Can Pickleball Be Quieter? How Quiet Paddles and Quiet Balls Work

“Quiet” gear here means a paddle, cover or ball that its maker or USA Pickleball says produces less sound on impact than standard equipment. Since September 2023 it is also a USA Pickleball designation with its own test, and a product can be sold as quiet without being on that list.

Where the pop comes from

Pickleball Science, a site that measures paddles and balls, traces the sound to the paddle face in its Pickleball Noise Fundamentals article (January 14, 2023): “The short-duration impact force causes the paddle face to vibrate in a manner similar to that of a drum skin, which excites acoustic resonances within the interior of the paddle.” It goes on: “The hollow interior of the paddle behaves in a manner similar to that of a drum shell, which amplifies the acoustic resonances.”

USA Pickleball, the sport’s national governing body in the U.S., put numbers on it when it certified its first quiet paddle in November 2023: “industry-standard pickleball paddles register 1,100 – 1,200 hertz and a decibel range of 85+ when striking a ball.” The release did not say how or from what distance those figures were measured.

Quieter gear therefore works on the paddle (its face, core or a cover over it) or the ball (its material).

What makes a paddle quieter

Pickleball Science sums up the usual approaches in its Quiet Play paddle review (January 28, 2025): “Efforts by the pickleball industry and governing bodies to develop quieter equipment have typically involved the use of softer (foam) balls, paddles with soft foam cores, or paddles covered with foam or felt.” Makers describe their own versions:

Approach	Example	What the maker or source says
Foam face	Diadem Hush	“an innovative eTPU foam face and advanced two-piece molding system” (Diadem)
Surface sheath	OWL paddles	a “Proprietary Acoustone™ sheath” (USA Pickleball’s launch release)
Proprietary core	Gearbox Pro Ultimate	“patented SSTCORE engineering with carbon fiber construction” (Gearbox)
Thicker, softer-faced paddles	various	a thicker paddle with a softer face (Bob Unetich, via The Hustle)
Add-on cover or pad	PB Muffler, Quiet Strike, Bloop, Whisper pads	listed under “Covers & Sleeves” on USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category page

The thicker, softer-faced paddle row needs context. It comes from Bob Unetich, a retired engineer and founder of Pickleball Sound Mitigation LLC, as reported by The Hustle (October 1, 2024): “He also found that thicker paddles with softer faces can be up to 7 dBA quieter than typical models, and put together a list recommending more than a dozen paddles with frequencies lower than 1k Hz.” Covers and pads go over a paddle the player already owns; USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category page lists four of them, with no figures for them.

Foam core paddles change the pitch, by Pickleball Science’s account. In its Foam Core Paddle Dynamics article (May 1, 2026), Pickleball Science writes that foam core paddles “have a distinctive low frequency or hollow “thud” when striking a ball verses the higher frequency “plink” of polycore paddles”. That article measures how the paddles vibrate, not how loud they are, so it does not say a foam core paddle is quieter. For foam core paddles themselves, see our roundup of foam core pickleball paddles.

Gearbox gives no figure for its core, which it says “helps us to dramatically reduce sound without compromising feel or power”. The other makers’ figures are in the measurements table below, with what each page says about the testing.

What USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category means

USA Pickleball announced the Quiet Category on September 25, 2023: “USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category for equipment will promote products that deliver essentially 50 percent or less of the acoustic footprint of equipment commonly sourced and used in community parks.” Its acoustics page now names two designations: “USA Pickleball introduced the Quiet Category and Noise-Reduced Category designations”.

The test itself goes to makers: the 2023 announcement says “USA Pickleball will provide test fixture requirements and procedures to manufacturers during development”. Pickleball Science describes it in its January 2025 review: the ball is “dropped from a height of about 12’” onto a paddle clamped at its handle in an anechoic chamber, with sound measured “from a height of about 6’ above the paddle surface”, and “Paddles that are designated to be “quiet” must achieve sound levels less than 80 dBA under 600 Hz.”

