PickleballLookup

Best Bread & Butter pickleball paddles

Competitive-circuit brand that built its reputation on power paddles, then priced a full-foam flagship — the Loco — roughly $100 under the comparable JOOLA and CRBN builds. Every Bread & Butter paddle in our database, ranked by IQ score.

The 3 paddles below were selected from 3 qualifying models. By shape the shortlist is 1 standard, 1 hybrid and 1 elongated. Face construction is 3 carbon–fiberglass–carbon face. Static weight runs 8.1–8.3 oz and prices run $180 to $180, with a shortlist average of $180. All of them are Bread & Butter models.

Criteria · Bread & Butter paddles only, ranked by IQ score.

PaddleBest forThicknessPowerControlSpinPricePaddle IQ
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm StandardTop pick16 mm868786$18085.7
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm HybridRank 216 mm898588$18084.1
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm ElongatedBest value foam core16 mm928288$18081.4

Straight answers

Every answer below is read off the published specifications and Paddle DNA values in our database for the exact models on this page.

Which Bread & Butter paddle is best overall?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. It carries the highest IQ score in this group at 85.7, from 86 power, 87 control, 86 spin and 88 forgiveness on 16 mm, 111 swing weight and $180.
Which Bread & Butter paddle is the best value?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at $180. It is both the highest-scoring paddle here (IQ 85.7) and the best score-per-dollar, so on this list you do not have to trade one for the other.
Which is best for power?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated, at 92 power and 86 pop, on 118 swing weight and 16 mm. That combination drives, but its 80 touch score is what you give up at the kitchen.
Which is best for control?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard, at 87 control and 85 touch. Its 16 mm core and 111 swing weight are the reason resets sit down; it scores 86 for power, so pace has to come from your own swing.
Which is best for spin?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid, at 88 for spin off carbon–fiberglass–carbon face.
Which is the most forgiving on off-centre contact?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard — forgiveness 88, stability 87, twist weight 6.8 kg·cm². The most stable face here on the twist-weight number alone is Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at 6.8.
Which is best for fast hands at the kitchen line?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. Its 111 swing weight is the lowest in this group and it scores 77 for manoeuvrability, which is the number that decides hands battles rather than the ounce weight on the box.
Which suits a two-handed backhand?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid has the longest handle here at 5.5", the published length two hands generally need. 2 of these 3 paddles measure 5.5" or longer.
Which is best for a beginner?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. Forgiveness 88 and 111 swing weight keep mishits playable while you are still finding the middle of the face, at $180.
Which is best for an advanced player?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard — IQ 85.7 with 86 spin and 87 control, the combination that decides roll volleys and speed-ups rather than baseline drives.
Which is the best standard option?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard — 16" × 7.9", 16 mm, IQ 85.7. 1 of the 3 paddles here uses the standard shape.
Which is the best hybrid option?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid — 16.3" × 7.6", 16 mm, IQ 84.1. 1 of the 3 paddles here uses the hybrid shape.
Which is the best elongated option?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated — 16.5" × 7.5", 16 mm, IQ 81.4. 1 of the 3 paddles here uses the elongated shape.
Who should not buy the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard?
Anyone who is losing points in hands battles rather than off the baseline: at 111 swing weight and 77 manoeuvrability it is the quickest option here, so plow-through on drives is the trade. Least reach in the line.
Which has the most pop?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated at 86 pop on a 16 mm core. Pop is immediate energy return, which is what makes counters fast and resets harder.

How this ranking is built

Ranking rule: Bread & Butter paddles only, ranked by IQ score. Every paddle in the database is rated on the same 15 Paddle DNA traits — power, control, spin, forgiveness, sweet spot, stability, manoeuvrability, pop, touch, consistency, swing weight, twist weight, launch angle, plow-through and softness — and each trait is normalized 0-100 so scores are comparable across brands and price brackets. This page orders by overall IQ score, a weighted composite of all 15 traits. No paddle pays to appear, positions are recomputed whenever a model is added or retested, and retailer links are affiliate links that do not affect the ordering.

