Softee Outside

Pros

• ✓The 24K carbon over a 38 mm frame gives you a firm, feedback-rich response that never turns harsh: on blocked volleys and off-the-back-wall counters the touch reads cleanly and the ball comes off with clear direction With a medium balance and a teardrop shape with tapered bridge profiles, switching from bandeja to vibora mid-point costs nothing; the arm keeps up in fast net exchanges The medium-density Black EVA gives generous ball exit on unsupported shots: the defensive lob from the back rises and lands without forcing the wrist or needing extra racket speed The 100% carbon frame shrugs off contact with the glass and fence, which is exactly where fibreglass frames start to give out first for players who defend a lot from the corners

Cons

• ✗The smooth face limits spin: the kick serve and a heavily sliced vibora bounce lower than expected if you're coming off a rough-textured surface This isn't a racket for smashing through the third glass on autopilot; with a medium balance and medium-density EVA, you have to supply the arm speed yourself rather than let the racket sink the ball for you The sweet spot on a 38 mm teardrop is solid but not massive: contact near the top of the frame goes dead and loses depth on a finishing volley It's built for advanced players; anyone who hasn't developed a structured swing yet will feel little difference versus a softer, more forgiving racket

24K carbon on the face, 38 mm frame: the Softee Outside launched as part of the brand's 2022 "Made in Spain" collection, built on an exclusive mould, tapered bridge profiles and domestic, hand-finished manufacturing. It shares its generation with the Softee K3 and the Softee Freedom, but it's the one pitched as the true all-rounder.

Why the Softee Outside's mould is different from the rest

Most rackets in this segment come off shared, catalogue moulds. Here the approach is different: exclusive geometry, diagonal-line finish and a lowered bridge that thins out the profile right where the racket rotates.

That detail isn't cosmetic. A slimmer bridge cuts rotational inertia on the wrist, which translates into a padel racket that snaps into position fast when the ball arrives on top of you at the net.

The frame is 100% carbon, and that's the reason behind the durability Softee claims for it: it holds up better against glass and fence contact than a fibreglass frame, which matters if you defend a lot of balls tight to the side wall.

What does 24K carbon paired with a Black EVA core actually give you?

24K is a very dense carbon weave. The tighter the weave, the less the face flexes on contact, and the more feedback reaches your hand: the shot feels solid and the ball leaves the face early.

That firmness could tip into harshness, which is where the medium-density Black EVA comes in. The foam cushions just enough that the arm never takes the dry, jarring hit of a hard core, keeping a touch the brand itself describes as sweet.

That combination is what defines the Softee Outside's character: control first, power on tap when you go looking for it, but never handed to you for free.

Softee Outside spec sheet

How does the Softee Outside actually play, shot by shot?

Short version: it's quick to move and rock-solid on blocked shots, with generous ball exit on defence and power that's there when your arm supplies it. It shines on bandeja, vibora and deep volleys; it demands technique on the flat smash and won't hand you spin thanks to that smooth face.

Off the back-wall exit, the medium balance shows: the racket arrives at the contact point without dragging the swing, and the Black EVA lifts the lob without forcing you to overswing.

On the bandeja is where the mould really earns its keep. The teardrop shape with its tapered bridge lets you cut and place deep with minimal effort; the shot comes out flat-sliced, more about controlling height than pure venom.

The vibora works, with caveats. The trajectory and exit are both there, but the smooth surface doesn't bite the ball the way a rough one does, so the bounce comes out less vicious than you'd want on a lifted ball you're looking to finish.

On the flat smash there's enough power to close out points, just not enough to live off. The medium balance spreads weight back toward the handle rather than loading the head, so the racket-head speed is on you to generate.

The trade-off of a smooth face

If you're chasing a kick serve or heavily sliced shots with real bite, you'll miss having texture. The Softee Outside prioritises clean contact and directional precision over spin, and that trade-off shows up exactly in the shots that rely on rotation.

It's not the most forgiving in terms of usable hitting area either. At 38 mm and teardrop-shaped, the sweet spot is well-centred but doesn't forgive high contact near the frame, which comes out short.

Who is this Softee racket actually built for?

For advanced players, and a specific type at that:

1. Players who build the point and finish when the moment calls for it, not before.
2. Anyone who rotates between both court positions and needs a racket that doesn't punish them in either.
3. An arm with established technique, able to generate its own racket speed without leaning on head weight.
4. Players who tend to crack frames and value carbon construction.

If you're a hitter who wants the racket to bury the ball on its own, this isn't your tool. If your game runs through the bandeja, the volley and reading the point, it fits.

As a doubles partner, it pairs well alongside someone running a more aggressive racket: the Outside sustains the rally while the partner closes it out.

Verdict: a hand-built all-rounder that asks you to bring your own arm

The Softee Outside delivers on what the 2022 collection set out to do: careful construction, its own mould and a pleasant touch inside a firm response.

Its strength is handling. Its ceiling is spin and the discretionary smash. Knowing that, it's a sound buy for the all-round player who'd rather have precision than brute force.

If absolute control is your priority, look at the Softee K3 from the same collection first; if what you're after is this blend of handling, durability and ball exit without giving up the ability to hit, the Outside gets the balance right.