Best all-round value — The Filth

The brand’s best-seller for a reason. Patented thermoformed build, T700 raw carbon face and a genuinely balanced power-to-touch ratio at $165, which undercuts most thermoformed flagships. Available in all three shapes, in stock, and backed by roughly 2,600 reviews across the shapes.

Best power with a soft feel — The Loco

2025 Paddle of the Year. The dual-density foam core stores and returns more energy than honeycomb, so you get put-away power that still feels plush on resets. Currently discounted to $149.25 from $199, in three shapes and three colourways, with 2,488 reviews on the hybrid alone.

Best for advanced all-court play — The Shogun

Named Best Elongated All-Court Paddle of the Year in 2024 by The Pickleball Studio. The T700 carbon and electroplated polyester weave matches the Filth for power but returns more control. The brand itself rates it 95% toward the advanced end of its own skill scale — the base model is sold out but the Imperial Edition is available at $189.99.

Most forgiving — The Fat Boy

A true widebody at a full 8 inches with the highest twist weight of the single-shape models at 7.19, which is the number that decides whether off-centre hits stay on target. The brand rates it at the beginner-friendly end of its scale. Both the standard and Black Out editions are currently sold out.

Best budget buy — The Psycho

The only 14mm paddle in the range and the cheapest way in at $119.69, down from $189.99. The thinner core plus a fiberglass layer gives it the lowest swing weight here (105–108) and the fastest hands. Note it is a final-sale item with no warranty or returns.

Best ball feel — The Invader

A hybrid on the electroplated polyester weave with an extra fiberglass layer for pop. Its twist weight of 6.86 is the highest of any non-widebody model here, so it is both lively and forgiving. Currently sold out at $189.99.

Dual-density foam core (the Loco)

A 16mm core combining EPP and EVA foam rather than a honeycomb grid. Foam compresses and rebounds across the whole face, so it stores and returns more energy than polypropylene while feeling noticeably softer and more dampened. The trade-off is a slightly muted, less crisp response than honeycomb.

Result: power without harshness, and a plush feel on dinks and resets.

High-density polypropylene honeycomb

Used in the Filth, Shogun, Invader, Fat Boy and Psycho. A honeycomb grid gives a crisper, more traditional and more predictable response, with excellent control and a clearly defined sweet spot. The Psycho uses a 14mm black polypropylene core with a 10mm cell size — thinner cell walls and a bigger cell mean more pop and faster hands.

Result: precision and consistency, with 16mm favouring control and 14mm favouring speed.

Three different face materials

• T700 raw carbon fiber — the Filth and the Psycho. The industry benchmark for grit and spin, with a slightly softer feel than a weave.
• T700 carbon × electroplated polyester weave — the Shogun and Invader. A stiffer, livelier surface with more pop off the face and a distinctive sound.
• T700 carbon × aramid weave — the Fat Boy. Aramid adds tensile strength and dampening, which is how a widebody control paddle still produces high spin.

Fiberglass layer & thermoforming

The Loco, Invader and Psycho add a fiberglass layer under the face. Fiberglass is more flexible than carbon, so it acts like a trampoline and adds pop — at the cost of a little control.

Thermoforming fuses face, core and edge into one sealed unit under heat and pressure instead of gluing an edge guard onto a cold-pressed body. Bread & Butter holds a patent on its process (U.S. Patent No. 11,597,169). The result is a stiffer, stronger, more powerful paddle with fewer failure points. The Filth, Shogun, Invader, Fat Boy and Psycho are thermoformed; the foam-core Loco is not.

Grip circumference

Every Bread & Butter paddle uses a 4.25″ circumference except the Shogun, which is slightly thicker at 4.3″. A 4.25″ grip suits the large majority of adult hands and is the safer default.

Remember the rule: you can always build a grip up with an overgrip, but you can never make one smaller. If you are between sizes, start thin. A grip that is too large restricts wrist snap and costs you spin.

Handle length

Standard and hybrid shapes use a 5.3″ handle; elongated shapes use 5.5″. If you hit a two-handed backhand, go elongated — 5.3″ will not comfortably fit two hands.

A longer handle also shifts a little mass toward your hand, which is part of why elongated paddles feel more head-light than their swing weight suggests.

Which weight to choose

Ignore static weight and look at swing weight. Under about 110 — the Psycho, Fat Boy, Loco standard and Filth standard — plays fast and suits doubles and net play. Around 112 to 116 is the balanced middle. Above 118, meaning the Loco elongated, Shogun and Filth elongated, delivers plow-through and power but slows your hands.

Legal modifications

You can add lead tape, edge guard tape and an overgrip without voiding the 30-day return policy. What does void it: removing the factory grip, altering or removing the butt cap, or any handle modification including PU inserts.

If you plan to customise, add tape on top rather than stripping anything off.