shoulder pad cap designs

[cause4alarm 7]

As far as I can tell, most shoulder pads can be segregated into two types.

One has a separate bicep sleeve and an independent shoulder cap that can move freely from the sleeve. (Are these referred to as "floating" shoulder caps?)

The other has the shoulder cap and sleeve built together. You can see these on Sher-Wood 5030s.

(I don't know what category CCM Vectors fall under.)

Most contemporary pads are the former design while the latter design is more prevalent in older pads.

Aside from the fact that Sher-Wood 5030s are consider an "old" style, used primarily by non-check adult league players, and are sold at bottom-of-the-line prices, is there conclusive evidence or reasoning that this design is substantially inferior to the two-piece design?

[evor1 6]

well protection aside it seems to me that the pads with the seperate sleeve/shoulder cap will offer more mobility in the arms. but i cant compare to the single piece kind since ive never used them.

[duch 0]

I believe your observations are correct. I can't see a traditional shoulder pad like the Sherwoods being as protective as a top of the line Reebok/Jofa shoulder pad or Bauer Supreme shoulder pad. The hard caps give you substantially more shock dispersion in a hit deflecting the impact around the shoulder joints into the meater muscle tissues thereby protecting the joint.