James Reimer Pro Return 1S Pads

[djtendy]

I was asked generously by @TheGoalNet to review my James Reimer pro return 1S. I'm going to try to make it as detailed as possible to address questions or concerns people have with the pad, considering there is both a ton of hype and criticism about these pads. I apologize for the size of the pictures, as I took them with my new phone and have no idea how to scale them down. Hoping their size helps people see, with as much detail as possible, what I am trying to articulate here. I encourage as many people to read the full thing. I will discuss what I love about them, some of the mods done to the pads, as well as how I wear them, what I'm not crazy about, I'll address some wear areas, and conclude.

I have loved these pads since the day I bought them. I found them on GGSU and the guy who had them initially bought them from BAHR in California. These were Reimer's pads when he was traded from Toronto to SJ, and made their way to BAHR. He wore NXG skinned 1S for a while, then wore the retail graphic 1S around Christmas, and returned to these shortly after. I am not sure why, but he wore these until he got his all-white, current graphic 1S in SJ. I acquired them in August of last year (2016). As a huge Reimer fanboy, I gawked at these the moment I got them. The Canada post people couldn't even believe they were transporting pads in the box due to how light they are. I assume many people have had a chance to see the retail production model, but for those who have not, you should try to at least try these on in-store. They are the lightest pad I've ever worn. I have worn Vaughn pads exclusively since I can remember. I wore V2s, V3s, and most recently, 35+1" V5 7800s. These 1S are a size Medium, and I do believe there are Reimer returns in a size small floating around some where.

*Interesting note: These pads do not have the KW signature. Either it was rubbed off somehow, or something else happened. Who knows. However, they can be photomatched. There's also no chance they can be custom with 'Reims' embroidery and his specs with the NXG graphic. Just not possible. They did come with the teal padwrap on, but I removed it as I like the blue much better. They also don't have the JRZ stamp in between the inner leg landing area and the leg pillow on the inside. Not sure if they were or weren't made in Canada, because they were early gen 1S. I don't think they were, as I believe the early gen 1S were all off-shored. Now, custom 1S (depending on what is ordered) sets are made in Canada.*

Let's start with what I love about the pads, and highlight some of the Reimer-specific specs. First, there's the weight factor that I just mentioned. Coming from stuffed Vaughns, picking these up and feeling their weight (or lack thereof) almost felt too good to be true. I am aware that the Warriors have these beat for weight, but transitioning from a soft, double break Vaughn into a stiff, light 1S was a huge change. However, I found it to be a fairly easy transition to make. Because the pads don't weigh much, their stiffness (in my opinion) did not affect my play style. I could still play my athletic, quick moving style without worrying about wearing a pad that would restrict my movement. If anything, my movements improved with these. A lot of this is due in part to the second reason why I love these pads, which is the CRS strapping the pads are fitted with, which is pretty much stock other than the knee wrap, which is nylon velcro as opposed to the stretchy, stock velcro. This allows my leg to sit tight in the channel, provide support across my calf while letting my knee sit freely in the knee channel.

 

All of the CRS straps are long straps (you can order short and long). However, when I received the pads, the "CRS" strap that runs from behind your calf, through a loop on the inner knee landing, back around your calf and velcros to the leg channel, was a modified version, and was significantly shorter, thus allowing the pad to be worn even tighter. I am not sure if they could not get short straps at the time he was playing in these, but they look to be pretty much homemade by one of the TOR/SJ equipment managers. Here's a pic of them side by side, with the original CRS being the top, and the modified one on the bottom:

 

I ordered a new set of long straps because I'm a stickler for aesthetics, and didn't like the off-white-sweat color from the modded one. It also appeared that the thick velcro stitched in black contributed to some inner leg channel wear. I'll get to that soon. I also wear the CRS strap "backwards", technically. The strap is meant to be worn where the CRS logo is visible on the outside of the pad. However, I wear it with the CRS logo on the inside, with the plain white velcro showing on the outside. I do it because I actually get a tighter feel with the strap switched, and wasn't a fan of how tight the original strap was. Here's a pic to illustrate what I mean:

 

Sticking with the strapping, I am unable to wear the knee strap around the back of my knee and attach it to the knee wing due to the fact that the knee wing is stitched into the outside of the pad, and has 2 velcro "reinforcement" strips that force the knee wing to protrude outward. This is what the strips look like:

