shinguards--why pay more?

[cause4alarm 7]

So what's the difference between a $20 pair of shinguards and a $160 pair? As far as I can tell, the standard material that even the cheapest shinguards are made of will reasonably protect against pucks and sticks. I'm also skeptical how the top-of-the-line offers substantially better protection against hyperextension when they still only secure on one side of the knee (the bottom as opposed to both top and bottom).

I'm mostly concerned about significant lateral impacts (bodyweight-force coming from the outside and making your knee shift and flex unnaturally sideways), and there doesn't look like there's anything on the market that specifically protects against that. Does anybody know otherwise?

[Keith 0]

I have a giant, red blunt impact scar on my right knee to stand as testament to how crappy cheap shinguards are. Cheap shingurds fall apart like nothing too.. Seriously, why skimp on your knees? Leg injuries are ridiculously painful and debilitating.

[yipperzz 28]

which ones are you looking at in particular?

i had two pairs of crappy shin guards (i didn't think it was worth it) and had two knee injuries from falling directly on my knee. one injury (on the crappiest pair) happened because it didn't have me enough padding. the other injury happened because somehow the shinguard shifted slightly and i fell directly on my knee onto the ice.

after the last injury i figured it was time to get some better pads. i was looking at the rbk's and didn't want the bulkiness of the 8k (and the price) so i went and got the 5k's. i've taken multiple hits from pucks and don't feel a thing. and i've even fallen on the same place on my knee and it felt very good. it also has 3 straps if you don't tape them up. i recommend getting a good pair to all my friends now after my experience.

[cause4alarm 7]

I have a giant, red blunt impact scar on my right knee to stand as testament to how crappy cheap shinguards are. Cheap shingurds fall apart like nothing too.. Seriously, why skimp on your knees? LEg ijuries are ridiculously painful and debilitating.

I have a teammate who recently purchased the Nike V14s, and he's convinced that he'll be saving thousands by preventing knee surgery. I, on the other hand, own a pair of Itech Kinetix 4, which are modest, but I was otherwise completely happy with them.

I've had a minor knee injury in the past from the situation described in my first post. Basically my knee shifted and caved inwards from the side, and about every 2 or 3 years, an occasional freak hit will cause it to slip in the socket again and overstretch the ligaments.

It's not a matter of me not willing to shell out the extra dough--if I have to buy high-end stuff to protect my knees, then I will. With my teammate's advice echoing in my head, I went to my LHS to check out the expensive stuff.

I found the CCM Pro Tacks straps to be FAR less secure than my current pair. The only other top model they had were the RBK 6Ks, which fit pretty securely, but I'm not convinced that I'm really getting much more protection for my money. Plus, I've only had my current shinguards for only a year, so replacing them so soon feels like I'm just throwing money away (which wouldn't be so bad if I hadn't just bought the Pro Tacks pants only to realize that I prefer my old mid-level Supras).

For the life of me, I'm still not seeing what features on the $100 shinguards would protect against lateral hyperextension.

Any recommendations on particular shinguard models?

[cause4alarm 7]

which ones are you looking at in particular?

i had two pairs of crappy shin guards (i didn't think it was worth it) and had two knee injuries from falling directly on my knee. one injury (on the crappiest pair) happened because it didn't have me enough padding. the other injury happened because somehow the shinguard shifted slightly and i fell directly on my knee onto the ice.

after the last injury i figured it was time to get some better pads. i was looking at the rbk's and didn't want the bulkiness of the 8k (and the price) so i went and got the 5k's. i've taken multiple hits from pucks and don't feel a thing. and i've even fallen on the same place on my knee and it felt very good. it also has 3 straps if you don't tape them up. i recommend getting a good pair to all my friends now after my experience.

In all my years of playing hockey (over a dozen), I've never considered falling on my knee to be a hazard. The only time I think I've ever come down with any force directly on my knee would be during those skating drills where you drop on the blue lines. So pretty much, I have never experienced any type of pain from that and am completely unaware that that is any kind of serious danger.

My teammate (who I mentioned above), on the other hand, seems to be concerned with this. I asked him how he tests whether or not a pair of shinguards are up to his standards and one of his trials involves dropping to his knees to see if he feels any pain.