Read the full testing methodology →

The ranking

#1Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard16 mm · standard · 8.1 oz · SW 111$18086

Top pick1. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard carries an IQ score of 85.7, 2 above the shortlist average, built on 86 power, 87 control and 86 spin. Its 111 swing weight is the light end of this group, so hands stay quick at the kitchen line, and the 6.8 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 88, stability 87). Physically it is a 16 mm standard paddle at 8.1 oz with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face and a 5.25" handle. Kitchen-line players who still want foam power At $180 it sits right on the shortlist's average price.

Trade-off: Least reach in the line

Full Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard review and Paddle DNA chart →

#2Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid16 mm · hybrid · 8.2 oz · SW 114$18084

Rank 22. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid carries an IQ score of 84.1, 0.4 above the shortlist average, built on 89 power, 85 control and 88 spin. A 114 swing weight puts it mid-pack for hand speed, and the 6.4 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 83, stability 85). Physically it is a 16 mm hybrid paddle at 8.2 oz with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. All-court players who lead with pace At $180 it sits right on the shortlist's average price.

Trade-off: Built for drive output, not soft-hands resets

Full Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid review and Paddle DNA chart →

#3Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated16 mm · elongated · 8.3 oz · SW 118$18081

Best value foam core3. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated carries an IQ score of 81.4, 2.3 below the shortlist average, built on 92 power, 82 control and 88 spin. At 118 swing weight it is one of the heavier options here, trading a little hand speed for plow-through, and the 6.2 twist weight sets how much the face holds its line on off-centre contact (forgiveness 76, stability 82). Physically it is a 16 mm elongated paddle at 8.3 oz with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face and a 5.5" handle, long enough for a two-handed backhand. Power players who do not want to spend $280 At $180 it sits right on the shortlist's average price.

Trade-off: Elongated face is the least forgiving of the three shapes

Full Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated review and Paddle DNA chart →

Model-by-model judgment

Why each of these earns its place, what it gives up, and the closest thing to it on this page.

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard earns its place on forgiveness (88) at $180, built as 16 mm standard with carbon–fiberglass–carbon face over full foam dual-density core. Its 111 swing weight is 3 below the average of this shortlist, and its 6.8 kg·cm² twist weight sets how much the face holds its line when contact drifts.

What it gives up
The cost is maneuverability at 77 — least reach in the line.
Buy it if
Kitchen-line players who still want foam power. The handle is 5.25", so a two-handed backhand will feel cramped.
Skip it if
Maneuverability is the part of your game you are trying to fix — 77 is the low number on this paddle.
Nearest alternative
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid is the closest profile in this list: hybrid instead of standard, 3 more swing weight, 3 points more power.
  • Swing weight 111 kg·cm²
  • Twist weight 6.8 kg·cm²
  • 16 mm standard, 8.1 oz
  • Handle 5.25"
  • $180 · IQ 85.7

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid earns its place on power (89) at $180, built as 16 mm hybrid with carbon–fiberglass–carbon face over full foam dual-density core. Its 114 swing weight sits right on the average of this shortlist, and its 6.4 kg·cm² twist weight sets how much the face holds its line when contact drifts.

What it gives up
The cost is maneuverability at 72 — built for drive output, not soft-hands resets.
Buy it if
All-court players who lead with pace. The 5.5" handle also clears a two-handed backhand.
Skip it if
Maneuverability is the part of your game you are trying to fix — 72 is the low number on this paddle.
Nearest alternative
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard is the closest profile in this list: standard instead of hybrid, 3 less swing weight, 3 points less power.
  • Swing weight 114 kg·cm²
  • Twist weight 6.4 kg·cm²
  • 16 mm hybrid, 8.2 oz
  • Handle 5.5"
  • $180 · IQ 84.1

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated

Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated earns its place on power (92) at $180, built as 16 mm elongated with carbon–fiberglass–carbon face over full foam dual-density core. Its 118 swing weight is 4 above the average of this shortlist, and its 6.2 kg·cm² twist weight sets how much the face holds its line when contact drifts.

