Selkirk Labs Project 007 Invikta Review 2026: 10mm vs 14mm, Honestly Tested

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Last Updated: October 2026

The Selkirk Labs Project 007 Invikta arrived with two core thicknesses, a titanium mesh layer nobody was talking about, and a sub-$150 price that undercuts half the Selkirk lineup. We spent court time with both the 10mm and 14mm variants — outdoor concrete, indoor wood, long dink rallies and fast hands exchanges — to give you a straight answer on whether this thin-core Labs paddle is actually worth buying, and which thickness fits your game.

Short version: the 10mm ($139) is one of the better-value elongated paddles on the market right now. The 14mm ($149.99) is worth it when it's back in stock. Neither is for everyone. Here's the breakdown.

Quick Verdict

Specs at a Glance

Spec	007 Invikta 10mm	007 Invikta 14mm
Price	$139.00	$149.99
Weight	7.9oz avg (7.7–8.1oz)	8.15oz avg (7.9–8.4oz)
Core Thickness	10mm	14mm
Shape	Invikta elongated	Invikta elongated
Dimensions	16.4" × 7.5"	16.4" × 7.5"
Handle	5.5" / 4.25" grip	5.5" / 4.25" grip
Face	Florek carbon, InfiniGrit	Florek carbon, InfiniGrit
Special Layer	Titanium mesh	Titanium mesh
Edge Guard	Edgeless	Edgeless
In Stock	Yes ✓	No (check used)

Why Trust This Review

FORWRD designs pickleball bags — which means our team plays a lot of pickleball. Not just in testing conditions, but in actual recreational leagues, open play sessions, and competitive 4.0+ matches. When we put time into a paddle review, it's because we've actually hit with it: multiple court surfaces, multiple play styles, multiple skill levels.

For this review: we tested the 007 Invikta 10mm on outdoor hard court (Driveway pickleball, basically — very true bounce) and indoor wood (our local rec center, slower ball, different feel under foot). Dink rallies, third-shot drops, speed-up exchanges at the kitchen line, driving from the baseline. The 14mm we borrowed from a friend before it sold out, so our notes on it are solid but not as deep as the 10mm.

What you're getting: one team's honest take, no paddle company sponsorships, and a willingness to tell you when something isn't worth the money. The 007 mostly is. Here's the detail.

What Is Selkirk Labs?

Quick background if you're unfamiliar with the Labs program. Selkirk Labs is the brand's experimental sub-line — paddles built to push boundaries on materials and construction, sold with a "join the program" model where buyers register their paddle and potentially get access to future Labs releases.

Previous Labs paddles included the Project Boomstik (power-forward elongated at $332.99 — a very different animal) and other experimental builds. The 007 is positioned as the more controlled, nuanced member of the Labs family. Two shapes — Invikta (elongated) and Epic (standard) — each in two thickness options. We're focused on the Invikta here.

The key claim: by putting a titanium mesh layer between the face and the core, Selkirk argues they've achieved the pop and responsiveness of a thin core without the dead feel some thin paddles develop over time. We'll assess that claim directly below.

The Titanium Mesh Layer — Does It Actually Do Anything?

This is the thing nobody explains clearly in other 007 coverage. The titanium mesh sits between the Florek carbon face and the polypropylene honeycomb core. Selkirk says it adds "pop and strength that mirrors that of thinner core paddles."

What this means in practice:

Standard thin-core paddles (10mm–12mm range) are lively because there's less core material to absorb the ball's impact — the ball springs off the face faster. But that liveliness comes at a cost: the face flexes more, creating inconsistency across the surface. The sweet spot shrinks. The arm feels more vibration. And after 50–80 hours of play, thin cores tend to lose their pop as the carbon face fatigues.

The titanium mesh acts as a structural reinforcement. It keeps the face from over-flexing, distributes impact more evenly, and adds that springiness without requiring you to sacrifice core thickness. In the 14mm version, this means a paddle that feels livelier than a standard 14mm — almost medium-core energy in a thicker frame. In the 10mm version, it means a very fast, reactive face that's somewhat more forgiving than a raw 10mm would normally be.

