After years of testing every single new paddle to hit the market, I stepped back from day‑to‑day reviews. Honestly, I thought nothing was going to ever top the latest JOOLAs, and I kind of lost interest in reviewing paddles. I slipped into a quiet “retirement.”
Then the Bread & Butter Loco landed in my hands.
Bread & Butter is a smaller pickleball brand that consistently punches above its weight. Their Filth model has been a Pickleheads favorite since it came out in 2023, and we’ve recommended it to countless players who didn’t want to pay premium prices for top performance.
The Loco, though, is something else entirely. It could very well be a JOOLA killer. Yes, it's that good.
It’s powerful when you need it and soft when you want it—so you no longer have to make trade‑offs. That’s the promise of next‑gen paddles, and this one actually delivers it.
And at $200 (or $180 with our exclusive Pickleheads code), it is a no-brainer buy. It's $100 cheaper than comparable paddles from JOOLA and CRBN, and I think it's even better than those models, anyway.
A total knockout from Bread & Butter
The Loco's closest comparison is the Honolulu J2NF—an excellent paddle in its own right. I’ve hit plenty with it and totally get the appeal. The J2NF has the bigger, cleaner sweet spot and is more forgiving on off‑center contact.
The Loco, though, is simply more lively. From the first few shots with the Loco, it just felt awesome—with none of that wooden, harsh feel you sometimes get from new tech. The face was responsive and I felt in control of my targets. I could dink and put the ball where I wanted, then step on the gas and finish when a window opened.
I brought the Loco to an elite 5.0 run at a bucket‑list type venue. One of the guys looked at my paddle and basically asked: “What’s that? Where’s your JOOLA?” That moment kind of defines this paddle.
Those games are usually where I’m nervous about keeping up. That’s happened before, even with my JOOLAs. But that night, with the Loco, I played some of the best pickleball of my life. I didn’t win every game, but I won enough to feel like, “Yeah, I belong here.”
The Loco didn’t just give me shots, it gave me confidence to make the right play at full speed. Some players might laugh at the smaller brand, until you beat them with it.
✅ What stands out
Plays elite out of the box
This is the first foam‑core paddle I’ve used that feels tournament‑ready the second you unwrap it. No tinkering, no “getting used to it,” no searching for the sweet spot—it just plays big right away. My first night out, I was countering chest‑high speed‑ups and finishing into corners like I’d been gaming it for weeks.
Power when you need it, touch when you want it
The Loco solves the classic trade‑off. From the baseline, drives have real pop and stay down; at the kitchen, I can feather two soft dinks and then speed up off the exact same look. It never forces me to choose between banger and touch player—I can be both in the same rally.
Insane grit
This paddle has serious bite. The grit on the surface is top tier and you can generate so much spin for backhand rolls and on deep aggressive serves.
❌ What to consider
Short handle
The 5.3-inch handle length is shorter than most. Players who like to hit conventional two-handed backhands may find it annoying. You have to either force your hands together or put one hand up on the face of the paddle.
A little less forgiving
Compared with the Honolulu J2NF, the Loco trades a bit of sweet‑spot size for more liveliness and finishing power. Early intermediates who value a huge, cushy strike zone may prefer the J2NF. Players who like to attack will appreciate how the Loco jumps when you go after it.
How the Bread & Butter Loco plays
| Category | Rating | Notes |
| Power | 9.5/10 | Plenty of power to keep your opponents back and on defense with deep serves and hard-hitting overheads. It's more powerful than the J2NF and right up there with big-name competitors. |
| Control | 10/10 | Absolutely elite control that is top of the market. Right up there with Six Zero DBD and Selkirk LUXX paddles. I could get up to the net easily with dinks and resets from the back and middle of the court. |
| Spin | 10/10 | Excellent – definitely up there with the best spin paddles like the Paddletek Bantam series. My backhand flicks were deadly due to the bite I was able to generate from the grittiness of the paddle face. The hybrid shape adds to the spin too – I was able to get many free points from my serve popping up on my opponents, and could keep forehand speed-ups in the court from lower positions. |
| Forgiveness | 8.5/10 | Decent sweet spot, but not top-of-the-line. |
| Weighting | 9/10 | The paddle’s weight is well distributed throughout the whole paddle so it does not feel head heavy. I felt invincible at the net – I could move the paddle into the position I needed very easily. |
| Grip | 9/10 | The grip is thin and comfortable for players with smaller hands. However, if you sweat like I do, or you have larger hands, you’ll need an overgrip. |
| Durability | 10/10 | There are no signs of breakdown of the core or delamination after 20+ hours of play. Because the edge guard is white, it does show discoloration from the ball. It also shows scrapes from the courts very visibly. I would recommend people use edge guard tape on it. |
| Aerodynamics | 10/10 | This is a super-fast paddle owing to its lightness and balance. You can create paddle head speed so well and attack with fast hands. |
Features that matter
- Foam core: Bread & Butter has joined the foam paddle craze. The core is 100% foam (EPP and EVA) which should make it last longer than traditional polypropylene cores, so your investment should go a long way.
- Fiberglass layer: the face is made from T-700 raw carbon fiber with an added layer of fiberglass that brings the pop.
- Choice of shapes: it’s great that you can choose from all three shape types – standard, hybrid, or elongated to suit your play style.
Who the Bread & Butter Loco is for
The short answer: This paddle is for almost everyone. If you’re an intermediate to advanced player, I recommend it outright—it’s the rare paddle that lets you play aggressively without giving up control.
For beginners or early intermediates, the Honolulu J2NF might be the safer first step. That said, beginners can absolutely find success with the Loco thanks to the predictable response and clean feel, and it will grow with you as your game develops.
In my view, this paddle captures the bulk of pickleball players and has true mass‑market potential—a smaller‑brand paddle that genuinely hangs with the big names.
I honestly can’t get enough of this paddle. Bread & Butter really outdid themselves with this one and I can’t wait to play with it more. If you want an elite paddle with the best control and spin and plenty of power, this is an incredible paddle. It’ll save you up to $100 against the most expensive tier of paddles too.Today's best deals
