goalie equipment reviews Brian's Opt1k Pro Goalie Pads vs. Warrior Ritual G2 Pro Goalie Pads

[Adam Cooper]

Below is a link to my YouTube video comparison review of the Brian's Opt1k FLX Goalie Pads vs. Warrior Ritual G2 Pro Goalie Pads.  "New vs. Old set."  I apologize for the quality of this video as it was rushed because I was selling my Warrior pads the next day and I wanted to ensure I did this comparison.

Key Highlights:

Brians Opt1k Pro FLX (35.5" +1)

Sliding - the sliding on the Optislide material is amazing.  In all conditions they are top notch.  By the 3rd period of a game when it gets pretty snowy this material continues to perform much better than the Warriors which do significantly slow down.  This material is also thicker and seems much more durable.

Strapping - the strapping on the Opt1k's are great with lots of options for all preferences.  I do like the smart toe strap and the boot strap better than what Warrior uses.  Although the Warrior boot and toe straps are much quicker to put on.

Customization - I love the look of the Brian's Opt1k pads so I stuck with their core design and just customized my color options.  Brian's does offer some amazing logo and other customizations if you really want to harness your inner artist expressionism.

Seal to Ice - these pads offer a really stable firm knee block when slamming your knees into the ice and the full pad seals firmly to the ice.  I find I don't let in as many goals that squeeze under my pads.  I also find that the 5-hole coverage is better and I'm not giving up as my goals in this area as my Warriors.

Pad Stiffness and Rebounds - I was pleasantly surprised that the E-foam in these FLX pads does have lots of punch with their rebounds.  I understand the FLY core is even stiffer but the FLX have been great with some solid powerful rebounds much bigger than my Warriors. The flex in these pads are great to provide customization on how much curve you want with your pads.

Warrior Ritual G2 Pro (36" +1.5)

Weight - the weight is still lighter than the Opt1k and this is an area Warrior prides itself. For me, weight is important and I prefer to have pads that are on the lighter end of the scale.

Profile Lock Patent System - I found this system really great to help customize the curve of my thigh rise.  Especially helpful for me with a narrow butterfly.

Knee Driving System - I really liked how the knee rotated in these pads.  There was extra angled padding used in the knee cradle and knee block to help really push the knee into the knee block.