Easton Stealth S9

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Coming soon

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

For the past few months I've been using an Easton Stealth S9 Pro. The only difference between the Pro and the retail S9 is that it doesn't have side or rear logos.

Fit - Tight squeeze - I'm a 7 1/4 hat size and this helmet (Large) had to be shoehorned onto my head. As it broke in it fit better.

Protection - Dual-density VN, other than that, sorry, not a crash-test dummy. N/A

Weight - Light - slightly lighter than a 4500 as it has less to the helmet. 9/10

Durability - Everything has been fine except for the chinstrap - broke it in my second game - attribute it to the chinstrap being soaked. Other than that, no problems to speak of with the helmet. 9/10

Intangibles - It simply doesn't handle sweat well - it's been years since I've used a strictly VN helmet, but I can't recall any of them handling moisture as bad as this one does. I cut out the front ports (where the honeycomb padding is - notice Zetterberg's helmet has been modified the same way) and I STILL can't feel an ounce of ventilation, and I shave my head. With the Intake, I could feel my head getting cold - not so much with this helmet. The result of this is buckets of sweat in my eyes - and my visor. I think the only solution is to wear a SkullCap. 2/10

Conclusion - I love the look, and it's got some really cool features (ability to flip up the ear loops, user-friendly screw system in the temples, single-screw adjustment system) but the only drawback for me is how it handles moisture. Other than that, it's priced right and should do well in the market. 8/10

Thanks goes out to those at Easton who made it possible for me to test the product early.

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Spoke to the Product Manager today and voiced my concerns about the ventilation/sweat issues - he said that I had gotten an early edition of the helmet, and that the later revisions were tweaked to deal with this problem. I should be getting a newer one in a month and will see if the sweat issues are improved.

[DetroitProducer 0]

I finally got my S9 bucket a few weeks ago and I love it. I agree with JR, the helmet doesn't handle sweat well. It's not terrible but it's not as good as my old Mission.

My only real concern was for my visor. My S9 is a medium and I felt like I was going to snap my visor trying to get the side screws to reach. I also can't go as close to the helmet as I could with the old one (I have that annoying gap at the top of my visor). I guess I'll just have to deal with the lights shining in.

That said, I still think it's an upgrade over my old helmet and I really like the low profile look/fit.

[ultraman7k 0]

Easton S9 helmet, sized Medium, Royal Blue.

Background: I had previously been using a Nike H0004, sized medium for the past few seasons, and figured it was time for new bucket with the 0004 developing cracks. The S9 definitely had the low profiled look I was looking for and was within the right price range. After reading a bit on the helmet here at MSH, I figured this was the way to go instead of getting another 4500 or 6k or something of that sort.

Now on to the review.

Fit: Initially the helmet fit fine, just like the H0004, I had to extend the helmet to the furthest setting. My Oakley Pro Mod visor went on with less problems than my 0004. While the fit is fine, it seems to have problems in game. The helmet is snug, no doubt about that, but about half way through games I have to take it off for a bit on the bench to relieve some pressure. I've tried carving out some foam near the back where the pressure is the most intense, but it seems to have little effect. Although it's been months since I've bought it, the pain is still there though not nearly as bad as when I first had it. I probably could have made the step up to a large size, but I don't think there's anyway of knowing unless you actually play a game in it as the pain simply isn't there initally. 8/10

Protection: Went full force into the goal post head first on a break away after I lost an edge one game and didn't feel a thing. 10/10

Weight: Probably the lightest helmet I've ever used (coming from Nike H0004 and Bauer 5000) 10/10

Durability Nothing to report here, helmet is in fine condition. 10/10

Intangibles: Ventilation is probably not what this helmet is known for. This thing holds sweat so bad I had to cut out the front honeycomb foam part to help out the air intake. Although it is much improved since making that easy 5 minute mod, I still feel it holds a lot of sweat in comparison to other buckets.

Also, the chin strap seems to get wetter than my 0004. Additionally, I hate the clip on the chinstrap, it's just plain awkward to clip as it seems to be of a lesser quality than my 0004. Thankfully I was able to swap those out no problem. The earloops are pretty neat in that they slide up and down to your desired height. I normally remove my earloop things, but it was just too much of a hassle and they are barely noticeable anyways. Adjustment on the helmet is a breeze, I remember fumbling with the screws on my NBH helmets, but this is as simple as unscrew, slide and screw. No hassle there. But, that being said, I love the look of this helmet, it has a real aggressive look to it. 7/10

Conclusion: Overall a solid helmet that suffers from a few problems, but they are easily dealt with. As far as I know I'm the only one that feels excessive pressure on the head part way through the game. Those looking for a low profile, aggressive looking helmet should definitely take a look at this one, though I think in retrospect I would have taken a closer look at the Mission Intake.

Final Score: 45/50 = 90%

[Cams 7]

Background - I have been using the S9 helmet (size L) for just over a year. The previous 3 helmets I wore (over a span of a couple years - see the following) were Bauer HH4000 series helmets (size M). All 3 helmets cracked on both halves of the shell where the sizing adjustment screws tighten down. Needed a new durable helment, and now I wear the S9.

Fit - As JR mentioned in the first post - I too found that this helmet fit very tight at first. Almost to the point of hurting my head. As I wore it, this went away, and now fits great. I have no issues with the fit. As with most hockey gear - break in usually makes things fit the way they should. 9/10

Weight - To me, the helmet is lightweight enough that once you have it on, there are no concerns with the weight. With a visor - it is pretty much the same as my old Bauers. 10/10

Protection - This is the area where you hope you don't have to truly "test" it. I had the unfortunate chance to test it, as I found a rut and crashed head/shoulder first into the end boards. No damage done, aside from a stiff neck! I have no qualms about this helmet not protecting me should I need it again for a similar situation. 10/10

Other Comments - I had an issue with the chin strap on my helmet as well. For me, it was impossible to snap it together. Probably a fault snap - as my LHS replaced the chin strap, and it now works fine. I would agree this helmet is not sweat friendly, but I do not find it to be too bad. I did not cut out the foam vents as others have, and now I am used to it. The size adjustment feature is great too - see my opening remark re: Bauer helmet. I did have a slight problem mounting my Itech half sheild - felt like I was going to almost snap it to get it to fit on right.

Conclusion - This is a very well designed helmet. Looks good, and fit and function are top notch. It is not a helmet where you will break the bank on either. For the price and protection provided - I highly recommend the S9. Overall 9/10 score.