Bullpadel
VERTEX 05 LIGHT BRUSSELS 26
A diamond that swings like a teardrop — unusually light for its shape, built for attackers who need speed without surrendering the punch.
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Full spec breakdown
Listing checked at publish date
Highlights
What makes this racket stand out
At 350–360g, it sits at the lighter end of diamond-shape rackets — swing speed comes more naturally, even through long matches.
Fibrix face combines fiberglass flexibility with carbon stiffness, softening the response without killing the power that diamond-shape players expect.
The redesigned Vertex Core with its double diagonal bridge reduces torsion on off-centre hits — critical at this weight, where cheaper builds lose structure under load.
The feel
How it's built to play, by shape, core and construction — rated low / mid / high rather than on a false 1–10 scale. Higher isn't always better; it depends on the game you want.
Balance — where the weight sits
Even
Handle / low
Head / high
The spec sheet
Weight
350–360g
Year
2026
Shape
Diamond
Level
Professional
Style
All Around
Balance
Medium
Core
MULTIEVA
Face
FIBRIX
Thickness (mm)
38
Our verdict
What the shape, core and construction tell us about how this racket is built to play.
The short version
The Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26 is the diamond for attacking players who've decided that racket speed matters as much as racket weight on their overhead — and they're right, more often than the heavy-hitter camp admits. The Fibrix face softens the edge of a shape that can be brutal on the arm, but three or more high-risk factors still stack up here, so elbow-sensitive players should look elsewhere. As a limited edition it carries a collector premium, but the playing identity underneath is a well-considered lightweight attacker, not a gimmick.
Strengths
Attacking players — particularly left-side specialists — who find standard diamond rackets too heavy to accelerate through bandejas and overhead finishes.
Advanced all-court players who want to play aggressively from the net but still recover quickly on defensive exchanges.
Keep in mind
Players with elbow or shoulder sensitivity — the diamond shape, EVA core, and stiff frame elements still combine for a higher-vibration profile despite the lighter weight.
How it's built to play
The Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26 is a limited-edition LTD release tied to the Premier Padel Brussels Tournament and developed alongside Delfi Brea. What makes it worth examining beyond the Art Nouveau graphic is a genuine engineering decision: Bullpadel took their flagship diamond-shape power line and shaved meaningful grams off it, landing at 350–360g versus the heavier Vertex builds. That's not a cosmetic change — it repositions the racket for a different type of attacker, one who values court coverage and reaction speed as much as raw overhead power.
The Fibrix face is where this racket's character begins. It's a hybrid material — flexible fiberglass filaments woven alongside rigid carbon — and the effect on contact is a face that gives slightly rather than deflecting the ball immediately. That small amount of dwell time returns control that a full-carbon face at this balance point would strip away. It won't feel as explosive as X-Tend Carbon 12K on the Vertex 05 Geo, but it's noticeably more forgiving on mis-timed volleys. The MultiEVA three-layer core works in the same direction: outer layers of higher-density EVA fire the ball off fast on clean strikes, while the softer inner layer absorbs some of the shock on slower, more defensive contacts. The combination means the racket doesn't demand you swing at full pace on every ball to get a useful response.
The structural work underneath matters too. Curv:aktiv twists the side-wall faces by 31.6 degrees — 11 degrees more than previous iterations — which stiffens the frame perimeter without adding weight, so off-centre hits retain more structure instead of flexing and losing energy. Air Power enlarges the hollow throat channel by 50%, reducing mass in the lower frame and letting the head accelerate faster through the hitting zone. At 350–360g, that aerodynamic gain is felt: the racket picks up speed quickly on the forward swing, which at the net translates to sharper volley angles and more time to reset after a forced defensive shot.
