Helmet, Shins, & Elbows

[bl4 39]

I'm just getting back on the ice after an injury & the pandemic kept me out the past season and a half.  I now have an excuse to replace some gear that has seen better days: Jofa elbows pads and Hespeler shin pads that I played with through college and have had since almost the turn of the millennium and a Bauer 5500 helmet.  Sadly Jofa and Hespeler have gone the way of white Nike skates, so no chance I'm getting "more of the same."  And, I know that helmet technology and offerings have changed a lot in the last decade.  Question for the group: what would be your pick if you were looking for a new helmet, and a new set of shin and elbow pads?  I play beer league these days (B/C), and I'd rather spend more on the fun purchases (sticks, skates, gloves), but I also don't want to penny wise and pound foolish.  Hoping to swing by my LHS to try some stuff on, but any advice would be appreciated greatly!

[althoma1 574]

Helmets, whatever fits best, but I'd definitely try on the following:

CCM Tacks 910 and 710 - I haven't used or tried on either, but I've heard plenty of positive comments from those who have used them

Warrior Alpha One Pro - a one piece helmet with a convenient adjustment dial. Also, more affordable than some of the other options (still not super cheap, but less than half the price of some top end helmets). I owned one briefly, and it was comfortable, but I preferred my old Easton E700s and went back to those. The E700 is my favourite helmet, but it hasn't been produced in 5+ years, so I'll have to move on eventually (I do have a few of them).

CCM Fitlite 3DS - on clearance now. I tried one once and it felt good on my head. It has a nice adjustment dial.

True Dynamic 9 - it's a one piece helmet like my beloved E700, but not as light. I prefer the Gyro adjustments of the E700 to the padding with different thicknesses on the Dynamic 9 though.

Plus, the super expensive, if money was no object helmets:

CCM Super Tacks X - it looks very interesting and the feedback from those who have tried them is great, but $400US/$500CAD for a helmet is tough to stomach

The upcoming Bauer Hyperlite (launching July 30) looks somewhat reminiscent to the E700, so I'd try that on. It's not as expensive as the Super Tacks X, but still isn't cheap at around $350 CAD (assuming $299US)

For elbows, I love my 2012 Warrior Projekts and still have two pairs, but if I was looking for new ones, I like the mobility of 3 piece pads and would look at:

Warrior Alpha DX  on clearance or the new Alpha LX Pro - three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. 

STX Surgeon RX3 - a three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. You won't find them in stores, but they sell direct on the STX website for much less than the regular price of other top end pads. 

The Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic - they're pretty pricey at $180 CAD, but it is a 3 piece pad and the protection looks quite good. I'd try it on before making a decision. 

For shins, I like my CCM RBZ shins, but when it's time to replace them, I'd try on as many as I could. These are a few that have caught my eye:

CCM FT4 Pro - the shell design looks somewhat similar to my RBZ's

Warrior Alpha DX or the new LX Pro - anatomical and streamlined

Edited July 9, 2021 by althoma1

[bl4 39]

althoma1: this is fantastic.  Thanks so much for all the advice.

[Vet88 674]

Can I also add to the extensive list that althoma created, the Bauer reakt 95 helmet. If you have an oval shaped head then this might the winner for you. Myself, the E700 is my go to helmet but I'd happily use the Bauer reakt 95 any day of the week. Personally I don't think you can spend too much on a helmet, there is nothing worse than getting pains in the head due to a poor fitting lid.

[ysheen812 2]

YES. Really hoping bauer considers bringing an accurate iteration of the e700 back soon. secondary market growing thin ha.

[xstartxtodayx 343]

For elbows, check out the CCM Tacks line, they use a lot of the old Jofa tech so they're similar.  Also try on other stuff, the 3 piece styles are pretty comfy too and a few companies make them.

[bl4 39]

Many thanks, xstartxtodayx!

[bl4 39]

20 hours ago, Vet88 said:

Can I also add to the extensive list that althoma created, the Bauer reakt 95 helmet. If you have an oval shaped head then this might the winner for you. Myself, the E700 is my go to helmet but I'd happily use the Bauer reakt 95 any day of the week. Personally I don't think you can spend too much on a helmet, there is nothing worse than getting pains in the head due to a poor fitting lid.

