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With protective especially, there is no “best.” At some point you are trading degrees of breathability and movement and weight for protection. So, you gotta figure out how to configure those different things that work for you. Think of it like creating a character in a video game. You have an allotted number of points, so you can’t just put every category at 100. If you want lighter, they’ll be slightly less protective, etc It’s been a while since I wore CLs, and everyone liked them, but it’s not like you’re gonna put them on and be like “oh, these are clearly noticeably better than everything else and it was worth paying $200 for a used pair of 10+ year old shoulder pads, plus all the time I spent looking for them.” Rather than thinking about “THE BEST,” the about “these are fine.” Get something that does its job and you don’t notice them much, and spend the money on sticks or drugs or something fun. Protective stuff generally won’t improve your game like sticks or skates might*. Just find something you can be content with and don’t overthink it. *these really don’t either, but let’s pretend.

First let me say this is a never ending journey. You'll think you found the perfect pair then a season later something will pique your interest and you'll try something different and be on the hunt all over again only to return to your previous "favorite" and find it's not as good as you remember lol it's an evil cycle. I've been through a bunch but tend to prefer the U+/CL/RBZ line, never tried Jetspeeds or QL's. I've had some Ultra Tacks and they were nice but didn't breathe as well and I didn't like how boxy the shoulder caps were, they had like a ledge to them. CL's were the best overall as far as lightness and comfort but their caps are just so big (which is why I never tried QL's or Jetspeeds since they have the same caps). I tried Vapor 2X Pro and 3X Pro, the 3X Pro was the better of the two and was super light and breathable but just felt awkward when I wore it, the caps or something kept feeling like they were hitting stuff when I moved (also the caps felt like they'd break in pieces if I touched them wrong which is just how Vapor caps are). I tried Stark at one point, wasn't a big fan. Tried STX, they didn't stay in place very well. U+ ones are awesome and havre the best cap/bicep combo but they don't breathe as well as the CL's. Right now I'm wearing CL's with U+ caps, best of both worlds, they're light, mobile, and breathe really well, ansds the caps are much more low profile (they're not the prettiest since I'm not the greatest with a sewing awl but they do the trick lol).

Never seen those before! Cool recommendation.

Agreed, “best” is definitely relative. It seems the consensus everywhere I look is that CLs>everything else. Can’t find a damn pair anywhere though!

‘Best’ is all relative, right? Do you want protection, breathability, etc. I went through this journey years back. At the time I ended up with CCM QLT shoulders. I liked the breathability and profile. They had enough protection for beer league and wouldn’t have prevented the shoulder tear I got wearing them. I wore them for 4-5 years before moving into CLs. Preferred the CLs for moisture wicking and felt the breath ability was about the same, if not slightly better, than the QLT. When the FT4 line came out they were pitched as true replacements for the CL line. Unfortunately I tried the FT4 Pros and got rid of them almost immediately going back to CLs. For me, the FT4s simply did not breathe nearly as well as the other pads and that’s my primary concern. When the FT6 line launched and I found a pair of FT6 Pros for half price I figured why not. IMO CCM improved ventilation significantly compared to the FT4 line and that’s not accounting for the aer-tec part. I sold the CLs and these are now my primary shoulder pads. So for me and my ‘best’, the FT6 Pros and CLs fit the bill. I wouldn’t pay retail price for them, but if you can get them at a discount, they’re well worth it