11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 Comparison: Which Shape Should You Buy?

If you already know you want an 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2, the hardest question is no longer whether the platform is good.

It is which shape you should buy.

I have now played the Pegasus, Hurache-X, Vapor and Ultré Jelly Bean 2 enough to stop treating them like four versions of the same paddle.

They share the same basic JB2 idea: soft EMA-centered foam, HexGrit, restrained rebound and a control-first response that lets me create most of the offense myself.

The shared name can be misleading. Jelly Bean 2 is a separate foam performance family, not just the original Jelly Bean stretched into four shapes. The original remains the lower-cost value line; JB2 is the newer EMA-foam platform. I explain that split in my Jelly Bean 2 family guide.

But the shape changes how that idea actually works on court.

The differences are not cosmetic.

Pegasus swings much quicker and gives me the strongest measured lateral stability. Hurache-X adds reach and leverage without becoming excessively difficult to move. Vapor gives me the most familiar conventional hybrid transition. Ultré carries the most paddle through the stroke and creates the most planted (but also the most demanding) version of Jelly Bean 2.

That is not the same thing as saying Hurache-X is universally “best.”

The best Jelly Bean 2 is the shape whose tradeoff costs you the least.

Quick Jelly Bean 2 recommendations

Jelly Bean 2 measurements compared

The measurements below are blended averages from independent paddle samples published by Matt’s Pickleball and the John Kew Paddle Database. They are useful for comparing tendencies between shapes, not predicting the exact retail paddle you will receive.

The nearly ten-point swing-weight gap between Pegasus and Ultré matters more to me than a small difference in static weight.

They use the same JB2 platform, yet they ask very different things from my timing.

Same foam does not mean same paddle. Shape changes how much of the platform you actually feel.

I would not force a clean power ranking

Power is the category where I trust a neat ranking the least.

I could put four numbers beside the word “power” and make the page look precise.

I do not think the evidence supports that.

Jelly Bean 2 power is highly dependent on how much speed the player generates. Ball choice, temperature, break-in and individual paddle variation can also change the impression.

What I actually felt was this:

• Hurache-X gave me the easiest access to useful player-generated offense. The elongated leverage lets me turn a committed stroke into pace without losing the JB2 control advantage.
• Vapor gives me enough power for an all-court game. It rewards a committed swing, but it does not manufacture speed for me.
• Pegasus has produced the most divided power conversation. My own conclusion is “earned power”: enough to attack when I generate it, but not a paddle I would call powerful.
• Ultré is the shape where I most understand the underpowered complaint. There is plenty of mass in the swing, but the soft core does not return that effort with Power 2-style rebound.

If you need the paddle itself to supply a lot of your offense, the more important question may be whether Jelly Bean 2 is the right family, not which JB2 shape has “the most power.”

I explain the broader construction and platform differences in my 11SIX24 Jelly Bean 2 family guide.

Hurache-X: my favorite Jelly Bean 2

Hurache-X was not the paddle I expected to choose before testing.

It was the one I kept wanting to play once the testing started.

The elongated shape gives me useful leverage on serves and drives. The softer JB2 core gives me margin on drops, resets and transition defense. HexGrit lets me create offense through shape rather than depending only on rebound.

Most importantly, the compromises rarely bothered me at the same time.

I had enough offense that I did not constantly wish for Power 2. I had enough control that I could defend against pace. And despite the lower measured twist weight, my usable sweet-spot experience was better than that number alone would have predicted.

The Hurache-X is the JB2 where I spent the least time thinking about what the paddle was missing.

That conclusion also lined up with the strongest positive signal in the prototype and pre-launch tester feedback I collected. Hurache-X repeatedly emerged as a surprise favorite, and several experienced players independently preferred it while calling out resets, defensive control, spin and surprisingly useful drive power.

Choose Hurache-X if: you like elongated paddles, want a longer handle or two-handed-backhand room, value resets and defense, generate your own pace and still want enough leverage to attack.

Skip it if: you prioritize the broadest face, maximum measured lateral stability or easy short-stroke pop.