Many thanks, Vet88. I tried on a handful of helmets today and am deciding between the Reakt 95 and the Tacks 710.  

[Miller55 333]

Both of those are great choices, can't go wrong. I will say that for elbows and shins you might want to try SLS for another pair of Jofas, as there is definitely nothing like them around. Personally I've been using Supreme 1S elbows and 2S pro shins and am plenty happy for rec league, but if I play competitive tourneys I'm in my Synergy 700 Pros or 8K pros. The e700 is also my go to helmet, and I like the of Reakt, but I tried on the Warrior alpha one and it's actually a great bucky. 

[bl4 39]

42 minutes ago, Miller55 said:

Both of those are great choices, can't go wrong. I will say that for elbows and shins you might want to try SLS for another pair of Jofas, as there is definitely nothing like them around. Personally I've been using Supreme 1S elbows and 2S pro shins and am plenty happy for rec league, but if I play competitive tourneys I'm in my Synergy 700 Pros or 8K pros. The e700 is also my go to helmet, and I like the of Reakt, but I tried on the Warrior alpha one and it's actually a great bucky. 

Thanks, Miller55! Will check out the Supremes. Good call on SLS, but last I checked, Jofa elbows were going for 200+. I love mine, but not sure I could justify that....

[stick9 888]

On 7/10/2021 at 6:11 PM, bl4 said:

Many thanks, Vet88. I tried on a handful of helmets today and am deciding between the Reakt 95 and the Tacks 710.  

Great value in both those. I have the 710, great helmet.

When it comes to shins and elbows. My recommendation would be the Tacks line. It's the closet you'll get to older style gear.

Edited July 12, 2021 by stick9

[bl4 39]

1 hour ago, stick9 said:

Great value in both those. I have the 710, great helmet.

When it comes to shins and elbows. My recommendation would be the Tacks line. It's the closet you'll get to older style gear.

Thanks! Will definitely check out the Tacks for elbows and shins. 

 

[bl4 39]

One more helmet question for folks: has anyone had any experience mounting the CCM cages on the Reakt helmets?

In my experience cages tend to be standard - I've used the CCM/Jofa on Bauer helmets for years.  But the Reakt struck me as having a slightly odd shape, and I have read that some of the newer helmets aren't made to accommodate cages or are only made to accommodate specific cages. If I could only mount the CCM on the 710, I think that would make the decision for me.

[canard 2]

I have a large Bauer 7500 cage that I've used on my  large Reakt 75 helmet and also a CCM 710 I was trying out.  The cage worked fine with both helmets.

[xstartxtodayx 343]

The only time you'll have issues with helmets/cages is with the bubbles... CCM and Bauer have different front screw widths, the CCM is a little wider, so if you use a Bauer bubble on a CCM you have to modifiy the top clips or get special ones (I tried a Bauer bubble for a bit on my CCM helmet and had to notch the plastic clips).  I normally wear a Bauer Profile 3 cage on a CCM helmet (a V08 for years and currently a 910) and my son has a Reakt150 which we have had both a CCM cage on and now a Profile cage, no issues with fit on any of them.

[bl4 39]

I picked up the Tacks 710 with a 580 cage, and I'm very happy with it. Thanks for the advice on that front, everyone.

I tried on some elbows but didn't bite the bullet. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the Tacks or Warriors that others had recommended in my size, so I'll see if I can either find another shop that does or try ordering some to the LHS. I was struck by how bulky everything felt that I did try. The protection seemed great for the most part, but everything felt like it would restrict motion. Maybe my impression is distorted because my old Jofas are so broken-in (who am I kidding, worn out) that I hardly notice them and because I'm so far behind the curve on the technology and styles for the pads.  Curious if folks have noticed a substantial "break-in" period with newer model elbows, or if you found pairs that struck you as providing more flexibility. 

[althoma1 574]

It's great you found a helmet that fits and feels good. I haven't tried the Tacks 710 myself, but I've read rave reviews from people that have used one. When I'm in the market for a new helmet, it's certainly one I'll have to try. 

For elbows that aren't bulky and feel like they're already broken in, check out the STX Surgeon line. I tried on the old STX Surgeon 500s, they were low profile, comfortable and mobile - almost as nice as my Warrior Projekts. The Surgeon RX3 is the updated version of what I tried on and there's been plenty of positive feedback from people who have used those. You'd have to order directly from STX, but they have a 14 day trial offer for their top end pads and they're also less than $100 US (which is much cheaper than top end pads from Bauer or CCM). 