As for a shifting shinguard, my Kinetix 4 straps tighten as securely as hockey tape. They won't rotate around my leg unless I apply an amount of force that would almost be equivalent to ripping my skin off.

[ultraman7k 0]

i'm wearing these basic easton octane shins right now that i got when i first started playing...when i go down on one knee...i feel a shock go up, and some pain.

heading over to the lhs when i have time to find new pair of shins.

[althoma1 575]

The better shin guards have more cushion before you bottom out and there's just more protection overall. I used to wear some cheap shin guards and with the one I took a hard slap shot to the shin and the plastic actually stabbed my shin pretty deep - I still have a little scar there. Another time I slammed into the boards hard and my knee ended up so swollen I couldn't play for about a month...nothing was torn or broken, but I think if I had better protection at that time I may not have missed any games.

I now wear the Nike V-14s and feel the protection is good without the pads being too bulky or heavy. I don't think any shin guard will fully protect against significant lateral impacts...I was wearing pretty good shin guards when on a partial breakaway a few years ago and when I slowed up to make a pass to a teammate who was streaking in from the other side the guy chasing me decided to dive at my legs and landed on the side of my leg...which did cause a serious sprain and partial tear that put me out of action for about 2 months. I really don't think any shin guard could've prevented that.

[cause4alarm 7]

A side question about the knee donut--how important is it? When I tried a few pairs with knee donuts, I found that my knee wasn't exactly nestled deep in it. Being that the attachment points for the shinguards are two or three straps solely on the one side below the knee cap, in most cases, my knee cap was just grazing or resting aside the donut (which was sometimes even slightly askew), not in it.

By the way, my shinguards have a pseudo knee donut. It's got a shallow semi-circular stitching pattern around the top of where it contacts the knee. I'm not sure if it's protecting me or if it's just aesthetics.

[cause4alarm 7]

For those who didn't specify, what models were those crappy shinguards you were wearing when you got injured?

[DarkStar50 679]

The Kinetix 4 sg are ok, for now. I would wait until they are worn out/stinky/etc to replace them if you want to get your money's worth. I think what the guys are saying is you may not "see" the difference in top end shin pads but you will "feel" the difference on ice. I also have V-14 sg and think they are great. Whatever top end sg you choose, it has to fit well to your leg to perform. That is what I would look for down the road. The differences in protection among the models will not be that big so go with fit. Since you are new to MSH, you will see that guys here are into gear in a big way because players want performance from their gear. So, get great skates that will improve and help your skating, they are worth it. Get a great helmet that fits properly, concussions suck and will ruin your life off the ice. And get great shin pads because if your knees or legs are banged up from a crappy pair of shin pads, you can't skate and that $50 you saved you lost in playing time. And I would rather play than save $50.

[hockeyherb 1]

I have the Bauer 4000 I think. They're certainly not high end but they're still 10x better than what I used to wear years ago so I'm happy. I'm sure you'll be fine with a mid range pair which you could think of as being good 'value' - ie. compromise on quality and price.

Even the $150 pairs won't prevent some freak thing from happening but you don't want a really cheap pair that will not prevent injuries from more common occurences like falling or taking shots to the shin pad.

[technophile 0]

I'm mostly concerned about significant lateral impacts (bodyweight-force coming from the outside and making your knee shift and flex unnaturally sideways), and there doesn't look like there's anything on the market that specifically protects against that.  Does anybody know otherwise?

I have no idea what they're called, who makes them, or what they cost, but there's a player on my team who has absolute tanks for shinguards. The kneecap is hinged to the shin guard using hinges that look like they came off one of those heavy-duty knee braces. I'll ask him next time we play (a week from Saturday IIRC) what they are.

There's another player on my team who wears knee braces (with hard, hinged splints on the sides) under his guards; I wear the soft style knee braces under mine (dislocated a knee once, so now I take precautions).

[ctaz 0]

I think it depends on the level of hockey you're playing, but for the most part any shin guards mid range or better should be fine.

