Honolulu has a new paddle, and it is called the Jam. On the face it reads J6M+, Honolulu calls it the Jam Paddle, and for once the news is the price. The Jam is a 16mm elongated with the same Crystal Blue Endurance Surface as the J2CR and J6CR, on a different core, for $249. Every other Crystal Blue paddle we sell is $308 or $329. It is on pre-order now, Honolulu ships late December into early January, and ours land in Sydney mid-January. Nobody in Australia has hit one yet, us included, so this is a guide to what Honolulu has actually said, what it costs against the paddles we do know, and who should put their name down.
Two years in the vault
Honolulu's own account is that this design sat in reserve for nearly two years. It is what they call a Classic Plus build: a fully floated MPP multi-density foam core with an EVA outer ring, the construction from the early days of Gen 4 floating-core paddles, before the Core Reactor line that the J2CR and J6CR use. Once the Crystal Blue face went on it, Honolulu says it ran nearly five months of playtesting from June, and that the testers asked for samples often enough to bring it to market. Honolulu does not say where the name comes from, only that it is the Jam.
What Crystal Blue is, and why the price matters
If you have not played a Honolulu, the face is the whole point. The Crystal Blue Endurance Surface is a patent-pending process that locks crystal media into the carbon face, built for spin and for a texture that lasts. On the J6CR Crystal Blue, Pickleball Effect measured the grit holding 97 percent of its roughness through its wear test. That is the J6CR's result, not this paddle's, but it is the same named surface and it is why people pay $308 for a J2CR when a raw-carbon paddle at $200 goes slick inside a season. We wrote the long version in our carbon fibre paddle guide.
At $249 the Jam is the lowest-priced way into that face we have ever been able to offer. The J2CR Regular and Extended, the J6CR and the J3CR are all $308 on our shelf, and the J6CR M.105 is $329. Honolulu's own line is that this is its most affordable Crystal Blue paddle yet.
How Honolulu says it plays
Honolulu's description is careful, and worth reading carefully. The Jam is softer at the bottom end than its Core Reactor paddles: more dwell time and deeper ball pocketing, for dinks, resets and touch shots, with what they call a lively, responsive rebound and strong attacking power when you swing. They put it as a power paddle with a softer touch where it matters. That softer feel is stated relative to the J2CR and J6CR, not to the market, and it comes from the core: a fully floated foam core with an EVA perimeter ring, without the Dynamic PowerFlex design the Core Reactor series uses.
We have not hit one. There is no review and no lab test anywhere yet, because Honolulu's page only went live on 29 October. So the feel is Honolulu's word for now. When ours land in January we will play it against the J6CR and write down what we find, and if it is firmer or softer than the description we will say so.
The specs, as Honolulu lists them
| Face | Carbon fibre, Crystal Blue Endurance Surface with Blue Grit |
|---|---|
| Core | Fully floated MPP multi-density foam with EVA outer ring (Classic Plus), 16mm |
| Shape | Elongated, 16.48 x 7.52 in (41.9 x 19.1 cm) |
| Weight | 8.0 to 8.2 oz (227 to 232 g) |
| Swing weight | 111 to 116 |
| Twist weight | 6.2 to 6.7 |
| Handle | 6.0 in long, 4.125 in grip |
| Approval | UPA-A approved, USA Pickleball certification pending |
| Warranty | 1 year (Honolulu); claims come through us |
Those are the same shape, weight, swing weight and twist weight ranges Honolulu publishes for the J6CR Crystal Blue, so in the hand it should feel like the same frame. The difference is inside.
The Jam versus the J6CR versus the M.105
Three Honolulu elongateds, one face, three cores, three prices. The J6CR Crystal Blue ($308) is the Core Reactor paddle with an EPP core, in stock in Sydney, and the one we can vouch for from our own play and from a lot of customer feedback. The J6CR M.105 ($329, pre-order) keeps the J6CR's face and shape and swaps the core for a new MPP foam that Honolulu says adds top-end power. The Jam ($249, pre-order) is the Classic Plus core under the same face, which Honolulu says plays softer at the bottom end.
If you want the proven one today, it is the J6CR. If you want the most power Honolulu makes, it is the M.105. If you want the Crystal Blue grit for the least money, or a touch more feel at the kitchen, it is the Jam.
Who should pre-order it
Pre-order it if you have wanted a Honolulu for the grit and $308 has kept you off it. Pre-order it if you play a soft, patient game at the kitchen and the J6CR reads a little firm to you in the reviews. Honolulu puts the player range at advanced beginners to pro-level players, which is wide, and the elongated 16mm shape is the standard for intermediate players upwards.
Skip it if you already own a J6CR or a J2CR and you are happy. This is the same face on a softer core at a lower price, not an upgrade. And wait for our hands-on if you are the kind of player who needs to know how it feels before you commit, because until January nobody can tell you from experience.
The verdict, for now
A Crystal Blue face for $249 is the news, and that part needs no test. Blue or White, on pre-order now, landing in Sydney mid-January. We will film the first hit.
