CORES CHOSEN BY THE TEMPERATURE
Varlion padel rackets,
a shape in every name, a core for every season
Varlion names its lines by shape and sells its top frames with a core chosen for the weather: an S version for warm conditions and a W version for cold. It is a distinctive brand with some of the most forgiving round frames in the catalogue, but the newest Varlion models in our catalogue are from 2023.
- 51 models
- 28 from 2023 on
- €62 to €443
THE RANGE
The Varlion lines,
and what each is for
Varlion has 51 models in the catalogue. Almost all of them belong to one of these families, so knowing the families is most of the work.
| Line | What it is for |
|---|---|
| LW | The round line, and the most forgiving Varlion frames. Three LW models are rated 10 for sweet spot. |
| Bourne | The diamond line, for power. The Bourne Summum Prisma frames are among the most powerful rackets in the catalogue. |
| Maxima | The teardrop line, between LW control and Bourne power. |
| Avant and Cañon | Carbon Black and Carbon TI frames: Avant is a teardrop, Cañon a diamond. |
| Summum | The top tier across LW, Bourne and Maxima, sold in S (summer) and W (winter) core versions. |
| Hexagon and One | The entry range, fibreglass with soft cores. |
WHAT MAKES VARLION DIFFERENT
Rackets tuned
to the temperature
Varlion does two things that set it apart. The first is naming by shape: every LW is round, every Bourne and Cañon is diamond, and every Maxima and Avant is a teardrop, so the first word of the model tells you most of what you need. The second is the temperature core, which no other brand on this site offers. The top Summum frames come in an S version with a very hard core for play above 25°C and a W version with a softer core for play below it, because foam feels softer in the heat and harder in the cold.
We track 51 Varlion rackets from 2022 and 2023. 39% are round, 39% diamond and 22% teardrop, and 20 of the 51 are marked medium-hard or harder, which makes Varlion one of the firmer catalogues here. Outside the Summum frames, EVA Hypersoft is the usual core, and faces run from fibreglass and Titantex to 3K and 12K carbon. Prices run from €62 to €443, with a median of €269.
The round LW frames are the standout. The LW Prisma Carbon 9 and LW Carbon 8 Prisma Pansy models are the only rackets out of 1,418 with a perfect 10 sweet-spot rating in the catalogue. The newest Varlion models we track are from 2023, so treat these as discounted stock rather than a current range. In a UK winter, buy the W version of any Summum frame.
CURRENT MODELS
Varlion rackets
compared on specs
The most recent Varlion models, newest first: shape, weight, balance, core, face material, price band and the level each one is built for. The name under a model is the professional who plays with it.
| Model | Shape | Weight | Balance | Core | Surface | Price band | Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Varlion Bourne Summum Airflow MY W 2023 | Diamond | 340 to 375 g | - | Hard core for under 25ºC | Carbon | Pro€439 | Advanced |
| Varlion Bourne Summum Prisma Airflow W 2023 | Diamond | 340 to 375 g | - | Hard core for less than 25ºC | Carbon | Pro€419 | Advanced |
| Varlion Maxima Summum Prisma Airflow S 2023 | Teardrop | 340 to 375 g | - | Very Hard Core (+25ºC) | Carbon | Pro€419 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Varlion Bourne Summum Airflow MY S 2023 | Diamond | 340 to 380 g | - | Very Hard Core (+25ºC) | Carbon | Pro€439 | Advanced |
| Varlion Bourne Summum Prisma Airflow S 2023 | Diamond | 340 to 380 g | - | Very hard core (+25ºC) | Carbon | Pro€419 | Advanced |
| Varlion Bourne Summum Prisma Radio S 2023 | Diamond | 340 to 375 g | - | Very Hard Core (+25ºC) | Carbon | - | Advanced |
| Varlion Bourne Summum Prisma Radio W 2023 | Diamond | 355 to 380 g | - | Hard core for under 25ºC | Carbon | - | Advanced |
| Varlion LW Prisma Carbon 9 2023 | Round | 350 to 375 g | - | Medium Touch EVA | Carbon | - | Intermediate |
| Varlion LW Prisma Carbon 9 Pansy 2023 | Round | 340 to 365 g | - | Soft touch EVA | Carbon | Premium€285 | Intermediate |
| Varlion LW Summum Prisma Airflow S 2023 | Round | 350 to 375 g | - | Very Hard Core (+25ºC) | Carbon | Pro€405 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Varlion LW Summum Prisma Airflow W 2023 | Round | 350 to 375 g | - | Hard core for less than 25ºC | Carbon | Pro€405 | Intermediate to advanced |
| Varlion Maxima Summum Prisma Radio S 2023 | Teardrop | 345 to 375 g | - | Very hard core (+25ºC) | Carbon | - | Intermediate to advanced |
Weight is the manufacturer's stated range. Balance is where the mass sits: low means towards the handle, high means towards the head. Price band is the recommended retail price in euros (entry under 120, mid 120 to 200, premium 200 to 300, pro over 300); UK street prices are usually lower. Level is our reading of the shape, balance and core, not a rule.