I have taken many shots from point blank range as well as been slashed in the shins and not felt a thing thanks to my Franklins (might be 5700 or a step below that) unfortunately I can't remember the model of them. They look like there is almost nothing to them, but they sure don't protect like it. I've been taken down, while going full speed and slid into the boards knee first and not felt a thing.

[Kavik 0]

Yeah, for the most part it depends on what level your playing at. I've been using the same pair of shin pads for about 2 and 1/2 years now. Old Easton ultralites. Havn't let me down yet. One strap missing, bottom sewing torn off...still going on strong. No pain whatsoever. I am looking at the Nike V-14's though. Anyone have any opinions on that pad?

But a $150 pad vs. a $90 that may or may not perform the same, protect the same...when your not sure, go for comfort. My 2 cents.

[althoma1 575]

cause4alarm Posted on Mar 10 2006, 03:45 AM

  For those who didn't specify, what models were those crappy shinguards you were wearing when you got injured? 

An old pair of Coopers when I crashed into the boards hard and Vic Airflows when the plastic actually stabbed me in the shin when blocking a slap shot.

[volaju 0]

the other injury happened because somehow the shinguard shifted slightly and i fell directly on my knee onto the ice.

This happened to me on sunday, only I managed to fall on both knees. I didn't think it was necessary to wear my bigger shin guards because I was playing roller, so I used my crappier, like, $15 ones. But yeah, they shifted when I fell and the brunt of the impact came on my (already injury-prone) knees. Very painful.

[jjtt99 0]

I am of the firm opinion that you should always get the best equipment that you can afford. I too learned lessons the hard way that skimping on equipment is not a wise decision.

[Shark #61 0]

You don't necessarily have to shell out on a current model of shin guards at $100+ in order to get great protection... I picked up a set of 2003 (I think) Itech 1055 TechLites for $55 on closeout in 2004 and they are probably the best shin guards I've ever worn - durable, good straps, and absolute tanks when it comes to falls and impacts.

But just to reiterate what everyone else has said - make sure they fit correctly, as no matter how much they cost it's no good if they don't fit and don't move with you properly...

[ultraman7k 0]

picked up a pair of rbk 7k shins from my lhs today. oh man, these feel phenomenal compared to my old easton octanes....so much more padding and the fit is 10x better even though it hasn't broken in yet...doesn't shuffle around....

i can't wait to try these guys out!

[EBondo 233]

I consider shin guards to be one of the most important pieces of equipment to me. After three knee injuries in two years, including two dislocated right patellas, and a bruised left knee, I've gotten better-padded shin guards. I was using CCM 652's last year, when I was skating up the ice. I was hit on my left side, and as all my weight was on my right leg, I was hit knee-to-knee and out the patella popped. Missed 3-4 months of action. This year, wearing Jofas, I was hit after a faceoff, and my knee popped out again, but I only missed a game. I was hit knee-to-knee with a pair of Bauer Vapor shinguards, and only suffered a bruise and was able to play the rest of the game. Since then, I wear braces on both knees, under my shin guards. Being 15, this has become a major problem, as my knees still give out on me. I wear more protective shinguards now (the Vapors I have) and they have worked well for me.

[hockeysew 0]

:P I've got a pair of Jofa's ( cant remember which model) about 6rs old and the best shins I've had-really good for preventing hyper-extension and they were 60$ at the time-one of the best $ spent ever to me

[LetsGoWings13 0]

The only cheap shin guards that ive seen that dont seem cheap are the mission m-2's. I have a pair and they feel very protective and ive fallen on my knees and came into the boards hard and blocked some hard shots with them and i felt nothing and they were only $30.00. If you wanna go very expensive tho my 8000s that i use for ice are very nice even tho they are slightly on the bulky side.

[nate 0]

I have bauer vapor 4s and have had no real problems. Ive had them for about 5-6 yrs and I cant play with anything else. They smell pretty bad so I thought I'd buy some new ones. I bought the bauer 8090s and did not like the bulk at all. They did not feel very good on the ice it seemed like their was too much padding. I went back to my old vapor 4s and still love them.

[hockeyherb 1]

We should stop this thread. All these bad knee and leg stories are giving me the willies! :o