10 Best Looper Pedals of 2024

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Looper pedals are incredibly powerful creative tools that can bring your sound to new heights. If you've never had the joy of playing with one, just imagine being able to jam with 4 clones of yourself.

Whether you want a looper pedal for practice, to create layered soundscapes, or for live performances, they’re an excellent addition to any pedalboard.

But choosing the best looper pedal can get complicated if you don’t know what you’re looking for, so we’ll be taking a look at the best ones on the market.

Our top pick is the TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper Pedal for its perfect combination of features and user-friendliness. TC took the simple design of its predecessor and added some really cool new features.

Read on to see how 9 other great looper pedals stack up against the Ditto X2, and stick around 'til the end for a buyer's guide and FAQ section.

Quick Summary of the Best Looper Pedals

  1. TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper Pedal (Best Overall)
  2. Boss RC-5 Loop Station (Best Recording Time)
  3. MXR M303 Clone Looper (Best Under $200)
  4. Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper Pedal (Best Compact Pedal)
  5. Pigtronix Infinity 3 Looper Pedal (Best for Sonic Experimentation)
  6. Boss RC-10R Rhythm Loop Station (Most Versatile)
  7. DigiTech Trio+ (Best for Those Who Need a “Band in a Box”)
  8. Lekato Loop Station (Best Under $100)
  9. Singular Sound Aeros Loop (Best for a Big Budget)
  10. TC Electronic Ditto+ (Best for Simple Looping Needs)

Best Looper Pedals

Best Overall

A highly capable mid-budget pedal that's both simple and fun to use.
Why We Love It
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Very user-friendly
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5 min audio storage
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Onboard atmospheric effect

SPECS

  • Bypass: True
  • Footswitches: 2
  • Dedicated stop control: Yes
  • Looping Time: 5 minutes

There’s no doubt that the original TC Electronic Ditto Looper broke the mold when it came to looper pedals.

Rather than going for an overly complex—and potentially more expensive—pedal, the Ditto focused on the core functionality of a looper, thus becoming one of the most popular looper pedals ever made.

TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper takes everything that made the original Ditto Looper great—the simplicity and the amazing audio quality—and adds some carefully selected features that make it perfect both for live performances and for guitar players who want to take their creativity to the next level.

The Ditto X2 not only added a dedicated Start/Stop button, but also included some awesome loop effects: Reverse, and Half Speed. These effects can also be combined to add an even more unique texture to your sound.

Another new feature we love is USB connectivity, which lets you save and load loops and even whole backing tracks to and from your computer. This simple looper pedal even includes an extensive backing track library from JamTrackCentral so you can create incredible musical atmospheres.

These effects are great for experimentation and helping make your one-person performances sound fuller and more realized.

Best Recording Time

A well-constructed looper pedal with enough memory to get you through any situation.
Why We Love It
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Long recording time
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Durable build
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Trusted Boss electronics

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 1
  • Dedicated stop control: No
  • Looping Time: 1.5 hours (1 track), 13 hours (total)

We all know Boss is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to pedals of all kinds, and they really knocked it out of the park with the Boss RC-5 Loop Station, the latest iteration of their iconic Boss looper pedal series.

The RC-5 Loop Station is not only an excellent practice companion, but it can also turn you into a one-person band all on its own. It has a whopping 13 hours worth of memory with a maximum single-track length of 1.5 hours.

It also has onboard memory for 99 Phrase Memories to either generate playback material onstage or to archive your practice loops, overdub guitar lines, or song ideas, plus USB import/export.

Not only that, but the RC-5 also comes with 114 built-in drum patterns and seven drum kits to add percussive accompaniment to your multiple loops.

The RC-5’s versatile pedal switch controls all looping functions—record, overdub, play, stop, and undo/redo. But for those of us who like a little more control over our looping, you can also connect up to two external footswitches for direct control of many assignable functions, or an expression pedal for continuous adjustments.

One of the most powerful looper pedals out there, for sure!

