Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard vs Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16
Both paddles are scored using the same 15-trait Paddle DNA model. Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 takes the higher overall IQ score, but the right pick depends on which traits you value.
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Quick answer
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard wins this matchup for most players: it takes hand speed and value on Paddle DNA against the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16, which costs $275.
Power
Too close to call
88 vs 86
Spin
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16
90 vs 86
Control
Too close to call
89 vs 87
Forgiveness
Too close to call
88 vs 86
Hand speed
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard
111 vs 116 kg·cm² swing weight
Value
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard
$180 at IQ 85.7 vs $275 at IQ 86.8
Overall pick: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard · $180 · IQ 85.7
Paddle DNA head-to-head
- 86Power88
- 87Control89
- 86Spin90
- 88Forgiveness86
- 89Sweet spot88
- 87Stability90
- 77Maneuverability72
- 82Pop83
- 85Touch86
- 86Consistency88
- 76Swing weight76
- 86Twist weight86
- 62Launch angle55
- 80Plow through86
- 86Softness80
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard vs Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 specs
Every spec side by side. Highlighted values are the better of the two where one is objectively better.
| Spec | Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard | Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Street price(USD) | $180 — better | $275 |
| IQ score(/ 100) | 85.7 | 86.8 — better |
| Weight(oz) | 8.1 | 8 |
| Core thickness(mm) | 16 | 16 |
| Swing weight(kg·cm²)Lower swings faster | 111 | 116 |
| Twist weight(kg·cm²)Higher is more stable | 6.8 | 6.8 |
| Shape | standard | elongated |
| Face length(in) | 16 | 16.5 |
| Face width(in) | 7.9 | 7.375 |
| Handle length(in) | 5.25 | 5.5 |
| Grip circumference(in) | 4.25 | 4 |
| Surface | Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face | Toray T700 raw carbon with TXR grip texture |
| Core material | Full foam dual-density core | SSTCore carbon-fibre ribs with Smart Dampen foam |
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard verdict
The forgiving Loco. Widening the face lifts sweet spot and twist weight and drops the swing weight below the other two shapes, at the cost of some reach and drive.
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 verdict
Gearbox's rib-suspended SSTCore feels unlike any honeycomb paddle: firmer through contact, quieter on resets, and unusually consistent shot to shot. You pay $275 for that engineering.
The verdict
Scored on the same 15-trait Paddle DNA model, the clearest separation is launch angle: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard scores 62 against 55 for Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 — a 7-point gap. They are effectively level on stability, power, control, so those traits should not decide the purchase. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard is $95 cheaper at $180.
Launch angle
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard leads by 7 points (62 vs 55).
Plow through
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 leads by 6 points (86 vs 80).
Softness
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard leads by 6 points (86 vs 80).
Maneuverability
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard leads by 5 points (77 vs 72).
Which one is right for your level?
Each call below re-weights the Paddle DNA traits that matter at that level, so the winner can differ from the overall pick.
Beginner
New to 3.0 — still building a consistent contact point
Too close to call on the traits that matter here (87.4 vs 87.6 on the weighted index). Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard and keep the $95.
- Stability
- Consistency
- Control
Intermediate
3.0–3.9 — playing organised rec and early tournaments
Too close to call on the traits that matter here (84.7 vs 85.2 on the weighted index). Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard and keep the $95.
- Spin
- Control
- Power
Advanced / tournament
4.0+ — repeatable swing, fast hands battles
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16
Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 is a narrow pick at this level — plow through 86 vs 80, spin 90 vs 86, power 88 vs 86. Swing weight 116 kg·cm² is what carries that through contact.
- Plow through
- Spin
- Power
Arm-sensitive players
Anyone managing tennis elbow or shoulder load
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard is a narrow pick at this level — softness 86 vs 80, forgiveness 88 vs 86. Its 16 mm Full foam dual-density core at 8.1 oz is the softer, lower-shock build of the two.
- Softness
- Forgiveness
Which one should you buy?
Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard
Take Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard if you want launch angle (+7), softness (+6), maneuverability (+5). Its swing weight of 111 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard review →Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16
Take Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 if you want plow through (+6), spin (+4). Its swing weight of 116 kg·cm² and 16 mm core are what produce that profile.
Read the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 review →Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard vs Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 FAQ
- Which is better, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard or the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 carries the higher overall Paddle IQ score (86.8 vs 85.7), but IQ is a weighted average. On the trait that separates them most — launch angle — Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard leads by 7 points.
- Which one is faster at the kitchen line?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard, at 111 kg·cm² swing weight against 116 for Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16. Lower swing weight is the single best predictor of hand speed in fast exchanges.
- Which paddle has more power, the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard or the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 scores 88 for power against 86 for Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. That comes from a 16 mm SSTCore carbon-fibre ribs with Smart Dampen foam core swinging at 116 kg·cm² — mass behind the ball, not face material.
- Which one gives more control and touch?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 at 89 versus 87. Its 16 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?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 scores 90 for spin off its Toray T700 raw carbon with TXR grip texture face, against 86 for the Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face on Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard. In practice a 4-point gap is small enough that technique matters more.
- Which is more forgiving on off-center hits?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard, with the higher forgiveness score (88 vs 86). Twist weight is identical at 6.8, so the gap comes from sweet-spot size and face stability rather than resistance to twisting.
- Is the price difference worth it?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard costs $180, $95 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?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard: 16 mm Full foam dual-density core with a Carbon–fiberglass–carbon face. Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16: 16 mm SSTCore carbon-fibre ribs with Smart Dampen foam core with a Toray T700 raw carbon with TXR grip texture face.
- Which is better for a two-handed backhand?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16, at 5.5 in of handle against 5.25 in. Anything under 5.25 in forces you to choke the bottom hand onto the face bevel, which Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 avoids.
- Which one is better for beginners?
- Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard is the safer first paddle here: forgiveness 88 and sweet spot 89 mean fewer mishits while your contact point is still inconsistent. Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 rewards a repeatable swing and can feel less stable before that.
- Which is lighter in the hand?
- Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 at 8 oz against 8.1 oz. Static weight matters for arm fatigue and elbow comfort; swing weight (116 vs 111) is what you feel mid-rally.
- Is it worth upgrading from the Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard to the Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16?
- Only if you need what it actually adds. Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard leads on launch angle by 7 points; everything else is within 6 points. At $180 vs $275, the money is better spent elsewhere unless that one trait is your weak spot.
Related comparisons
The other matchups shoppers open in the same session as this one.
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Double Black Diamond Control V2
- Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs Pro Power Elongated
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Mach 1 Forza 16
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Extreme Tour 16
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Ruby
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Nova R1
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Model E Max V3
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Series One Project Black
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 Standard vs Mach 1 Forza 16
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Nova R1
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Tenon
- Loco 16mm Standard vs Oni 16
- Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs CRBN-1X
- Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs Infinity Ruby 16
- Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs Nova R1
- Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 vs CRBN-3X Power Series
Top alternatives to both
Paddles that beat one of these two on a specific trait or on price.
Guides featuring these paddles
Still deciding? These buying guides put Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard and Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16 in context against the rest of the database.
Read the full reviews: Bread & Butter Loco 16mm Standard and Gearbox Pro Ultimate Elongated 16. Or build a different comparison, browse the full database or find paddles within 5% of your current one.