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I’ve tested a lot of pickleball paddles in 2026, and I was so excited to get my hands on the new Bread & Butter Loco 2 and Honolulu J6CR M105 that just released.
That said, I wanted to see how they compared against three paddles I’ve really enjoyed: the original BNB Loco, Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue, and RPM Jade.
What’s interesting is how differently these paddles play. The Loco 1 has incredible pop, the Loco 2 offers better spin, the RPM Jade has some of the best grit I’ve experienced, and the two Honolulu paddles offer very different combinations of power and control.
I’ll cover first impressions, playability rankings for spin, power, and control, cost considerations and how to use the code BEPICKLEBALLER, and which paddle I would personally choose.
First Impressions
Let’s look at the BNB Loco 2 vs Loco 1. I was curious whether Bread & Butter could improve on the original Loco, which I’ve really enjoyed playing with.
The two paddles share a similar 16mm dual-density foam construction, but the Loco 2 introduces a new Space Dust Grit surface. The difference in grit was immediately noticeable, although I was surprised that the Loco 2 felt slightly more muted than the original.
My original Loco weighed around 8.15 ounces compared with approximately 7.95 ounces for the Loco 2, which may help explain some of the difference in feel.
The Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue continues to be one of my favorite paddles. I love the white design with blue accents, and the elongated shape gives me extra reach for my two-handed backhand.
In addition, the J6CR M105 reminds me a lot of the Honolulu J2NF and J2FC+ paddles I’ve previously tested. It has a comfortable grip, great grit, and a softer, more controlled response than the standard J6CR Crystal Blue.
The RPM Jade also looks fantastic with its black-and-jade color combination. The grit almost feels like sandpaper, and I still think it’s hilarious that RPM gave the paddle a spin rating of 11.
First impressions were excellent, but the playability differences were much more interesting.
Playability
Spin
Spin was one of the most difficult categories to rank because all five paddles have good grit, but I would give the RPM Jade first place. This is one of the reasons I prefer the Jade to the V2, Q2 and Ultre Power 2.
When I previously compared the Jade against the RPM Q2, V2, JOOLA Power FX, and Ultre Power 2, it easily won the spin category.
The SICmatrix surface is incredibly gritty, and I could actually see the ball moving differently when hitting topspin serves and aggressive drives.
I particularly liked how I could swing aggressively and still bring the ball down into the court. The Jade gave me confidence to add spin without feeling like I needed to sacrifice power.
The Loco 2 comes in second, and this is where I noticed the biggest improvement compared with the original.
The Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue comes in third, although it is extremely close.
I’ve previously mentioned how much I love Honolulu’s Crystal Blue surface. During singles, I could see my serves curve through the air, and I’ve even had opponents comment on the movement.
The elongated shape also helps me generate leverage, which makes it easier to combine power with spin.
The J6CR M105 comes in fourth. It uses the same Crystal Blue surface, so the grit is excellent. However, I felt the standard J6CR produced a slightly more aggressive ball because of its additional pop.
Bread & Butter’s new Space Dust Grit surface felt significantly grittier to me, and I noticed better spin when hitting serves, topspin drives, and roll volleys.
The Loco 1 comes in fifth. It still has plenty of spin, but I would definitely choose the newer Loco 2 if spin were my main priority.
My spin rankings are:
- RPM Jade
- BNB Loco 2
- Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue .
- Honolulu J6CR M105
- BNB Loco 1
Power
Power was interesting because I actually thought the original BNB Loco 1 had slightly more pop than the Loco 2.
When I first reviewed the Loco, I was impressed by how explosive it felt. The elongated shape and slightly head-heavy balance helped me generate a lot of pace on drives and serves.
The Loco 2 still has plenty of power, but I noticed a more muted response. The ball didn’t seem to jump off the face quite as aggressively, which surprised me considering how similar the construction is.
I would give the Loco 1 first place for power, although the J6CR Crystal Blue is extremely close.
The J6CR Crystal Blue comes in second. This paddle has been one of my favorites for singles because I can generate excellent depth on serves and returns, and the elongated shape helps produce powerful drives.
I actually struggled with a couple of serves going long when I first tested it, but once I adjusted, I really enjoyed its combination of power and spin.
The Loco 2 comes in third. It isn’t a weak paddle by any means, but the slightly softer response makes it feel less explosive than the original.
The RPM Jade comes in fourth. It has good power, but I’ve always considered it closer to the RPM V2 than the more explosive RPM Q2. It’s powerful enough to attack, but the spin is really what makes it special.
