Selkirk Invikta: The Elongated Shape Across LUXX, Vanguard and LABS, Tested

By Tomás Reyes, FIP-Certified Padel Coach
Published 2026-06-14 · Last updated October 2026

Quick Answer

Key Takeaways

• Invikta is a shape, not a model: the name describes the outline of the paddle, while the line name (LUXX, Vanguard, LABS) tells you how it plays.
• Core thickness decides the feel: 19 to 20 mm on the LUXX, 14 mm on the LABS Project 007, 13 mm on the Vanguard Power Air.
• One grip size across the board: every Invikta we stock lists a 4.25 in grip, while handle length runs from 5.25 in on the Vanguard to 5.5 in on the LABS 007.
• Reach costs a little sideways forgiveness: the long face rewards centered contact more than a wider outline like the Epic does.
• Same price, very different paddles: all three Invikta lines sit at $219, so choose by playing style, never by price.

Quick Links

• What the Selkirk Invikta shape is
• Eight sessions with three Invikta paddles
• Selkirk Invikta versions explained
• Selkirk Invikta vs Epic
• How to choose and set up your Invikta
• Invikta line-up compared
• Where to buy
• Frequently asked questions

What the Selkirk Invikta Shape Actually Is

Most people who search for the Selkirk Invikta expect a single paddle. It is not one. Invikta is the name Selkirk gives to its elongated outline, and the brand builds that outline into several lines with completely different cores and faces. Padel players can think of it like a teardrop or diamond outline: shape sets reach and balance, materials set power and touch.

On the spec sheets we hold, every Invikta is listed as "Elongated (Invikta)". The LUXX Control Air and LABS Project 007 versions measure 16.4 in long and 7.5 in wide. The Vanguard Power Air measures 16.5 in long and 7.375 in wide. All of them list a 4.25 in grip circumference. Compared with a wide-body paddle, the extra length moves the hitting zone further from your hand, which gives you more leverage on drives and serves and a little more reach on stretched dinks.

The trade-off is simple geometry. A longer, narrower face has less width to forgive a ball struck toward the edge. That matters most in fast hands battles. If you are new to Selkirk, my Selkirk pickleball paddle guide walks through the whole range, and the padel vs pickleball guide covers what changes for padel players moving across.

Eight Sessions With Three Invikta Paddles

I coach padel, and at my US club I also run the morning pickleball clinics. Over the spring I played eight sessions with the Invikta lines we stock, rotating paddles in a fixed order. Same outdoor balls, same drilling partner, about 90 minutes each, notes written straight after.

Sessions 1 and 2: LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm

I started with the Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm in Red ($219) because it is the calmest of the three. The long face showed up straight away on dinks: I could reach wide balls without shuffling as far, and the 20 mm X7 Thickset core kept them low. Third-shot drops from the baseline floated down softly. The balance sits a touch further up the paddle than on a wide shape, so my first volleys felt slightly late. By session 2 I stopped noticing.

Sessions 3 and 4: Vanguard Power Air Invikta

Next came the Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta in Red/Black ($219). Same outline, different animal. The 13 mm polymer honeycomb core and fiberglass and carbon hybrid face send the ball off quickly, and the Invikta length adds real whip on drives and serves. Resets were the price. In session 3 I popped up four or five drops that the LUXX would have kept down. By session 4 a shorter swing on soft shots fixed most of that.

Sessions 5 and 6: LABS Project 007 Invikta 14mm

The Selkirk LABS Project 007 Invikta 14mm ($219) sits between the other two. Its 14 mm polypropylene core feels firmer than the LUXX but less jumpy than the Vanguard, and the InfiniGrit surface grabs the ball hard. Topspin rolls off the bounce dipped sharply, and spin serves kicked away from my partner's backhand. It also has the longest handle of the three at 5.5 in, which made two-handed backhands easier. It punishes lazy footwork on dinks, though.

Session 7: Invikta against Epic

For the seventh session I put the Invikta LUXX next to the Selkirk LUXX Control Air Epic in Red ($219). The Epic felt quicker in the hand at the kitchen line, and off-center blocks were a little more forgiving. The Invikta won every time I had to stretch for a wide dink or wanted leverage on a drive.

Session 8: arm comfort and the verdict

I finished with a double session, mixing all three. After three hours my forearm felt fine with the LUXX and the LABS, and a little more tired with the Vanguard, which simply asks you to swing harder and faster. My verdict: the Invikta shape is worth it for anyone who values reach and leverage, and the line you choose inside it matters far more than the outline itself. My padel crossover students trusted the LUXX Invikta fastest.

Selkirk Invikta Versions Explained

Here is every Invikta paddle we stock, grouped by line. Colors inside a line share one spec sheet.

LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm and InfiniGrit 19mm

The control line. The 20mm version uses an X7 Thickset honeycomb core, a Florek carbon fiber face, a Selkirk Geo Grip and an Aero-DuraEdge edgeless rim, with a listed weight of 7.9 to 8.3 oz and a 5.35 in handle. It comes in Red, Blue and the Jack Sock Signature colorway. The LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit Invikta 19mm in Blue ($219) adds the InfiniGrit surface on a 19 mm core and is the only Invikta here with a published swingweight: 113 average. My full notes are in the LUXX Control Air review.

Vanguard Power Air Invikta

The power line, in Grey, Red/White, Red/Black and Rose/Navy. All four list a 13 mm polymer honeycomb core, a fiberglass and carbon fiber hybrid face, a DuraEdge edgeless rim, 7.7 to 8.1 oz and a 5.25 in handle. My Selkirk Vanguard Power Air review has the session-by-session notes.