On the Quiet Category page (last updated August 12, 2026, read October 26, 2026), USA Pickleball lists:

• Paddles: 17 entries from eight brands: OWL, Diadem, NineFour, Gearbox, ProXR, Silent Storm, Stafford and Whisper.
• Covers & Sleeves: Bloop Paddle Pads, PB Muffler slip cover + foam inlay, Quiet Strike Acoustic Pads, and Whisper’s removable AcousticPads.
• Quiet Balls: Accel DigiPro 3.0, DigiPro 3.1 FastPlay, Gamma Librarian Foam and Selkirk Q1 Quiet Ball.
• Lower Acoustic Profile: “Onix Fuse: 83.3 dBA” and “Monarch Outdoor: 81.6 dBA”, with no method given on the page.

The Quiet Category is not the approved list

USA Pickleball keeps its approved paddle list and ball list separately, and quiet products made only for non-sanctioned play may depart from the usual specifications. The November 2023 release says: “In order to speed development in this category, there is specification relief for products solely designed for non-sanctioned events, such as this first product from OWL.” Brickhouse Paddles, a paddle maker, reads it the same way on its blog: “Under quiet paddle certification, paddle requirements for performance are relaxed and so paddles listed under this designation, do not necessarily meet the standards required for playing USAPA sanctioned tournaments.”

For sanctioned play, USA Pickleball’s Equipment Standards Manual (January 2025) says the Rules require that any equipment used in a tournament played under the Rules “must be named on the list of ‘USA Pickleball – Approved’”. So each quiet product has to be checked on both lists. What the lists showed when we searched them on October 26, 2026:

Product	On the Quiet Category page	On the approved paddle or ball list
OWL CX, CXE, PX, PXE paddles	Yes	Yes, added February 8, 2024
OWL Founders Edition paddle	Yes	No entry found
Stafford Blackbird paddle	Yes (as “Blackbird 67db”)	Yes, added September 18, 2024
Diadem Hush paddle	Yes (Black and Purple)	No entry found
Selkirk Q1 Quiet Ball	Yes	Yes, type I/O, listed January 29, 2026
Gamma Librarian Foam ball	Yes	No entry found
Accel DigiPro 3.0 and 3.1 balls	Yes	No Accel entry found
Tourna Whisperball	No	No Tourna entry found

What makes a ball quieter

The balls sold as quiet follow three routes:

Route	Example	What the maker says
Foam	Gamma Librarian, Tourna Whisperball, Diadem Official Quiet Ball, Luzz Silent Pickleball	Tourna: “Engineered to match the bounce, diameter, and weight of a regulation pickleball”; Diadem: “Engineered with precision foam density to replicate the bounce of standard pickleballs”
3D-printed lattice	Accel DigiPro 3.0, 3.1	“Each ball is 3D-printed using a high-quality thermoplastic elastomer.”
Plastic (“slightly softer”, per The Adventurous Boomer)	Selkirk Q1 Quiet Ball (polypropylene, with “the familiar 40-hole design”, by The Adventurous Boomer)	“USAP-approved pickleball that’s 34% quieter.”

The Q1 is the plastic option. The Adventurous Boomer, an independent player who bought and played the Q1 for more than a month, writes in their review of quiet pickleballs: “The Q1 feels slightly softer than a typical outdoor ball, although nowhere near as soft as an indoor ball.” For plastic balls in general, The Hustle reports Bob Unetich’s finding in full: “He found that using softer plastic balls can drop 1-3 dBA from the average sound of a pickleball match, and thinks that one day someone may invent a quieter ball that approximates the same bounce as plastic (foam balls, which are available, drastically change the feel of the game).”

The three balls below come from our roundup of quiet pickleball balls. In the Tourna Whisperball section of their review, The Adventurous Boomer discloses: “I did not pay for these. They were provided to me free of charge so I could review them.” Of the foam balls they had tried so far, they write that “the Tourna Whisperball comes closest to giving us the quiet we want without requiring us to give up the way we normally play pickleball.”

What the published measurements say

Every figure below comes from the source named beside it. The methods differ, and most sources do not publish theirs, so this table does not rank them.

