Buying for a man who plays padel is easy once you know what kind of player he is. A league player and a Sunday social player want very different things, even if they book the same court.
So this guide doesn't sort by price first. It sorts by him. Find the one that sounds like the man you're buying for, then go straight to the picks.
I'm Dario. I play padel and I design the clothes on this page, so I'll tell you what's worth buying and what to skip.
Which padel man is he?
| If he... | He's probably | Start with | Skip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talks about his ranking, his partner and "the result on Thursday" | The league grinder | A warm layer for between matches | A racket. He has opinions |
| Plays mainly for the drink and the chat after | The Sunday social player | A tee with a joke he'll get | Anything technical |
| Teaches, runs sessions or is the one who explains the rules to everyone | The coach | Clothes for long, cold hours on court | Another branded water bottle |
| Started this year and still calls it "paddle" | The one who just started | Small kit he'll use straight away | Expensive gear before he knows his style |
The league grinder
You'll know him. He plays the same night every week, keeps track of results and has strong views on who served from which side. Padel is a competition to him, and the warm-up matters.
What he actually needs: something warm to wear before the first game and between matches. Winter league nights get cold. A thick hoodie he can pull on in the car park gets worn every single week.
Our pick: the Mk1 Box Hoodie. £75. It's 350 g/m2 with a fleeced interior, cut oversized and boxy with a drop shoulder. Eight colours, from Black and Navy Blue to Eden Green and Oat Gray.
For the one who argues every line call: the Focus tee. It's an eye chart that reads WAS IT IN WAS IT OUT. Every league has a man who needs it.
Small add-on: a 3 pack of overgrips. Cheap, padel-specific, and he'll get through them. The hoodie already ships free in the UK on its own, so this is a bonus, not a delivery fix.
The Sunday social player
He plays on a Sunday morning, then the real match starts at the bar. He doesn't care about his level. He cares that the four of them get a court next week too.
What he actually needs: nothing performance-related. He wants clothes for the bit after, the pub, the brunch, the walk home. Something that says padel without looking like kit.
Our pick: the Padel & Pints tee, our best-selling tee, made for the man whose favourite shot is the one at the bar. If food wins over beer, the Padel & Pizza tee is the swap. Both are 100% cotton at 305 g/m2, unisex and cut oversized. £48 each.
Better value: buy two. Any two tees are £90, applied at checkout, and that clears the £75 mark for free UK delivery.
For colder Sundays: the Sunday Padel Club Sweatshirt, £60, in a 350 g/m2 cotton blend. The fourth set is at the bar, and this is what he wears to it.
The coach
He's on court for hours, most of them standing still while someone else runs around. Early mornings, late evenings, and plenty of sessions in the cold.
What he actually needs: warm, comfortable layers he can wear all day without thinking. Get him things he can live in.
Our pick: Heavyweight Fleece Joggers, £60, paired with a hoodie from the hoodies collection. Joggers plus a hoodie comes to £135, well past the free UK delivery line.
The fun one: the Padel Coach tee from the tees collection. He'll wear it to every session, and his students will finally know who's in charge.
For the gap between lessons: the Wake Up For Padel enamel mug. Something to hold a hot drink while the next group finds their rackets.
The one who just started
Padel in Britain has grown fast. The LTA counted around 400,000 players in 2024 and says the number passed 1,000,000 in 2026. The LTA also says about two-thirds of padel players play tennis too, so your beginner might be an ex-tennis player who's just been converted. If so, he already owns sports kit. What he doesn't own yet is anything that says padel.
What he actually needs: small kit he'll use in his first months, plus something to show he's switched sports. Don't buy him a racket yet unless he's asked for a specific one.
Our picks: - Grip socks, £14. Cheap, useful, and he probably doesn't own any. - Overgrips, in 3 and 6 packs. He may not know he needs them yet. Give him a 3 pack and he'll figure it out. - The Padel Addict tee from the tees collection. It's for the man who has suddenly started talking about padel at dinner.
Four ready-made bundles
If you'd rather not think about it, here's one gift set for each of the four men, with the total and whether it clears free UK delivery (orders of £75 and over).
| For | What's in it | Total | Free UK delivery? |
|---|---|---|---|
| The league grinder | Mk1 Box Hoodie | £75 | Yes, on its own |
| The Sunday social player | Padel & Pints tee + Padel & Pizza tee on the 2 for £90 deal | £90 | Yes |
| The coach | Fleece joggers + any £75 hoodie | £135 | Yes |
| The one who just started | Grip socks + 3 pack of overgrips + Padel Addict tee | £69 | No. Add the £15 mug and it's £84 |
Christmas or birthday?
Christmas. The Padel Paper's 2026 search report found UK interest in padel is highest in winter, so a Christmas present lands right in the busiest stretch of his year. That's when a hoodie, a sweatshirt or the organic ribbed beanie (£25) gets the most wear.
The last order date for UK Christmas delivery is 10 December 2026. If he lives outside the UK, delivery takes 7 to 14 working days, so order as early as you can.
Birthday. Match it to the month. A summer birthday is tee season, so go for a graphic tee or two. An autumn or winter birthday is a hoodie or sweatshirt. If his birthday falls close to Christmas, split the bundle above across both dates.
Not sure of his size?
Our tees are cut oversized: go a size down if he likes a regular fit, or stick to his usual size for the oversized look. The Mk1 Box Hoodie is cut oversized on purpose too. Lay out a tee or hoodie he already wears and loves, measure it flat, then check those numbers against our size guide.
If it's wrong, he can exchange it for another size, or you have 30 days to send it back, and the customer covers return postage. Everything else is on our returns page.
For the full men's range, see our men's padel clothing. Caps live in headwear, and smaller bits are in accessories.
FAQ
Which padel gift bundle gets free UK delivery? Three of the four bundles above clear it on their own: the league grinder (£75, the hoodie alone), the Sunday social player (£90) and the coach (£135). The starter bundle comes to £69, so add the £15 mug and it reaches £84. UK delivery is free on orders of £75 and over, and we also ship to Europe, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
What's a good padel gift for my dad? Think about which of the four men above he is. Plenty of dads are the Sunday social player, in which case two tees on the 2 for £90 deal is hard to beat. If he's the one up early every weekend, the mug and the Mk1 hoodie make a good pair.
What about a padel gift for my boyfriend? If you're not sure what he already owns, the Mk1 Box Hoodie is the safe big present, and the Focus tee is the one with an in-joke for anyone who plays. Under £20, grip socks at £14 or overgrips at £7 both work.
What can I get him that isn't clothing? Overgrips (£7 for a 3 pack, £12 for a 6 pack), grip socks (£14), the Wake Up For Padel mug (£15) or the organic ribbed beanie (£25). None of these needs a clothing size, and only the socks come in sizes at all.
