Easton Synergy EQ50

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Item Reviewed: Easton Synergy EQ50 Elite Gloves

Main use: recreational hockey non-contact, shinny

Review period: 3 months @ 1-2 ice times/week

Item Details:

Size: 14"

Outer Material: Nylon Weave

Palm Material: Nash with leather overlays

Features (no rating, for info only):

The EQ50 Elite gloves are almost identical to the regular EQ50 except for the following differences:

• Outer shell material - Elite: all nylon, Regular: nylon/synthetic leather combo
  
• Gussets - Elite: nash, Regular: stretch fabric
  
• Plastic Inserts - Elite: yes, Regular: no (not that I'm aware of)
  

The Elite palm and gussets are an "average" thickness nash material with similar thickness leather overlays that cover the palm and extend over the inside edges of the index and pinky fingers for the seamless finger design. It's worth mentioning that the palm overlay adds another layer of material on the palms, but not at the fingers. There are small holes on the palm of the nash fingers for breatheability. The cuffs are adjustable in length (velcro). The cuff is about 1.5" wide and does not protrude much.

Fit [9/10]:

The overall fit of the EQ50 is slightly to somewhat narrow side and somewhat snug on the back of the hand. The fingers are triple-segmented (except the pinky), taper towards the fingertips which are rounded off. The EQ50 has a slightly shorter pinky finger and while this fits my hand it might not be for everybody. I found no rough spots inside the glove, the liner feels comfortable. The seamless finger design is comfortable and makes for a more natural grip since my index finger tends to grip where the palm to gusset seams would have been. One must-have for me in a glove is how easy it is to open the hand with (i.e. wider separation between index finger and thumb) so I can go from 1 to 2 hands on the stick quickly. At first I didn't find the EQ50 to be all the way there, but after 6-8 uses and some stretching of the palm I can open my hand more with ease. Coming from Eagles with the thinner palms and gussets, I found the double-layered palms felt thicker but I got eventually used to it. I didn't use the adjustable cuff feature leaving it as low as possible for mobility, It only extends a 3-4 inch wide section above the cuff up by about 2 inches which felt a bit obstructive. Mobility is quite good as well, the cuff opening is large enough for unobstructive range of movement. I would have liked the thumb part of the palm to be 1/4 to 1/2 inch longer though. Also I found the thumb to point slightly "too straight" where I want it angled slightly inwards towards the fingers (or a wider thumb area might have worked too). Overall I am very pleased with the fit and comfort level.

Protection [7/10]*:

*I haven't taken many shots on the hands from sticks or pucks but I haven't felt anything yet, I can't offer an expert's opinion on this section. The plastic inserts on the Elite is present throughout most of the glove. The inserts are small in the finger blocks so I question their effectiveness though I'd rather have them there than not. The finger foam blocks aren't as big or wide as say on my old Eagle gloves. The cuff is narrow and doesn't protrude much as previously mentioned. This is different than more traditional gloves with bigger cuffs though that doesn't necessarily mean more protection. For rec. hockey the EQ50 should be sufficient for most people (but don't blame me if you get injured!).

Weight [8/10]:

One of the heaviest gloves I've ever worn was the old Mission Warp series from back in '01, and one of the lightest being the Eagle Fusion. The EQ50 is similar to my old Eagles in weight maybe a bit heavier but I don't notice it.

Durability [8/10]*:

I'm reluctant to rate durability after only 3 months of light to moderate use, everything seems perfectly intact. I should note that I play with an Easton grip shaft because some grip finishes wear out palms faster (another "your mileage may vary" thing). Stitching hasn't come apart except a loose thread on the bottom of the hand between the pinky knuckle and wrist area. The nash palm and gussets seem thick enough that they won't tear easily. The synthetic leather fingers are also holding up with no obvious signs of wear. The nylon shell also doesn't have any rips or tears. The stitching in the palms and gussets are reasonably thick as well. The palms have withstood the butt end of the stick grinding into it. I'll try providing an update in the future.

Intangibles [9/10]:

Attention to detail is where I think the EQ50 Elite shines. The nice touches are the seamless gussets where it matters, offering nash gussets over stretch fabric, basically all the features the regular EQ50 doesn't have. One thing not previously mentioned was how well the leather palm overlays work with a grip shaft (Easton's grip shafts specifically): I get a much more solid grip on the lower hand with the leather palm overlays compared to a glove without, my lower hand is not my strong hand so for me this added grip helps a lot. I find my wrist shots are more solid as a result and it's nice knowing that my hand isn't slipping when I shoot. Also, the leather doesn't grip so much that I can't move my lower hand up and down the shaft freely. Aesthetically, the EQ50 Elite is understated but that's what I like about it. If there's anything further I'd change, it would be to remove the material between the back rolls, they push the back rolls apart which curves the whole back of the glove to the point where it limits the fingers from opening wider without some break-in. I personally did not find the adjustable length cuffs to be useful because I like lots of mobility but as a product I like that the option is there for people to explore.

Conclusion [9/10] (this score is not an average):

I am quite fussy about gloves so I am quite happy that the Easton Synergy EQ50 Elite gloves have worked out very well for me so far. It's a glove designed to be compact and for a snugger fit. Its design, features, choice of materials and how they're used shows a high level of refinement. I can't comment on whether this glove is protective enough for competitive level of play but there does seem to be less foam than what I've seen on most gloves, it would be interesting to see how these gloves fare in competitive use. I would recommend the Elite over the Regular based on features but if you are in the market for this glove I suggest trying both variants on and see which one better suits you.