BY SHAPE
Which shape
do you need?
Round: Varlion LW Prisma Carbon 9 2023
Varlion has 20 round models. This shape suits the right side, players who build points, anyone still developing their timing, and anyone protecting an arm. Our current pick from the range is the Varlion LW Prisma Carbon 9 2023.
Teardrop: Varlion Maxima Summum Prisma Airflow S 2023
Varlion has 11 teardrop models. This shape suits the largest number of club players, because it gives some power without shrinking the sweet spot. Our current pick from the range is the Varlion Maxima Summum Prisma Airflow S 2023, at around €419.
Diamond: Varlion Bourne Summum Airflow MY W 2023
Varlion has 20 diamond models. This shape suits advanced attacking players who finish points with the smash and hit the middle of the strings consistently. Our current pick from the range is the Varlion Bourne Summum Airflow MY W 2023, at around €439.
HOW TO CHOOSE
Buying a Varlion
without buying the wrong one
Brand is the last thing that should decide a padel racket, and the first thing most people decide. Once you are inside a range, three specs settle the question.
Shape decides forgiveness
Round puts the sweet spot in the middle of the face where you actually hit the ball. Diamond moves it up towards the tip, which buys power and costs you every off-centre shot. Teardrop sits between the two and is the right answer for most club players. Varlion covers round, teardrop, diamond, so you do not need to leave the brand to change shape.
Core decides comfort
Soft cores hold the ball longer, forgive a slow swing and transmit less shock to the elbow. Hard EVA cores are more powerful and more precise but punish poor timing. If you have ever had tennis elbow, this single spec matters more than shape, weight and brand combined.
Your side matters more than your level
The left side finishes points and usually wants a higher balance. The right side builds points and covers the middle, so it usually wants a larger sweet spot. Two players of the same level on opposite sides should not buy the same racket.
Then let the data narrow it
The table above is the fastest filter: read down the shape, balance and core columns before you look at a single price, and the level column tells you who each frame was built for. Our racket finder does this across all 1,418 rackets in seven questions, and if you have run a match analysis it uses your real technique scores instead of your own estimate of your level. If you are still choosing between brands, start with our guide to the best padel rackets or, for a first racket, the beginner picks.
FAQ
Questions about
Varlion rackets
What do S and W mean on a Varlion racket?
Summer and winter. In the catalogue, the S versions of the Summum frames have a very hard core for play above 25°C, and the W versions have a softer hard core for play below 25°C. A core feels softer in heat and harder in cold, so Varlion tunes it to the conditions. In most of the UK, the W version is the one to buy.
Which Varlion racket is the most forgiving?
The LW line. The LW Prisma Carbon 9, in its standard and Pansy versions, and the LW Carbon 8 Prisma Pansy are rated 10 for sweet spot in the catalogue. They are the only three rackets out of 1,418 with that score. All LW frames are round.
Are Varlion rackets still current?
The newest Varlion models in our catalogue are from 2023, so check with the shop that a model is still in production before you buy. The good side of that is that the 2022 and 2023 frames often sell well below their original price.
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