I went a bit backwards when I played with my CRBN pickleball paddles and I started by playing with my CRBN Power Series and then went to the CRBN Control (Original) Series.
My fiancé wanted more of a control paddle and didn't necessarily need the power and durability coming from a thermoformed paddle (which the CRBN Power Series is), so it was a perfect excuse to grab one and test the Control series a bit more.
That's one thing we should make immediate mention to though: The CRBN Power Series is thermoformed, where the CRBN Control Series is not.
You'll see me testing and playing with a lot of thermoformed paddles with the T700 carbon fiber faces, consisting of some of the best paddles on the market, and the CRBN Control Series just lacks a bit of the power and durability you'd find from that thermoforming.
I actually started playing with the Hyperion but quickly made my way to paddles like Vatic Pro (I've played with all of them, and love them all and rotate through them), Ronbus Pulsar, Legacy Pro, Six Zero Double Black Diamond and more.
The reason I mention all of this is to also point out that this CRBN Control Series review will be factoring in all of this and this paddle will be up against some of the top paddles on the market in terms of scoring.
That said, you'll learn all about the specifics below, and I'd love to know what you think. Have you tried the CRBN Control Series? Do you like it?
CRBN Control Series Review -
Full Paddle Technical Specifications
PRICE: $179 ($161 with code TheSlice)
GET 10% OFF WITH CODE "THESLICE": Click Here
AMAZON: Yes (Only 13MM) - Click Here
MATERIALS: T700 Toray Carbon Fiber Surface with Honeycomb Polypropylene Core
THERMOFORMED: Yes
SHAPE: Elongated and Wide Body
THICKNESS: 13 MM, 14MM or 16MM
WEIGHT: 7.8-8.1 oz
LENGTH: 1 = 15.75 | 2 = 16.5
WIDTH: 1 = 8 in | 2 = 7.25 in
GRIP LENGTH: 1 = 4.75 in | 2 = 5.5 in
GRIP CIRCUMFERENCE: 4.25 in
WARRANTY: 1 YEAR
CRBN Control Series Review -
Brief Introduction and Discussion (Plus Pros and Cons)
The CRBN Power Series now has a 1X, 2X and 3X model where-as the CRBN Control Series has stuck with their original 1 and 2 model that are an elongated paddle and a standard shape paddle.
You'll see the specs broken down for each of them above.
While you do lose the thermoforming of the CRBN Power Series, you do keep the T700 Carbon Fiber face that brings you a great spin potential.
Both paddle shapes also come in with the option to grab them at three different sizes, which is a bit different than what we may be used to seeing. You have the 13MM, the 14MM and the 16MM - adding the 13MM as an option you may not normally see.
If you like your two handed backhands you'll likely want to go with the Model 2 that is elongated and comes with the 5.5 inch handle as opposed to the Model 1 that has the standard shape to it and only has a 4.75 inch handle.
The Pros
Good Spin with T700 Carbon Fiber
Great Control Paddle
Decent Power for a Control Paddle
The Cons
Not Thermoformed Like Power Series
High Price Point = Lower Priced Alternatives
CRBN Control Series Review -
Control and Feel Review: 8.5/10
Of course you do lose some of the durability not having the thermoforming of the Power Series, but that doesn't effect the control and feel for this one.
Where the Power Series has the pop that can almost be overwhelming for some players, the Control Series gives the touch that feels nice and plush off the paddle for soft play at the net and nice and easy third shot drops.
The only reason this one doesn't come in even higher than 8.5/10 is because I have actually had some better control with some paddles that also come in with higher scores in other areas. Meaning paddles that are both thermoformed, more powerful and even less expensive, coming in with a bit better control.
That said, it's very minimal and most players will likely feel like this one has great touch and love the feel off the paddle if you're in the market for more of a soft game paddle and don't need more pop and power.
CRBN Control Series Review -
Power Review: 7/10
I could immediately tell the different between the CRBN Power Series and the CRBN Control Series pop and power, swapping right in between games.
On one shot I went to hit an overhead put away that I would normally be able to hit a bit lighter, focusing on the placement and letting the paddle do the work (had it been my Power Series), and instead I hit a softer smash down that my opponent could easily return.
But, even though it may not have the power that the Power Series has with it's thermoformed body, you still should have plenty of power in your hands. Once I adjusted my shot to the paddle I could hit as many put away shots as I needed.
If you're someone who is looking for the paddle to provide the power, this may not be the option for you, but if you're looking for a control paddle that has the potential to allow you to create power, then this could be right up your alley.
CRBN Control Series Review -
Spin Potential Review: 8.5/10
While the original CRBN Series does not have the thermoforming that the CRBN Power Series does, it still has the T700 Carbon Fiber face, which brings you some great spin potential.
The CRBN Power Series comes in within the top 25 paddles in terms of RPM (revolutions per minute) based on Chris Olson's testing over at Pickleball Studio - which is one of the reasons I scored them 10/10, but the CRBN Control Series drops down around 40 or so.
That said, the difference is from 1850 to around 1720, and most players aren't going to be able to tell the difference.
So coming in at 8.5 is definitely a great score when you're going up against the rest of the world's best paddles in order to achieve that.
CRBN Control Series Review -
Aesthetic and Personal Opinion: 8/10
Next up is the aesthetic and my own personal opinion of the paddle and I'm giving it another great score at 8/10.
If you've read my other articles you know by now that I'm a fan of a minimalistic approach to the aesthetics of a paddle, and that's why the CRBN Power Series came in with a high score here as well.
That said, I would have to place this one a bit lower on the personal opinion portion of the score being that there are just so many other awesome options at a lower price range that come in within my preferred control paddles (with thermoforming).
I gave the CRBN Power Series a 10/10 here for the aesthetic and because I love my 14MM for singles, but I proceeded to discuss the price point in the next section - as I will do for the CRBN Control Series as well.
CRBN Control Series Review -
Everything Else: 6/10
Next up in our CRBN Control Series review is what I call everything else. I'll be discussing price point and any other points that we may not have mentioned here so far, like competition and how it really factored into the overall scoring.
For example, one thing that needs to be mentioned is that the price point of CRBN paddles is around $160-220 but brands like Bison have created replicas of CRBN paddles at half that price (the Bison Summit is a CRBN 1 clone and the Bison Rampage is the CRBN 2 clone).
That makes it harder for the CRBN Control Series to rank any higher in some of these categories, where-as it is a bit harder for clones to be made of the CRBN Power Series because of the thermoforming technology.
That said, you also have brands like Vatic Pro, Ronbus, Six Zero and others that come in with thermoforming and T700 carbon fiber faces for $120-180 range, where there non thermoformed paddles (more similar to CRBN Control Series) start as low as $100 as well.
So this is another paddle that has one of the biggest downfalls being the price point and stiff competition.
I personally love this paddle, and if it came in even $50 or so less, I would be scoring it much higher in some of these categories, but even at 38 it makes it a pretty great option for any players looking for a good control paddle that may be fond of the CRBN brand.
CRBN Control Series Review -
Closing Thoughts: 38/50
My closing thoughts for our CRBN Control Series paddle review aren't going to be anything different considering I feel like I've covered most of what we needed to discuss here.
If you're looking to purchase a CRBN Control Series paddle you'll just have to choose between the elongated variation, The CRBN 2, with the long 5.5" handle, or the CRBN 1, which comes in with a standard face and 4.75" handle.
Both are great options and it will really come down to preference (especially if you're someone who is looking to improve on your two handed backhand.
Let me know if you're a CRBN player in the comments. I love my CRBN paddles, but I hope this honest review and breakdown helped you out! 🙂