Finally, the J6CR M105 comes in fifth.
I thought this paddle felt noticeably softer than the standard J6CR Crystal Blue, reminding me of the J2NF and J2FC+ series. It still has enough power for drives and serves, but I wouldn’t choose it if maximum power were my priority.
My power rankings are:
- BNB Loco 1
- Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue
- BNB Loco 2
- RPM Jade
- Honolulu J6CR M105
Control
Control is where the rankings change quite a bit.
The Honolulu J6CR M105 takes first place, and honestly, this was one of my favorite things about the paddle.
I previously enjoyed the Honolulu J2NF and J2FC+ because of how comfortable they felt when dinking, resetting, and controlling the ball.
The J6CR M105 reminded me of those paddles, but with the excellent Crystal Blue grit and a grip that I really enjoyed.
It doesn’t have the same explosive response as the standard J6CR, but I felt much more comfortable controlling the ball, especially during softer exchanges.
The RPM Jade comes in second, although I could understand putting the J6CR Crystal Blue here.
When I previously reviewed the Jade, I had trouble deciding whether it or the RPM V2 had better control. The Jade was slightly more aggressive but still felt predictable on drops and resets.
I would give the Jade a slight advantage over the standard J6CR because I didn’t need as much time to adjust to the pop.
The J6CR Crystal Blue comes in third. It has plenty of control once you get comfortable, but the additional power made some of my early resets and drops sit higher than I wanted.
The Loco 2 comes in fourth, just ahead of the original Loco.
This was another interesting difference between the generations. Because the Loco 2 felt slightly more muted and had better grit, I found it a little easier to manage than the original.
The Loco 1 finishes fifth. It still has decent control, but the additional pop makes it more demanding, especially when trying to absorb pace at the kitchen.
My control rankings are:
- Honolulu J6CR M105
- RPM Jade
- Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue
- BNB Loco 2
- BNB Loco 1
Cost Implications
These paddles have some pretty big price differences, especially after discount codes.
The BNB Loco 2 retails for $220, and the same BEPICKLEBALLER code brings it down to $198.
That’s roughly $64 more than the discounted Loco 1, so you’ll have to decide how much you value the newer grit and slightly more controlled response.
10% Discount Code: BEPICKLEBALLER
The BNB Loco 1 originally retailed for $199, but has been available for around $149.25 on sale. With discount code BEPICKLEBALLER, you can take another 10% off, bringing it to approximately $134.33.
I think that’s an incredible value considering how well this paddle plays.
10% Discount Code: BEPICKLEBALLER
Both the Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue and J6CR M105 retail for $195. Discount code PICKLEBALLER20 takes 10% off bringing either paddle to around $175.50.
Both also include a paddle cover, which I appreciate.
Honolulu Discount Code: PICKLEBALLER20
Finally, the RPM Jade is $269.99 before discount. Thankfully, code BEPICKLEBALLER takes 15% off, bringing the price to approximately $229.49.
It’s the most expensive paddle in this comparison, and unfortunately, it doesn’t include the premium paddle cover I’d expect at that price.
15% Discount Code: BEPICKLEBALLER
Prices and promotional availability may change, so check the final total at checkout.
Which Paddle Should You Choose?
Personally, I would choose the Honolulu J6CR Crystal Blue if I wanted the best all-around paddle.
It has incredible spin, plenty of power, and enough control that I feel comfortable using it in singles or aggressive doubles.
But the RPM Jade is an extremely close second. If spin were my main priority, I would actually choose the Jade because I thought its surface was the best of these five paddles. It also has excellent control, although it’s considerably more expensive.
If I wanted the most control, I would choose the J6CR M105. I really enjoyed playing with this paddle, especially because it reminded me of the J2NF and J2FC+ series. If you like softer paddles with less pop, I think you’ll really enjoy the M105.
For the two Bread & Butter paddles, I would choose the Loco 2 if spin were my priority and I have the budget, but I actually prefer the original Loco if I want maximum power. And at around $134 after discount, the original Loco might be the best value in this entire comparison.
Overall, I really enjoyed all five paddles, but my favorite combination of power, spin, and control still comes from the J6CR Crystal Blue.
That said, if I were playing in a competitive doubles match where consistency and the soft game were my biggest priorities, I would be very tempted to grab the J6CR M105.
I’d love to hear which paddle you would choose and whether you’ve had a similar experience with the Loco 1 and Loco 2.
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