Roller girdle recommendations

[Bane 1]

My mission roller girdle is finally wearing out. Anyone have any recommendations for a replacement? Mission just released a new one, but it seems really thin. I play on concrete and sometimes get dumped on my hips, so a good amount of padding is important. I want to avoid the spandex short style with minimal padding.

Thanks,

[Vet88 673]

If you want the best padding you can get for your hips then an ice girdle is what you need. The Rbk 9k is the best you can get but you can only find them on eBay as they don't make this for retail. I also have a CCM Vector Pro and a Bauer X60 girdle. Both of those are good although I feel that the X60 sacrifices some protection for mobility. I wear Farrell 5-Pad Extended Thigh Shorts as an added under layer (and they double up as my compression shorts), they have protection on the hips as well. I know some players who wear these as their girdle.

The downside of an ice girdle is that it is a lot hotter than a roller girdle. I have tried a lot of top end roller girdles (eg Mission Thorax, Alkali ca9's, Rbk 9k's) and all of them sacrifice hip protection for mobility and lightness.

[aeriches10 3]

Wouldn't trade my Warrior Projekt girdle for anything. I find it to be the perfect combo of padding and mobility.

[althoma1 574]

I use and am quite happy with the Projekt for ice, but for roller I use the Valken V-Elite girdle. The Valken isn't nearly as protective as the Projekt, but is lighter, has better ventilation and has enough protection for roller. The V-elite is probably more like the spandex type with minimal padding you're trying to avoid though. The Projekt has substantial padding for the hips and is still very mobile, but will be heavier and a bit hotter than a roller girdle - it's lighter than other ice girdles though.

[Cosmic 178]

My mission roller girdle is finally wearing out. Anyone have any recommendations for a replacement? Mission just released a new one, but it seems really thin. I play on concrete and sometimes get dumped on my hips, so a good amount of padding is important. I want to avoid the spandex short style with minimal padding.

Thanks,

Mission just came out with 3 I believe- Core, Elite and Pro or something to this effect. I thought that the pro looked pretty well padded, all the way through. I have one en route for inline hockey, will take some pics and let you know how it is. I was supposed to get it yesterday but looks like this coming Saturday will be the day.

[althoma1 574]

Mission just came out with 3 I believe- Core, Elite and Pro or something to this effect. I thought that the pro looked pretty well padded, all the way through. I have one en route for inline hockey, will take some pics and let you know how it is. I was supposed to get it yesterday but looks like this coming Saturday will be the day.

Yes, the new top end Mission does look like it'd provide good padding with the vent armour and would be lighter and provide better ventilation than an ice girdle.

[Bane 1]

Mission just came out with 3 I believe- Core, Elite and Pro or something to this effect. I thought that the pro looked pretty well padded, all the way through. I have one en route for inline hockey, will take some pics and let you know how it is. I was supposed to get it yesterday but looks like this coming Saturday will be the day.

I've been eyeing the pro that you mention. I tried the core and it is too loose, it's listed as relaxed and seems to run big. I am definitelly interested in reading your thoughts on the pro. I'm not big on compression girdles, but it looks to be the best available right now.

[Koba 0]

i to am interested in hearing some reviews on these new mission girdles as ive been outta the loop now for about 10 years.

[Cosmic 178]

I just picked up my Mission Pro Compression; size XL. I am 6'2, 215 lbs, 38 inch waist, thick butt and legs. The girdle fit pretty much perfectly, maybe a tad snug but my friend thinks it will stretch out a little bit, which would make the fit perfect. I know it is supposed to be snug, as it is a compression girdle.

So, I was underwhelmed by the thigh protection- the default/ base layer that is. The foam along the thigh is very thin and low density. I take a lot of pucks off this region and bruise easily (even in inline), so this is important to me. Now, maybe the foam is high tech, and will provide me ample protection; we will see. Sure, you can use the additional molded caps that velcro on, but they only cover 1/3 of my thigh and give more side than front protection. Also, they seem divergent from the girdle, when worn. Potential heat retention with these pieces on is also a potential issue, as they are not perforated. Maybe when skating, I won't notice them, but when stationary, I am more aware of them than I care to be.