LABS Project 007 Invikta 14mm

The experimental line from Selkirk's research program. A 14 mm polypropylene honeycomb core, a Florek carbon face with InfiniGrit, an edgeless rim, a 5.5 in handle and 7.9 to 8.4 oz (8.15 oz average). My Selkirk LABS Project 007 review covers who it suits.

Selkirk Invikta vs Epic: Which Shape Should You Pick?

This is the question I hear most. The honest answer is that we hold full specs for the Invikta and not for the Epic, so I compare them on what I felt rather than on numbers I cannot verify.

Choose the Invikta if you play singles, hit a two-handed backhand, like to drive from the baseline, or keep getting beaten by wide dinks. Choose the Epic if most of your points are fast exchanges at the kitchen line and you value a quicker, more forgiving face over reach. The LUXX Control Air comes in both shapes at $219, so you do not have to change line to change outline. The Vanguard and LABS paddles we stock are Invikta only.

How to Choose and Set Up Your Invikta

1. Pick the line before the color. LUXX Control Air if you win with dinks, drops and resets. Vanguard Power Air if you win with drives and speed-ups. LABS Project 007 if you already hit heavy topspin and want pace on top.
2. Match the core to your errors. If your misses are pop-ups, go thicker (19 to 20 mm). If your misses are slow drives that get attacked, go thinner (13 to 14 mm).
3. Check the handle length. 5.25 in on the Vanguard, 5.35 in on the LUXX, 5.5 in on the LABS 007. Two-handed backhand players should lean toward the longer handles.
4. Size the grip. Every Invikta lists 4.25 in. Add one thin overgrip if your fingertips dig into your palm, and stop at two layers.
5. Add weight only after a month. If the long face twists on off-center blocks, a small strip of lead tape at 3 and 9 o'clock adds stability.
6. Protect the edge. All three lines are edgeless, so a scrape on the court marks the rim. Keep the paddle in a cover or a bag between sessions.

The Invikta Line-Up Compared

Paddle	Shape	Weight	Core	Face	Price at Padelnox
Selkirk LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm	Elongated (Invikta)	7.9 - 8.3 oz	X7 Thickset honeycomb, 20 mm	Florek carbon fiber	$219
Selkirk LUXX Control Air InfiniGrit Invikta 19mm	Elongated (Invikta)	7.9 - 8.3 oz	X7 Thickset honeycomb, 19 mm	Florek carbon fiber, InfiniGrit	$219
Selkirk Vanguard Power Air Invikta	Elongated (Invikta)	7.7 - 8.1 oz	Polymer honeycomb, 13 mm	Fiberglass and carbon fiber hybrid	$219
Selkirk LABS Project 007 Invikta 14mm	Elongated (Invikta)	7.9 - 8.4 oz (8.15 oz average)	Polypropylene honeycomb, 14 mm	Florek carbon fiber, InfiniGrit	$219
Selkirk LUXX Control Air Epic	-	-	-	-	$219
JOOLA Simone Jardim Hyperion	Elongated	7.9 - 8.3 oz (8.1 oz average)	Honeycomb propulsion, hyper-foam edge wall	Textured carbon fiber	$219

Outside Selkirk, the closest elongated match on paper is the JOOLA Simone Jardim Hyperion ($219), which I cover in my JOOLA Hyperion review, and the rest of the JOOLA paddles follow a similar long outline. For a cheaper elongated option, the CRBN paddles start at $159, and my CRBN 1X vs 3X comparison explains the two thicknesses. My Selkirk vs JOOLA guide puts the two brands side by side.

Where to Buy the Selkirk Invikta

Every Invikta paddle on this page sits in our Selkirk paddles collection, and the full pickleball paddle range holds the JOOLA and CRBN alternatives. Padelnox is a US-based online store that ships worldwide, with 221 frames and bags in stock. Everything we sell is genuine brand stock, never replicas. Each order is inspected before dispatch, processed in 1 to 3 business days and sent with tracking.

Because every Invikta costs $219, shipping is free and tracked (orders under $99 pay $9.95 flat), and each one comes with our Court-Ready Kit: a free overgrip 3-pack and frame protector on every racket over $150. Unused paddles in original packaging can come back within 30 days, and if something arrives damaged or wrong, a photo within 7 days gets you a replacement or refund. The full terms are on our shipping and returns page. Three or more items from accessories save 15% automatically, and a carry bag from our bags collection keeps that edgeless rim safe. The discount code page explains how the standing offers apply.

If you landed here after searching for a pickleball racket, that page clears up the paddle vs racket naming. For my picks across every brand, see the best pickleball paddles of 2026. Questions about which Invikta line fits your game go to helppadelnox@outlook.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Invikta mean on a Selkirk paddle?

Invikta is the name of Selkirk's elongated paddle shape, not a single model. Selkirk builds it into several lines, and we stock three: the LUXX Control Air, the Vanguard Power Air and the LABS Project 007. The Invikta versions we carry measure 16.4 to 16.5 in long and 7.375 to 7.5 in wide with a 4.25 in grip. The line, and especially its core thickness, decides how the paddle actually plays.

Is the Selkirk Invikta good for beginners?

It can be, if you choose the right line. A beginner who plays at least twice a week will do well with the LUXX Control Air Invikta 20mm, because the thick core forgives off-center dinks and blocks. I would steer newer players away from the Vanguard and LABS versions at first. Their thinner cores give back more energy, which makes resets and drops harder to control while your technique is still settling.

Invikta or Epic: which Selkirk shape should I buy?

Buy the Invikta if you want reach, leverage on drives and serves, and room for a two-handed backhand. Buy the Epic if you mostly play fast exchanges at the kitchen line and prefer a quicker, slightly more forgiving face. In my sessions the Epic felt faster in the hand on blocks, while the Invikta won every stretched dink. The LUXX Control Air comes in both shapes at the same $219.