Girdles Shmirdles

[kingofnooyork 30]

What are the 2 most popular girdles used in the NHL today?

[althoma1 574]

Based on casual observation (pictures, dressing room segments ect.) I'd say the RBK 9K followed by variants of the Bauer Supreme. Warrior Projekt may be third.

[kingofnooyork 30]

Do you have any images of the Supreme style pants?

Reason i ask is i have the Reebok 9k now. Been using it 2-3 times a week for about a year and it's falling apart on me. Great girdle, but not shelling out 200 for another one if it only lasts a year. Total One looks ok but I had the vapor a few years ago and it fell apart too. Warrior projekt looks comfy but afraid of the durability as well. Wanna get at least 2 years out of next one.

[althoma1 574]

The Supreme style I'm referring to is like the Total One. It's basically the same style as the One95 and One90 girdles before it, but with different colours. The NXG added vent armour and a shell, but is also a Supreme wrap girdle - so I'd lump all those girdles into the same category.

I personally use a Warrior Projekt (retail, not pro-stock. I've seen pro versions and they're very similar, but have thicker padding) and have had it for over two years. I did have the stitching around the waist reinforced in a couple areas and replaced the too short stock belt, but other than that they've held up quite well.

[kingofnooyork 30]

Do you feel that the Warrior one has enough protection? I like the 9k because it's like a suit of armor. Couple times i went down with the Vapor and i definitely felt it. Would be curious to see if i can get my hands on a pro-stock Projekt.

[althoma1 574]

The Projekt has enough protection for my needs (mid-level beer league, casual pickup ect.). I haven't used or handled a 9K, but it looks more protective in images. I think the retail Projekt would likely be lighter and more mobile than the 9k, but you'd give up a little protection.

[mc88 160]

Not sure if this will help... but I've tried both a 9K and one95 girdle (pretty popular in NHL)

RBK 9K -- great protection, great mobility, but the biggest downfall was that the waist seemed to fit too loose for me... no matter how tight I tried to tie it, it just kept sinking down. I think it had to do with the fact that there are only front straps for the lower leg paddings, so you get some pulling in the front of your waist.

one95 -- great protection, awesome fit from waist to lower legs, but the biggest downfall was the mobility. I felt that the leg openings were a bit too small/too tight overall (they couldn't go over the shin guards), so my pants kept getting stuck in the shin guards. Most likely this is just a length issue since I'm much smaller, 5'8", than the average NHLer. Perhaps they were just made to cover the gap from waist to above shin guard and not actually go over them, but I'm not too sure.

Either way, I went back to pants! Too much maintenance!

If you're looking for some RBK 9K girdles, usually they're sold for about $100-$175, depending on condition. They pop up every once in awhile... and usually at the end of the NHL season. I can't say where you can find them, but if you search around google for pro stock forums, there are usually some being sold on there.

[kingofnooyork 30]

Thanks for the info. Surprised to hear 9k was more mobile than supreme. 9k feels like a tank when i first started using them.

[althoma1 574]

I wear my girdle so it overlaps with the top flap of the shin guards, but not the actual hard caps. I believe that's the correct fit for a girdle. It sounds like mc88 was wearing a pair of One95s that were too long in the thigh for him and maybe a smaller size would've worked better.

Having said that, I did try on a total one NXG girdle when they first came out (in both a large and XL) to compare to my Warrior Projekt (L) and the NXG felt bulkier and more restrictive compared to the very light and mobile Projekts. That may translate into more protection, but I love the mobility of the Projekt and they provide all the protection I've required.

[Vet88 673]

I have the CCM pro and shell, 9k and shell, X60 with an S19 shell. The X60 is the lightest in padding, I use that for inline. I really like the 9k but it's fiddly to fit. I've had mine for 18 months and it's held up well but I continually worry about the attachment between the waist and the leg guards. My #1 choice is the CCM pro (black in colour, not the blue colour version), great all round protection, flexibility and when the shell is attached to the girdle by the buttons, the combo works just the same as a pant.

I've also tried the NXG girdle but didn't see any great need to purchase it over the ones I have.

[hawkeyfan 36]

It looks to me that girdles are disappearing from oem catalogs. I switched to a girdle this year. I picked up a NOS Bauer that looks like the old cooperall girdle. It is snug, but stays in place and it was much cheaper than the new nxg. The best part it covers my hip well which was a weak spot of my old shorts.

[kingofnooyork 30]

It looks to me that girdles are disappearing from oem catalogs. I switched to a girdle this year. I picked up a NOS Bauer that looks like the old cooperall girdle. It is snug, but stays in place and it was much cheaper than the new nxg. The best part it covers my hip well which was a weak spot of my old shorts.

Yeah hips are my biggest concern. What's NOS?

[MyBoxersSayJoe 132]

Yeah hips are my biggest concern. What's NOS?

New-Old Stock.

[kingofnooyork 30]

Picked up the Total One girdle. Tried it at pickup last night. Extremely mobile feel great, hopefully durable. Didnt take any spills last night but protection feels different. Definitely a huge difference from the 9k reebok girdle in terms of mobility. I almost feel naked with the total one. There are definitely some protection gaps on the total one that are not in the 9K but overall I'm happy i switched so far.