CCM CL Pants

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

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[ntwusc 62]

Thanks to MSH, JR, and CCM for giving me the opportunity to review these pants. I'm very eager to get them out on the ice this week, but for now, here are my initial impressions:

Product: CCM U+ Crazy Light Pants

Construction: Two-piece pants with segmented thigh guards, lace and single belt closure, and inner leg zippers.

Size: Senior Medium

My Info:

Height: 5'8"

Weight: 185 lbs.

Position: Defense

I play in an adult league that can feature quite a bit of contact despite being non checking. I've preferred higher-end pants due to the number of shots I block in front of my own net, but high end protection has always come with an unwelcome weight and bulk penalty. The first thing I noticed about the CL's is that despite having pretty substantial padding, they're as light as my previous mid-range pants. Trying them on, I definitely notice the extra padding, especially in the tailbone area. The spine protection is segmented, but it seems pretty tough due to the very high-density U Foam.

Inner and outer materials appear to be top notch as to be expected from top of the line pants. Aside from the red liner and lace, which can be swapped with an included black lace, the overall look of the pants is pretty classic. Initial quality seems perfect, so now all that's left is to get them on the ice tomorrow night.

[ntwusc 62]

I wore the CL pants for the first time in a league game on Wednesday, and they will definitely need a little breaking in. The padding in the uppers is pretty plush, which makes the pants snug, but comfortable. I like that the U Foam spinal protector doesn't fit too high, so I won't always have to untuck my jersey throughout the game. I was able to get a pretty tight fit up top and the belt didn't need adjusting throughout the game unlike some of my previous pants. The lowers were loose enough to allow pretty free movement during my strides.

Really the only thing that made me notice they were brand new was the tailbone protection, which is thicker than my previous Bauer X7.0 pants. It wasn't uncomfortable, just noticeable. I assume I'll get used to the beefier padding after two or three games.

As far as protection, I didn't really have any big collisions or shot blocks to test the padding. The pants seemed to do a great job of wicking moisture, as they already felt pretty dry when I got home and hung them up to air out.

[ntwusc 62]

I'm now at four games with the CL pants and they're okay so far. Protection and weight are still as good as my initial impressions, but I'm not getting used to the extra tailbone padding as quickly as I thought I would.

One thing I've noticed durability-wise is that the stitching on the right side zone is coming undone a little. I'm pretty sure the stitching caught on some slightly protruding screws on the boards at my rink, so I wouldn't necessarily call it a quality issue. Regardless of the cause, it's noticeable and something I'll have to keep an eye on. Otherwise, the lightweight material on the lowers is holding up very well so far.

[ntwusc 62]

After about 6-7 games the CL pants are getting pretty well broken in. I've gotten used to the padding and everything feels right now. I've had a couple shots hit me in the thigh, but I've had no pain or bruises whatsoever. I took a close look at the pants after my game last night, and I can't really tell that they've been used aside from the aforementioned stitching being pulled out a little.

[ntwusc 62]

After several months of use, the CL pants have broken in very nicely. The pants still look like new except for the stitching I mentioned, which hasn't gotten worse. I've taken a few hard bumps into the boards and some nasty falls and the pants have protected me nicely. Overall, I find the level of protection is right there with other top-tier pants at a weight comparable to mid-range pants.