CCM Crazy Light shoulder pads

[JSK81 400]

Height - 5'10" / 177cm

Weight - 195lbs / 89kg

Pad size - Medium

Rec level winger

Fit - 8/10

First of all I need to point out that the minimal fit issues I have with these pads are because of my gorgeous beer gut, which seems to make them ride up a bit at times. Also, the shoulder blade portions on the back tend to crease a bit cause I don't have massive shoulder muscles. There are a lot of segments and folds which help them contour around your body better.

Width wise they are pretty much perfect for me. The shoulder caps are sitting right where they should be, and that's the most important fit feature for me.

These shoulder pads are short, meaning that they don't cover the lowest part of your stomach or back at all. There are no removable extensions that many other products have. They also aren't the lowest profile pads available, especially the sternum and spine guards bulk out noticeably. Although CCM claims the bicep pads are adjustable, that is not the case with my pads.

Protection - 9/10

These pads are made of the U foam, which is a ridiculously light and greatly impact dissipating material. Some of the portions, such as the sternum, spine and bicep pads and the clavicle guards are hardened for added protection.

I play non-contact hockey, but as we all know there is some rough play involved especially in front of the goal in addition to the less accurate guys shooting the puck at you. I've never felt unprotected wearing these pads, all the important areas are covered solidly.

Weight - 10/10

CCM isn't kidding with the product name; these are crazy light compared to any other product on the market. They also don't absorb any sweat so they stay light and obviously dry out extremely fast.

Durability - 9/10

I've had them for over 6 months and there are no signs of wear or breakage. Some edges have mattified a bit from jersey abrasion but that's all.

Intangibles

As with every U foam product I've used these need some breaking in. After a couple of uses they definitely became more mobile. I should also point out that they breathe very well which is a great feature for people like me who get hot and sweat a lot easily.

Conclusion

If you're seeking for shoulder pads you hardly feel at all, get these. They might feel a bit stiff initially but they will break in after use. Some other products might have better rib and belly protection, but if you're looking for great shoulder, sternum and spine protection in a really lightweight package you can't go wrong with them.

Overall score - 9/10

[fatwabbit 93]

Height - 6', 185'bs

Level of play: Inline A League, Ice B/C League. Have been playing inline hockey for almost 18 years at various levels including National Tournys, and did the transition to ice early this year.

Inline is a decent level, but there are some ultra-commando type teams that hack/slash their way to winning the glorious plastic trophy. Ice wise, the guys I play with are mainly just starting out and most have little or no experience, however there are some A level players who play down a level and they can throw/take a few hits.

Position: Prefered to play as a center or on the left wing, but in the last few years every team I play for seems to want me in D (maybe because I block lots of shots)

Location: Brisbane, Australia.

Other pads used: CCM 04 (2008 Model), Mission Thorax, Jofa

Size of CCM CL Shoulder pads: L

After considerable amount of thinking, my main wants in the shoulder pads were (in no particular order): light weight, protective, low profile

Fit - 8/10

I've never really worn any shoulder pads before as I'm mainly an inline player, but I did get a chance to try out some shoulder pads from my team mates. I tried on the CCM 04 which was a couple of years old, and also a modified warrior projekt which I didnt really like. The Mission Thorax was used during my hey day as a inline warrior wannabe.

The fit of the CL was obvioulsy pretty stiff, compared to the used shoulder pads that I borrowed. I needed to make a little more adjustment with the upper arm protection to ensure that it didnt snag with the CL elbow pads that I got. Once I had the three peice upper arm protection adjusted to the right length, it felt pretty good. No problems with mobility, and I was able to puck handle in the garage without any issues.

The low profile shoulders were somethign I was looking for. The Jofas that I have now sitting in a box wont be used... as much as they were very very protective, I felt that they were too bulky. The CL, even though new felt like it gave me a little more mobility.

Even though the shoulder pads do feel a little short, I tend to wear my One90 girdle a little higher and the two overlap maybe by half inch while I'm standing up straight. I tend to skate hunched over, so protection wise I think these are a good fit.

Protection - 9/10

Similar to the CL elbows that I ordered at the same time, these shoulder pads were extremely light weight. Coming from the CCM 04 that were a few years old, these seem to be light years ahead in terms of weight and protection. The U foam is protective, yet it allows you to wrap it around your body without much hassle. They have additional plastic plates in key areas, which provides you protection to those areas. Even though the ice league here is non-contact until you get to the A levels or above, the prefered position I play means I might get hit occasionally with the puck. But the protection on these are good enough to take the shots.

