SISU 1.6 Aero Guard

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As you may have read in my review of the Shock Doctor Gel Max mouthguard, I'm a handsome, 40 year old male, 6' 0", 185 lbs, with good teeth.  I play in a novice/no-check league but still use a mouthguard for peace of mind.  Having put aside a mouthguard that I struggled to breath and talk in, I was on a search for something better.  I read great things from this site regarding the SISU brand of guards.  I contacted SISU directly and they pointed me in the direction of the 1.6 Aero Guard (1.6 indicates the thickness of the material in mm).  They also offer a Max Guard which is slightly thicker at 2.4 mm but the SISU rep suggested I would be fine with the thinner guard because I am wearing a full cage and shouldn't be taking direct hits to the mouth.

Fit:  The guard comes completely flat.  In order to shape it you need to get some really hot water and let it soften.  I tried hot water from the faucet as I found it to be, per the instructions, "hot to the touch, but not boiling", but it simply wasn't hot enough.  I ended up boiling water, removing the water from the heat and placing the guard in it.  Once the material was soft it then became a balancing act of fitting the guard to my mouth as the material started to cool.  It was quite challenging and I bet it took me 10 tries, but in the end, the fit is phenomenal!  The guard slides onto my teeth and can only be removed when I physically remove it with my fingers (can't spit it out).

Protection:  Much like my other mouthguard experience, I have not taken any direct shots to test the protection which is largely due to my helmet cage.  I did take a pretty good shot when I hit my head on the boards, but the helmet took the brunt of the blow and my teeth were never in danger.

Weight:  Probably doesn't apply, but the guard is barely noticeable when in place due to it being only 1.6 mm thick.  

Durability:  While the other mouthguard I tried was very soft (gel feel), the SISU is a hard plastic.  I've been using this for almost 3 months now and you can see where my teeth are digging into the plastic, but I have a long way to go before needing replacement.  

Intangibles:  I really like the guard because it almost feels like its not there.  Breathing and taking a drink of water is not a problem.  Speaking is only marginally affected and I'm not sure how it could get any better with any other mouthguard.

Conclusion:  I love this product and doubt I would ever try anything else!  I'm very curious to see just how long the guard will last but when the time comes, I expect I will be replacing it with another SISU.  Just a reminder that I'm using this guard behind a helmet cage so I can't comment for those that are more likely to take a direct shot to the mouth.  

Final Rating:  9/10 (the only reason it's not a perfect 10 is the fitting is tricky)