivers a cushioned, wrap-around feel instead of a harsh one. On low block volleys the ball stays on the face that split-second longer and drops short on the other side without kicking off uncontrollably.

The 38 mm frame rounds off the package: it's the standard regulation thickness, and in this build it adds structural stiffness without hardening the overall feel, since all the softness lives in the foam.

How the SET Akela performs shot by shot

Defense and wall exits. This is where it shines brightest. At 355-365 g with medium balance, the racket gets to the ball bouncing off the side glass in time, and the generous ball exit lets you lob with margin even when you're stretching to reach it.

Volley. The soft touch makes block volleys and dropshots easy to execute. The trade-off is that an attacking deep volley needs a lot more shoulder drive from you — the racket won't add pace on its own.

Bandeja. It gets the job done through placement rather than speed. The catch is feedback: the cushioned core tells you very little about what just happened at impact, and until you've logged real time with it, dialling in depth so the ball dies off the back glass is genuinely tricky.

Smash and víbora. This is where the limits show. The smooth face grips the ball less than a textured surface, so cut víboras and kick serves lose bite. On a smash off the third meter the shot still goes through, but without the sharp pace a stiff carbon face delivers — you're closing points on angle and placement, not power.

Three scenarios where this racket makes sense

1. **Your first 50 hours on court.** When the goal is simply keeping the ball in play and building rallies, not smashing winners.
2. **Coming back from an elbow or wrist injury.** The XtraSoft EVA core's vibration filtering cuts down on joint strain with every hit.
3. **A club racket or for casual partners.** It forgives the inconsistent swing of pretty much anyone who picks it up.

As a doubles pairing, it works well alongside a partner running a more aggressive racket: the Akela sustains the rally from the back while your partner finishes at net.

Verdict: honest about what it does, limited in how far it takes you

This SET model doesn't try to be an all-rounder, and that's exactly why it works. Control and forgiveness sit above the average for its category, and the ball exit is about as easy as you'll find on any beginner round racket.

The downside comes with an expiry date. Once your stroke settles — and with a racket like this, it settles fast — you'll start asking for a response the fiberglass face and soft core simply can't give. You'll notice the ball flying out even when you don't want it to, and on a flat smash the racket will lag behind what your arm is trying to do.

While that early stage lasts, though, the SET Akela delivers exactly what it promises: the ball comes back over the net.