Equipment: EQUIPMENT/BEGINNERS - Buyer's Guide and Advice

[tarheelhockey]

So I am thinking of starting to play hockey again, and was wondering what are the major differences between low and and high end protective equipment?

The biggest difference is cost

I agree with the above -- spend a little extra on helmet and skates. The rest is really inconsequential as long as it's comfortable. It's not like you're out there against Chara.

 

[Jarick]

Merged with the original equipment guide which was WAY too far down the forum. Feel free to ask any questions here.

 

[Glove Malfunction]

People looking to save on shin tape money, try out Velcro shin straps. They've served me quite well so far, and it's much more eco friendly.

You may also want to try Shin Tights. They're an elastic sleeve that fits over your shin pads and keeps them from slipping or sliding. I used to have issues with my shin pads chafing just above my knees (when I was reffing, and couldn't tape them up tighter). The Shin Tights solved that problem. no clips to break, and they're easily washable.

 

[AIREAYE]

IMO the pricepoint offering most long-term value for beginner protective equipment is going to be the line one step above the very bottom. These are your One60 pants, X:30 shins, 5K/6K gloves, EQ30 elbows etc. They're definitely good enough to protect from collisions and falling while having enough protection and durability to last your entire beer league career. Odds are, provided that you take good care of your gear and they hold up, an adult beginner player will never need to replace this set.

Obviously for skates/helmets, fit is paramount.

 

[neksys]

IMO the pricepoint offering most long-term value for beginner protective equipment is going to be the line one step above the very bottom. These are your One60 pants, X:30 shins, 5K/6K gloves, EQ30 elbows etc. They're definitely good enough to protect from collisions and falling while having enough protection and durability to last your entire beer league career. Odds are, provided that you take good care of your gear and they hold up, an adult beginner player will never need to replace this set.

Obviously for skates/helmets, fit is paramount.

Aireaye is the equipment guy around here and I'm pretty green still, but I'm gonna go ahead and agree with this in a big way.

When I got all new equipment this year I went one step up from the entry level in everything but my skates and helmet.

The only exception was my elbow pads - I bought the cheapest pair I could find, which were Eastons. My first fall, I hit my elbow and felt it in my funny bone. I replaced them with the EQ30 elbow pads and haven't felt a thing since.

You shouldn't skimp, but after a certain point you're not buying more protection, you're really buying more efficient protection (lighter, slightly better range of motion, more durable, etc.).

 

[BigDuke6]

IMO the pricepoint offering most long-term value for beginner protective equipment is going to be the line one step above the very bottom. These are your One60 pants, X:30 shins, 5K/6K gloves, EQ30 elbows etc. They're definitely good enough to protect from collisions and falling while having enough protection and durability to last your entire beer league career. Odds are, provided that you take good care of your gear and they hold up, an adult beginner player will never need to replace this set.

Obviously for skates/helmets, fit is paramount.

This is basically what I did when I bought all my gear last year. The only exception were helmet and skates. I didn't want to pay for top of the line and didn't want bottom of the line equipment, so I went one (sometimes two) levels up.

 

[hlaverty06]

I'm fifteen and will probably play next fall. I'm going to work on my skating, shots, and losing weight. Should I have an intermediate or senior stick? Thanks

 

[hockeymass]

I'm fifteen and will probably play next fall. I'm going to work on my skating, shots, and losing weight. Should I have an intermediate or senior stick? Thanks

How tall/heavy are you?

 

[neksys]

I'm fifteen and will probably play next fall. I'm going to work on my skating, shots, and losing weight. Should I have an intermediate or senior stick? Thanks

I'm using an intermediate stick and I'm 28. I'm 5'8", 173lbs, which on the face of it sounds like I should use a senior stick, but with my height once I cut the stick down to size its like a 100 flex.

I simply don't have the strength yet to use a 100 flex stick.

At some point I expect the intermediate stick will become too whippy for me but for now, its meeting my needs.

Maybe you are in the same boat if you are a short guy like me and aren't strong enough yet?

 

[hlaverty06]

How tall/heavy are you?

5'7" 215 but i'm losing weight in the next 8 months (Cause its been my dream to play hockey and i know im too heavy for age) so weight is subject to change as well as height

 

[Jarick]

You should probably use an intermediate. For reference I'm 5'8 195 right now and use 65 flex.

