Best and lightest cage/full face shield

[puckpilot 312]

I've been using a half-and-half cage for like the last fifteen years, and I think it might be time to move on to something new. So I was wondering  what's the lightest full face protection out there right now?

I've been poking around and there isn't much selection for full face shields, just the Bauer Concept 3. And as for cages, the  Bauer RE-AKT Cage, Bauer Profile III, and the CCM FitLITE are the ones I found to be the lightest as far as listed specs are concerned.

Is there anything else out there? If not, does anyone have any opinions on any of these in terms of weight, vision obstruction, etc.?

 

Thanks in advance. 

[MarsB 33]

I'm a cage guy, I run way too hot to wear a full shield.  For the cages, the weight difference between the three you listed is pretty negligible.  Visibility is a personal thing, depending on where the bars end up in your field of vision based on your face shape and how the cage hangs on your helmet.  Best bet is to try & see what you like.  

[Coldclay 53]

2 hours ago, MarsB said:

For the cages, the weight difference between the three you listed is pretty negligible. 

The Re-Akt and CCM Fitlite titanium cages are the lightest full cage money can buy. Bauer Profile III is significantly heavier since it's not made of titanium and you can really tell the difference.

I've been using a Re-Akt cage for years and love it, but I've never tried on a CCM FitLite cage so I can't comment on visibility, but I do like the way the Fitlite looks.

[shoot_the_goalie 281]

I have the CCM FitLite titanium change.  I love the pattern for visibility.  Re-Akt cage is lighter though.

[MarsB 33]

17 hours ago, Coldclay said:

The Re-Akt and CCM Fitlite titanium cages are the lightest full cage money can buy. Bauer Profile III is significantly heavier since it's not made of titanium and you can really tell the difference.

I've been using a Re-Akt cage for years and love it, but I've never tried on a CCM FitLite cage so I can't comment on visibility, but I do like the way the Fitlite looks.

Fair point.  Titanium is going to be lighter, but imho the difference felt was negligible when going from a Reakt to Profile II.  I'd be more concerned with how a cage's visibility  worked for me than shaving a few grams.

[Dizzyg12 27]

I just switched to a concept iii and have no problems.  Its technically heavier than a cage but I don't notice any extra weight.  

[darkhors 88]

What combo are you using? I switched over to the Bauer Hybrid shield (visor on top and cage on the bottom and it's been the best thing I've used since I've switched back from just a visor. Breath-ability is top notch and you can replace the visor if anything happens to it. I didn't notice much of a difference in weight once it's on my head. The other fishbowls just wouldn't stop fogging up on me however and I tried the Bauer Concept 3 and the Avision ahead.

[flip12 715]

I want to try one of the combos too. I tried a Concept II in high school and it was both foggy as hell--couldn't see a damn thing--and so loud when trying to communicate on the ice.

[darkhors 88]

Yeah I wasn't a huge fan of the regular full face shields. I always felt like I was breathing really really heavy when wearing one. I don't even think about it now and I can drink water easily and spit through it without worrying about getting it on my visor. I know that's not the most important thing, but it's the little victories that count :)

[S'land9.16.7 6]

When I wore a cage my favourite was the Bauer RBE VIII with i2 technology which has the white on the inside and the black on the outside. They don't make them anymore but you can find them every now and then online. 

[YesLanges 127]

15 hours ago, darkhors said:

The other fishbowls just wouldn't stop fogging up on me however and I tried the Bauer Concept 3 and the Avision ahead.

The Avision Ahead version II has a better ventilation design. I never tried the original, but the new one doesn't fog at all. There was a problem with the anti-fog coating on their first batch of version-II lenses, but they'll replace them for free if you contact them and your order date corresponds to the first batch. I still use the ancient cat-eye Pro-Tec cages on my ancient CCM Pro Standards, but I have one HT-2 setup with the Avision Ahead and if you like fishbowls, it's great...it literally seems like there's absolutely nothing in front of your eyes at all.

[JAG 20]

I absolutely LOVE the vision on the CCM RES300.  I forget that I'm even wearing a cage.  Downside is that it feels heavy to me.  It could be because I'm using on an Easton E700 (which is stupid lightweight).  So I don't know if it is a heavier cage, or just feels that way because of the lightweight helmet I have it attached to.

[HarpGuy 12]

I picked up one of the titanium ones the other day on a whim and it was like picking up nothing. And that was the heavier CCM one. I held it up to my face and could see MUCH better through it then my current cage.

I used to wear a half shield or nothing, but took a few years off and I think a full cage is causing me issues.

When I loose my laziness I plan on driving the 0.5 miles to Pure Hockey and buying one. 

