Full-Face Hybrid?

[Jbear 113]

Currently using a half-shield.  Looking at going to a full-face after a couple of close calls.

Ronin looks attractive...not sure whether the wire or polycarbonate lower is a a better option. I'm looking for best visibility and least front-heavy. Also the wire is available in white, black, and silver...not sure which is least obtrusive. Any reason anyone prefers one over another is helpful. Also if you prefer Bauer or another brand...let's hear about it. 

Thanks all!  

[thelaterskater 16]

I got one of these. It's surprisingly good. No issues at all with fogging so far, and visibility is great. Based on my experiences with other Hockey Tron products, I had low expectations. But it's been great.

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

I've been using the new Avision Zero Plus shield and have had on the ice for 4-5 games. Had zero fogging and I've only wiped it once with water due to water splatter that dried on shield. It's wire/shield combo. It's one of the few half shield/cage combos that have not fogged on me. The other half shield/cage combo that didn't really fog till the end was the HockeyNinja MK5-X hybrid shield. 

Between the two, the Hockey Ninja is lighter and has a more "optically" correct shield. However, the Avision really hasn't fogged on me and since the shield sits further off the face/helmet, breathability hasn't been an issue like some of the other combo shields I've tried.

Also, between a fish bowl and combo shield, I prefer the combo as it has better air flow and when the puck is in your feet, the fish bowls bars are thicker and you tend to lose sight of the puck more.

Edited June 29, 2020 by Asian Tomatoe
grammar update

[Jbear 113]

Thanks guys.  That MK5-X looks appealing. 

[dasuchin 20]

Just be aware that the MK5-X is HUGE. The bottom of it would hit my shoulder pads when I turned my head and kept getting in the way. I also had issues with it fogging.

I've been using the new one from Boulder Face Shields (https://hockeyfaceshields.com/shop/) and have had no issues with it fogging. I think I've played at least 10 games with it now. Way better than the Hockey Ninja one. The bottom isn't too big to get in the way and breathability seems better to me.

[YesLanges 127]

I don't use it unless I'm protecting recent dental work (or have some other specific reason not to risk playing with my less protective vintage Cooper Pro-Tec cages), but I have the clear pro version of their original full visor. It works as advertised without any fogging at all, except for on the bench in certain conditions. Anybody have any idea why they seem to have discontinued the original product? It's pictured in their "About" page, but doesn't seem to be available for sale any longer. I prefer my vintage cage, but I wore the Boulder AVA for a month after a wisdom tooth extraction and during a double-header the night before I was scheduled to leave for a vacation that couldn't be postponed for stitches or dental repairs. (The Pro-Tec is full-face, but there are gaps large enough to catch a stick, although it's not that likely.)

[Vet88 674]

My only comment about the avision zero plus is its fit. I got a large to fit onto a medium E700 and had to do a lot of work to get it to fit, it was too small (yes, thats right, a large mask on a medium helmet was too small off the shelf), had to remove the shield, bend the hell out of the bars, refit the shield and do a lot of fiddling to get it right. Maybe it's something to do with Easton that made it a more difficult process than what I thought it should be. But I agree with what everyone else says, no fog issues. That said I'm most probably going to onsell it, the weight bugs me and I'm going to go for a titanium cage.

[Jbear 113]

I do have a Re-akt titanium...maybe I just need to suck it up and use it. 

I'm so used to a half-shield...ugh.  In college I also used the Pro-tec...that was the late 70's-early 80's.  That sucker is long gone! 

[Miller55 333]

16 hours ago, dasuchin said:

Just be aware that the MK5-X is HUGE. The bottom of it would hit my shoulder pads when I turned my head and kept getting in the way. I also had issues with it fogging.

 

Seconded. It sticks way out away from your face. I had no real fogging issues and I do like that the visor can be swapped out. The issue I had is that my face is fairly long and the concept hybrid fit much better for me. In the end I think I prefer my true vision 7500 cage because I wear glasses and I just find it to be better visibility. Not sure why, but it works for me

Edited June 30, 2020 by Miller55

[psulion22 402]

2 hours ago, Jbear said:

I do have a Re-akt titanium...maybe I just need to suck it up and use it. 

I'm so used to a half-shield...ugh.  In college I also used the Pro-tec...that was the late 70's-early 80's.  That sucker is long gone! 

The weight of the Re-Akt makes it hard for me to want to switch away from it.  I'd prefer some sort of visor for visibility, but they weight so much more that I have to keep pushing my helmet up.

The Boulder/Avision or the Ronin look better than the ones from the major brands.  I have a teammate that has the Ronin, and it doesn't look like it's unusually large.  It's interesting that it's getting that feedback.  The thinner bars and optically correct shield are definitely more appealing.

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

Interesting that everyone is saying the MK5-X would hit their shoulder pads. I never had this issue but I need large cages on a medium helmet since a big noggin.

What shoulder pads are you guys using? I try to find the lowest height shoulder caps and haven't had any issues with the CCM line of shoulder pads. Bauers...not so much..they have really tall caps to me.

I had to stretch out the cage for the Avision Zero Plus and that was my one complaint as well.

For reference, I went from a CCM Titanium cage to the Avision Zero Plus and didn't notice the weight after a couple minutes but do agree/wish the cage was lighter and a wider. 

 

[dasuchin 20]

I wear STX shoulders and the cage hit the caps. I don't think the caps are that big but who knows.