Weight - 10/10

Crazy Light... enough said.

I'll add one point... after playing an hour long training session of drills, I would have lost about 1-2kg of water as I sweat a LOT. Holding my used CL and my buddy's unused shoulder pads ('its only drills so we dont need them') the CL was still much lighter. It did absorb some perspiration, but not much.

Durability - NA

Havent really used them much, so I wont comment. As time goes by I might do an update.

Intangibles

I felt the U foam allowed a more forgiving fit.

The CL shoulder pads dried up very quickly. I tend to either wash or rinse my gear after use, and it was dry within an hour (dry windy day) but compared to my mission thorax which is a padded shirt, the thorax would still be damp in some areas.

There are some of us that prefer to wear the gear directly, without any base layers. I've been wearing base layers for a few years and find it more comfortable. One point to note is that while the U foam is flexible, I think if you arent wearing a base layer it might pull some hairs out.

Conclusion

These shoulder pads tick all the boxes for me, light weight, low profile, and protective. Once broken in, they will feel very comfortable. I'm glad I went ahead with the purchase even though it was more expensive than what I would normally look at.

[Cosmic 178]

Height - 6'2"

Weight - 215 lbs

Shoulder pad size - Extra Large

Level of play: Beer Leaguer

Location: Indonesia (hot and humid)

Fit (& Mobility)- I like the fit- one piece chest guard with floating sternum, one piece bicep guard (I do not like the 2 piece bicep guards and the multiple level chest protectors). The chest guard is a bit boxy, and not anatomical (RBZ looks like it will be anatomical). I like the shoulders, but they seem like they float up a bit. I do not care if I "look like a football player" or not, my concern is vision when looking over my shoulder to a puck coming toward me from the defense (I play Center usually). It seems like slightly better visibility if the pads were a little lower profile. 8.75/10

Protection - Hard to tell, as I play in beer league, but I feel protected enough.

UPDATE- I took a pretty hard hit from behind in a league game a few nights ago. As you can see in the video, the guy loaded up pretty good before throwing his shoulder into my back. (The camera pans away right as the hit comes, because the videographer was tracking the puck, not realizing that the period had ended.) Ironic that this guy is actually a teammate of mine on our traveling team. Anyway, 2 nights later at our traveling team practice, he said he was "frustrated," and could not contain himself. When I bought these pads, I thought I was just getting them for protection against myself (because I am not the best skater ever, and figured I might be prone to take a few spills and would like the protection of my upper body for these occasions), but apparently, these will be protecting me against people who think that they are Chris Chelios, playing on a Detroit Red Wing championship caliber team, and who just cannot fathom being on the wrong end of a 4-0 rout (the score at the time that the hit happened; the game ended at 5-1). So yea, I felt like I got hit by someone with intention to screw me up a bit, but it did not hurt, and I walked away injury free. So, apparently, the U+ Foam works pretty well.

So, if you watch from about 33:52 on, I am #23 in red, he is #14 in white (the guy banging his stick for a faceoff, who then carries the puck behind our net for a faceoff). We are wearing light and dark jerseys of the same team, but we (about 15 of us that play for this team) all got split up for this league we are in. I clear the puck right as time expires, and about 1 or 2 seconds later, he explodes into my back. Yea, class act:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiukP3SjCHA

Updated protection score: 10/10

Weight - According to the numbers I have seen, these are by far, the lightest high end pants, and equivalent weight to low end/ less padded pants. I sweat buckets, and these do NOT hold any water. Most sweat is wicked away, the tiny bit that remains can just be wiped off with a cloth. Needless to say, this is my first piece of equipment to dry, every time. I just hang them out to let the fresh air offset the sweat that I put onto them. 10/10

Durability - So far, so good. Stitch work I would rate as fair to good. Quite a few clunky areas of thread that I cut off (so that they do not snag and come undone). I suspect that these pads will last longer than I will want them. 9 (projection)/10

Intangibles - Nothing additional to report aside from that already stated. Kinda pricey I suppose, but these are unique pads, one of a kind at the time of their release due to the sweat repellent properties. 9/10

Conclusion - Very satisfied with these pads. I could have bought all Crazy Light gear, but believed that the pants, elbows, and shoulders were the only items in this line that were head and shoulders above the competition. In hindsight, had I seen/known of the hugely improved looking RBZ protective line, then I would have bought the cheapest Mako shouldies, and then waited to splurge (like I did on these), for the RBZ shouldies. These are good enough tho, and I expect to wear them for another couple of years, so I cannot really complain. 46.75/ 50.0

Edited February 19, 2014 by Cosmic