Best Under $200

MXR offers enough features to keep you busy, but simple enough controls for just about anyone to learn.
Why We Love It
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Great for live performance
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Durable build
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1/2- and 2x-speed playback

SPECS

  • Bypass: True or Buffered
  • Footswitches: 2
  • Dedicated stop control: Yes
  • Looping Time: 6 minutes

The M303 Clone Looper is MXR’s first foray into looper pedals and a superb choice for people who want a relatively compact pedal packed with features that can be as simple or complex as you need it to be. It's this flexibility that makes the M303 one of the best looper pedals money can buy.

With its 6 minutes of high-quality recording and its unlimited overdubbing, the M303 is a blank canvas of limitless possibilities for your sound. It also comes with 3 loop effects for those who like to play around with the speed of their loops.

Its double-speed effect plays your loop faster, raises it by an octave, and gives you 3 minutes of recorded time. Half-speed slows down your loop, lowers it by one octave, and gives you 12 minutes of recorded time. Finally, you can reverse your loop entirely for extra dramatic effects.

These features are enough on their own to rank the MXR Clone Looper among the best looper pedals on the market. For those looking to access this looper’s more advanced options though, you can connect an expression pedal or a tap switch for extra control over loop speed.

Its Play Once mode allows you to pull off smooth live performances and re-trigger your loop over and over again for a DJ-style stutter effect.

All of these quickly accessible features make the MXR a great choice for experimenting and performing live shows. Armed with this affordable little pedal, there's no doubt you'll be a musical force to be reckoned with!

Best Compact Pedal

A user-friendly looper pedal that is perfect for live shows, experimentation, and creatively expressing yourself in new ways.
Why We Love It
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12 minutes of looping time
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Audio reverse feature
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Onboard fade-out feature

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 2
  • Dedicated stop control: Yes
  • Looping Time: 12 minutes

The Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo is a compact pedal full of looping potential, amazing onboard features, and potential access to complete control over your loops without taking up too much space on your pedalboard.

The Electro-Harmonix 720 Stereo Looper offers 720 seconds (12 minutes) of impeccable-quality audio for use with stereo effects (or even use with multiple instruments) and unlimited overdubs. The loops are split into 10 individual loops that can be accessed via the Loop knob or an additional 3-button footswitch.

This extra 3-button footswitch can also be used to access the undo/redo functionality and the bank up/down controls, leaving the two onboard footswitches free to act as dedicated start and stop controls.

The 720 Stereo Looper also offers some effects for sonic experimentation, namely reverse and half-time modes, as well as loop fade-out mode, which is programmable to apply an automatic fade when playback is stopped.

Best for Experimentation

A one-stop shop for all your looping needs. Precise controls, long looping time, and powerful built-in effects.
Why We Love It
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3 hours looping time
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Robust controls
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Compatible with any DAW

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 3
  • Dedicated stop control: Yes
  • Looping Time: Up to 3 hours total

The Pigtronix Infinity Looper pedal series is a set of deceptively simple loopers that are actually packed with indispensable features. Whether you’re using them for practice, for a performance, or as your personal songwriter’s sketchbook, these features will become your best friend.

We’re going to focus on the Infinity 3, which is simple to operate, yet tremendously powerful and flexible. Simply put, it's one of the best looper pedals out there.

With approximately 3 hours of internal recording time on up to 50 loop pairs, the Infinity Looper was designed to inspire compositional depth and engaging performances.

Its state-of-the-art platform provides instantaneous recording, playback, dub, undo and redo, on two stereo loop pairs (or split mono loops) that can be played in series or parallel as well as synchronized and cued for automatic playback.

Each of the separate footswitches includes its own level control for added creative freedom while you play.

Rather than loops stopping abruptly when the Stop footswitch is pressed, the Infinity 3’s Cue Fade option introduces a steady fade-out until the end of the loop cycle.

Most Versatile

A drum machine and a looper pedal all in one. Who needs a drummer and rhythm guitarist?
Why We Love It
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Informative display
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16 drum kits included
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Trusted Boss electronics

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 2
  • Dedicated stop control: No, but it includes an external footswitch jack to add one
  • Looping Time: 6 hours

Combining song-based looping and organic, dynamic rhythms in a compact package, the RC-10R brings fresh inspiration to live performances, songwriting sessions, and daily practice. Its Boss stereo looper engine can handle up to 6 hours of recording time, with onboard storage for 99 phrase memories and 50 user rhythms.

