# Black Crown GLADIUS > Hybrid, 350 to 370 g, even balance. Above average for power and handling, below for comfort and forgiveness. Check if it suits your game. Score 7.1/10. - URL: https://padell.io/rackets/black-crown/gladius/ - Last updated: 2026-11-14 - Author: [Ruud Caris](https://padell.io/about/) - Language: en - Site: padell.io (https://padell.io/) Shop links go through padell.io/go/ (affiliate links: padell.io may earn a commission, which never affects scores). Prices include shipping to the Netherlands unless stated otherwise, and change daily. --- [Rackets](https://padell.io/rackets/) · [Black Crown](https://padell.io/brands/black-crown/) · Gladius - **Shape**: Hybrid - **Weight**: 350 to 370 g - **Balance**: Even - **Core**: Black EVA, Medium EVA Lowest price **€ 124.90** at Padel Nuestro · In stock · € 119.95 + € 4.95 shipping · Checked at 02:16 (2026-11-14) Lowest in 27 days **€ 119.95** Today **€ 124.90** [Buy at Padel Nuestro](https://padell.io/go/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.padelnuestro.com%2Fint%2Fblack-crown-gladius) 1. [Lardesports · In stock · Free shipping · Checked on 13 Nov (2026-11-13) **€ 127.57**](https://padell.io/go/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lardesports.com%2Fde-de%2Fproducts%2Fraquette-de-padel-black-crown-gladius) 2. [Pádel Ibérico · Stock unknown · Free shipping · Checked at 05:22 (2026-11-14) **€ 139.45**](https://padell.io/go/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.padeliberico.es%2Fen%2Fblack-crown-gladius-2026.html) Prices include shipping to the country you choose. [How padell.io earns money](https://padell.io/how-we-earn-money/) The short answer The Black Crown Gladius is a hybrid-shaped carbon racket with a medium balance, listed at 350 to 370 g. On paper it leans towards power and away from comfort and forgiveness. The product page sells it as balanced and comfortable, but the specs suggest a firmer racket. No reviews exist yet, so treat this as a reading of the spec sheet. By [Ruud Caris](https://padell.io/about/) · facts checked 20 October 2026 Choose it if - you are an intermediate or advanced player who wants power from a hybrid shape and a medium balance, not a head-heavy racket - you hit the ball cleanly and centrally, so a small sweet spot costs you little - you like a rough face for spin and can accept a firm, low-comfort response Skip it if - your elbow or shoulder complains easily, because hard EVA and a stiff carbon face point to a firm racket - you want a racket made for the pro game. The Stiga 18K X Hard Cybershape Adam Axelsson Edition is listed as Professional, the Gladius as Intermediate / Advanced - you want a quicker racket. The Gladius is only Medium on maneuverability, and none of the listed alternatives, including the Siux Electra ST3 Stupa Pro, is rated higher ## How it plays 7.1 **padell.io score 7.1** Play 7.5 (60%) and reviews 6.6 (40%). No independent reviews found yet, so that part starts low. [How the score works](https://padell.io/how-we-score/) - **Control**: 6.5 around average● - **Power**: 7.5 above average▲ - **Comfort**: 2.5 below average▼ - **Handling**: 5.5 above average▲ - **Forgiveness**: 4.5 below average▼ - **Line = the average of all rackets**: ▲ above ▼ below Read from the specs only, the Gladius looks like a firm, power-leaning racket with a medium balance. - **Control** Medium, helped by the hybrid shape, the medium balance and the stiff face, but not a racket that forgives loose technique. - **Power** High, because the hard core, the stiff carbon face and the hybrid shape all push in that direction. - **Comfort** Low, since a hard core under a stiff face tends to pass more of the impact to your arm. - **Handling** Medium, as the balance is neither head-heavy nor head-light. - **Forgiveness** Low, so off-centre hits will likely cost you more than on a softer, rounder racket. ## Specifications - **Shape**: Hybrid [Between the classic shapes, the balance says more](https://padell.io/guides/padel-racket-shapes/) - **Weight**: 350 to 370 g Average: not tiring, stable enough - **Balance**: Even according to the brand Even: quick at the net, enough in the smash - **Face**: Carbon 18K, Aluminium + Carbon Stiff: precise and powerful at speed, less damping - **Core**: Black EVA, Medium EVA Hard: control and power at speed, more vibration - **Surface**: Rough Rough: helps with spin Not published by the brand: thickness, head size, handle, frame Specs from padelnuestro.com · checked 13 October 2026 · [Spotted a wrong spec? Report it →](https://padell.io/contact/?topic=correction&racket=Black%20Crown%20GLADIUS) ## Price history Today **€ 119.95** Lowest in 30 days **€ 119.95** vs 30-day average **0%** Lowest price per day across the shops in your market. Checked every night. Two cores and two face materials on one racket sheet. The Black Crown Gladius lists Black EVA with Medium EVA, under a Carbon 18K and Aluminium + Carbon face. That stack tells you more than the name does. No reviews exist for this racket yet. Everything below comes from the listed specs, and it says what they suggest, not what anyone has measured on court. ## Two cores, two faces: reading the Gladius as a stack of layers Start from the outside. The face is carbon, listed as 18K, combined with aluminium and carbon. Carbon faces are stiff, and stiffness raises power and lowers comfort. The shape is hybrid, which usually sits between the round, control-minded shape and the diamond, power-minded one. It adds some power and keeps some control. Under the face sits the core: Black EVA and Medium EVA. A retailer also lists the core density as Medium. The power and comfort meters, however, treat this core as hard. That reading, not the density listing, is what pulls comfort and sweet spot down. So the layers agree with each other. Power goes up, comfort goes down. Control ends up Medium, because the stiff face, the hybrid shape and the medium balance all raise it. ## Wide sweet spot, says the page: what a Low meter answers The product page claims the hybrid format combines a wide sweet spot with precision. It also calls the racket balanced and comfortable. That is the brand's pitch, not a measurement. The specs point the other way. The sweet spot meter here is Low, driven by the hard core, and comfort is Low as well. Both can be true in a loose sense: a racket can feel predictable and still punish a mishit. But do not buy it expecting a forgiving frame. What can you do about it? Be honest about your contact point. If you find the middle of the face most of the time, the small sweet spot matters less. If you do not, a softer racket will serve you better. ## Medium EVA in the core: why density Medium does not make it soft The word Medium appears twice, and it is easy to misread. Medium EVA is one of the two core layers. Medium density is a separate listing. Neither says the racket is soft. The listing also names Black EVA, and the meters treat the combined core as hard. A medium-density foam under a stiff carbon face can still give a firm response. Do not take the word Medium as a promise of cushioning. ## Gladius or Gladius Force: 350 g or 355 g at the bottom of the range Name confusion is likely here. [Black Crown](https://padell.io/brands/black-crown/) also lists a [Gladius Force](https://padell.io/rackets/black-crown/gladius-force/). On paper the two are close. Both are Intermediate / Advanced, both hybrid, both medium balance, both with the Carbon 18K, Aluminium + Carbon face. Their meters match: control Medium, power High, comfort Low, maneuverability Medium, sweet spot Low. The differences in the listings are small. The Gladius lists a core of Black EVA and Medium EVA, the Force lists Hard EVA. The Gladius starts at 350 g, the Force at 355 g. Both top out at 370 g. A changed label is only a changed label. The listings alone do not prove that the two play differently. A [direct comparison](https://padell.io/compare/black-crown-gladius-force-vs-black-crown-gladius/) shows the listed specs side by side. The Gladius is listed at 350 to 370 g. That is a 20 g range, so the weight is worth a look before you commit. ## Core Balance:S and a Medium balance: what the weight system can claim The listing names a Gladius Core Balance:S system. The product page says it optimises weight distribution and increases