What should you wear for padel in autumn and winter?

Autumn and winter padel usually creates the same dilemma before you leave the house: am I going to be freezing for the first ten minutes, or regretting every layer I put on by the second game?

The good news is that you don’t need an entirely different padel wardrobe just because the temperature has dropped. Most of the time, it comes down to wearing breathable kit underneath, adding layers you can easily remove and making sure you’ve got something warm waiting for you once the game finishes.

The biggest difference is usually whether you’re playing indoors or outdoors. If you’re still getting to grips with the basics, we’ve covered what you should wear to play padel more generally too. This guide is specifically for those colder autumn and winter sessions.

Indoor padel

A performance top, shorts or leggings and suitable court shoes will normally be enough once you’re moving. Bring a warm layer for before and after the game.

Cool outdoor padel

Wear your normal padel kit with one lightweight layer over the top that you can take off as you warm up.

Cold outdoor padel

Start with a breathable base layer underneath your normal kit, then add a lightweight outer layer. Make sure you’ve got something warm and dry to put on afterwards too.

What should you wear for indoor vs outdoor padel?

Indoors, your normal padel kit will usually do the job.

Some indoor venues can feel pretty cold when you first walk in, especially early in the morning, but that feeling rarely survives the first ten minutes of a decent game. Three layers can feel like a brilliant idea while you’re standing next to the court. Fifteen minutes later, after one rally has somehow lasted 40 shots, slightly less so.

Outdoors, layering becomes much more useful. A breathable top underneath with a lightweight quarter zip, jacket or similar layer over it gives you the option to adjust as you warm up.

The main thing is avoiding anything too bulky. You still need to rotate, reach overhead, lunge into corners and move freely around the court. A massive winter coat might keep you warm, but it’s probably not going to improve your bandeja.

The LTA’s winter tennis tips give similar cold-weather advice: start with more layers and remove them as you warm up, while making sure your footwear still has good grip in wet or slippery conditions.

Should you wear shorts or trousers for winter padel?

Either works.

There isn’t a point in October where everyone suddenly has to retire their shorts until spring. Indoors, shorts are completely normal throughout winter, and on milder outdoor days plenty of players will still prefer them once they start moving.

When it gets properly cold, leggings underneath shorts or lightweight sports trousers can make more sense. The important thing is that whatever you wear doesn’t restrict your movement.

That’s really the same rule we’d use all year round. Your waistband needs to stay where it should, you need to be able to move properly and you need somewhere secure to keep the second ball when you serve.

It’s exactly why those details became such a big part of how we designed our Pro Padel Performance Shorts. Cold weather changes what you put around them, but the fundamentals of what you need from your kit don’t really change.

Do shoes and socks matter more in winter?

They can, especially if you’re playing outdoors.

The temperature isn’t necessarily the problem. Damp courts are.

Padel involves a lot of sudden stops, lateral movement and changes of direction, so you notice worn-out tread much faster when the surface has less grip than usual. If your shoes are already on their last legs, a cold, damp outdoor court is probably where they’ll let you know.

We’ve gone into more detail on this in our guide to getting the most out of your padel shoes.

Your socks don’t need to become twice as thick just because it’s winter either. You still want something breathable that sits securely around your foot and doesn’t bunch up once you start moving.

If your foot tends to move around inside your shoe, grip socks can help keep things more planted. That’s the thinking behind our Padel Source Grip Socks, but they’re a preference rather than something you suddenly need because the temperature has dropped below ten degrees.

What should you bring for after the game?

This is probably the bit people forget.

The coldest part of a winter padel session usually isn’t the actual game. It’s the five minutes afterwards when you’ve stopped moving, your top is slightly damp and everyone has suddenly decided the match deserves a full tactical debrief in the car park.

A dry top, hoodie or warm jacket makes a massive difference. A small towel is useful too, and if you’re playing outdoors in wet conditions, having a spare pair of socks in your bag isn’t a bad idea.

You should still bring plenty of water as well. It’s easy to think hydration matters less because it isn’t hot outside, but you’re still working hard for an hour or 90 minutes.

So, what should you actually wear for winter padel?

Dress for how you’re going to feel ten minutes into the game, not how you feel when you step out of the car.

Indoors, your normal padel kit will usually be enough, with something warm for before and after. Outdoors, add lightweight layers that you can remove as you warm up. If it’s properly cold, a breathable base layer underneath can make a big difference without restricting your movement.

And once the game finishes, get something warm and dry back on.

In England, plenty of us end up playing outdoors all year round. You just get better at knowing which extra layer to throw in the bag.