Read my full Hurache-X Jelly Bean 2 review.

Check Hurache-X Jelly Bean 2 availability and use PICKLETIP for $10 off.

Vapor: the safest middle-ground recommendation

Vapor is the easiest shape for me to recommend when someone already likes hybrid paddles and does not want to make shape itself part of the experiment.

The geometry feels familiar.

That lets the JB2 core become the story: soft response, strong spin, predictable drops and very good resets.

The caveat is the swing weight.

A 119.23 blended average is not featherlight, so I would not describe Vapor as an ultra-fast hybrid simply because it sits between the more extreme shapes geometrically.

Still, it is the least complicated shape recommendation for a lot of players.

Vapor is the JB2 I would hand to a hybrid player who wants to understand the new core without also learning a new shape.

Choose Vapor if: you already like hybrids, want soft control without going widebody or elongated, value predictable resets and want an easy all-court starting point.

Skip it if: your main priority is maximum reach, minimum swing mass or a truly substantial flat-top feel.

Read my full Vapor Jelly Bean 2 review.

Check Vapor Jelly Bean 2 availability and use PICKLETIP for $10 off.

Pegasus: widebody stability without a hot face

Pegasus surprised me in a completely different way.

I normally gravitate toward hybrid and elongated shapes, so I expected the widebody geometry to be the adjustment I never quite stopped noticing.

After roughly 26 hours, I stopped thinking about it.

The 111.38 blended swing weight gives Pegasus much less rotational mass than Vapor or Ultré, while the 7.16 twist weight gives it the strongest measured lateral stability in this group.

That combination makes sense on court: the paddle gets into position quickly, gives me a broad face behind the ball and pairs that geometry with a soft enough response that blocks and resets remain controlled.

Its offense is the part people disagree about most.

My experience landed in the middle of that debate: I would not call Pegasus powerful, but I do not think it is useless offensively.

Pegasus gives me control, spin, stability and enough earned power to attack when I choose to.

Choose Pegasus if: you like widebodies, want quick handling and measured stability, play a lot of doubles, value blocks/resets and already generate your own pace.

Skip it if: you need elongated reach, a long two-handed handle or expect the paddle to create easy baseline speed for you.

Read my full Pegasus Jelly Bean 2 review.

Check Pegasus Jelly Bean 2 availability and use PICKLETIP for $10 off.

Ultré: the most planted (and most specific) fit

Ultré was the paddle I expected to win before testing started.

Ultré Power 2 had been my favorite Power 2 shape, so I assumed the softer JB2 version would keep the geometry I loved and add even more control.

That assumption turned out to be too simple.

The 121.08 blended swing weight gives Ultré the most substantial swing in the family. That produces a planted, connected feeling when I have time to complete a stroke.

When I have time to complete the stroke, that mass gives me plenty of dwell, placement, spin and pace absorption. The catch is that the softer core still asks me to generate most of the speed myself.

So I am moving the most paddle without receiving the most automatic offense.

Ultré taught me that the right shape and the right core are two separate decisions.

That does not make Ultré bad. It makes the fit much more specific.

Choose Ultré if: you like a flatter hybrid, want a substantial planted swing, generate your own pace and prioritize dwell, spin, placement and pace absorption over hand speed.

Skip it if: you rely on quick counters, want effortless paddle-supplied pace or dislike moving a higher-swing-weight paddle during kitchen exchanges.

Read my full Ultré Jelly Bean 2 review.

Check Ultré Jelly Bean 2 availability and use PICKLETIP for $10 off.

Which Jelly Bean 2 is best for each part of the court?

Those are starting points, not mathematical winners.

A player with excellent hand speed may love Ultré at the kitchen. A widebody player with a huge forehand may hit Pegasus harder than I do. A Vapor player may never want the narrower Hurache-X face.

Direct matchups: which Jelly Bean 2 should you choose?

Hurache-X vs Vapor

Choose Hurache-X if you want more reach, a longer handle, easier leverage and the shape that felt most complete to me.

