Bread & Butter Loco Review (2026): Pickleball Studio Scored It 9/10

What the experts say

Chris Olson, Pickleball Studio (9/10)

The headline framing from Pickleball Studio's review:

"Bread & Butter has always made solid paddles with even better marketing, but the paddles themselves never really stood out from the pack. That changes with the new foam Loco lineup."

Olson on the post-tournament adoption:

"When I first tried the Bread & Butter Loco, I honestly didn't think it would compete with the big names. The foam market is full of paddles like the Selkirk Boomstik and Ronbus Quanta, and I figured the Loco would land somewhere in between. After one session, I took it to a tournament two days later, and it hasn't left my bag since."

On the construction (the technical detail that explains the feel):

"The Loco uses an EP foam core with an EVA foam ring around the edge. This is similar to what other top foam paddles are doing, but Bread & Butter added a twist: a carbon fiber, fiberglass, carbon fiber layering. That middle fiberglass layer gives the Loco more pop and stiffness than most foam paddles on the market, while still feeling responsive and stable."

On the feel:

"The Loco feels like a Gen 3 paddle that's firm, solid, and connected. It's not mushy like older foam builds, and the combination of fiberglass and carbon gives it a confident, 'thuddy' contact feel."

On the control-vs-power tradeoff:

"The control on the Loco really stands out. It doesn't have the instant pop of the Boomstik, which actually helps slow the ball down just enough to make placement easier and more reliable... Power is where the Loco finds its sweet spot. It's not the hardest-hitting paddle out there, but it has more than enough to finish points while still keeping shots under control. It sits below the Boomstik and Luzz Inferno in pure pop but feels more balanced overall."

On the sweet spot:

"The widebody Loco doesn't have quite the same massive sweet spot as the Boomstik, but it's still larger than most foam paddles I've tested. It performs well even without extra weight, which is something you can't say for every foam paddle out there."

And the bottom-line verdict:

"After a month of real use, the Loco has proven to be one of the most balanced foam paddles I've tested. It delivers tournament-level performance without needing a lot of tinkering or added weight. Bread & Butter has finally built a paddle that competes with the best."

The lead-tape setup that Olson uses

Olson found the Loco responds well to small amounts of lead. His widebody setup:

"My go-to setup on the wide-body was 10 grams total, five on each side at about 3 and 9 o'clock. That small change made a noticeable difference in sound, stability, and feel. The paddle felt more aggressive without becoming sluggish."

For the elongated, Olson left it stock (already heavy enough). For the hybrid, ~3 grams per side. The pattern: small tape additions tune the foam-EVA construction efficiently.

Where the Loco fits in the foam-paddle landscape

Per Olson's positioning across the review: the Loco sits below the Selkirk Boomstik and Luxx Inferno in raw pop but above them in control balance. It's slightly less forgiving than the Boomstik (smaller sweet spot), more refined than the older Bread & Butter releases, and competitive on price ($199 retail / $180 with PBSTUDIO discount code).

For comparison: our JOOLA Perseus Pro IV review covers the foam-injected polymer-perimeter approach (different category), and the Six Zero Sapphire sits in the thermoformed control category. The Loco's full-foam construction with fiberglass middle layer is its own thing.

Who should buy it

Players who want a Gen 3 / full-foam paddle with control-leaning balance and the option to dial in pop with lead tape. The widebody specifically suits 3.5-4.5 rec players who want a forgiving sweet spot. The elongated fits players who want more reach and don't mind the higher swing weight. The hybrid is the in-between option for players who haven't decided yet.

Who should not buy it

Players who want maximum raw power off the bounce (the Selkirk Boomstik or similar will hit harder). Bargain hunters (the cheaper Vatic Pro Prism Flash gets close to this performance for half the price). Players who only buy from Amazon or major retailers (Bread & Butter is direct-only as of this review).

About this review

This is an aggregated review with verbatim quotes from Pickleball Studio's full-length 9/10 review pulled via Playwright from the public review page. We have not personally played this paddle. Bread & Butter is direct-to-consumer only (no Amazon distribution), so owner reactions live primarily on r/Pickleball and the brand's own product page; we'll mine substantive owner threads in a follow-up pass.

Sources

• Chris Olson, Pickleball Studio: Bread & Butter Loco Review (9/10)
• Pickleball Studio on YouTube