[218hockey 50]

I purchased a a S titanium Re-Akt cage for a S Bauer IMS 7 helmet and it didn't fit too well.  If I remember, it was too narrow. Bummer.

[althoma1 574]

Yes, the Reakt was too narrow for my IMS 7 as well. Both size large. The Reakt fits well on a large Easton E700 though. I have a large Itech titanium on the IMS 7. The Ccm fitlite might work as well - I have not tried that one.

[titan1234 5]

Coincidentally had the same experience with a large Reakt cage with a medium IMS 7.0 helmet - it kept compressing the temple area no matter how much I tried to widen the cage.  With my M11 helmets, I have size L 9500 & 9900 cages but hard to find those models nowadays.  Thought the 7500 might fit but got lucky and found an IMS 11.0 cage that is virtually identical to the 9900.

It's not as light as the Reakt, but IIRC, the 9500's original claim to fame was being lighter than any existing cage, except for the Itech titanium, then the 9900 was supposed to be 20% lighter than the 9500.

[icewalker_bg 126]

Once you go the re-akt way, if it fits you well,  there is no going back. 

[Pez68 4]

Bauer Re-akt. There is nothing else close. It will also be the last cage you ever buy. Well worth it....

If it is too narrow, just spread it out... It will bend.

[icewalker_bg 126]

Agreed. I have tried so many cages, CCM, Easton, older Bauer...besides the light weight of the cage which will keep your helmet on you head and not drag it down, the visibility is up there too. 

[althoma1 574]

While I do like the Re-akt and prefer it to the Itech Titanium, it does not work on all helmets. You can spread it out slightly, but even after spreading it out, I do find it's too narrow on a Cascade M11 or Bauer IMS 7.0 of the same size. It works beautifully on an Easton E700 and I'm sure a lot of other helmets.

The CCM Fitlite is also titanium and has flat bars. I haven't tried it, but would certainly consider that one as well if you happen to have a helmet that the Reakt doesn't work well on. The CCM Fitlite and Reakt titanium are really the only two cages I'd consider that are currently on the market.

[218hockey 50]

15 minutes ago, althoma1 said:

While I do like the Re-akt and prefer it to the Itech Titanium, it does not work on all helmets. You can spread it out slightly, but even after spreading it out, I do find it's too narrow on a Cascade M11 or Bauer IMS 7.0 of the same size.

 

Besides bending to fit, would going up a size work on the Cascade? Like a med cage on small helmet?

[althoma1 574]

48 minutes ago, 218hockey said:

 

Besides bending to fit, would going up a size work on the Cascade? Like a med cage on small helmet?

Only if the chin cup still fits your face. If you have a small head, but a longer face then a medium cage on a small helmet can work well. You just don't want the cage to be so long that the chin cup is below your chin - if you wear it like that and you collide with another player then the chin will be pushed into the bars instead of cushioned by the cup and you could be injured.

You can also go the other way and have a helmet that's one size larger than the cage. You should really size the helmet and the cage separately. You can wear the same size helmet and cage or go one size either way depending on how everything fits you. That's why it's ideal to have a good store to shop in, rather than having to order online and guess.

[titan1234 5]

I really wanted the Reakt cage to work with my IMS 7.0, but it just didn't bend enough.  Not 100% sure, but I thought the helmet compatibility chart that's included with the Reakt cage indicated "NO" for the IMS7/11 helmet.  Since the IMS helmets seem to fit better for round-headed folks, it's possible the Reakt cage just fits better for oval-headed types.

FYI, here's a weight comparison of some Senior Medium size cages based on what's listed on IW's site:

Bauer Reakt Titanium:  165 grams
Bauer 7500:  270 g
Bauer RBE III:  320 g
Bauer IMS 11.0: 272g (based on combo 833g, minus helmet 561g)
CCM Fitlite Titanium: 201 g
CCM FitLite FL80: 261 g

My suggestion would be fit should trump weight from a safety and comfort perspective, so looking at other cages might mean a difference of 100g (3.5 oz) or so heavier.  You might not notice the extra weight that much once it's on your head unless you did a back-to-back comparison.

 

[icewalker_bg 126]

The re-akt helmet fits well people with a round head shape, the re-akt cage fits very well round shaped faces too. 

[titan1234 5]

23 minutes ago, icewalker_bg said:

The re-akt helmet fits well people with a round head shape, the re-akt cage fits very well round shaped faces too. 

Only tried the Reakt 75 helmet in a medium as it was a follow-on to the IMS 7.0, and it was too narrow for my noggin.  I will need to check out the Reakt100 or original Reakt helmet next time, however, the former is likely beyond my budget.