Choose Vapor if you want a broader, more familiar hybrid face and do not want the shape itself to require much adjustment.

My choice: Hurache-X.

Pegasus vs Hurache-X

Choose Pegasus for the widebody advantage: less swing mass, stronger measured lateral stability and a larger visual target behind the ball.

Choose Hurache-X for reach, two-handed handle room and more natural leverage on full offensive strokes.

My choice: Hurache-X overall; Pegasus if my biggest problem is rushed doubles contact.

Vapor vs Pegasus

Choose Vapor if you want conventional hybrid geometry and a familiar mix of reach and width.

Choose Pegasus if quick handling, a wider face and measured stability matter more than reach.

My recommendation: follow your existing shape preference unless one of those specific tradeoffs is exactly what you are trying to fix.

Vapor vs Ultré

These are the two hybrid choices, but they do not feel redundant.

Vapor feels more conventional and is the easier recommendation for someone who simply says, “I like hybrids.”

Ultré feels flatter and more substantial. Pick it because you specifically want that planted swing, not because the word hybrid makes you think the two should play the same.

My recommendation: Vapor for the broader audience; Ultré for the player who knows why they want Ultré.

Hurache-X vs Ultré

This matchup changed my expectation the most.

I expected Ultré to be my favorite because Ultré Power 2 already was.

Instead, Hurache-X gave me enough leverage and offense with less rotational burden.

Ultré is more planted and substantial, but that becomes a more specialized advantage when the core itself remains soft and relatively low-pop.

My choice: Hurache-X.

Pegasus vs Ultré

These sit near opposite ends of the JB2 handling spectrum.

Pegasus gives you the lowest blended swing weight and highest blended twist weight.

Ultré gives you the highest blended swing weight and a much more substantial feel through the stroke.

If you cannot decide between them, ask one question:

Do you want the paddle to get out of the way quickly, or do you want to feel mass carrying through the ball?

Wrong reasons to buy each Jelly Bean 2 shape

Do not buy Pegasus just because widebody means “easy”

It is stable and quick, but you still have to create the offense. If you need free baseline speed, the wide face does not magically solve that.

Do not buy Hurache-X just because it was my favorite

I like elongated geometry and create much of my own pace. If you dislike narrow faces or value maximum lateral stability more than reach, my favorite may not be yours.

Do not buy Vapor because “middle ground” sounds compromise-free

Its geometry is conventional, but the swing-weight data is still substantial. Middle shape does not mean middle weight in every category.

Do not buy Ultré expecting a cheaper Ultré Power 2

This may be the biggest mistake of the four.

Ultré JB2 keeps the general shape but changes the core behavior dramatically. If the reason you love Ultré Power 2 is the pop and short-stroke offense, JB2 intentionally removes part of what you like.

The one-game regret test

If you still cannot decide, imagine the first game after you buy the wrong one. Which complaint would bother you most?

This is usually more useful than chasing the highest score. Start with the mistake you already make and ask which shape makes that mistake cheaper.

Do not ask which Jelly Bean 2 hides every weakness. Ask which one makes your most common mistake less expensive.

What surprised me after testing all four

The biggest surprise was not that the shapes felt different.

It was that the same shape did not always preserve the same preference across constructions.

Ultré Power 2 had been my favorite Power 2 shape.

I expected Ultré Jelly Bean 2 to inherit that position automatically.

It did not.

Hurache-X worked better for me because its reach and leverage complemented the softer JB2 core without making me feel like I was carrying as much rotational mass through every point.

Pegasus taught me something else: a shape I normally would not choose can become comfortable when the construction makes its tradeoffs easier to live with.

Vapor confirmed why conventional hybrids remain popular: familiarity has real value when everything underneath the face is changing.

And Ultré made the broader lesson clear:

The right shape and the right core are two separate decisions.

That may be the most important thing I learned from testing the Jelly Bean 2 family.

My final Jelly Bean 2 recommendation

Jelly Bean 2 shape comparison FAQ