We got these to start out and they are very durable. I used these paddles and advanced to 3.5+ status with them. The only thing that wore out was the grip after 2 years. They are now used for guest visits 😀

https://www.amazon.com/XS-XSPAK-Pickleball-Paddle-Polypropylene/dp/B07M8JSVDJ?th=1