 

[hockeymass]

5'7" 215 but i'm losing weight in the next 8 months (Cause its been my dream to play hockey and i know im too heavy for age) so weight is subject to change as well as height

Agreed with Jarick. I'm 6'1" and I have my 77 flex cut down to my collarbone and it's between 90 and 95 I think? I'd have to check to see where exactly, but if you cut it to your size it will probably above 100 and may be too difficult to load well and your shooting will suffer. Go with the intermediate.

 

[cptjeff]

Agreed with Jarick. I'm 6'1" and I have my 77 flex cut down to my collarbone and it's between 90 and 95 I think? I'd have to check to see where exactly, but if you cut it to your size it will probably above 100 and may be too difficult to load well and your shooting will suffer. Go with the intermediate.

The lower the kickpoint, the less I agree with those calculations, even if the maker is the one putting them on there. Honestly, it really pisses me off how they make sticks- I'm best with a 75 flex stick, but I have to cut them down, driving them to 85ish. Intermediates I barely cut down, but they're at 65 or even 60, so they're too whippy.

So I use low kickpoint 75 flex.

 

[hlaverty06]

All of the sticks are like 57 inches and that's about an inch or two below my chin. That's too short right?

 

[AIREAYE]

All of the sticks are like 57 inches and that's about an inch or two below my chin. That's too short right?

To be honest, stick length is personal preference. Ideally, you should get a length that would allow you to shoot, puckhandle and pass effectively. Most people have lengths between nose and chin. There's another thread on this, so go check that out!

If you think INT sticks are too short, simply shave down a wood plug and insert it to lengthen the stick.

 

[michaelshu]

A couple of notes regarding women's gear.

Women's shoulder pads are absolutely worth it if you have any sort of a chest. Many brands now make women's pads in a relatively affordable range. I have I-Tech, I've seen CCMs recently that were nice and light. Look for ones that are adjustable in the front to most comfortably fit your shape.

Women's pants, eh. I have fairly wide hips, but I wear boys pants in a slightly larger size than my height/weight would indicate. the nicest thing I've found are those with two belts, because you can basically jury-rig them to fit the fact that you have hips. Getting them on is always a little bit of a dance, but that's hard to get around when things are built for straight up-and-down boys.

I have seen women's skates advertised, but I've never tried them. However, you will have to look long and hard for the right fit in men's skates. From an old AP article:

"Women have thicker ankles and calves, higher arches and narrower heels, Cavanagh said. "A woman with the standard foot size common to men and women would have about three quarters of an inch greater calf circumference, and that would be about a quarter of an inch higher," he said. "That is pretty much, if you have a narrow-fitting ski boot."

Also, women's ankles are about one-quarter inch closer to the ground, and men's big toes are a little thicker, Cavanagh said."

http://www.southernlimits.com/articles/researchers_study_womens_feet_rf.htm

The narrow heels thing can be a big issue in skates with the heel lock. Try on everything. I have RBKs that are as good as anything else I tried though the heel is slightly to big, but the exact same size in CCMs was painfully narrow in the front.

Also, shin guards will never wrap all the way around unless you're skinny. Goes with the wider calf thing. Elbows can be a little funky to find the right size since your biceps will not be nearly as big as a man's comparable to forearm size. Also, flex rules for men are going to be too stiff for you in general, since women do not have the same proportional upper body strength. Don't be afraid to try very tall junior sticks if you can find them or the whippiest intermediates you can find.

As far as undergear, there are compression shorts/loose short combos built specifically for women, and they're great. Wear a sports bra that's one size too small if you can breathe in it, as it will feel a long more controlled under all that gear.

Can I message you about women's equipment if you don't mind?

 

[Kritter471]

Can I message you about women's equipment if you don't mind?

Sure, go ahead.