I had to stretch the cage for the Avision too. It was a pain in the ass and could still stand to be stretched more, but it's fine now. I'm using it on a Bauer Reakt 75.

[asgoodasdead 74]

i also wear the Tron one and i have zero complaints after 5 years.

[psulion22 402]

3 hours ago, Asian Tomatoe said:

Interesting that everyone is saying the MK5-X would hit their shoulder pads. I never had this issue but I need large cages on a medium helmet since a big noggin.

What shoulder pads are you guys using? I try to find the lowest height shoulder caps and haven't had any issues with the CCM line of shoulder pads. Bauers...not so much..they have really tall caps to me.

I had to stretch out the cage for the Avision Zero Plus and that was my one complaint as well.

For reference, I went from a CCM Titanium cage to the Avision Zero Plus and didn't notice the weight after a couple minutes but do agree/wish the cage was lighter and a wider. 

 

So between the MK5-X and Zero Plus, which would you recommend, and why?

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

I’d recommend the Zero Plus because the cage breathes better, doesn’t fog and requires minimal care. I had a better experience with the Zero Plus than the MK5-X. The MK5-X started to have lite condensation towards the bottom of the shield after 2-3 games.

[psulion22 402]

12 hours ago, Asian Tomatoe said:

I’d recommend the Zero Plus because the cage breathes better, doesn’t fog and requires minimal care. I had a better experience with the Zero Plus than the MK5-X. The MK5-X started to have lite condensation towards the bottom of the shield after 2-3 games.

Awesome, thanks.

How did the weight and sightlines compare between the two?

 

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

The Avision Zero Plus is heavier than the MK5-X as far as weight goes.

Sightline between the two.. hmm.. for me... they are comparable. The bars are thicker on the Avision Zero Plus but when playing, I don't notice any difference between the two.

Keep in mind I'm coming from wearing a cage for almost 2 decades and never having any issues with sightlines so I both are an improvement for me.

Like I said before, the biggest thing I notice is the difference in airflow as the Zero Plus visor portion sits away from the face quite a bit more. 

I don't notice any deadspots or weird vision areas in the cage like I would with a Fishbowl.

Hope that helps. 

[Vet88 674]

If you are considering the Avision Zero Plus you need to take into account its sizing (the "senior" sized version only comes in a large). If you fit a large cage then the Avision Zero plus senior will most likely fit your face shape. If you use a medium cage the Avision, based on my experience, will not fit you face shape. Your chin will sit around 1cm - 2cm's away from the chin cup. You can't fix it because of how the cage is designed, they have pushed the visor outwards and the rest of the cage shape follows this so this pushes the chin cup away from your face. It's really noticeable when you put a medium cage and the Avision Zero Plus senior side by side. If you don't mind not having your chin in the chin cup then you might be ok with it, I couldn't get used to this. I still like the no fog of the Avision zero plus visor and am mulling over picking up another medium cage and doing some mods to fit the visor to it aka putin style.

Edit - I purchased the cage as an early release when the info was a little bit opaque, I purchased a "senior" cage. The web site now has a lot more info and you would need to purchase the "Junior" cage (with a picture of a kid who looks about 10) if you are a small to medium adult fit, go figure that nomenclature.

Edited July 3, 2020 by Vet88

[IPv6Freely 2092]

Oh man, I haven't heard that brand name in a LONG time. I was a huge HUGE fan of their original face mask (all plastic - and appears to be the one they still offer for youth players). The "Avision Ahead" model was the second version and it fogged up a ton. Looks like they don't have that one anymore.

The Zero Plus is ugly AF but it looks pretty good. A full cage definitely looks less dopey, but who gives a damn these days. I think I still have my original Boulder kicking around somewhere - I wonder if they still make replacement shields for them. Maybe I should put it back on at least for now, regardless.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

On 6/29/2020 at 12:01 PM, Jbear said:

Also the wire is available in white, black, and silver...not sure which is least obtrusive.

There is a lot of debate on this and everyone has their opinion, but let me just say that as a goalie a white cage is ABSOLUTELY going to be better for seeing the puck. I have used colored cages, and still do sometimes (my Winterfest mask, for example) but white is definitely easier to see the puck with. Obviously every color occupies the same amount of physical space, but seeing a black object on white ice with a white cage is going to be way easier than seeing it through a black cage. It may matter less for skaters (hence the number of people who will say it doesn't matter) but for me it's a massive difference.

[Jbear 113]

I wonder how much effort it would be to cut a Reakt titanium and attach a visor in the middle. That's all I really need.  I'm not wanting my lid to feel like a bowling ball...I just want something that will keep a deflection or errant stick from sending me to the ER.

[IPv6Freely 2092]

9 minutes ago, Jbear said:

I wonder how much effort it would be to cut a Reakt titanium and attach a visor in the middle. That's all I really need.  I'm not wanting my lid to feel like a bowling ball...I just want something that will keep a deflection or errant stick from sending me to the ER.

More than it's worth. You also don't know what that would do to the structural integrity of the rest of the cage. 

[Jbear 113]

Yeah...I think I already knew that 🤬🤣

[Asian Tomatoe 30]

Regarding color of the cage...The one thing I do wish about the Zero plus is that the cage is white or chrome. I may do what I did to my Zero cage where i spray painted the inside of the cage white and made it an “Oreo” colored cage. I put several coats and it has last well over a year of use with no chipping to this day.

I havent really noticed the black cage messing with my vision so far on the Zero Plus put will agree that white is definitely the least obtrusive for a cage