manageability. That is a claim. No source here gives a balance in millimetres, so you cannot check it. What the specs do support is a medium balance, and a Medium maneuverability meter. In plain terms: not head-heavy, not head-light. For comparison, look at the [Siux Electra ST3 Stupa Pro](https://padell.io/rackets/siux/electra-st3-stupa-pro/). Its meters are the same as the Gladius, except for maneuverability. The core and face are listed differently: Hard EVA and Carbon 15K Textreme. It rates Low on maneuverability and is listed up to 375 g. ## Still unknown: balance in mm, head size, thickness and court tests Some basics are missing. The balance in millimetres is not published. Neither are head size or thickness. No reviewer has tested the racket, and no video review or player discussion was found. That leaves you with the specs. They describe a firm, power-leaning racket for players who already hit well. The marketing text describes something gentler. Until someone plays it and writes it down, trust the specs over the brochure, and try one before you buy if you can. Written by **[Ruud Caris](https://padell.io/about/)** Padel player and founder of padell.io Bought, played and sold more rackets than was good for him, and built padell.io to bring it all together. [About padell.io →](https://padell.io/about/) ## Similar rackets [Stiga 18K X Hard Cybershape Adam Axelsson Edition](https://padell.io/rackets/stiga/18k-x-hard-cybershape-adam-axelsson-edition/) · 7.1 [Compare side by side](https://padell.io/compare/stiga-18k-x-hard-cybershape-adam-axelsson-edition-vs-black-crown-gladius/) [Black Crown Gladius Force](https://padell.io/rackets/black-crown/gladius-force/) · 7.1 [Compare side by side](https://padell.io/compare/black-crown-gladius-force-vs-black-crown-gladius/) [Siux Electra ST3 Stupa Pro](https://padell.io/rackets/siux/electra-st3-stupa-pro/) · 7.3 [Compare side by side](https://padell.io/compare/siux-electra-st3-stupa-pro-vs-black-crown-gladius/) [Black Crown Patron Kore](https://padell.io/rackets/black-crown/patron-kore/) · 7.2 [Compare side by side](https://padell.io/compare/black-crown-patron-kore-vs-black-crown-gladius/) [All rackets that play like the Black Crown GLADIUS →](https://padell.io/alternatives/?r=809) ## Questions before you buy **Is the Black Crown Gladius the same as the Gladius Force?** No, but they are close on paper. Both are hybrid, medium balance, Intermediate / Advanced, with matching meters. The Gladius lists Black EVA and Medium EVA and starts at 350 g. The Force lists Hard EVA and starts at 355 g. **Is the Gladius comfortable for a sensitive elbow?** On paper, no. A hard core and a stiff carbon face give a Low comfort reading. The product page calls it comfortable, but that is the brand's claim and no reviewer has tested it. If your arm is sensitive, try one first. **Which level is the Gladius for?** It is listed as Intermediate / Advanced. A small sweet spot and a firm build suit players who hit the middle of the face regularly. It is not an obvious first racket. **How does the Gladius compare with the Siux Electra ST3 Stupa Pro?** The meters are identical except for maneuverability. The Stupa Pro is Low and the Gladius is Medium. The Stupa Pro is also listed up to 375 g against 370 g for the Gladius. **Is the GLADIUS worth the money right now?** Today's price is labelled "Good value" compared with the rackets that play most alike. Which shops deliver, and what shipping costs, depends on your country. The price comparison shows it for yours. See all prices **What is the closest alternative?** The Stiga 18K X Hard Cybershape Adam Axelsson Edition plays most alike. On paper the differences are under one point. [Compare side by side →](https://padell.io/compare/stiga-18k-x-hard-cybershape-adam-axelsson-edition-vs-black-crown-gladius/) **Who should not buy it?** Skip it if your elbow or shoulder complains (comfort 2.5/10), or if you are still learning: it is not very forgiving (4.5/10). **How heavy is it really?** The brand gives 350 to 370 g. That counts as medium. Each racket can differ within that range. [Why a range? →](https://padell.io/guides/padel-racket-weight-range/)