Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated vs Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated
Both paddles measured on the same 15-trait Paddle DNA test. Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated takes the higher overall IQ score, but the right pick depends on which traits you value.
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Paddle DNA head-to-head
- 92Power93
- 82Control83
- 88Spin86
- 76Forgiveness78
- 79Sweet spot80
- 82Stability87
- 67Maneuverability70
- 86Pop89
- 80Touch80
- 83Consistency84
- 86Swing weight82
- 72Twist weight84
- 60Launch angle60
- 91Plow through91
- 84Softness68
Specs
| $180 | Price | $250 |
|---|---|---|
| 16 mm | Core | 14 mm |
| 8.3 oz | Weight | 8.4 oz |
| 118 | Swing weight | 123 |
| 6.2 | Twist weight | 6.3 |
| elongated | Shape | elongated |
| Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face | Surface | Textured carbon |
| 5.5 in | Handle | 5.5 in |
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated verdict
A full-foam power paddle at roughly a hundred dollars under the comparable CRBN and JOOLA builds. The fiberglass middle layer is what produces the pop; the foam is what stops that pop turning brittle.
Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated verdict
Gearbox's solid-span construction with a genuine power tune. It feels unlike any honeycomb paddle — firmer, more direct — and rewards players who already hit clean.
The verdict
Measured on the same 15-trait test, the clearest separation is softness: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated scores 84 against 68 for Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated — a 16-point gap. They are effectively level on maneuverability, pop, spin, so those traits should not decide the purchase. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated is $70 cheaper at $180.
Softness
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 16 points (84 vs 68).
Twist weight
Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated leads by 12 points (84 vs 72).
Stability
Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated leads by 5 points (87 vs 82).
Swing weight
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 4 points (86 vs 82).
Which one should you buy?
Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated
Take Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated if you want twist weight (+12), stability (+5). Its swing weight of 123 kg·cm² and 14 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated review →Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated
Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated if you want softness (+16), swing weight (+4). Its swing weight of 118 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated review →Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated vs Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated FAQ
- Which is better, the Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated or the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated carries the higher overall Paddle IQ score (83.4 vs 81.4), but IQ is a weighted average. On the trait that separates them most — softness — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads by 16 points.
- Which one is faster at the kitchen line?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated, at 118 kg·cm² swing weight against 123 for Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated. Lower swing weight is the single best predictor of hand speed in fast exchanges.
- Which paddle has more power, the Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated or the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated measures 93 on power against 92 for Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated. That comes from a 14 mm Solid-span carbon (no honeycomb) core swinging at 123 kg·cm² — mass behind the ball, not face material.
- Which one gives more control and touch?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated at 83 versus 82. Its 14 mm core holds the ball on the face slightly longer, which is what makes resets and dinks land shorter.
- Which paddle spins the ball more?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated scores 88 for spin off its Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face face, against 86 for the Textured carbon face on Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated. In practice a 2-point gap is small enough that technique matters more.
- Which is more forgiving on off-center hits?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated, with 6.3 twist weight against 6.2. Higher twist weight means the face rotates less when you miss the middle, and Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated carries the higher forgiveness score (78) as a result.
- Is the price difference worth it?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated costs $180, $70 less. Whether that gap is worth closing depends on whether you actually use the traits it trades away — check the head-to-head DNA bars above before paying up.
- Do they use the same core and face?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated: 14 mm Solid-span carbon (no honeycomb) core with a Textured carbon face. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated: 16 mm Full foam dual-density core core with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face face.
- Which is better for a two-handed backhand?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated, at 5.5 in of handle against 5.5 in. Anything under 5.25 in forces you to choke the bottom hand onto the face bevel, which Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated avoids.
- Which one is better for beginners?
- Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated is the safer first paddle here: forgiveness 78 and sweet spot 80 mean fewer mishits while your contact point is still inconsistent. Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated rewards a repeatable swing and can feel unstable before that.
- Which is lighter in the hand?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated at 8.3 oz against 8.4 oz. Static weight matters for arm fatigue and elbow comfort; swing weight (118 vs 123) is what you feel mid-rally.
- Is it worth upgrading from the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated to the Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated?
- Only if you need what it actually adds. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated leads on softness by 16 points; everything else is within 12 points. At $250 vs $180, the money is better spent elsewhere unless that one trait is your weak spot.
Also worth comparing
Head-to-heads that share DNA with this matchup — useful if you're still deciding between shapes, cores or price tiers.
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs TruFoam Genesis 1
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Hyperion CFS 16
- Loco 16mm Elongated vs Labs Project 006
- GX2 Power Elongated vs Labs Project 006
- GX2 Power Elongated vs Hyperion CFS 16
- GX2 Power Elongated vs Hyperion Pro V 16
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Read the full reviews: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Elongated and Gearbox GX2 Power Elongated. Or build a different comparison, browse the full database or find paddles within 5% of your current one.