 

[r3cc0s]

I don't think there is any: "empirical" proof that a high end helmet protects any better than your typical VN foam helmet

personally I love my vintage HT2, and my 692... my V10 helmet is sitting on my shelf, as I just prefer the fit of the VN foam to EPP

anyways...
beginners fall alot, don't move their feet, and fall on their own

that in itself, I would suggest that they don't buy "low-level" gear... in fact I'd be willing to bet that most people, like me, who grab the softie elbow pads and the "just-enough" shin pads, cheapo pants and who don't rock shoulder pads, aren't beginners (or are just poor)

I wear "just-enough" pants (Warrior Syko), no shoulders, One15 softie elbows, and 5030 shin pads... but I do spend my cash on my skates and my gloves as they truely affect my performance

for a beginner, I think i'd be prudent to get a decent pair of pants with a padded belt and good tailbone protection, reasonable shoulder pads (shouldn't have to worry about blocking shots, just enough to protect the clavicle and shoulder itself), and decent "hard-cap" elbow pads like a RBK 5k and shin pads that absorb a self-induced fall direct impact on the knee cap.
Actually, I'd say the One55 stuff all around is perfect for a beginner (no preference, just saying its available and usually on sale)

Gloves... well at the end of the day, the more expensive the glove, the better the feel, materials and time to actually become "usable".... the fit & the palm is so important to feel, and low end Nash feels nothing like a good Clarino and nothing is worse than a stiff glove with a terrible cuff.
only thing is, possible that the pu plastics will make a "high-end" glove heavier, but your hands and your feet are what actually play the game.

So... I say, beginners should rock mid-level protection and not worry about skates and should buy "decent" gloves (especially if they're commited to the game)
I also say, they should use a wood stick or a 2 piece with a wood blade to learn the feel of the puck, the feel of the pass and to better learn how to roll the puck off the blade for all releases.
A 2 piece wood stick is maybe even "preferable" as often times a short 47" shaft, can accomdoate butt end attachments/changes, and as such, they can learn what is comfortable (and they should start "short", but most people don't as they skate with straight legs)

Now, if you're not playing contact, and typically never fall under your own power, and known how to fall... buy whatever the heck is comfortable to you, and with that... unless you're playing in a very chippy league
Most guys I know will rock "just" enough to keep mobile and cool

the guys who walk into the change room with the full on UA litatard, NHL team jerseys and RBK 11k fresh off the shelf kit, is usually the worse player by a long shot...
usually the same guy who slams and breaks his brand new totalONE after he wiff's a wrister

 

[Skraut]

One suggestion about the mouthguard, check with your dentist. I had mouth impressions made, and had a custom mouthguard made for $20. Naturally it fits perfectly and stays in position unlike all of the "bite to form" ones you get in the store.

 

[mitch27]

I would love to see a break down like the OP but for goalie equipment.

 

[pelts35.com]

I would love to see a break down like the OP but for goalie equipment.

Go to goaliestore.com and check out the bulletin board. Any questions you have about goalie gear can be found there.

That said I appreciate what jarick has done here, but I don't necessarily agree that beginners should get the least expensive gear available. Sure you can cheap out in some areas, but just like I wouldn't wear the cheapest goalie mask on the ice, there is no way that I would step foot on the ice in a $50 helmet.

 

[Jarick]

There's no demonstrated difference in safety between $50 and $150 helmets. They all pass the same certifications in the US and Canada.

 

[AIREAYE]

There's no demonstrated difference in safety between $50 and $150 helmets. They all pass the same certifications in the US and Canada.

Correct. There have been studies shown that VN foam helmets are better for continuous, less-than-catastrophic impacts (which is a reason why you see them used in the NHL more than...) and EPP foam helmets are better for more dramatic impacts. That's about it as far as I know.

 

[Comeback40]

Even if you are a good skater, you'll have some falls, and the ice is hard. I went low end on the pants Bauer Vapor 20's, figuring, hey it's no check, I wish I paid the the extra 60 or 70 for some Supreme 180's. I landed hard on my hip on my second shift Wed, still hurts. BTW, I'll take any pants suggestions and info as to whether or not the higher end pants will, indeed, make a difference, or not.

 

[pelts35.com]

There's no demonstrated difference in safety between $50 and $150 helmets. They all pass the same certifications in the US and Canada.

I guess it's a matter of perception and how it feels. A $50 helmet to me does not feel as safe as a more expensive one. That said just because a cheaper helmet may barely pass safety certifications doesn't mean that i want to wear it. There are plenty of cheap goalie masks that are certified that i would never think about wearing on the ice.

That said a lot also depends on how often the beginner will be skating. If it's once a week then going cheaper may be ok, but if it's 3+ times per week then buying cheap gear will just mean that it will need to be replaced sooner than later. I made this mistake with my first set of goalie skates and would never make that mistake again.