Updated: March 22, 2018"The STIGA Pro Carbon delivers power through spin and speed thanks to its carbon technology."STIGA has always been known to push the envelope with its engineering and design. They certainly pushed the envelope with their new paddle, the STIGA Pro Carbon. How, you may ask? STIGA embedded carbon into the balsa wood blade of the paddle. The result is a paddle more capable of striking the ball with the highest degree of precision and power. Is It Worth Your Money?STIGA Pro Carbon Check Latest Price Very powerful thanks to two plies of carbon Lightweight High offensive performance rating Extra sensitivity in the handle High cost for a premade paddle Steep learning curve for less experienced playersThere are a few very strict user dependent parameters with which to qualify this purchase as being worth your money. The first parameter is that you be a competitive recreational or tournament level player – emphasis on competitive.The second requirement is that you be an offensive focused player as opposed to defensive. This paddle does not feature the level of control a defensive player would be looking for.Lastly, you need to be willing to spend some time with this paddle before allowing yourself to become frustrated by it. The STIGA Pro Carbon is finicky. But, once you’ve mastered its fickle temperament, this paddle will do wonders to improve your game. Quick NavigationIs It Worth Your Money?STIGA Pro CarbonThe Nuts & Bolts of the STIGA Pro CarbonFeaturesOur VerdictSTIGA Pro CarbonOther Options Worth Looking AtThe Nuts & Bolts of the STIGA Pro CarbonThe Pro Carbon is about as intricately designed as a premade class ping pong paddle can get.STIGA has not missed one detail to optimize player performance beyond what the player’s own skills bring to the table.FeaturesSpecsEase Of Use & ReliabilityCostFeaturesOne of the most striking features of the STIGA Pro Carbon is its extra light blade made of two plies of carbon and five plies of balsa wood. The carbon material actually gives the paddle more power behind every hit, while still maintaining the overall lightweight functionality that increases recovery time for the player in between shots.The Pro Carbon also features some pretty amazing rubber. STIGA has spent a fair amount of time designing the best rubber for speed, power, and spin on the Pro Carbon blade. The rubber features Nano Composite Technology which creates tighter, higher strength bonds within the rubber, and ACS technology which fills the rubber with microscopic air pockets.What’s also nice about the STIGA Pro Carbon is the partially hollowed-out handle. This hollowness gives the player extra sensitivity to the point of contact the ball makes on the paddle with every hit. Knowing more quickly when and where the ball has made contact allows the player to recover more quickly and set up for the next play.SpecsITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) approved2 mm sponge backingSeven ply carbon/balsa wood bladeNano Composite TechnologyHollowed handle coreRating: Speed 99, Spin 100, Control 80Ease Of Use & ReliabilityWarning! The STIGA Pro Carbon is not a ping pong paddle for beginners. Though there are plenty of STIGA brand paddles on the market designed for a variety of ability levels, the Pro Carbon is strictly meant for the competitive recreational or tournament level offensive player.If you are the player the STIGA Pro Carbon is designed for, then you’ll be happy to know that this paddle is easy to use… eventually. Because it has such a high speed and spin rating, the paddle can be a touch temperamental until you figure out how it best responds. Once you’ve got it all worked out though, the Pro Carbon will serve you well. Pun intended.The STIGA Pro Carbon does not come cheap. It falls easily at the upper echelon of the premade ping pong paddle price range. Paying this kind of price is only appropriate for those players really looking to step up their game.That being said, the high price of the Pro Carbon is justified by the amount of thought behind the design, the choice of material, and the engineering.STIGA chose materials like carbon, balsa wood, and 35 level rubber with Nano Composite Technology to provide the competitive offensive player with the best premade paddle they could design. By doing this, they chose not to sacrifice design for affordability. And competitive offensive players everywhere are probably pretty glad they didn’t.Our VerdictSTIGA Pro Carbon Check Latest Price This paddle is not for everyone. But, the STIGA Pro Carbon is a great buy, nonetheless. If you are a competitive player specializing in an offensive game, you would be challenged to find a better premade paddle without moving up to the custom paddle category.STIGA has spent a lot of time in the design and function of this paddle, and we’re happy they did.Not everyone wants to mess with the constant gluing required of custom paddles, but still want a premade with the same performance. They can find it in the Pro Carbon.Yes, the price is high, but once you purchase this paddle, you’ll immediately see where STIGA has put your money. Each bit of detail is designed for optimum assistance in the offensive game.Other Options Worth Looking AtIf you’re not a crazy competitive player looking to step up your offensive game, then you may not want to spend the money and the frustration on this paddle. Neither would we!Instead, you may want to look for something a little easier to handle, and a bit more reliable, especially if you are a purely recreational player. Whether beginner or intermediate, we suggest the STIGA Pure Color Advance paddle.It’s got lower performance ratings, which isn’t a bad thing. In fact, lower ratings directly translate to easier usability.STIGA Evolution Check Latest Price Now, if defense is the name of your game, then you’ll want more control in a paddle than the Pro Carbon can provide.Take a good look at the STIGA Evolution. It is an amazingly designed paddle specifically built with the defensive player in mind.Yet, it still has high speed and spin ratings. Like the Pro Carbon, the Evolution is priced at the top of the premade paddle range.But, if you’re a competitive defensive player looking to step up your game, you won’t be disappointed.We also have an in-depth review of this model.