Bread & Butter Loco - pickleball paddle review

The Bread & Butter Loco is a hybrid-shaped version of the best-selling elongated Bread & Butter Filth. If you read my reviews, you'll know how much I love the Filth. It has 10/10 power and is the best all-court paddle in 2024, so I was really excited to test another Bread & Butter paddle.

Keep reading for my honest Bread & Butter Loco review.

I'm a huge Bread & Butter fan. I've been raving about the Filth since 2023. It's one of the most hard-hitting paddles I've ever played with. The Loco is an exciting alternative for those who want more control and speed at the net.

First off, I love the look and design of B&B paddles—even the packaging. When you buy the Loco, it comes in its own branded Loco box.

The name is fun and the design on the paddle face is stripped-back but cool with a comic book-style aesthetic. I don't think any other company makes paddles that look so effortlessly fashionable.

Watch my initial thoughts here:

More importantly, it plays really well. If the Filth is a crazy power paddle, the Loco is a crazy control paddle. This is one of the more soft and plush thermoformed paddles you'll find.

I find it easier to control my drop shots with this compared to the Filth, and harder to sail serves long. The hybrid shape extends the sweet spot too, so I hardly have any mishits either.

I immediately noticed how fast this paddle is. The 7.7-7.9 oz static weight and 113 swing weight help its speed. This made me confident in hand battles and also when blocking against really hard third-shot drives.

I was pleased to find the same spin as the Filth here. It's right up there with the CRBN-3X Power Series and just off the levels of the top spin paddles, like the Diadem Edge 18k. I can get dipping topspin on drops and drives, which is important when playing aggressively.

The two main drawbacks aren't really a fault of the paddle, but more a personal preference of mine. These are the lack of power and reach.

I knew there would be less power than the Filth with the lighter weight and hybrid shape, but I had hoped for a bit more than what I found. It's hard to hit deep serves and I have to really swing to put the ball away. I definitely miss the Filth out there.

I like being faster at the net with the Loco, but I do miss the reach I get from an elongated paddle. I feel a little less confident on overheads and have been burned on a few passing shots that I couldn't quite reach.

Despite those two negatives for me, I really enjoy playing with this paddle. I think it will win a lot of fans among fast players and those who like hybrid shapes.

I feel like I can play endlessly with the Loco as it's light, comfortable, and user-friendly. Bread & Butter have knocked it out of the park again.

My version of the Loco is 7.9 oz, a tiny bit lighter than the 8 oz Filth. However, its hybrid shape makes it a faster paddle than the Filth, with less drag. It's also more controlled and forgiving, but it will have less power than the elongated Filth.

Let's take a closer look at how this paddle is constructed.

This is a thermoformed paddle with a T700 raw carbon fiber face. There's foam injected in the edges and handle, making it a stable paddle with an extended sweet spot. This all results in a durable, long-lasting paddle.

At 16 ⅓" long, this is slightly shorter than the 16 ½" elongated Filth. Its width is listed as 7.5-7.7" against the 7 ⅜" of the Filth. This makes the Loco a hybrid paddle: a blend of a square-shaped standard paddle and an elongated paddle.

While you get less reach with this hybrid compared to an elongated paddle, you do get a larger sweet spot thanks to the wider face. The width also makes it more of a control paddle with better forgiveness.

The hybrid shape and lower static weight (this is 7.7-7.9 oz versus the 8 oz Filth) make this a faster paddle. The swing weight clocks in at 113 versus 125 for the Filth.

The Filth is actually pretty quick at the net, but I'd say the Loco is even faster. It's just one swing weight point higher than the JOOLA Scorpeus, which is one of the fastest thermoformed paddles I've tested in the last year.

I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed with the Loco's power. Now, the Filth is my top power paddle, so it's not fair to compare them. The Loco is marketed as Bread & Butter's high-end control paddle after all.

However, for my game, I struggle with the lack of power in the Loco. I can feel this most on my serves. Even when adding extra swing, I can't get the depth I need to win high-level games.

It's the same with drives and putaways. There's just less pop, which gives my opponent more time to get back into the point. Since the Filth is so powerful, I was hoping the Loco might be a control paddle with a touch more power, like the Selkirk LUXX, but that wasn't the case.

I'd call the Loco an all-court paddle, skewing toward control. It's not a pure control paddle, though, like the Vatic Pro PRISM Flash or the Ronbus R1 NOVA.

The lower swing weight leads to less power and less pop, which can screw up your touch shots.

Thanks to the great spin, I also feel confident hitting topspin third-shot drops and setting up the point from there. Dinks are also easy to hit routinely, with nothing too special to report here.

Thankfully, spin is right up there with the Filth. This was no surprise to me since it uses the same grit and build. I can generate the same dipping topspin that I love so much, whereby my opponents think the ball is sailing long, only for it to catch the line.

The top-tier spin (combined with a low swing weight and less power) helped with control for sure.

This is probably the biggest advantage you get over the Filth. The hybrid shape gives it a nice, generous sweet spot. Mishits are rare for me with the Loco. It's much softer too, so you'll pop up fewer balls.

Bread & Butter accomplished what they set out to do here. The 7.9 oz static weight is a real sweet spot. The swing weight is lower than the Filth, making this a super-fast paddle.

I'm only docking it a half-point here because you do lose power with the lower swing weight. Otherwise I can't fault it.

I mostly tested this paddle during the winter, so I'm waiting to see how it does in hot summer sessions. I love the premium feel of the Bread & Butter grip but it does get a bit slippery after a while.

The Loco is built from high-quality materials. My Filth has held up over many months of heavy play and I have no reason to believe the Loco won't do the same.

Aerodynamics gets a big 2-point boost over the Filth. The hybrid shape and lower swing weight help this paddle fly through the air.

You'll like this in fast hand battles where you need to swing and reset your paddle position in a fraction of a second.

Before buying a paddle, it's important to make sure it fits your game. That's why I created a 30-second quiz that recommends the best paddles for your play style and budget.

Give it a try and see if the Bread & Butter Loco makes the list:

The Loco costs $165 currently, which is a really nice price point. It's right between the PCKL Pro Series 16 ($160) and the Ronbus R1 NOVA ($180). I thought the Filth was unbelievably good value at this price. So, how about the Loco?

I've really started to appreciate the value you can get around the $160-180 mark. I now recommend almost all players start here before looking at $250 models from brands like Selkirk and JOOLA.

While I think most players will get more out of the Filth, if the Loco suits your game, you won't be disappointed with the quality and performance for just $165.

I think the Bread & Butter Loco is a paddle for advancing intermediates. It's forgiving but delivers a performance that will keep you competitive all the way up to the advanced level.

Personally, I still prefer the Filth over this one. That's simply because I like to hit hard. So, if you wanted to love the Filth but found it too powerful or unforgiving, you'll get a lot out of the Loco.

It also suits players who love fast hand battles at the kitchen. It has one of the lowest swing weights I've seen on a thermoformed paddle.

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