Joola burst into the pickleball scene last year with a lot of buzz. They grabbed Ben Johns, the top-ranked player in the world, and came out with a ton of new paddles. As an established table tennis company, they already had the firepower behind their R&D and they came out gunning for the top of the paddle game.
They were successful with the Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm as their first flagship paddle. It was easily the most common paddle I saw last year and I still continue to see it in action at the courts all of the time. In our review of the best paddles for 2023 it tested as the best overall.
It was my main paddle last year and I still use it in my rotation because it just does everything so well. Let’s jump into the review and talk about the Ben Johns Hyperion in more detail.
Joola Hyperion CFS 16 Specs
| Average Weight: | 8.4 oz |
| Paddle Length: | 16.5 in |
| Paddle Width: | 7.5 in |
| Grip Type: | Ridge |
| Grip Length: | 5.5 in |
| Grip Circumference: | 4.25 in |
| Core: | Reactive Polymer Core |
| Face: | Carbon Friction Surface (CFS) |
Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16 Pickleball Paddle Review
Power
The Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm has great power for a 16mm paddle. I feel confident I can put the high balls away anytime I get a chance to hit an overhead. Drives and serves feel nice and heavy. I think it’s a tie with power between the ProKenex Black Ace and the Hyperion, but the Hyperion performs better in the other categories.
The increased sweet spot from the foam edge walls helps keep the power consistent when you miss the center of the paddle and makes you feel more confident with the paddle.
Spin
At the time the Hyperion came out, it might have had the best spin in the game, but that is not true anymore. It still has top-tier spin and you can accomplish all of your favorite shots. Drives, serves, rolls, and slices are excellent with this paddle.
The amount of spin this paddle produces combines with the control lets you hit all the angles and spots you want. I can notice the drop-off in spin between this and a Legacy, but the drop-off isn’t that much and if you like a softer paddle I can see this being your preferred option.
Feel/Control
The feel and control of the Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm might be its biggest strength. I still haven’t found a paddle that has better control and feel. The resets on this paddle are so smooth and the sweet spot makes it feel solid.
The only problem that can happen is the handle can start flexing if the quality isn’t right. When this paddle is built right it feels like you have a pillow that block any drive or speedup right back into the kitchen.
Dinking is a breeze with this paddle as you can feel the ball on the paddle and it helps placing your shots right where you want them.
Durability
The downfall of the Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm and the reason I can’t use it as my main paddle anymore is the durability. The spot where the handle meets the paddle face has broken on me four times and getting a replacement under warranty from Joola can be complicated.
You must pay for shipping and sometimes deal with a run around from Joola. I had to contact a rep/ambassador to get in contact with someone from Joola for my last replacement because customer service wouldn’t respond to my emails. The grit also wears fast, but you will have that problem with all carbon fiber paddles.
Pros/Cons of the Hyperion CFS 16
There are a lot of pros associated with this paddle. It has an excellent blend of control, spin, power and a very forgiving sweet spot. The main cons we have are quality/durability issues. The handle will most likely snap on these paddles if you hit hard. I have broken four Hyperions in under 7 months. The grit wears faster than the new Gen 2 carbon fiber paddles so you will have to replace it more often for optimal performance. Although you will have to find out if the handle will break first or the grit will wear out first. Another con for this paddle which could also be a pro is it does have a heavy stock weight. I like the stock weight because I tend to weight my paddles up to 9.0oz, but I know many women and men that have said the paddle was too slow at the net due to the weight. If you tend to like faster paddles at the net, then keep in mind this paddle does feel head heavy and slower at the net.
Final thoughts
Do I recommend you get the Ben Johns Hyperion CFS 16mm? If you like all the pros I have mentioned and don’t mind the terrible customer service and build quality issues, then yes it is an amazing paddle to get. For $220, I just think it makes more sense to get one of the other paddles on the market that does similar things like a Legacy Pro or a Vatic Flash. I do think this paddle offers things that others don’t with the control/feel it has, so it is still worthwhile testing it out if you think this is the most important part to your game.
