Bauer X:Pro

[TeamHonda401 54]

Model-14" Black, In use since May 11th 2011

Background-5'10" 145, B league/Club Level 2-3 times per week

Fit- I was coming from using 15" warrior dolomites, which were wayy too big for me. I had always heard that Vapor gloves fit pretty snug around the fingers, and open up a little bit around the top of the hand/cuff. I dropped down to the 14", and loved the fit from day one. The dexterity in the fingers was stellar for a price point glove. I could have played the piano with them on right out of the box. The thumb can fully articulate in the forward direction, and doesn't extend past vertical backwards. After three months of use, they haven't changed a bit in the fit category. The glove fits me perfectly. 10/10

Protection- After the fit, protection is the most important factor for my gloves. I knew coming in that they had full plastic inserts, as well as dual density foams. The first thing that I did when I got the gloves was put one of them on and hit my hand as hard as I could with a stick. I felt the force of the hit, but no pain came with it. Since then, I have been hit with shots, slashes, and had my hand stepped on. You will know when you get hit, but no damage or lasting pain will come with it, as long as you don't get hit on or above the cuff roll. The upper cuff doesn't have the inserts, so the same protective properties don't go for that area. It's only the inch or so of foam that extends above the cuff roll, but it's definately a notch in the armor. 9/10

Weight- This is an area where the XPro's shine. One of the lightest gloves I have ever held in my hands. Once I put them on for my first skate, I forgot I was wearing gloves. They don't seem to gain any water weight during games either. I played 2 hours of pickup followed by a league game, and they felt the same at the end of the day as they did when I started. 10/10

Durability- This is one area where the glove isn't going to stand up to it's higher priced competators. The exterior of the glove is all nylon, with synthetic leather for the cuff roll and thumb area. The gussets are mesh, and the palms are nash leather, with an additional overlay in the palm. While the nylon and synthetic leather are still holding up really well, the stitching isn't doing as well. There are a couple of strands of nylon string hanging off of the backhand, and one on the cuff. Although it's not a big problem, and is a quick and easy fix, it definately is something you won't see on a more expensive glove. The palms have held their own so far, but have some signs of wear, mostly discoloration and the upper most layer has begun to fray slightly. Cloth tape will do a number on the palms, so sponge tape is highly suggested with these. The palms haven't started getting crusty, nor have they lost any of their softness however. 7/10

Intangibles- The glove has a pretty simple look; all black, with a white cuff roll with black lettering. No flash all with these, which is my preferance with gloves. 8/10

Conclusion- Overall these gloves do everything I ask them to do. They are light, protective, breathable, and most importantly for me, great for the price of good. For $60 bucks, you aren't going to find a better glove. As long as you don't expect them to be X:60 pro's, you'll be pleasantly surprised. Overall 44/50

Edited July 20, 2011 by TeamHonda401

[Hermans 9]

ABOUT THE GLOVES

The gloves are the Vapor Pro Series from Hockey Monkey / Total Hockey in a size 14 and are the next iteration of what was the XPro. I typically use white cloth tape on the top of my sticks or white cloth tape with a thin wrapping of grip tape over the cloth tape. I use a mesh duffle back so my gear can dry / air out at 100 kph in the back of my truck after games. As soon as I am home I spray the gloves down with a mix of rubbing alcohol, tea tree oil and a few drops of dish soap and then they go into a Shock Doctor dryer bag. In addition to the regular spray down they have had one full washing over the past year. I shoot left.

I have had the gloves since mid-August of 2012 (one year) and play three times a week averaged over a year. Most of the skates are shinny/pick-up with lots of ice time. Most of the games are mid-tier beer league (i.e. older guys playing rec and not younger, faster, more aggressive top tier play). I don’t shoot a lot and play mostly defense or a defensive forward role. Since I first used them these have been the only gloves I use.

Previous glove ownership history

NB Supreme 70 15’’ – I still have these, they are extremely durable and after 3+ years of continuous use they are loose and comfortable ready for more abuse

NB Supreme 75 15’’ – I dislike them for being too tight in the cuff and to stiff in the thumb

NB Vapor XXV 14’’ – These were my all time favourite gloves and claimed by a friend I convinced to cover back-up goal for a season for a team I was one. I miss them greatly.