The RC-10R covers nearly every genre (rock, pop, Latin, jazz, and electronic, to name a few!) with its 280 onboard rhythm tracks, each one including two unique sections: intro/ending fills, and two transition fills.

This versatile looper pedal can also function as a drum machine, with its sixteen versatile drum kits with high-quality sounds from the BOSS and Roland rhythm libraries.

For musicians looking for even more control, the RC-10R offers a jack for connecting up to two footswitches or a pedal for expression, providing extended control of stop, undo/redo, loop volume, and other functions.

This incredible versatility makes the RC-10R without a doubt one of the best looper pedals on the market.

Best "Band In A Box"

An innovative pedal that not only records your loops, but also creates its own musical accompaniments using AI-adjacent technology.
Why We Love It
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Smart self-teaching tech
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Loops save to SD card
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12 genre accompaniments

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 2
  • Dedicated stop control: No

The DigiTech Trio+ is not just a looper pedal: it’s one of the most powerful practice, writing, and performance tools you could ask for. It’s also a little bit different than all the loop pedals we’ve talked about so far.

The basis of this loop pedal is DigiTech's popular Trio technology that learns the chords and rhythm you’re playing and automatically creates drum and bass accompaniment. But that’s not all this compact little box can do!

The Trio+ offers 12 music genres to choose from—Blues, R&B, Rock, Alternative Rock, Metal, Pop, Electronic Pop, Hip-Hop, Country, Folk, Latin, and Jazz. Each genre also has 12 song styles for you to choose from, so your creativity is never boxed in.

The Trio+ pedal can learn up to five different song parts (intro, verse, chorus, bridge, and outro) and lets you combine them into a full song. It also has a headphone output with volume control to keep your practice time private.

The songs and sounds you create can be stored along with their loops on an SD card, with a storage of up to 12 songs with loops on the included SD card. To make it even easier to manage your songs and loops, free librarian software is available on the DigiTech website.

Best Under $100

A powerful looping pedal with a built-in tuner and beautiful LED display—all for less than a concert ticket.
Why We Love It
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Extremely affordable
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Up to 9 loops at once
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40 mins recording time

SPECS

  • Bypass: True
  • Footswitches: 1
  • Dedicated stop control: No
  • Looping Time: 10 minutes (1 track), 40 minutes (total)

The Lekato Loop Station is a generic looper made by Chinese manufacturer Lekato. This doesn’t mean it’s a low-quality pedal though—the Lekato Loop Station is actually the best looper pedal you can get at such an affordable price.

This pedal features 9 slots to store your favorite loops and backing tracks, with a single loop recording up to 10 minutes long, and a total recording time of 40 minutes. At a 48kHz/24bit sampling rate, the Lekato Loop Station offers clear looping with unlimited overdubbing and high-quality audio.

It’s also incredibly easy to use. You can Record, Undo/Redo, Stop, and Erase your loops via different foot commands on its single footswitch. Its single knob allows you to set loop playback volume.

Lekato knows that sometimes pedalboard space is at a premium, so their Loop Station comes with a built-in high-sensitivity tuner.

Best for a Big Budget

By far the best option if you want to fine-tune your loops and make them sound exactly how you want them to.
Why We Love It
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Touch screen interface
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Live track adjustment
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Seamless DAW compatibility

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 4
  • Dedicated stop control: Yes
  • Looping Time: 3 hours (mono), 1.5 hours (stereo)

The Aeros by Singular Sound is one of the most innovative looper pedals. With its colorful touchscreen and integrated scroll wheel that lets you mix individual tracks with your feet, the Aeros feels like a professional DAW in pedal form.

Ideal for creating complex and creatively rich soundscapes, the Aeros gives you the ability to create 36 unique loops per song, with six tracks and six song sections.

Its has many other useful features, such as simultaneous parallel and sequential looping, unlimited overdubs, and spectacular storage of 3 hours of mono and 1.5 hours of stereo recording time. This storage can be expanded to up to 48 hours with a separate SD card.

This pedal is ideal for musicians who want to turn their jam sessions into fully produced tracks with ease. You can also use the touch screen to adjust your mix live, which is an impressive feature as well.

