Bullpadel has sold an Ionic Control in 2023, in 2025 and now in 2026. On the spec sheet the three look almost the same. Each has a round shape, a low balance, a Multieva core, a 38 mm profile and 365 to 375 g. What moved is the level label. The 2023 was listed for advanced players, the 2025 for intermediate to advanced players, and the Ionic Control 26 for beginners and intermediates.
Three seasons, three level labels
The level is the one spec that keeps changing, and it changes more than the racket does. The core stays Multieva. The face is graphite in all three, spelled Glaphite in the older listings. The frame reads 100% carbon for the 26, CarbonTube for the 2025 and 100% carbon fiber for the 2023. The surface label moved from 3D Grain to Roughened to Rough.
None of that describes a new design. On paper this is the same kind of racket, placed lower in the range each season. The three versions were linked automatically, and because the level labels differ, they may not all be one continuous line. Either way, the Ionic Control 26 reads as the current version of a steady design, not as a new beginner model.
Is it a beginner racket?
The round head and the low balance are the classic beginner-friendly pair. They make it easy to place the ball and forgive some off-center hits. The profile rates control high and power low, which also fits a player who is still learning to guide the ball.
The weight is the catch. At 365 to 375 g it sits at the heavy end for padel rackets. A new player may tire sooner and react later at the net. If you are strong, that weight can be an asset: it keeps the racket steady on blocks. If you are light or new to racket sports, test it for a full session before you commit.
Bullpadel does not publish the balance in millimetres. The low label is all you have, and it helps. Weight near the grip makes a heavy racket easier to move than the same weight at the head.
Bullpadel's numbers against the spec sheet
Retailers pass on Bullpadel's own ratings: power 8 out of 10 and control 9 out of 10. Treat those as the brand's view, not a measurement. The control part matches the specs. The power part is generous. A round head with a low balance rarely produces much pace, and the power meter on this page sits low. The weight helps on full swings, but the racket leaves most of the speed to you.
A retailer lists the core density as soft. That fits the product page, which says the Multieva core improves touch and absorbs impacts. The profile reads Multieva as a medium core, so comfort lands in the middle.
Ionic Control or Ionic Power
The Bullpadel Ionic Power 26 shares the round shape, the core, the 38 mm profile and the 365 to 375 g weight. The difference is the balance: high on the Power, low on the Control. That one change moves the whole profile. The Power rates medium on power and control, and low on comfort and maneuverability.
Pick the Control if you defend and place. Pick the Power if you want more of the weight in the head for the smash and can live with less comfort. A third sibling, the Ionic Light 26 Woman, uses a hybrid shape and a medium balance.
Other round control rackets at this weight
Two alternatives come close on paper. The Bullpadel Hack 02 Advance is round, low-balanced and 365 to 375 g too, with an Evalastic core. It is listed for advanced players. The Nox Future Control 12K Alum moves to a 12k carbon face at 360 to 375 g. Both come out with the same control-first profile as the Ionic Control 26.
