STX RX3 Gloves

[darkhors 88]

About Me

Male - 6'0'' - 180lbs

Mainly Forward/Very Rarely Defense

B/C level hockey

Usage time: 2-4 games a week, January through March and Sept through Dec 2019 (end of previous season and into current season)

Price: $120

Glove History (most recent pair prior to this listed last): Eagle XP X70's 15in, QRL Pro 15in

STX RX3 14in - I did not get to try any STX gloves on prior to this purchase. I was only able to look at them online and try to judge what I thought would be a good fit based on my preferences.

Fit (9.5/10)

These are a true tapered fit and they fit close to the hand all the way back to the wrists where they open up. I really like the close fit on the fingers, but I find it a little tighter than I would prefer on the back part of my hand. It's not uncomfortable and it's definitely not a deal breaker but it's something that I noticed when comparing to my QRL Pro's. For comparison, the QRL's were great when I fit got them and now that they're 2 years old, they almost feel sloppy compared to the RX3's. I attribute this tight fit on the backhand to the lining. The lining is very soft, but it does feel plush. If I pull the lining back the feel of the glove opens up a bit, but I don't have that nice soft liner anymore and it's just the glove material. If they could make this liner just a hair smaller, it would be perfect. Lastly, I went with 14's because I watched Matt Hills review of these gloves stating that he thought they felt a touch bigger because of the M2 knuckle and the way the glove was able to bend. I believe this was a vital piece of information for me and he was spot on. If I would have bought 15's I think they would have been too loose for what I was looking for. That said, STX has a 14 day return policy, no questions asked, so I could have returned them for the 14's if that were the case.

Comfort (9.5/10)

The only thing I wish I could change is that they run a touch warm. Overall I really like them and everyone once in a while when I think I should go back to my QRL's, I put those on and immediately remember why I keep wearing these. Even after basically a full season of playing, the liner is still there doing it's job and it hasn't broken down hardly at all. The padding still feels the same as when I bought them and I think that's one of the amazing parts of this glove. The fit and comfort are pretty much the same as when they were new. If the padding was a little thinner on the backhand as I mentioned above, they would get a 10. The palm is nice as well. Not ultra thin, but thin enough that I can feel everything and be durable (I'll get to that below). They also have mesh gussets, which if you read my review of the QRL Pro's was one thing that I thought they needed to change. This is a welcomed change for me and I definitely like them more than traditional cloth.

Weight (10/10)

Weight is on par with other top level gloves. They don't feel heavy on my hands, although I think that is also because of how close they sit to the back of the hand. 

Mobility (10/10)

Excellent mobility. The bottom part of the cuff is a little shorter than some of the other gloves out there and it's actually segmented from the rest of the cuff so it allow you flex your hand down which gives you full range of motion. 

Break-in (10/10)

These gloves were already super comfortable out of the box and I thought the liners would break down like the QRL's, but to my amazement they still feel great. They haven't lost any comfort and the liner has stayed consistent throughout the entire time I've been playing with them. There's really nothing more to be said about this. They were great at the beginning and they're still great.

Protection (9/10)

I play beer league, but it's still competitive and sticks are always an issue. I haven't taken anything to the back or side of the hand that has caused me to think about needing more protection. Some people said they had concerns with the M2 Knuckle being a "weak" spot in the design, but i haven't had any issues so far. I'm giving this a 9 because I don't think it's been truly tested during play.

Durability (9/10)

So the overall durability of this glove is fantastic. What I mean by that is that the really important stuff like cuff, palm, gussets, etc is durable. The reason for the 9 is that I've noticed on two of the fingers on my right glove that I'm starting to get some tails from the stitching on my right hand. I think it has to do with my wiping the snow off of my stick blade at the end of a shift or before a face-off, etc. They are in no way affecting how the glove performs, but my OCD picked up on it about a month or so ago and I keep forgetting to fix it before it becomes a problem. Other than that, everything else has been extremely durable.

Palm (10/10)

Great palm. Wasn't sure how I was going to like it having never owned anything STX, but it's soft and durable and has been wearing very well. A huge plus was the spandex gussets. So glad these had them. What a world of difference it makes for me in terms of feel.

Conclusion (97/100)

Pro's of this glove: Great price point for top of the line glove, fit and mobility are great and the lack of break in time and consistent fit over time of the glove are all huge bonuses.

Con's of the glove: I wish the back hand padding/liner was just a touch thinner as to give a little more breath-ability and space to the glove. Neither of these were/are deal breakers for me though, but YMMV. 

Edited December 13, 2019 by darkhors