What it gives up
The cost is maneuverability at 67 — elongated face is the least forgiving of the three shapes.
Buy it if
Power players who do not want to spend $280. The 5.5" handle also clears a two-handed backhand.
Skip it if
Maneuverability is the part of your game you are trying to fix — 67 is the low number on this paddle.
Nearest alternative
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Hybrid is the closest profile in this list: hybrid instead of elongated, 4 less swing weight, 3 points more control.
  • Swing weight 118 kg·cm²
  • Twist weight 6.2 kg·cm²
  • 16 mm elongated, 8.3 oz
  • Handle 5.5"
  • $180 · IQ 81.4

What actually matters in this category

IQ score is a composite, so read the components

IQ blends all 15 Paddle DNA traits into one number, which makes it useful for ordering a list and useless for choosing between two paddles a point apart. In this shortlist the IQ range is 81.4–85.7 while swing weight ranges 111–118. The swing weight difference will change your game far more than the IQ difference.

Twist weight decides how often mishits stay in play

Twist weight measures resistance to the face rotating when you contact off-centre — the single most common source of lost points below 4.0. This shortlist spans 6.2–6.8. Anything at or above 7 here is the forgiving half of the group; below that you are asking for cleaner contact in exchange for something else, usually hand speed or price.

Swing weight is the number your elbow feels

The paddles here run 111 to 118 in swing weight. Every point up adds plow-through on drives and takes away speed in hands battles. If you play mostly doubles at the line, bias low; if you drive from the baseline or play singles, bias high. Static weight in ounces is a much weaker predictor of either.

What you get for the money

The cheapest paddle here is the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at $180 (IQ 85.7); the most expensive is the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated at $180 (IQ 81.4). That is a $0 spread for 4.299999999999997 points of IQ in the cheaper paddle's favour. On score-per-dollar the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at $180 is the strongest buy in the group, which is worth knowing before you assume the top of the list is the paddle to order.

Which one should you buy?

If you want the highest overall rating and price is secondary, take the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. If you are getting beaten in hands battles, take the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard — its 111 swing weight is the lowest here. If your contact still drifts off centre, take the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard (forgiveness 88, twist weight 6.8). If you want the most performance per dollar, take the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at $180. Those four cover the overwhelming majority of buyers on this page.

Or answer five questions and let the finder rank them for your game →

Head-to-heads from this list

The decisions buyers on this page usually end up making.

Frequently asked

What is the best Bread & Butter pickleball paddles right now?
The Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard tops this list with an IQ score of 85.7. It is a 16 mm standard paddle at 8.1 oz and $180. Kitchen-line players who still want foam power
How were these 3 paddles chosen?
Bread & Butter paddles only, ranked by IQ score. 3 paddles in our database met the filter and the top 3 by that ranking are shown. The ordering is computed from Paddle DNA values, not editor preference, so it updates automatically when a new paddle is added.
What is the cheapest good option on this list?
The Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard at $180 has the best score-per-dollar of the group (IQ 85.7). Prices across the shortlist run $180 to $180.
Does a more expensive paddle in this category actually play better?
Not consistently. Across this shortlist the price spread is $0 while the IQ spread is only 4.299999999999997 points. Price tracks build consistency and twist weight more closely than it tracks raw performance, which is why the value pick above is often the smarter order.

Head-to-head comparisons from this list

Crawlable links between the picks above, so each matchup is discoverable without the sitemap.

Sources for this page

Specifications are recorded from the manufacturers' own product pages, linked below; the USA Pickleball approved-paddle list is linked so you can check tournament-approval status yourself. Paddle DNA scores are normalized by us from those published specifications and publicly available measurement data — they are research-based, not the result of firsthand testing of every model on this page.

Compiled and reviewed by Alex Zubarev →

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