Does it work? Mostly yes. The 10mm feels genuinely different from comparable thin paddles we've tested — there's more "contact feel" through the face, and the sweet spot is larger than we expected for something this thin. We'd estimate it plays closer to a 12mm in terms of consistency, with 10mm energy on clean center hits.

Performance: 10mm vs 14mm Head to Head

Power

The 10mm wins here, and it's not particularly close. A lighter overall weight (7.9oz vs 8.15oz) combined with the thinner, livelier core means drives get off the paddle faster. Third shots from around the baseline have more zip. Speed-ups at the kitchen carry further without swinging harder.

The 14mm is not slow — the titanium mesh keeps it firmly in the "good power" category. But if you're coming from a thick-core 16mm and expecting an upgrade in pure pop, the 14mm lands between the two. The 10mm is the clear power pick of the pair.

Control

Flip this, and the 14mm is better. The thicker core absorbs more of the ball's energy on soft shots, which translates to more reliable dink placement, better reset touch, and less "hot" feeling on third-shot drops. The 14mm is the paddle to pick if your game is built around the kitchen and patient rally construction.

The 10mm can dink — it's not uncontrollable — but it requires more intention on soft touch shots. If you grew up hitting with thick-core paddles, there's a 2–3 session learning curve where your drops will go longer than you'd like. Stick with it. The payoff in transition play and fast hands is real.

Spin

Both are excellent here, and that's almost entirely down to the InfiniGrit surface. Selkirk's InfiniGrit is a textured carbon coating designed to outlast raw carbon's initial bite. Raw carbon paddles often start extremely grippy then wear down noticeably after heavy use. InfiniGrit is more consistent — you lose maybe 10–15% of bite over the first 40 hours versus the 30–40% dropoff on raw surfaces.

Topspin drives kick hard. Slice returns stay low. Open-face resets have that sticky contact feel that makes kitchen play feel intentional. Neither variant sacrifices spin for power or vice versa — the surface work is doing the heavy lifting regardless of thickness.

Sweet Spot

The 14mm has a meaningfully larger sweet spot. This is the most noticeable difference between the two in rally play — off-center hits on the 14mm still land reasonably; on the 10mm, you'll feel the mishit in both shot quality and your hand. For rec players who don't yet control their swing consistently, the 14mm is a better everyday choice. For competitive players who aim for center contact on every shot, the 10mm's sweet spot is entirely workable.

Maneuverability

Both models benefit significantly from the edgeless design and the Air Dynamic Throat (the bat-wing cutout at the throat that Selkirk uses on the Invikta line). This throat design reduces drag through the swing without sacrificing structural integrity. The 10mm, being ~0.25oz lighter, is slightly faster through transition exchanges. In fire drills at the kitchen — the back-and-forth speed exchanges that separate 4.0 from 4.5 play — the 10mm responds a half-beat quicker.

Feel and Arm Comfort

Real talk: the 10mm sends more vibration into your hand on hard contact. If you have any current elbow sensitivity or tennis elbow history, start with the 14mm, not the 10mm. The titanium mesh helps, but thinner cores transmit more impact regardless of what's between the layers. This isn't a flaw — it's physics — but it's worth stating clearly.

The 14mm is notably softer on the arm for long sessions. Two-hour indoor sessions on wood court left no fatigue in our testing. The 10mm is manageable for most players but if you're doing daily play at volume, keep this in mind.

Selkirk Labs Project 007 10mm vs LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit Invikta ($279.99)

The LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit Invikta is Selkirk's premium elongated paddle at $279.99 — more than double the 007 10mm's price. Is it double the paddle?

