G-Form Compression Shirt and Crash Shorts - danno25nh

[JR Boucicaut 3802]

Open

[danno25nh 3]

Product:

G-Form Crash Shorts and Compression Shirt

Size large

Reviewer:

50 year old 6'0 190 lb

46 years organized play up through Jr. A and greater competition while in U.S. Army

Currently playing A/B adult leagues.

Thank you to JR, MSH, and G-Form for the opportunity to review these items.

Initial Impressions:

I won't post pictures as JR posted very good pictures.

Out of the package I first noted the striking color contrast with the yellow on black. Very eye catching though for an old man like my self I suspect I will catch a good bit of grief in the locker room though I'm betting the younger members of my team will like the color combination.

I looked at the G-Form website and was happy to see a black on black version.

The second thing I noticed immediately is the weight.

I wear various compression garments most days of the week as I am very active in several sports. These felt hefty and substantial when I picked them up. I put them on a digital gram scale at work and found they came in at about 620 grams for the set. That seems like a lot for underwear however there is a good amount of protection. It should be noted that once I put on the shirt and shorts I noticed little difference in weight compared to my normal compression garb. They don't feel heavy when worn.

Fit:

I wear a large in Under Armour, Warrior, and Shock Doctor compression clothing. The G-Form runs larger than any of these. At 190 lbs these are more of a form fit than a compression fit. Certainly not loose but my preference is a tighter fit.

Length is perfect. I am 6' even. The shorts come to just above the knees, the shirt sleeve to mid bicep, the shirt tail falls even with the hip joint.

Construction:

The quality of construction seems very good.

Seams are double stitched, padding is well attached with a zig-zag stitching around the edges.

The pads do not appear to be glued to the fabric. This allows a bit of movement between the fabric and pad. This should prove to be beneficial as it will likely allow for greater freedom of movement.

Misc:

I wore these as during a Kenjutsu workout and was pleased with the mobility. The protection from strikes that would be similar to being slashed was surprisingly good. At first glance the protection to weight/mobility ratio is extremely good.

Thus far the only negative is the lack of a cup pouch. I'll need to wear loose fit jock shorts over these.

[danno25nh 3]

Post game impressions:

Wore these for a league game last night. I wore shirt and shorts under my clothes to the arena to see how they felt with normal movement. The padding was noticeable and while not uncomfortable I was always aware that it was there.

When I took off the shirt and jeans I had over them one of my team mates commented "Been watching Tron Danno?" Others wanted to know what they were, where I got them etc. As expected, younger team mates thought they "look awesome"while the 45 and older crowd thought they were a bit over the top looks wise but most agreed that they would wear them if they could lose a little bulk from pads.

Putting my pads over the shirt felt a bit odd but not restrictive. Simply noticeable.

As the team we were playing tends to be a bit rough and has a couple D'men with really big shots I decided to go with 7K pants as opposed to the 5K's I wear when I'm not worried about getting dinged up. The placement of the padding on the shorts perfectly complimented the pads in the 7K's. I really like the combination from a comfort standpoint.

By the end of the first shift the pads were no longer noticeable. The padding seems to become more flexible as it warms up.

I only took one shot that really tested the padding, a hard slash to the leg just below the hip joint. I knew I had been hit but no pain. No bruising noticeable this morning.

Over all I really liked the shorts for the fit improvement and additional protection. The shirt added little benefit though I was wearing EQ 50 shoulders which are very big, bulky, and protective.

The shorts will definitely become regular hockey wear for game play though I'll probably order a smaller size as I prefer more compression. The lack of cup pouch and velcro/garter are problematic but can be overcome with a loose jock short.

I'll have to wear smaller shoulders to really judge the shirt fairly.

[danno25nh 3]

Update 4-30-12

Machine washed and hung to dry. Both pieces remain in good shape. No noticeable hanging threads or other problems.

I've worn both pants and shirt for two more games. I've noticed that padding remains stiff until I've got a couple shifts of ice time. As I warm up the pads soften up.

I wore Reebok 5K shoulders instead of the EQ50's. The shirt padding seemed to add a bit more comfort and it felt as if the shoulder cups were held in place by the shirt's shoulder padding. I didn't take any shots to the body so protection wasn't tested (Though I did have a nice reminder that when shot blocking it's a bad idea to try and catch a slapshot with your hand).

The pants continue to shine. They fill in gaps in padding and in my case make the 7K pants fit perfectly. As a player that is best described as a grinder, I take a lot of bumps and slashes. It's rare that I end the game without some bruising. The G-Force pants really cut down on stray stick marks.

I continue to bemoan the lack of a cup pouch and garter/velcro. As a design recommendation I'd go with garter as I suspect attaching velcro to the thigh would be problematic.

[danno25nh 3]

I've put 10+ games on these since my last update as I'm playing in 3 leagues. These have become my favorite hockey undergarments. Washed after every game and air dried. No signs of wear.

I've noticed the shirt wicks a lot of moisture. Out of curiosity I weighed the shirt when I got home. It had soaked up over 100 grams of sweat.

I've been wearing my 5k shoulders instead of the EQ 50's as the combination of shirt padding and shoulders is plenty.

[danno25nh 3]

Over 3 months of regular wear with 2 - 4 nights a week of league play. These have become my everyday use under garments. Durability is very good as these show little wear.

As a summary:

Pro:

Well made and surprisingly protective.

In my case the padding augments existing protective gear and enhances fit and comfort of certain pieces of gear.

Very comfortable.

Con:

Lack of cup pouch and garter/velcro. The lack of velcro can be overcome easily. The lack of cup pouch requires a separate jock.

A bit over sized so compression is lacking but it should be noted that I have a personal preference for tight compression.

Overall highly recommended for anyone wanting a little additional padding or who wants to down grade protective gear while maintaining protection.

If G-Form were to make a hockey specific set I would recommend a couple of additional pads at the mid-spine or high kidney area. A long sleeve version with slash protection near the wrist would also be interesting to try.