Goal equipment change

[brm3977 0]

I have always used reebok goal equipment and I am curious about other brands. Its almost time for me to start looking for new equipment and was curious if any other brands may be better. I am a butterfly goalie and am happy with reebok, but am open to testing new brands especially Vaughn. Was wondering what you guys thought or if you had any advice. Thanks

[LivHockey84 0]

if you really like the reebok feel then look into the bauer total one line of gear.

[camhockey16 5]

i have vaughn equipment and i keep looking at smith equipment.. but thats just me

[Justin Liedloff 13]

If you are happy with the Reebok gear, and want to keep a consistent feel, why are you looking at other brands? :facepalm:

[Law Goalie 147]

Justin's definitely got a sound point -- if it works, don't tinker -- but there are options out there for trying before buying.

For brm and Cam equally, Pete Smith (smithhockey.com) offers a 'test-drive' program for his 6000-series pads and gloves. You get a demo set for a couple of weeks (I believe) which is plenty of time to get a feel for them.

For brm especially, the Smith pads will give you a very good look at a different class of pad design. One of the signatures of Michel Lefebvre's Reebok designs is the round medial roll: the half-tube of foam on the inside edge of the pad that sits on the ice in the butterfly. Smith, on the other hand, pioneered a different kind of square medial construction with the Velocity series for Vaughn. The Smith and Reebok pads are both 'butterfly pads' -- all modern pads are -- but they will feel quite different in the butterfly. I'd highly suggest checking them out.

Beyond that, many high-end goalie shops will offer demo programs with major brands.

[brm3977 0]

Reebok are the only pads ive ever had, just curious how some other brands are to see if maybe they may be even better for me.Just an inquiry.

[Law Goalie 147]

By all means, BRM - try anything you can get your hands on.

As I said, Pete Smith will send you a pair of pads to demo, and they will be of a very different construction than your Reeboks. That's probably you easiest option for trying something different. Trying Smith will give you some kind of idea how any pad with a square medial surface (that is, sitting on the ice in the butterfly) will feel, eg. Vaughn, Bauer, and several others.

Quite beyond that, if you do like the Smith pads and gloves, they're extremely reasonable in price for custom-made gear, and genuinely brilliant in design.

There are also some comprehensive reviews of goalie equipment in the MSH Goalie Review section; those may give you a better idea of how some brands differ.