On the left side, this racket does what lighter diamonds always promise but rarely deliver cleanly: it gets into position for overheads that a heavier 375g+ diamond would arrive at late. The medium balance at 254mm means the head isn't pulling through the swing as aggressively as a high-balance model — you don't get that automatic momentum on deep smashes — but the trade-off is that wrist snap and acceleration feel natural rather than effortful. Finishing shots from mid-court are confident. Very deep overhead attempts from behind the service line ask more of the player's technique than the racket's weight can compensate for.
The Top Spin surface treatment — an increase in grain density on the outermost face layer — makes a genuine difference on slice volleys and short-angle drops. The ball grips the face long enough to take spin, and the effect is more pronounced than on earlier Vertex models with a smoother face. Where the racket is honest about its limits: it is still a diamond, and off-centre hits on the upper frame edges lose power sharply. The Vertex Core's redesigned diagonal bridge controls torsion well enough that the mishit doesn't feel catastrophic, but the sweet spot is not the forgiving expanse of a teardrop. If you're not connecting at the right point consistently, you'll know.
FAQ
How does the Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26 compare to the standard Vertex 05 2025?
The primary difference is the face material: the Brussels 26 uses Fibrix (a fiberglass-carbon hybrid) rather than X-Tend Carbon, which makes the LTD version slightly softer and more forgiving at contact. The core and structural technologies are shared — MultiEVA, Curv:aktiv, Air Power, Vertex Core — so the frame geometry and swing feel are very close. If you want a marginally more comfortable Vertex experience with a little less raw edge on volleys, the Brussels 26 delivers that. If you want the maximum carbon stiffness and ball exit speed of the standard Vertex line, the base model is the better call.
Should I choose the Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26 or the Vertex 05 Geo?
They serve different attacking profiles. The Geo uses the Geometric Shape frame — a wider mould that extends the hitting surface to 541 cm² and pushes the sweet spot outward — making it more forgiving and better suited to players who need consistency across the full face. The Brussels 26 is a conventional diamond at 530 cm² with a tighter, more precise hitting zone and the Fibrix face adding a touch of softness. If you're a consistent left-side attacker who hits clean most of the time, the Brussels 26 rewards your accuracy. If you want the larger safety net, the Geo is the more practical choice despite its higher price.
Is the Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26 suitable for right-side players?
It can work for a right-side player with an aggressive, attacking style who also wants to finish points when the opportunity arrives — but it's not where this racket is built to excel. The diamond shape and small sweet spot demand consistent technique on every volley, which adds pressure to the right side's primary job of keeping the ball in play reliably. A right-side player looking for control and defensive reset will find a teardrop or round shape far more comfortable. The Brussels 26 is really a left-side tool pressed into all-around service.
Is this racket safe to use if I have elbow sensitivity?
Treat it with caution. The diamond shape positions the sweet spot high in the head, meaning off-centre hits send more vibration toward the arm than a round or teardrop would. The MultiEVA inner soft layer and Fibrix face do reduce peak shock compared to a full hard-EVA, full-carbon setup — but this racket still combines three higher-risk factors: diamond shape, EVA core, and medium-to-high impact stiffness. If you're currently recovering from lateral epicondylitis or playing through any elbow pain, a round or teardrop with a soft foam core and fiberglass face is a safer starting point.
What does Custom Weight add to the Vertex 05 Light Brussels 26, and should I use it?
Custom Weight lets you insert additional mass — 3g, 6g, or 9g — at the top of the head using the included protector plates and handle cap inserts, shifting the balance point higher and making the racket hit heavier on overheads and smashes. For a 350–360g diamond that already sits lighter than most in its class, this is a useful personalisation tool: players who miss the momentum of a heavier head can dial it back in without buying a different racket. Start without the weights — the medium balance plays well as delivered — and add grams only if overhead finishes feel underpowered. Going to 9g extra will noticeably change how the racket handles on defensive shots, so test incrementally.
Made for elbow-conscious players.
A diamond that swings like a teardrop — unusually light for its shape, built for attackers who need speed without surrendering the punch.
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