There's a review here on the step down RX3.1 pads (no 14 day guarantee on that model. The pads are the same design, but the RX3 is lighter with higher end foam):

 

 

[flip12 712]

8 hours ago, bl4 said:

tried on some elbows but didn't bite the bullet. Unfortunately, they didn't have any of the Tacks or Warriors that others had recommended in my size, so I'll see if I can either find another shop that does or try ordering some to the LHS. I was struck by how bulky everything felt that I did try. The protection seemed great for the most part, but everything felt like it would restrict motion. Maybe my impression is distorted because my old Jofas are so broken-in (who am I kidding, worn out) that I hardly notice them and because I'm so far behind the curve on the technology and styles for the pads.  Curious if folks have noticed a substantial "break-in" period with newer model elbows, or if you found pairs that struck you as providing more flexibility. 

Everything is old Jofa though, just redressed a bit to make different elbows seem distinct. They’re actually all just copies of those established archetypes (Jofa 2-piece and 3-piece). They may have miniscule differences but there’s nothing new under the Sun yet.

[bl4 39]

13 hours ago, althoma1 said:

For elbows that aren't bulky and feel like they're already broken in, check out the STX Surgeon line. I tried on the old STX Surgeon 500s, they were low profile, comfortable and mobile - almost as nice as my Warrior Projekts. The Surgeon RX3 is the updated version of what I tried on and there's been plenty of positive feedback from people who have used those. You'd have to order directly from STX, but they have a 14 day trial offer for their top end pads and they're also less than $100 US (which is much cheaper than top end pads from Bauer or CCM). 

There's a review here on the step down RX3.1 pads (no 14 day guarantee on that model. The pads are the same design, but the RX3 is lighter with higher end foam):

 

 

Thanks, Althoma1! The STX Surgeons sound great. I may root around and try to figure out whether the added padding of the RX3 is worth the extra cash as compared the the RX3.1

[bl4 39]

12 hours ago, flip12 said:

Everything is old Jofa though, just redressed a bit to make different elbows seem distinct. They’re actually all just copies of those established archetypes (Jofa 2-piece and 3-piece). They may have miniscule differences but there’s nothing new under the Sun yet.

Interesting, flip12. Any sense of the best contemporary analog to the old Jofa JDP 6035? Based on rooting around online, it looks like the 6035 became the Reebok 6k: http://www.sports2k.com/forum/index.php?/topic/44868-jofa-a-guide-to-elbow-pads/. But, I'm curious if there's something on the market today that's fairly similar.

[bl4 39]

On 7/9/2021 at 3:52 PM, althoma1 said:

Warrior Alpha DX  on clearance or the new Alpha LX Pro - three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. 

Thanks for the great suggestion.  Picked up a pair of Alpha DX today on clearance. I remain intrigued by the STX, but getting these for the same price and being able to try them on made the difference. I preferred the Tacks to the other CCM and Bauer offerings (thanks for the recommendation, xstartxtodayx), but found the Warrior to be more flexible

[Westside 232]

On 7/9/2021 at 2:52 PM, althoma1 said:

Warrior Alpha DX  on clearance or the new Alpha LX Pro - three piece pad with an elbow sleeve. 

Did not realize the DX was on clearance, thanks for the tip! Have been wanting to check them out for a few years. Does anyone know if $99 is the lowest price out there? 

[bl4 39]

6 minutes ago, Westside said:

Did not realize the DX was on clearance, thanks for the tip! Have been wanting to check them out for a few years. Does anyone know if $99 is the lowest price out there?

That's the cheapest I've seen them (at least in the States)

[Westside 232]

On 7/20/2021 at 9:52 PM, bl4 said:

That's the cheapest I've seen them (at least in the States)

What do you think of them? 

 

Initial impressions for me are that these things are absolute tanks and offer superb protection! Mobility is fantastic as is comfort.  I can't get them to slide at all which is amazing. Downside is they're about 1/2" too long on the forearm which impedes full range of movement with my gloves. So as much as I like them it looks like I'll be returning them

 

[Miller55 333]

That's why you gotta zero those cuffs buddy