Best Hand Paddles of 2025

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Hand paddles are a useful swimming accessory that can help swimmers of all levels to improve their technique and increase their upper body strength. These paddles attach to the swimmer's hands and create resistance in the water, making it more challenging to complete each stroke. This added resistance can help to improve the swimmer's overall form and technique, as well as build strength in the shoulders, arms, and back. Hand paddles come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit different swimming needs and abilities.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Hand Paddles
MARU Adult and Junior Swimming Hand Paddles
The MARU Swimming Hand Paddles are designed to significantly enhance your upper body swimming strength. They are easy to fit, with a one-size design that accommodates most hands, ensuring a comfortable experience for everyone. The contoured shape maximises your training effect while minimising any disruption to your stroke technique. With dual hold positions, these paddles are perfect for both novice and advanced swimmers, allowing you to improve your stroke technique effectively.
Speedo Unisex Tech Paddle for Swimming Training
The Speedo Tech Paddle is designed to enhance your swimming performance. Its hydrodynamic design ensures optimum contact with water, allowing you to glide more efficiently. The flow holes increase your aquatic sensitivity, making it easier for you to feel the water as you swim. With its unique air foil shape, this paddle improves your hand lift motion, giving you better control. Additionally, the paddles increase resistance, which helps to strengthen your back, chest, shoulders, and arm muscles as you work harder during your swim.
Arena Unisex Elite 2 Hand Paddle for Swimmers
The Arena Elite 2 Hand Paddle is designed to enhance your swimming technique, especially during the plunge and pull phases of your arm stroke. With its perforated surface, you will experience an outstanding feel of water, allowing for better control and efficiency. The multiple strap positioning ensures a comfortable fit, making it easy to wear during your training sessions. Made from PVC-free materials, this paddle is an excellent choice for competitive swimmers looking to improve their performance.
Arena Vortex Swimming Paddles with Straps
The Arena Vortex Paddles are expertly designed to enhance your swimming technique and strength during training. Their ergonomic shape provides a comfortable fit, allowing you to focus on improving your skills. The adjustable straps ensure a universal fit, making them easy to wear for any swimmer. Additionally, the perforated surface increases friction, maximising the training effect and helping you develop a better perception of the water. These paddles are an excellent choice for competitive swimmers looking to elevate their performance.
TYR Catalyst Large Stroke Training Paddles
The TYR Catalyst Paddles are designed to enhance your swimming experience. Made of dry fabric, they ensure a lightweight and comfortable feel in the water. With built-in sun protection, you can enjoy your outdoor training sessions without worrying about harmful UV rays. The paddles also provide a secure fit, allowing you to focus on your strokes without any distractions. Plus, their fade-free colour means they will maintain their vibrant appearance even after extensive use.
YREYBN Swimming Hand Paddles for Training
The YREYBN Swim Paddles are crafted from high-quality plastic and silicone, ensuring comfort and lightweight handling. With adjustable non-slip silicone straps, these paddles fit securely on various hand sizes, making them suitable for everyone. Their ergonomic design features small drainage holes, reducing resistance during swimming, which helps improve your technique. The unique frosted sections enhance grip, giving you more confidence in the water while you train. These paddles are ideal for both beginners and experienced swimmers alike.
Zone3 Ergo Swim Hand Paddles for Training
The Zone3 Ergo Hand Paddles are designed for comfort, fitting perfectly in your hands without being too large or too small. The single fingers option makes it easy for you to put them on and take them off, ensuring a hassle-free experience. These paddles are specifically crafted to enhance your upper body strength, allowing you to build muscle effectively during swim training. Additionally, they help improve your catch, allowing you to maximise your performance in the water.
Swimz Dexterity Palm Positive Hand Paddles - Blue
The Swimz Dexterity Hand Paddles are strapless swimming aids designed to enhance your arm action efficiency from catch to exit. By using these paddles, you can improve your technique and streamline your strokes, making your swimming more effective. Available in various sizes, you can choose the perfect fit for your hands, ensuring maximum comfort while training. Be sure to check the sizing information in the product description to find the best option for you.
AMFUN Adjustable Swim Paddles for Training
The AMFUN Swim Paddles are designed for swimmers of all levels, made from high-quality, lightweight plastic that ensures comfort while swimming. With a size of 20*13.5CM, they feature adjustable silicone straps, allowing you to find the perfect fit for your hands. The ergonomic convex design enhances traction in the water, making it easier for you to build muscle and improve your swimming speed. Additionally, the integrated drainage holes reduce resistance, enabling smoother paddling during your training sessions.
Zocipro Swimming Hand Paddles with Straps
The Zocipro Hand Paddles are crafted from premium materials, ensuring a comfortable grip and lightweight design for easy handling. Their ergonomic shape fits your hands perfectly, while small drainage holes reduce resistance during swimming, enhancing your performance. The adjustable silicone strap accommodates various hand sizes, offering a snug fit for everyone, from adults to children. These paddles are designed to help you build strength in key muscle groups, making them a valuable addition to your swimming training routine.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the use of hand paddles?
Hand paddles are lightweight tools great for improving and tweaking technique. Paddles increase water resistance and keep a swimmer's hands in place as they pull, helping to build muscle and increase speed. Hand paddles can be used in drill work to improve technique, and are an easy way to add variety to a workout.
2. Do you swim faster with hand paddles?
You will take less strokes per length helping you to swim faster along the way. Distance per stroke goes up, while speed increases. As the paddles help you increase your efficiency, you'll become a better swimmer once you take them off as well. Swimming with paddles can also help take the monotony out of swimming.
3. Do hand paddles build muscle?
Hand paddles are most commonly used for swimmers looking to develop their upper body strength as they work the muscles in the back, chest, arms and shoulders.
4. Are finger paddles good?
Finger tip paddles: boost your feel for the water Swim paddles are a great way to develop strength and improve technique in the water. The added surface are helps you catch the “dead spots” in your swimming, acting like a magnifying glass for your stroke, exaggerating errors so that you can identify them.
During our hand paddle research, we found 141 hand paddle products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 10,485 customer reviews through our big data system to write the hand paddles list. We found that most customers choose hand paddles with an average price of £19.03.
The hand paddles are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of hand paddles, including MARU, Speedo, Arena, TYR, YREYBN.

Luke is a runner, a climber, hiker, hunter, and a lot more. Luke Dobson is Celtic-born and has lived most of his life in Scotland. However, his sporting endeavours have taken him to several countries around Europe. He serves as a tour guide for countless companies and owns a couple of gyms and recreational centres in Scotland. Luke Dobson is proficient in 7 different languages. He maintains many sport article columns where he shares his wealth of experience in the sport industry.