Figure	Who published it	Date	What it describes
1,100-1,200 Hz, 85+ dB	USA Pickleball	Nov 14, 2023	standard paddles striking a ball
below 600 Hz, below 80 dB	USA Pickleball	Nov 14, 2023	the OWL paddle
less than 80 dBA under 600 Hz	Pickleball Science	Jan 28, 2025	the Quiet Category paddle threshold, as it describes the test
83.3 dBA and 81.6 dBA	USA Pickleball	page updated Aug 12, 2026	Onix Fuse and Monarch Outdoor balls, “Lower Acoustic Profile”
up to 7 dBA quieter	Bob Unetich, via The Hustle	Oct 1, 2024	thicker paddles with softer faces against typical models
1-3 dBA	Bob Unetich, via The Hustle	Oct 1, 2024	softer plastic balls, average sound of a match
40% quieter	Diadem	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	the Hush paddle against standard paddles, “lab-tested” with no lab or method named
over 50% noise reduction	OWL	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	its Quiet Category paddles
50% reduction in noise levels	Stafford	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	its Q-Paddle; the footnote says “Testing completed by our in-house engineers”
34% quieter	Selkirk	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	the Q1 ball
approx 60 dB	Gamma	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	the Librarian foam ball
over 10 decibels quieter	Accel	maker page, read Oct 26, 2026	DigiPro balls against standard balls

For the Gamma and Accel rows, the makers’ own wording: Gamma’s product page says “APPROX 60DB OF NOISE”, and its blog says “The Librarian Foam Pickleball delivers only 60dBA of sound, the same level as a normal conversation.” Accel’s DigiPro page says: “With a softer, controlled “click” on impact, they register over 10 decibels quieter than standard pickleballs.” Neither says how or from what distance it measured.

Two lines from Pickleball Science help when reading these numbers. On the decibel scale, it writes in Pickleball & Community Noise (January 12, 2023) that “A 10 dB increase in sound levels is significant, as it is perceived as a doubling of the perceived loudness level.” And in its Quiet Play review it questions the measurements themselves: “we believe that it is currently not possible to quantify pickleball noise using the USAPA standards.” It adds: “We therefore performed a subjective evaluation of the Quiet Play paddles.”

What quieter gear gives up

Two sources say plainly that quiet gear is not silent. Pickleball Science, January 2025: “While these products can reduce noise, they fall short of completely eliminating pickleball noise.” The Adventurous Boomer says of the Q1: “It isn’t silent, and it isn’t nearly as quiet as some of the foam balls I have tested.”

In the same review, Pickleball Science goes on to a general line: “Furthermore, the quiet pickleball equipment does not perform like the standard equipment, nor is it approved by the USAPA for tournament play.” The same review sets the Quiet Play paddles apart in so many words: “Unlike the current USAPA “Quiet Category” paddles, the Quiet Play paddles are USAPA approved for tournament play at all levels.” The Quiet Play paddles do not appear on the Quiet Category page we read on October 26, 2026.

The conflict is between that general line and USA Pickleball’s approved paddle list, which added the OWL CX, CXE, PX and PXE on February 8, 2024 and the Stafford Blackbird on September 18, 2024, both before the January 2025 review. OWL says “All OWL paddles have been tested and certified by USA Pickleball and approved for all official and sanctioned USAP tournament, league and event play.” Yet the OWL Founders Edition is on the Quiet Category page and has no entry on the approved list (searched October 26, 2026). The table above shows some quiet paddles approved and some not.

What the sources name as the costs:

• Feel of foam balls. The Adventurous Boomer: “Making a ball quiet is relatively easy. Making it quiet while still allowing players to dink, drive, serve, spin, drop, and reset the ball in something approaching normal pickleball is much more difficult.”
• Flight outdoors. The Adventurous Boomer: “All foam balls are susceptible to air movement.”
• Sound as feedback and pace. The Capital Area Pickleball Association’s write-up on the Gamma Librarian (March 25, 2025): “It can take a while to get used to not having audio feedback to know if you hit the ball solidly.” And: “The foam design may result in slower gameplay, which might not be preferred by competitive players.”
• Paddle quality. Pickleheads, a pickleball review site, in its quiet paddle guide (August 21, 2025): “Most aren’t worth your money – they’re flimsy or trade off too much power – but I was surprised to find a few that are great quality, competitive in performance, and super quiet.”
• Distance. Pickleball Science, on all quiet paddles: in the far field, beyond 250 feet, “atmospheric attenuation and scattering losses are not as effective for low frequency sound. Therefore, quiet paddle technology may not be as effective over longer distances.”

