Dunlop Galaxy 2025 Padel Racket Review

Performance Ratings

• Power: 62/100
• Control: 85/100
• Rebound: 72/100
• Maneuverability: 84/100
• Sweet Spot: 82/100

Specifications

Brand

Dunlop

Shape

Round

Balance

Mid

Surface

Smooth

Hardness

Medium

Core

EVA Soft

Game Level

Intermediate

Game Type

Control

Year

2025

Expert Review

Quick Verdict

The Dunlop Galaxy is a control-first round racket built for intermediate players who rally more than they smash. Its biggest strength is a forgiving, wide sweet spot that bails out mishits at the back of the court. Its biggest weakness is limited pace on flat put-away shots. At €69.95, it's an easy recommendation for club-level control players.

Introduction

We hit a vibora off a lofted lob during our second session with the Dunlop Galaxy, expecting the usual round-shape compromise on acceleration through contact. Instead, the ball snapped down with more bite than the frame's soft EVA core suggested it should produce. That single shot told us more about this racket's identity than any spec sheet could.

Dunlop built the Galaxy for the intermediate player who wants a dependable, controllable stick without the harshness that often comes with diamond-shaped power frames. The round shape and Mid balance point squarely toward players who prioritize placement and consistency over raw smash speed, and within Dunlop's 2025 lineup, the Galaxy sits as the control-oriented option beneath the brand's more aggressive shapes. We tested it over multiple sessions across doubles play, mixing baseline defense, net exchanges, and full attacking sequences to get a real read on how it behaves under match pressure.

What surprised us most was how little we had to compromise on spin generation despite the racket's clear control bias — something we didn't expect from a frame at this price point.

Performance on the Court

At the Back of the Court (Defense)

Defending against heavy smashes from the back glass is where the Galaxy's round shape earns its keep. The wide sweet spot meant off-center contact on rushed defensive lobs still cleared the net with predictable height, rather than ballooning long or dying into the net.

Low balls dug out of the corners felt manageable too. The Mid balance kept the head from feeling sluggish on quick direction changes, so tracking a fast cross-court ball and resetting into a defensive lob never felt like a fight against the racket itself.

At the Net (Volleys and Smashes)

Smashes are where we felt the Galaxy's ceiling. Power output is modest, and finishing a high ball at the net required more of our own swing speed than we'd get from a diamond-shaped frame — flat kill shots landed shorter than expected.

Block volleys were a different story. Against pace-heavy drives, the frame absorbed energy cleanly and redirected the ball with control rather than spraying it off-target, which matters more in actual doubles points than raw smash power does.

Spin and Control (Viboras & Bandejas)

The Smooth surface bit into the ball well on bandejas, letting us hold slice through contact without the ball skidding off the strings unpredictably. On viboras, the combination of Smooth surface and EVA Soft core let us brush up and across the ball for a workable amount of downward action, like the shot that first got our attention in testing.

Control stayed the dominant trait throughout — this is a racket that rewards touch over brute swing speed.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• The round shape and forgiving sweet spot rating meant mishit volleys and rushed defensive shots still landed playable, saving points we'd have lost with a smaller-sweet-spot diamond frame.
• High maneuverability made quick net exchanges and fast direction changes at the baseline feel natural rather than labored.
• Strong control performance translated directly into accurate cross-court bandejas and placed lobs during our sessions.
• The Smooth surface generated reliable bite for slice and spin shots without needing an aggressive rough texture.
• At €69.95 against a €200 original price, the build quality and on-court feel punch well above what we'd expect at this price bracket.

Cons

• Modest power output means players relying on flat smashes as a primary weapon will find finishing points harder than with a power-oriented frame.
• The Medium hardness and control focus won't satisfy aggressive players who want a rigid, high-rebound frame for fast attacking exchanges.
• Rebound rating trails the control and maneuverability figures, so quick counter-attacks off the back glass require more manual effort than automatic pace from the frame.
• Players transitioning from a diamond power shape may need an adjustment period, as the Galaxy simply won't generate free pace the way their old racket did.

