CRBN⁴ TruFoam Waves (Hybrid, AeroCurve) Paddle Review: My In-Depth Thoughts

First Look

Visually, the CRBN Waves has that clean, modern look CRBN is known for — subtle branding, smooth edges, and a professional finish. Inside, though, it’s a whole new animal!

The “wave” core structure runs vertically through the paddle, which changes how it flexes and compresses. CRBN’s claim is that these wave-shaped cutouts give the paddle more flexibility in the middle while maintaining stability and rebound power. It also uses a full fiberglass sheet between carbon layers for extra responsiveness.

Out of the box, the paddle feels balanced and lightweight. Before hitting with the paddle, I could already tell that the CRBN 4 Waves was going to allow for fast hands and quick flicks.

My Experience

Consistency & Accuracy

When you catch the ball cleanly, this paddle feels fantastic. The dwell time gives you that satisfying pocketing sensation where it feels like the ball sinks into the face, and you can control placement and power with ease. It’s one of those paddles that makes dinks, resets, and drop shots feel natural and connected.

That said, several testers — myself included — noticed a noticeable drop in performance when missing below the sweet spot. On the flip side, the paddle felt fairly forgiving on misses above it. Specifically with the Waves 4, the sweet spot sits almost dead center on the paddle face. Off-center hits tend to come off a little dead or unstable, which can definitely hurt confidence during faster hands battles or defensive scrambles.

So while accuracy and feel are great when you’re dialed in, this is not the most forgiving paddle on the market.

Power

CRBN claims the Waves series maxes out the legal power level approved by USAP when using the Power-Based Core Rating (PBCoR) test. Waves achieved a PBCoR (0.43), and on paper it’s right up there with the best. Radar testing from other reviewers even showed slightly higher serve speeds than the Genesis — around 57 mph versus 55 mph.

But here’s where perception matters: the Waves doesn’t feel as “hot” or poppy as other power paddles like the Selkirk Boomstick or Rhombus Quanta. The softer, more muted impact tone makes it “feel” less powerful, even though the numbers say otherwise.

As a former tennis player, I found the power to be controllable and smooth — the kind you build up with good swing mechanics rather than free pop. Others I spoke with thought that muted feel took away some excitement. It really depends on what kind of feedback you like from your paddle.

Spin

Spin is one of the Waves’ stronger attributes. The T700 carbon + fiberglass face grabs the ball nicely, and the extended dwell time gives you more shape and control on drives, serves, and rolls.

The first thing I noticed with this paddle was the increased dwell time. It felt very comfortable shaping shots. After a few ground strokes, I could immediately tell this paddle was going to be a favorite for many tennis players getting into pickleball.

Defense to Offense

Personally I felt that the softer face and longer dwell time made resets smooth and forgiving. I did have some of my more intermediate students test the paddle and noticed that the inconsistency outside the sweet spot made it a bit unpredictable in in both resets and firefights.

Adding a bit of lead tape near the throat of the paddle did help to expand the sweet spot and steady the paddle during fast hands play. Still, it doesn’t completely fix the limited forgiveness that some people notice.

Durability & Quality

CRBN’s build quality has always been solid, and it is no different with their Waves series. The Genesis line had a strong track record for durability, and the Waves appears to continue that legacy. The finish feels premium, and CRBN backs it up with a one-year warranty and 30-day no-questions-asked return policy. That’s one of the best demo policies in the industry.

Who’s It For

The True Foam Waves will likely appeal to:

• Players who loved the Genesis and just want a bit more power and dwell time.
• All-court players who hit clean and value control over explosive pop.
• Tennis players transitioning to pickleball and want a paddle that feels similar to a tennis racket.
• Players who aren’t afraid of experimenting with weight customization.

It’s not ideal for players who need a wide, forgiving sweet spot or want a paddle that feels crisp and instantly powerful right out of the box.

Final Thoughts

I really wanted to love the Waves — and in many ways, I do. The feel is buttery, the dwell time is crazy, and it’s one of the most “connected” paddles I’ve played with when everything clicks.

But it’s not for everyone. If you are not consistently finding the center of the paddle, the narrower sweet spot can be frustrating. At $280, there are more forgiving paddles out there at similar price points. CRBN has a strong reputation and their customer service is second to none so, if reputation is important to you, CRBN is pretty hard to beat.

The innovation is there, and for players who already gel with CRBN’S unique foam feel, the Waves might be exactly what you’re looking for. This paddle can feel amazing or frustrating, depending on your play style and how well you’re striking the ball that day.