When looking at the IW video reviews of the Pro (the one I have) and the Relaxed Elite, it looks like the Relaxed Elite has a thicker, more dense pad that covers the entire thigh, which is built into the thigh region of the girdle (which I would think to be preferable). The reviewer seemed to say that the Pro has good protection without that molded piece; I would tend to disagree on this claim. It is difficult to say whether the Relaxed Elite has better padding, or whether it is the same pad built into the thigh region; but it looks like it has a more robust foam built in there.

So I called IW to explore this question, and was advised that the base foams in the thigh are identical. Hip protection is a less dense foam in the Elite.

The hip and tailbone protection are both satisfactory, for what I need it for. I play on a nice, soft sport court, so I am not worried about landing on my tailbone, with the protection here. (I have landed on my tailbone on ice- it was horrible!!)

I will likely not wear the belt, just another item that will absorb heat, and where I play, it is HOT!! If I am to play in air conditioning in the future, then I may come to appreciate the belt.

So, all in all, I am happy enough with the purchase, but by no means thrilled though. It would be nice if they could have figured a way to use the Vent Armour Foam for the thighs, as they do with the NXG calf wraps on the shin guards. It was explained to me that these girdles are using hex foam, not Vent Armour foam, before I purchased. The hex foam is much softer. The Vent Armour foam is like tank material. Or, just make the base layer foams twice as thick, and scrap those higher density attachments. Just a thought, I think it makes sense, but apparently whoever designed this had reason for doing it this way (aside from stretching profit margins).

I will have more to say after I have worn it for a few skates. If I could pair this with my ShockDoctor padded core pants, then I think I would be pretty well covered, but the heat would kill me. If I ever travel and play in a cooler climate, then this would be a nice potential combo (Shock Doctor padded base layer underneath, with the Pro Compression on top).

LATE EDIT- I gotta say, that I am really disappointed in the quality of the stitching. I have cut off at least 5-7 robust pieces of threat that have already started fraying, and I have not even used these things yet. I guess that's what I get for buying stuff "Made in China." I have had to cut various pieces of bad stitching off of all of my new gear (I just got back into hockey recently and got all new, pretty much high end stuff), but these were by far the worst as far as the frayed threads. I think I cut 2-3x the volume of damaged threads from these alone, compared to everything else combined. Is this common, or did I just get a "bad pair"? I have no idea.

And we can also note, that with the everything else (pants, shoulders, etc.), I have not caught a stray thread after about 20x of use. Well, not including my CCM CL Elbows just coming completely undone at the seams, but that is another (common, I am reading) story, and CCM/ Reebok is sending a replacement pair, so good on them for standing behind their product. Anyway, let's hope that after all of this thread has been removed, that I enjoy a nice, durable product. I cut the frayed threads so they do not get caught on gear, and further rip apart the seams of my gear, in case anyone is curious. I am pretty meticulous about getting all significant runners of thread, as I am tens of thousands of miles away from where I bought all of this stuff.

[Cosmic 178]

I've been eyeing the pro that you mention. I tried the core and it is too loose, it's listed as relaxed and seems to run big. I am definitelly interested in reading your thoughts on the pro. I'm not big on compression girdles, but it looks to be the best available right now.

i to am interested in hearing some reviews on these new mission girdles as ive been outta the loop now for about 10 years.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLBu2w7NYew

[16phantoms 0]

I am also looking at the mission pro girdle, as it really looks like the only decent girdle on the market for inline right now.

Besides this i came across the 90bx tour girdle from 2010 that looks like it has potential but im lucky to only find a few for sale and only online so there is noowhere to try it on and there is almost no information on it. Has anyone ever had or tried this girdle and have some quality information on it??? If it is even worth continueing looking at???

I am a forward and ive always worn my paintball dye slide shorts. They have done me well for countless years but now that im older taking hard slides to block shots my hip isnt feelin so happy the next morning after games.

So im not looking for anything bulky. Just really looking for a girdle with some good hip protection.

So yea the pro is lookin like the way to go but any more information, girdle suggestions etc, i would appreciate the help.

[Vet88 673]

It's all been said before.

Roller girdles - light, mobile, cool but minimal to light protection for hips and other areas.

Ice girdle - good protection for hips and other areas but hot and heavier than a roller girdle.

As of yet I haven't come across any roller girdles that offer hip protection similar to ice girdles, or even close. This includes the following roller girdles: Mission Thorax, Alkali CA9, Rbk 9k, Mission Pro.

