•Facile sonication-assisted hydrothermal technique was used to prepare pure Co3O4-based electrode materials.•The prepared samples/composites were tested as anode material for sodium-ion batteries.•Electrochemical tests confirm Co2.98Zn0.02O4/CNTs as a highly stable and efficient electrode material. Display omitted Advantageous utilization of sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) requires superior performance, enriched with cost-effective anode materials, having excellent storage capability, high conductivity, and structural stability. Hybrid structures based on inorganic metal oxides and organic nano-carbons are evolving as satisfactory electrode materials for the next-generation SIBs owing to their exceptional properties. In this study, Co2.98Zn0.02O4/CNTs hybrid is synthesized using a facile hydrothermal followed by a solvothermal route. As prepared hybrid has been utilized as an anode in a Na half cell and the results are compared with Co2.98Zn0.02O4 and bare Co3O4 anodes. Galvanostatic charge-discharge profiles revealed a high reversible capacity of 721 mAh g−1 for the electrode containing carbon nanotubes (CNTs) i.e. Co2.98Zn0.02O4/CNTs exhibiting remarkable coulombic efficiency of 99% as compared to the other two electrodes. The hybrid anode showed improved capacity retention (289 mAh g−1) after 100 cycles as computed from the cyclic test which is much higher than bare Co3O4. The rate capability test of Co2.98Zn0.02O4/CNTs showed that specific capacity retained as high as 138 mAh g−1@10 C which is an outstanding rate performance, whereas bare Co3O4 couldn’t perform even after 0.5 C. Sodium insertion/extraction is also improved for Co2.98Zn0.02O4/CNTs, as revealed by electrochemical impedance and diffusion coefficient. From these findings, it is inferred that carbon-based Zn-doped Co3O4 hybrid electrode materials can be a superior combination for high-performance and fast charging future SIBs.