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A simple cheap option that also offer great lightweight protection where it’s needed, is the CCM Tacks 9550 shoulder pads. great sternum protection, really low profile shoulder caps and a plastic spine protection.. It’s offered as an entry level pad, but in my opinion, it’s more than that. Specially if you have a little more body behind it.

Mine was bilateral BHR resurface with a posterior approach, I'd have preferred an anterior approach but no surgeon in my country does this (or if they did they were not skilled enough). I chose the BHR due to its track record and if and when it falls apart I then start again with a replacement. It was 3 months before I got back on the ice (the surgeon pleaded with me not to fall over as ideally it would take another 6 weeks before the hip socket had completely knitted around the implant), it was around 2 months after that before everything worked as it should so 5 months all up. Posterior approach comes with it's issues, the biggest is if the surgeon doesn't take enough care when putting the cut muscles back together, it can end up turning your toes inwards as he shortens the adductors that control this motion. But it allows for better access to the joints and therefore is easier to get the alignment of the inserts correct. I've had mine 10+ years, if you get to this point you will most likely have the joints for life. Once recovered, I never thought about them, skated as hard as I ever had. I'm still on the ice every day, hours at a time. Gluteal and hamstring tendinopathy is the biggest issue now (had it for the past 18 months), can't go as hard as I used to without pain killers. I suspect there may be some MoM issues but I had a full diagnostic review (MRI, dye injections and tracings) last year and the joints are fine so I've just got to live with it, my surgeon told me to stop thinking I was 20 years old instead of approaching 60, lol. Good luck with your recovery and getting back on the ice.

My 50% order arrived yesterday. I had tried a pair of the Surgeon RX3 elbows, the RX3 shins, and the RX3 shoulder pads. Initial thoughts: Shipping was very fast, build quality on all the product seems quite good on first inspection, and sizing strikes me as consistent with the charts on the site (and also fairly consistent w/other manufacturers, which is huge given that there gear can't be tried on in stores). That said, I have mixed feelings about the pads themselves. Elbows: my favorite of the bunch. Quite flexible and more comfortable than anything I've tried on other than Warriors. And, unless I'm mistaken, they're a bit shorter than the Warriors, which is a plus for anyone worried about potential issues w/glove mobility. I particularly liked the 360 strap on the forearm, although I do have some worries about how the sleeve will hold up. Shoulders: These were the big disappointment for me. I was hoping for something a bit more protective than 5030s or one of the "classic" pads, but that still was light, comfortable, and flexible. They were light and relatively low-profile, but I didn't find them particularly comfortable or flexible. Something about the way the shoulder caps were attached made it uncomfortable for me to raise my arms. Shins: Unfortunately, these are going to be a return for me. They're light, relatively low-profile, and seem quite protective. Fit was solid, but to OldCY's post, the calf pads are massive. I have skinny calves, but the calf pads are huge and quite inflexible, so I only would recommend for folks w/larger calves or who would be untroubled by a pad that sticks out substantially in back.

So the Quad 0.5 is such a smooth and easy profile to skate on. It’s not too extreme in any way. If you like a 9.5/10.5, you will like the Quad 0.5 even more. If someone wants to try a Quad 0 or 1 and they have never skated on one before and and not a top level skater, I usually recommend the Quad 0.5. It really makes everything easier, without any downsides. And the OMNI Quad 0.5 from Blackstone is ever smoother that Prosharps. Blackstone’s is smoothly blended (gradually changing) from 8’ to 14’ from the toe to heal. So no transition points that’s all I use.