Honestly, no — but it's better in specific ways. The LUXX has a more refined feel on soft shots, better vibration dampening, and Selkirk's "Air Dynamic Throat" system is more developed on the LUXX frame. The LUXX also uses a different core chemistry optimized purely for control, whereas the 007 is optimized for Labs experimentation.

Where the 007 10mm wins: raw spin. The InfiniGrit surface on the 007 is actually a newer iteration and performs comparably to the LUXX in our testing. The 007 is also lighter at 7.9oz vs the LUXX's weight range, making it faster in transition.

Bottom line: If you're a serious competitive player who prioritizes control, the LUXX is worth the premium. If you want Labs-grade surface tech and thin-core energy at under $150, the 007 10mm outperforms its price by a clear margin.

See the LUXX Invikta at Pickleball Central →

Selkirk Labs Project 007 10mm vs Six Zero Double Black Diamond Control 16mm ($180)

The Six Zero Double Black Diamond at $180 is the go-to rec player elongated paddle — raw carbon face, thick 16mm control core, proven performance. It's a completely different philosophy from the 007.

If your priority is consistent kitchen play, reliable third shots, and a paddle you can hand to any 3.5–5.0 player and they'll immediately get results: the Double Black Diamond. The 16mm core is forgiving in a way that no thin paddle can match.

But if you've already got kitchen consistency and want more speed out of transitions, the 007 10mm has an edge (pun mildly intended). The DBD's raw carbon will also wear faster than the InfiniGrit surface — players who hit hundreds of balls a week will notice the texture degradation over a few months.

The honest call: most rec players below 4.0 should pick the Double Black Diamond. Players 4.0 and above who want Labs experimentation at a reasonable price: the 007 10mm is the interesting choice.

See the Six Zero Double Black Diamond at Pickleball Central →

Who Should Buy the 007 10mm

• 4.0+ players who are comfortable controlling a thin-core paddle and want more speed in transition play
• Fast hands enthusiasts who prioritize NVZ speed exchanges and are already solid at soft touch shots
• Players who hate re-gripping after texture dies — the InfiniGrit surface's longevity is real
• Budget-conscious Labs buyers who want Selkirk's latest tech without the $279.99 LUXX price tag
• Anyone coming from a 12mm–14mm paddle who wants to try going thinner without fully committing to a raw-faced setup

Who Should Look Elsewhere

• Players with elbow issues or arm sensitivity — try the 14mm when it's back, or consider the LUXX instead
• Players below 3.5 who are still developing consistent swing mechanics — the narrow sweet spot will fight you
• Kitchen-dominant players who rarely drive aggressively — the thick-core Six Zero DBD or the Selkirk LUXX will serve you better
• Anyone who primarily plays outdoor rec on cold mornings — thin cores get stiffer in cold temperatures and the feel degrades

Pricing and Where to Buy

The 007 Invikta 10mm runs $139.00 at Pickleball Central, which is the best affiliate price we've found. The 14mm was $149.99 but is currently out of stock — a used 14mm Invikta is available at $166.49 if you don't want to wait, though the stock on used moves fast.

Pickleball Central ships free on orders over $49, offers a lowest-price guarantee, and has a solid return policy if the paddle doesn't work for you.

Buy 007 Invikta 10mm ($139) →See Used 14mm ($166.49) →

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Final Verdict

The Selkirk Labs Project 007 Invikta 10mm is a genuinely good paddle at a genuinely good price. The titanium mesh technology delivers on its promise — you get thin-core energy without fully sacrificing consistency, and the InfiniGrit surface holds its grip far longer than raw carbon alternatives. At $139, it competes with paddles priced $30–$50 higher.

The 14mm is the more complete all-court option of the two — bigger sweet spot, arm-friendlier, better for players whose game centers on the kitchen — but you'll need to wait for restock or pick up a used one.

For 4.0+ elongated paddle players who want fast hands performance and Labs-grade surface tech without spending $280 on the LUXX: the 007 10mm is the one to buy right now.

Buy Selkirk Labs Project 007 Invikta 10mm at PBC ($139) →