Smaller adults wearing Jr sized gear?

[Vuronov 18]

I'm an adult who's about 5'6" and 145 lbs, I'm looking to get some new pants and shins and had read somewhere about smaller adults sometimes wearing the largest junior sized equivalent gear sometimes for better fit and to also to save some money.

I was looking at some Reebok 9K and Easton Stealth S13 pants and noticed that the largest junior sizes more or less coincide with the same waist sizes as the smallest adult size. My current beat up and disintegrating (after about 16 yrs of use) Tackla 5000s are euro size 46 and figure I'd get an adult XS in the Stealth and a small in the Reebok.

My main questions are, even though the listed waist sizes are the same, are there any major differences in fit that would make going with the junior size a bad move? Also, are there any quality issues as in the junior gear maybe not being as well made or having less features than their senior counterparts? They don't have to be tanks as I only play rec league nowadays but I'd still like the stuff I buy to hold up to reasonable use.

Shinguards are sort of similiar issue too, I wear shins between 13-14". 13" will generally put me in Jrs while the jump to 14" moves me to Sr and a jump in price.

Any insight from other smaller adults who've actually worn Jr size gear? or people familiar with the fit and quality of Jr gear vs similar sr models?

Thanks!

[Chadd 916]

With shins, the juniors may be too narrow for an adult leg. I have had a few friends that used to wear Bauer as they were the only ones that made a 13" senior at the time.

[Miklovich13 0]

Im also in the same boat im 5'7 175lbs and i use mission L3 jr xl pants and RBK 8k 13" shins, and i honestly perfer them to senior gear they are not any less quality imo just the length is perfect the only problem is with the shins the straps dont go all the way around my calves

[Vuronov 18]

Thanks for the feedback so far...Miklovich, are your Jr pants just standard Jr pants or the "long fit" that seem to be made for players with the same waist size but maybe notably taller than usual? As adults wearing Jr pants, is the waist size listing enough or should be try for the long fit given we aren't actually Jrs? I'm also wondering if I'd be better off in JR Larges or X-larges given my waist and frame (relatively small and skinny).

As for shins, my current ones are a beat up pair of JOFA ASD 2050 Jr 13" I bought years ago that are about done. They fit the width of my legs fine but they didn't make them with built in straps back then :-)

[Miklovich13 0]

Mine are just reg jr xl and for the waist i use a lace to tighten my pants always have just personal prefrence, that being said the waist is fine i dont have to struggle to get in them really they arnt even snug until i tie them

as for the shins if u are used to no straps jr might b a good choice and 13" length seems to be perfect 14" were just always akward to skate in

[hellaavangard 33]

I'm 5'7 ~130lbs and wear a pair of Reebok pro stock 1053 pants in size small pretty comfortably. They are a little big and I sometimes use a skate lace around the waist to help keep them in place although I just picked up a different colored shell for them and the extra belt from that does a good job of keep them up. Standing up in them, they come down to about the middle of the knee cap on my shin pads

[t6lock 24]

i'm about 5'6 and i find most junior large/x-large pants are just way too short(close to mid thigh) and the movement range gets a lot smaller too. like a few people have said there are 13" junior size shin pads which i use as well.

[Neo5370 132]

Male, 5'6", 150lb, 29 yrs old (30 in Jan) here. I have always used 13" shins and have never had an issue. Currently using 13" Reebok shins. But cannot find a pair of pants that feel "just right." What are you using for elbows? I find adult smalls are usually the right length but too tight and adult mediums slightly too long but ever so slightly too loose.

I get the feeling you're mostly asking about pads, but if you'd like to know, I've started using junior shafts/blades and my shot improved drastically. I used significantly shortened senior sticks growing up and was convinced I just could not shoot for crap. A couple years go I tried out some intermediate OPS and my shot improved a lot. A few months ago, I started experimenting w/ junior shafts, and w/ a little practice (mostly regarding advice from this site), my shot improved even more.

What's even more surprising is that I used to hate the feel of overly whippy sticks when puckhandling, however, after a few stick and puck sessions, I finally learned what it's like to "feel" the puck on my stick.

Sorry for the detour, just thought I'd throw more info out there for any other little follks like us.

Edit: I should add that I got some good advice regarding the switch to whippier sticks from another MSH'er, Machinehead2k5.