[Cosmic 178]

I took a pretty big spill on a soft sport court in my Mission Pro Girdle, and the inside for the hip pad got all tattered. It is a grey, sort of slimy material, not very durable. It did it's job to protect me, but I do not think it could withstand more than 5 or so of these falls before it just fell apart. So, I got rid of it. I am glad I tried it, it looked great, but it is just built silly, IMO.

Also, the Mission Pro Girdle has PE inserts in the hips, which completely defeats the apparent ventilation purpose of the Hex Foam. That Hex Foam is bright green and looks like it would give ventilation, but there are plastic pieces inside the foam, which makes the pants run pretty hot.

I was recently at Hockey Monkey and had a look at all of the roller specific girdles. Thorax Flow gives the best protection, IMO, of the major offerings (Reebok, Alkali, Mission, Tour). I did not go to HockeyTron so I can't comment on the Valken, but it sounds like protection is comparable. The new Mission girdles are more for lightness and mobility; the Elite Relaxed girdle does a good job with ventilation, but I would not wear that on concrete. It seems that the roller girdles are intended for use on sport courts. On the sport court I play on, you can get by with padded compression shorts (I just wear Shock Doctor 582 or 580 now- the last model, with foam built into the pants).

So, for concrete, I would say get an ice girdle, maybe Vapor APX if you can find one. Concrete is less forgiving than ice, because at least when you fall on ice, you slide a bit and don't get mauled. Concrete though, ouch. Hopefully it is cool where you play, if you go with an ice girdle.

[sheffy92 3]

I personally like the 11k girdle from reebok. I find it comfortable and the padding is enough but not bulky which feels good when skating.

[gosinger 122]

For "serious" roller I prefer my retail Warrior Project girdle, not as massive as other ice girdles (while still offering more protection than most (all that I've seen so far) roller girdles) and it doesn't get too hot.

[16phantoms 0]

Thanks guys Appreciate the help.

I actually went to hockey monkey and tried out the mission elite and pro. I picked the pro out of the two, reason being the hex foam on the pro seemed to be a little bit denser, and it had the extra thigh padding and waist strap but you couldn't tell they were even there (when comparing with and without, so why not have it.) also the girdle was much lighter than i expected and was more protective than what i was working with before.

Before i had tried these i had also tried out the -thorax (did not like the plastic inserts, but this would have been my next choice)

alkali (basically just slide shorts with almost no padding and a cup)

A few low model mission and reebok girdles (just too loose for my liking)

Also at first looking at reviews and information about the customization of the girdle i was not to fond of it but now that i have it in hand i can understand that this could be a good thing. With the customization i can now take off the top strap and top thigh pads which for a pickup game or a practice it could work and just be that much less to wear but still be protected. I guess this could go either way, the customization isn't necessary but it doesn't negatively affect the girdle.

For myself personally i like the top strap and lil extra thigh padding just because I'm an aggressive O player (blocking shots, diving for pucks, etc) and i play in very competive leagues. And u don't even noticed the extra padding while playing. These pads are seriously light. and the padding is the best out of what i tried for roller.

I do play at legit indoor rinks around my area. Rubber/plastic tiles, nhl boards, the works. And it is cold, just a little warmer than ice, so heat isn't a big factor. but an ice girdle for my style of play would just slow me down and be too hot still. i do have two ice girdles already but for roller there is no way either would work for me. but i could see maybe a defensemen wearing a vapor60 ice girdle or something light. (Two of my defencemen wear the 60 now actually).

If your looking for competitive roller pads for indoor i would say the mission pros are the way to go. (Btw i have never been a big fan of mission, and am picky with my equiptment). these pads are Super light and best weight to padding radio. I am 5 10' 175lbs and a 32in waist. I went with a medium and they are a perfect fit. Compression fit that curve perfectly with your legs but still alil loose. (Not as compression fit tight as underarmor).

I played with them last night and didnt even notice them. Good ventilation in my opinion. And good enough protection, i took multiple dives to poke the puck away from players on the backcheck and had a few blocked shots which i basically didnt even feel. Very happy so far with this purchase.

[default user 3]

I personally like the 11k girdle from reebok. I find it comfortable and the padding is enough but not bulky which feels good when skating.

+1 I love my 7k, wish it fit a little more tighter in the legs but I have no problem with mobility and its got good protection. Taken some decent falls and pucks to the legs with no problem.