Construction and Materials

The EVA Soft core is the defining material choice here, and it shows up in exactly the way we'd expect: a gentler, more controlled response off the strings rather than an explosive one. Combined with the Smooth surface finish, ball contact feels muted and predictable rather than lively.

The glossy Black/Blue finish looks sharper than the price tag suggests, and build quality felt solid through repeated hard-hit block volleys with no unwanted vibration or rattle. For a racket now priced at €69.95, the fit and finish don't feel like a budget compromise.

We'd still recommend keeping an eye on grip wear given how much touch-based play this racket encourages — our guide on Padel Racket Grip Replacement: When and How to Change Your Grip is worth a look once you start logging real hours with it.

Who Should Buy This Racket?

This racket suits an intermediate player, roughly one to three years into regular padel, who plays doubles from a mixed back-and-net position rather than camping purely at the net. If you're still grooving your vibora and bandeja technique, the forgiving sweet spot will bail out more mishits than a diamond-shaped power racket ever would.

Physically, the Galaxy suits players with a moderate swing speed and no need to muscle through shots — the Medium hardness and EVA Soft core are comfortable on the arm across long sessions, which matters if you're playing twice a week or more. Players managing elbow sensitivity will likely appreciate the softer response compared to a stiffer diamond frame.

Two archetypes should skip this one: aggressive net-rushers who build their game around flat smashes and need maximum power, and advanced competitive players who need a stiffer, higher-rebound frame for faster point construction. Both will find the Galaxy's power ceiling limiting in real matches.

How It Compares

Within Dunlop's own 2025 range, the Galaxy occupies the control-and-comfort tier, sitting below the brand's more power-focused diamond shapes. In the broader budget round-racket market, it holds its own convincingly.

Against the Enebe Response Orange, the Galaxy offers a noticeably wider sweet spot and better maneuverability for defensive exchanges, though the Enebe edges it slightly on rebound for players who like to counter-attack quickly off the back glass.

Compared to the Nox X-One Evo Red, the Galaxy leans more toward pure control and touch, while the Nox trades some of that forgiveness for a livelier, more powerful response suited to players who attack more often. If your game is built on placement and consistency rather than pace, the Galaxy is the better fit of the three; if you want more free power on smashes, the X-One Evo Red will feel more rewarding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Is the Dunlop Galaxy good for intermediate players?

Yes. Its wide sweet spot, high maneuverability rating, and control-oriented Smooth surface are specifically suited to intermediate players still refining shot placement and consistency rather than relying on raw power.

Q: Who is the Dunlop Galaxy actually best suited for?

A doubles player who splits time between the baseline and net, plays at least once or twice a week, and prioritizes control over power. Players developing their bandeja and vibora technique will benefit most from its forgiving sweet spot.

Q: How does the Dunlop Galaxy compare to Enebe Response Orange?

The Galaxy offers a more forgiving sweet spot and slightly better maneuverability for quick net exchanges, while the Enebe Response Orange provides a touch more rebound for players who like to counter-attack off the back glass. Both target similar control-focused intermediate players.

Q: Is the Dunlop Galaxy still a good buy in 2026 considering its price and performance?

Absolutely — at €69.95 against an original €200 price tag, the control and maneuverability on offer significantly outperform its price bracket. If you're wondering about when to replace your padel racket, the Galaxy is a strong, low-risk upgrade for a control-focused intermediate player.

Final Verdict

The Dunlop Galaxy earns its place as one of the more convincing budget round rackets we've tested this year. It won't win you points through raw smash power, but it will keep you in rallies longer, clean up mishits at the back of the court, and give you real precision on bandejas and viboras once you commit to a control-based game plan.

Worth noting: performance can shift with temperature and humidity, so if you split your play between indoor and outdoor clubs, it's worth checking our Seasonal Padel Racket Guide to get the most consistent feel from this frame year-round.

Buy it if you're an intermediate control player who values a forgiving sweet spot and comfortable arm feel over maximum smash power. Skip it if your game is built around finishing points with flat, aggressive smashes — you'll want more pop than the Galaxy is designed to give.