Getting into padel does not need a big shop. Here is exactly what you need for your first month, what you can skip, and roughly what it costs. The short version: you can start for almost nothing by hiring, and kit up properly for well under a hundred and fifty pounds when you are ready.
What you actually need
A racket. For your first two or three goes, hire one at the club for a few pounds. Once you are hooked, a soft, round, forgiving racket under a hundred pounds is all you need. Balls. Most clubs do not include balls with a casual booking, so bring a tube. A three-ball tube lasts a few sessions. An overgrip. The cheapest upgrade that matters, it soaks up sweat and stops the racket twisting mid-rally. Shoes with grip. Trainers are fine to start, but proper court shoes with a herringbone sole grip the sand-dressed indoor turf far better and are safer on quick changes of direction. Water and comfy sportswear. That is genuinely it.
What you can skip for now
You do not need a padel-specific bag yet, a spare racket, a ball pressuriser, or protective frame tape on day one. Buy those when you know you are playing regularly. And do not let anyone talk you into a two-hundred-pound racket for your first one.
Roughly what it costs
A decent first racket under a hundred pounds, a tube of balls around eight, an overgrip three-pack around six, and court shoes anywhere from thirty-five to seventy. Call it a hundred and thirty to a hundred and eighty pounds to be properly set up, or a fiver a session if you hire and borrow while you decide.
The kit, with links
Below are current picks for each part of the kit, with prices, so you can sort the lot in one go if you want to.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my own racket to start?
No. Hire one for your first few sessions, almost every Manchester club does them for a few pounds. Only buy once you know padel is sticking.
Do venues give you balls?
Usually not with a casual booking, so bring a tube if you have one. Clubs sell them at the desk if you turn up without.
Can I just wear running trainers?
To start, yes. But court or padel shoes with a herringbone or omni sole grip the indoor turf much better and are safer on quick changes of direction, so they are the first upgrade worth making.