Warrior Projekt 14’’ – great glove when new that fit great but was the only glove that I wore out (and quickly too)

FIT

Since I started playing I’ve learned my preference is for a closer fitting glove with a looser cuff and I’ve gone back to the Vapour series. There is some room in the glove for movement but I don’t have them sliding off my hands at any time like I’ve experience when trying out four roll gloves or with 15’’ gloves.

8/10

WEIGHT AND MOBILITY

Weight is impressive. Both my previous Vapor XXV and Project seemed lighter in use, but not for much. The fingers offer good mobility and the thumb flexes outward easily, making it very easy to open the hand and easy to close the hand. I find the flexibility of the glove and thumb is stiffer than I prefer when closing my hand but that this actually loosens up as I play and sweat into the glove each game. The flexibility becomes stiffer again, when dry. I also would prefer the thumb be able to flex inward easier, in general.

The cuff doesn’t restrict motion and flares out enough that I have taken notice of the cuff during play.

8/10

PROTECTION

Protection has been good. It feels or seems a step down from the Warrior Projekt but certainly on par with most upper end gloves that I’ve picked up in the store. The foams are rigid and don’t pass small impact through to the hand and can handle heavier impacts well enough. It’s more than most will want or need for beer league.

8/10

DURABILITY

These are my second gloves with a full nylon shell. The shell seems to be thick and more durable than with my previous Warrior gloves where wear and fraying were apparent on my left hand very quickly. I have some discoloration and minor wear along the edges of the plastic inserts but nothing serious. I don’t believe these are wearing any faster, or slower, than my previous Nike gloves, all of which are or were in good shape when I stopped using them.

There are loose threads on both gloves which speak to lack of finishing but nothing has begun to separate or require repair.

8/10

PALM

There are no holes and any minor piling is taken care of with an old “fuzz buster” lint remover. The palms give a good feel of the stick and don’t become overly slimey or gross with extended use.

9/10

VENTILATION

This was initially an area of concern. The gloves do hold heat. With time they have loosened a little bit and that has helped to create a bit more room for ventilation and now I am just used to how the gloves are.

7/10

AESTHETICS

I like the simple two tone color way of the gloves (I have royal blue and white)

8/10

OVERALL

54/70 or 8/10 (rounded)

The current list price, at $99.99, is about $20-$30 from the next highest gloves (Supreme One.8, Vapor X7.0, Nexus 800, etc) making the glove very good value as it is very close in features and quality at a lower price. I happily took the discount from Vapor x7.0 and have happily made these the only gloves I use on a daily basis. With the low wear rate on the palms I am hoping they will still be around after 3+ years of use, similar to my NB 70’s which keep on going, and going... and going. As noted above, as long as you don't expect X:60/APX level of gloves you will be pleasantly surprised.

[Stewie 721]

Model-13" Black, used for about 6 months of beer league (c/d) and drop in hockey Bauer Vapor Pro Series purchased for 85 on sale.

Fit- Vapor Series fit, and its likenesses in other manufacturers, is my favorite style of fit. These have great dimensions, although I would like a little more finger length and would probably like something more of a 13.5" for some reason, they just dont fit as well in the fingers as my 7k. Subjective

Protection- At the level I play, the protection of these has been pretty good. Its not as protective as my 7k gloves are, but very good for the price point I purchased them at. A nice blend of foams and plastics keep any beer league player adequately protected. May need wrist slash protectors if you like something more adequate in that area. 7/10

Weight- Very light weight. This part and the thumb flexibility are my two favorite upgrades from the 7k. 10/10

Durability- as previously mentioned, these are where the gloves dont shine. I have some holes and stitching coming up in some areas of the nylon, and my palms are in worse shape than the 7k's ive used for the last 2 years extensively. By no means does this mean these gloves are falling apart, just not as high quality as what I am used to. Also, the palm material is not very breathable, which I feel contributes to the wear of the glove by creating a little more palm sweat than Id like. 6/10

Intangibles- love the look of these gloves. Perhaps the greatest intangible Bauer has for me is the flex thumb, For someone with smaller hands, Its nice to get a little extra wrap behind the shaft of my stick. 8/10

Conclusion- For average Joe beer league player, these gloves would be a perfect value selection. They offer a nice feature set in a basic package, giving you light weight without too much protection sacrifice. For my next gloves, I will definitely go with something more breathable in the palms, but otherwise, This has been a very solid purchase for me. Overall 31/40