Thigh Boards.

[IniNew 51]

Hey, I am getting around to investing in some goalie gear, brand new goalie, played on shoes in roller with borrowed pads and I want to take it to ice!

On to the topic, I have found some pads on ebay for cheap (hoping they stay that way, but probably wont) and the desciption states that it has no thigh boards, but the tie ins for them (I assume). My question is, can I purchase any thigh boards and put them on there or do I need to match the brand/model.

[Law Goalie 147]

Any brand will work, but I'd strongly advise against them. As knee-protection they're far from a safe bet, as 'cheaters' to help seal the 5-hole they're unreliable, and they tend to get in the way and restrict movement more often than not. A pair of stand-alone knee-pads, or one that lace into the bottom of your pants would be much better.

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

I'd also advise against thigh boards. If you don't have anywhere to tie into your pants, you could get some knee protectors that tie into the pads, yet go under your pants so they don't get in the way like the boards would.

[IniNew 51]

Awesome, that's actually reassuring that they're recommended against, since they arent included with the pads. (And I think the standalone knee protectors are a bit cheaper).

[Oykib 0]

I have worn pads with and without them. The Tie-ins are a piece of Jenpro (Usually) is sewed near the top of the pad with holes for thigh boards to be tied in.

[Justin Liedloff 13]

Any brand will work, but I'd strongly advise against them. As knee-protection they're far from a safe bet, as 'cheaters' to help seal the 5-hole they're unreliable, and they tend to get in the way and restrict movement more often than not. A pair of stand-alone knee-pads, or one that lace into the bottom of your pants would be much better.

For once Law and I disagree. I have used every form of knee protection available, from laced in to pads to laced into pants. None of them offered as much comfort or protection that I expect.

Since I switched for my first set of pads with thigh boards, TPS Countours (6 or 7 years ago) I have never looked back. I have never had any of the problems that seem to be associated with thigh boards. They have never gotten caught under my pants, and I personally don't consider them "cheating" since they are no wider than my leg when in the down position.

If you are playing in a beer league, and regulations don't matter, I say go for the thigh boards.

[hamstercaster 2]

I'm now a retired goalie but I have used thigh boards and wraps on three different pairs of pads.

Itech 9.8

Eagle Fusion

Don Simmons 994

I have taken the thigh boards and wraps off those three sets after a few games as they did not work for me. They ended up getting caught in my pants or I ended up getting hit on the knee by a puck that was able to find a hole in my "defense system". Knee guards are IMO offer much better knee protection and add a bit of padding for when you are dropping down in the bfly to make a save. It's important to find a knee guard that will fit and can be adjusted properly. You may want to check the website of Protective Athletic Wear and have Sarah make you a custom pair of knee guards. They will cost you around 55$ US shipping included.. or maybe a bit more if you have to pay taxes. They will be made to your specifications and thus should fit the way you intend them to fit. She makes a very solid product and is spoken very highly of on other forums as well.

[Law Goalie 147]

Any brand will work, but I'd strongly advise against them. As knee-protection they're far from a safe bet, as 'cheaters' to help seal the 5-hole they're unreliable, and they tend to get in the way and restrict movement more often than not. A pair of stand-alone knee-pads, or one that lace into the bottom of your pants would be much better.

For once Law and I disagree. I have used every form of knee protection available, from laced in to pads to laced into pants. None of them offered as much comfort or protection that I expect.

Since I switched for my first set of pads with thigh boards, TPS Countours (6 or 7 years ago) I have never looked back. I have never had any of the problems that seem to be associated with thigh boards. They have never gotten caught under my pants, and I personally don't consider them "cheating" since they are no wider than my leg when in the down position.

If you are playing in a beer league, and regulations don't matter, I say go for the thigh boards.

Fair enough - and for the record, I only single-quoted 'cheaters' because some people do consider them in that light, as a sort of backup-pad that sticks out at 90-degrees behind the thigh-rise. For beer league, I could care less - I just personally find they're more trouble than they're worth. On the other hand, some people find that knee-pads slip down.

I think it's safe to say that if you like a snug elastic knee-lock, knee-pads probably won't work; if you prefer a more open knee, they can work wonders.

[RonLopez 0]

I've used pads with and without them and to be honest, I find them to be a big nuisance. Even back before they were made illegal, I've taken them off of every pair of pads I've owned. I use a pair of Brown 2000 knee pads. Very slim and mobile with decent (not great) protection.

[Justin Liedloff 13]

Fair enough - and for the record, I only single-quoted 'cheaters' because some people do consider them in that light, as a sort of backup-pad that sticks out at 90-degrees behind the thigh-rise. For beer league, I could care less - I just personally find they're more trouble than they're worth. On the other hand, some people find that knee-pads slip down.

I think it's safe to say that if you like a snug elastic knee-lock, knee-pads probably won't work; if you prefer a more open knee, they can work wonders.

Fair enough Law. I've used the add-on style knee pads in the past (D&R GK-10) and found that no matter what I did, they slid down during play. I've also tried both style Cooper (Bauer) knee pads with similar results. The thigh guards that laced into pads (think Heaton 3 & 4 series) were OK at protecting the thigh, but there was a huge gap in protection right where the thigh guard met the leg pad itself.

In my opinion, the single biggest reason most people got rid of their thigh boards (aside from those mandated by USA Hockey / Hockey Canada) was because they always got caught up in their pants. I attribute this to a major oversight on the part of the manufacturers. They all shipped their thigh boards with nylon straps with either a quick connect, or velcro fastener.

This nylon is the exact reason why so many thigh boards ended up getting caught up on something. There was no give, you only had so much slack before the thigh board had to move with the rest of the pad. This is also the reason why I personally saw so many pairs of pants with wear holes on the thighs from the thigh boards rubbing. By simply swapping elastic for the nylon, the whole thigh board / pad / pants area would have been able to mesh without things getting caught up.

I've had that exact thing done on every set of thigh boards, and I suspect that is why I may be the exception to the rule.

EDIT: I almost forgot. I realize that knee guards have come a long way since the styles I mentioned above. I will admit that I haven't used any of the newer style guards (the original Vaughn 6000 had piqued my interest), and they may very well have addressed the sliding issue, or the gaps in coverage. I would have loved to try any of the newer guards, however, they simply wouldn't fit with knee braces I had to wear in order to play. Perhaps, since thigh boards were my only real option, I found a way to make them work for me without any of the issues that others faced.