Beautifully streamlined, this looper comes with four built-in footswitches with Singular Sound’s Comfort+ switch tops, which makes them super comfortable for stomping even in your bare feet.

With multiple inputs and outputs, the Aeros loop pedal is designed to complement your unique style and can be used with any instrument, for vocals, or to connect with other pedals.

Best for Simple Looping

A no-frills looper that is still a game-changer for DIY track recording or one-person shows.
Why We Love It
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Store/recall 99 loops
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Import/export via USB
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Very simple to operate

SPECS

  • Bypass: Buffered
  • Footswitches: 1
  • Dedicated stop control: No
  • Looping Time: 60 minutes

The Ditto+ is one of the smallest loopers on this list, and yet it packs a punch that you would expect out of a much larger pedal. As the successor of the Ditto Looper, the Ditto+ quickly rose through the ranks of the best phaser pedals on the market.

With 60 minutes of recording space, unlimited overdubs, and the groundbreaking Extended Loop Mode that lets you put longer overdubs on top of shorter loops by stacking the short ones together side by side, this straightforward looper gives you total creative freedom.

Even though the Ditto+ can be considered a basic looper pedal, it has the ability to store and recall up to 99 loop sessions and offers easy-track importing/exporting via USB.

Its high-resolution color display gives you real-time information on your guitar loops, as well as allows you access to your loop session library, enabling you to cycle through your tracks via two selection buttons.

Best Looper Pedal Buyer's Guide

Looping Capability

Regardless of what you want out of your looper, you should always consider its looping capabilities. Can you record and save your audio for later use? How much audio the pedal can store? What's the loop time? How many memory slots does it have?

These are the most important questions you should be asking yourself before buying a loop pedal.

Sound Quality

Most modern pedal manufacturers are extremely careful about the sound quality of their products, so you’re not very likely to find crappy looper pedals if you know which brands to look at.

All the brands we’ve covered in this article are guaranteed to offer high-quality sound, courtesy of their pure tone and bypass capabilities.

Price

Always remember that more expensive doesn’t automatically mean better. How much you should spend on a looper pedal will, of course, depend on your budget, but also on what you want your pedal to do.

We’ve covered some affordable pedals that are very simple and user-friendly. There are other, more gimmicky pedals that can cost a little extra, without leaving you completely broke.

If you find that you need—and want—all the bells and whistles that only the best of the best looper pedals have to offer, and you have the funds there’s no reason you shouldn’t go for it!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Where should you put a looper pedal in your signal chain?

As with any pedal, our recommendation is to just have fun with it and try experimenting with placing your new looper pedal on different spots in your chain.

Putting it at the end of your chain will ensure that all the effects you’re playing get looped. If there’s a particular effect you don’t want looped though, then just stick your looper pedal before that.

How much loop time do you need?

As you have seen on this list, the recording time on looper pedals can vary a lot. Some of them come with a looping time that is not expandable, yet others have the added benefit of an SD card slot for extra storage.

For most musicians, anything around 2 minutes of recording time per loop will be more than enough.

Make sure you’re also getting unlimited overdubs so you can make the most out of your loops.

What are some good uses for looper pedals?

The most well-known application for a looper pedal is creating your own song from scratch. You can start with some muted strums as the percussion, throw in some chords next, and then play a solo or melody on top of that.

Many high-profile artists such as Ed Sheeran and Reggie Watts have found success using looper pedals. They're a great way to get a full-band sound without a full band.

Some other pedals on this list include the applications as well, like built-in drum loops or atmospheric pads to fill out your song even more.

Finally, you can use some looper pedals to save or record your sessions and turn them into fully produced tracks in your DAW.

Conclusion

Looper pedals are really cool and fun additions to any pedalboard. Whether you’re using them for your private practice sessions, songwriting with friends, or full-on live performances, there is a looper pedal out there with your name on it.

If you want a safe bet, then look no further than the TC Electronic Ditto X2 Looper Pedal. It's our top choice thanks to its perfect combination of features and user-friendliness.

We hope this guide has given you a clearer idea of which of these excellent choices is the best looper pedal for you!

Photo Courtesy Sweetwater

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