proth0303 29 Report post Posted February 23, 2017 (edited) Male, 40 years old, 6' 0", 185 lbs, very handsome, good teeth. I started my skating/hockey journey ~3 months ago and picked up this mouthguard at my LHS as part of my complete outfitting. I play in a novice/no-check league but remembered the pain and suffering I went through as a child with braces so I wasn't going to risk damaging my teeth. Given that the LHS had a wall full of Shock Doctor mouthguards (no other brands), I assumed that if they stocked it than it must be good. Fit: The guard comes roughly shaped already and is custom fit by boiling the guard in water to soften the gel. It took me 3 times to really get the fit I wanted but in the end, it was extremely comfortable. While the fit was comfortable, I noticed it was restrictive in that my breathing was affected and I could barely talk. Protection: Fortunately, I haven't taken any hard falls or elbows to the face to test the protection but I am quite confident it would do an admirable job. Note that I do wear a full cage but use the mouthguard anyway for peace of mind as I anticipate many hard falls as I learn this sport. Weight: Probably doesn't apply, but it does feel bulky in my mouth. Durability: I only used this guard twice before putting it aside for reasons I'll mention later... Intangibles: Here's what I really don't like about this product... It's really hard to breath and this gets magnified when you are huffing and puffing up and down the ice. Also, it is impossible to speak with it in so all communication has to be done via visual cues because I sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher with the guard in. Heck, even getting a drink of water was difficult. Conclusion: I can see how this would be a good mouthguard for a sport that you can take it in and out every 10 seconds but for me and hockey.. well... I've already moved onto another mouthguard... Final Rating: 3/10 (the whole hard to breathe thing really put a damper on this one for me) Edited February 23, 2017 by proth0303 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