Choosing quieter gear

If you want	Look for	Why
Quiet gear you can also use in sanctioned play	A Quiet Category product that is also on the approved paddle or ball list	The two lists are separate (USA Pickleball, Brickhouse)
A quieter ball that plays close to a plastic one	A softer plastic ball such as the Selkirk Q1	The Adventurous Boomer found it not silent, but it “plays remarkably like a normal pickleball”
A ball sold for quiet casual or home play	A foam ball, accepting a different feel and slower play	The Adventurous Boomer found some foam balls quieter than the Q1; CAPA and The Hustle on feel and pace
To keep your current paddle	A cover or pad from the Quiet Category’s “Covers & Sleeves” list	USA Pickleball’s Quiet Category page
A quieter paddle	A paddle on the Quiet Category page, then its maker’s figure and method	Makers’ figures come from different tests (table above)

Frequently Asked Questions

Pickleball Science traces it to the paddle face and hollow core (first section above). The Hustle puts the pitch at “~1.2k Hz”.

Pickleball Science, in what it calls a subjective evaluation, found within 100 feet that the Quiet Play paddles’ “noise levels are noticeably lower than standard paddles”, and about the same as other foam-filled or covered quiet paddles. Pickleball Science calls the Quiet Play paddles USAPA approved, though they are not on the Quiet Category page. Paddle makers’ own figures run from 40% to over 50% quieter.

Diadem calls it “USA Pickleball Quiet Approved” and it is on the Quiet Category page, but we found no Hush entry on the approved paddle list on October 26, 2026. Check the list before using it in a sanctioned event.

The sources describe them as quiet but different: slower, more affected by wind, and without the familiar sound of a solid hit. Their status on the two lists is in the ball section above.

Brickhouse Paddles, a paddle maker, says a Green-Zone paddle “was originally one that had successfully undergone the rigorous noise assessment conducted at the Sun City Grand Pickleball Club”, which sorts paddles into “green, yellow, or red” groups. It dates USA Pickleball’s own quiet testing separately: “In September of 2023 the USAPA introduced its own testing standards for quiet paddles”.

Covers and pads fit over a paddle you already own; the Quiet Category page lists four, from Bloop, PB Muffler, Quiet Strike and Whisper.

Sources (27)

• USA Pickleball, Quiet Category Equipment
• USA Pickleball, USA Pickleball Announces Quiet Category for Pickleball Products (September 25, 2023)
• USA Pickleball, USA Pickleball Announces its First Certified Quiet Product – The OWL by OWL Sport (November 14, 2023)
• USA Pickleball, Acoustics & Noise Reduction
• USA Pickleball, approved paddle list
• USA Pickleball, approved ball list
• USA Pickleball, Equipment Standards Manual
• Pickleball Science, Pickleball Noise Fundamentals
• Pickleball Science, Pickleball & Community Noise
• Pickleball Science, Quiet Play Paddle Review
• Pickleball Science, Foam Core Paddle Dynamics
• The Hustle, One man’s quest to make pickleball quiet
• The Adventurous Boomer, Review of Quiet Pickleballs
• Capital Area Pickleball Association, Playing Quiet Pickleball: The Gamma Librarian Foam Ball
• Pickleheads, Best quiet pickleball paddles
• Brickhouse Paddles, What Constitutes a Green-Zone Approved Pickleball Paddle?
• Diadem Sports, Hush
• Diadem Sports, The Official Quiet Ball
• OWL, The OWL CX
• Stafford Paddles, Q-Paddle
• Gearbox, Quiet Approved paddles
• Selkirk, Q1 Quiet Ball
• Luzz, Luzz Silent Pickleball
• Gamma Sports, Librarian Foam Pickleball
• Gamma Sports, The Science of Silence
• Accel Digital Sports, DigiPro quiet pickleballs
• Tourna, Whisperball 4-pack

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