[krejcitime 0]

I wear a pair of Reebok 7K pants, junior size XL. It's a great pant. I'm 5'10'', 140, 29-inch waist, I think. The pants have all the same padding, features, materials, etc. as the senior-sized pants, from what I can tell. The raised-spine protector is a little bit smaller, but that's the only difference I've noticed. I like my pants relatively tapered and fitted, so it works well for me. They might be a little on the high side (and I wear them high around my waist, too), but when I am out skating, the ends of the pants meet and cover the tops of my shin guards just fine. For reference, I wear a 14" Bauer Vapor shins. Fit around the waist is perfect, tightened pretty tight. I have a feeling a pretty enormous child could still fit into them.

If they fit, I'd say go with it. Plus, you save some money.

[wrangler 157]

"titrated"? I know this term only from chemistry lab.

[JR Boucicaut 3805]

Reebok makes that 13.5" pad which surprisingly, I couldn't keep in stock.

[krejcitime 0]

"titrated"? I know this term only from chemistry lab.

D'oh. Meant "tighten." And the far more absurd "titrate" comes out. I suppose one may be measuring the volume of their gut while adjusting the tabs on their hockey pants, though. But, yeah, no.

[wrangler 157]

Oh. I tried to guess at typos, but came up blank, and couldn't make "titrated" work.

[Coldclay 53]

I'm 5'7 140lbs and recently went from Easton Sr Small S9 pants to Jr XL S19 pants... The S19 fit a bit snug but I changed pants because I wanted to go lighter and the Jr XL S19 pants now fit like a pair of girdle, while giving me pants-like protection. I don't even need to use S19's belt system since they're so fitted and I get to ditch my suspenders (wore suspenders my whole life, so that was weird at first). I'm short so the length is not really an issue. Although the Easton size chart say Jr XL and Sr Sm are both 30-32" IIRC, I can tell you that the Sr Small is definitely bigger than JrXL, in all aspects just about...

Shins: old CCM Tacks 852 13" (LOVE these because they're rigged to fit so tight, I don't ever need to tape them but wish they were 13.5" but otherwise no complaint...)

Gloves: Nike Bauer One90 13"

Shoulders: Bauer Vapor 6 Sr Sm

Elbow: Easton S5 Sr Sm

Helmet: Easton S19 Sr M

Skates: Bauer XXX Sz 6

Socks: Nike Swift

Stick: I alternate between a 77 or a 65 flex

[Vuronov 18]

I use intermediate OPS usually around 65 flex uncut 70 flex cut and am quite happy over the senior size sticks and shafts I've used over the years.

My 13" shins fit well, may be ever so slightly short but not enough to expose any unprotected areas that might take a shot.

I think I'll end up going with the S13 in Jr XL (not sure if Jr L would be a bit too tight). I figure if the old Tackla euro size 46 (Sr XS) fit about right while looking a bit big on me, the S13 in Jr XL might just be the ideal fit.

As for the Reebok 9K shins, the 13" will probably do me well as my JOFA 13" have for years, but I kinda would like to try the 14" for the extra length as I've been thinking of wearing the shinguard over my skate tongue as opposed to behind like I have all these years.

Helmet: JOFA 690 Med with RBE1 half-shield (soon to be Reebok 8K Med with 11K Med cage)

Shoulder: Bauer Flak sz Small

Elbow: Reebok 7K sz Small

Gloves: KOHO Revolution 2270 14" (soon to be Easton EQ50 Elites 13")

Pants: Tackla 5000 (made in Finland) Euro size 46

Shins: JOFA ASD 2050 13"

Skates: CCM 1052 sz 7,5 (Soon to be Reebok 11K sz 7.5)

Socks: Reebok Edge Intermediate

Stick: Reebok 4K Sickick III Intermediate ~70 Flex cut

[Coldclay 53]

I think Jr L would definitely be too tight for you... BTW I used to love my Flak shoulders, but went with the lighter Vapor 6...

[Axxion89 32]

A little late to the party but I'm 5'7" and 175lbs~ and use JR/INT equip in skates and goalie equipment (except pants and chest). The JR/INT equipment will be on par with SR level equipment as far as quality and protection for the most part with some variation here and there. Sizing will be different in that an INT XL pant may have shorter thigh protection than a SR XS. The JR/INT equipment will be tailored to large kids and not so much with small adults if you can understand what I mean. The best thing to do is to try on the gear before you buy it with regards to this sizing as different brands also have different ways of fitting their gear across sizes and SR/JR lines