This reinforcement prevents the knee wings from flapping around but actually remaining in place while you play in them. I've never worn the knee wrap angled down to the calf before I acquired these, and am glad that reinforcement is there. I'm sure it has flopped around and annoyed many. On his current sets, Reimer does not wear the outer knee flap, as it has probably annoyed him, too. However, I remember quite a few people talking about Reimer's "flap" on his pads, and find it cool that there is actually some substance behind a simple "flap". I don't think it helps stop any pucks by itself, but it might allow for some extra half-save that the puck might barely graze to win a game. Who knows. All I know is that I barely notice them when I play, and he no longer wears the flaps. Here are pics of him with the flaps in his stance, and without the flaps now:

 

I added a velcro loop strap behind where the knee wing is to help slightly with pad rotation when I was butterflying. Lundqvist used these straps on his demo 1S and NXGs. This strap is extra from a pair of rollerflys and I found a way to make it work. It doesn't do much, but I like the security of having a little more around my knee area. 

As you can see in the above pic, the knee foam is recessed, giving maximum space for bulky knee pads. I wear the Reebok Revoke tie-in knee pads (and don't tie them in, obviously) and I find I have ample room in the knee area, and it's a quite comfortable pad to wear. It rotates well, doesn't over-rotate when I butterfly, and the strapping makes sense to me. It allows the light pad to move with me, and while the pad is super light, I still know I'm wearing a pad and unlike heavier, stiffer pads that feel like an extra piece attached to my leg, these feel very much like how the Vaughns felt on my leg: like they're part of my leg.

You'll also notice in the picture above that there is no Poron knee landing. On a majority of the 1S pads I've seen, the Poron material wears down on the knee landing. On these pads, it's just a nylon covered standard soft foam knee landing that isn't stiff. In comparison, I have heard that Reimer's Vaughn returns (recent Ventus models) had super, super stiff knee landings. This knee landing is stiffer than Poron for sure, but not overly stiff that it hurts to butterfly by any means.

Next, what I'm not crazy about.

I love these pads. I really do. But, there are some aspects that I just can't figure out and it bugs me. For one, the velcro CRS boot strap is useless in my opinion, and because these have the velcro CRS strap stock, I can't put a leather boot strap in, even just to try. "But djtendy, just don't wear a boot strap. Nobody wears a boot strap anymore?" Fair point - however, I recently bought HALs and now the only spot I can think to carry them from, without stretching elastics that matter is the boot strap. And no, I don't want or use the 1S pad bag. I'd be interested to see how people carry the pads w/ HALs and no boot strap.

The CRS stretch lace didn't serve much purpose for me. When I got them, they were basically cut in half, so I am assuming Reimer only put the lace through 1 or max 2 holes in the cowling. I used them once and reverted to skate lace, and recently bought HAL straps.

While I did mention me liking the nylon knee strap, I can't experiment and put the knee strap behind my knee and have it attach at the knee wing. Due to the fact that the knee wing is stitched in + the reinforcements, it pulls awkwardly behind the knee and flexes almost when I butterfly. Even with a replacement set of stock long straps, it does not work. While I am fine with placing it below the knee, it sucks that I can't try something that I've always done.

Probably the thing that bugs me the most is the very bottom of the leg channel flap, where my index finger is placed in the picture below. I'm not sure if it's my skates (Reebok 10ks) or the flap itself, but almost every time I butterfly, and get back up, the flap is stuck on my skate boot. I've tried skate lace toe ties, even HAL straps - the HALs work a bit, but in tight situations, I don't have time to think about how to recover while making sure my pad doesn't get stuck on the skate boot. I've contemplated buying 1S skates and seeing if the boot of the 1S works better than the 10ks in this situation, but that's an expensive investment for it not to work. I have yet to try the no bootstrap. When Reims wore these, he put clear tape around his boot/ankle. I'm not sure if the tape prevented the flap from getting stuck on the top of the boot. I've yet to try this method, and am interested if anyone else wearing these had this issue/found something that works to prevent this from happening.

 

Now, for everyone's favorite topic re: the 1S. Wear and tear.

I'll admit, these pads came with some wear on them. I don't wear them 5 times per week, but I do play against Junior/Major Junior/Pro calibre players and feel some input is needed with respect to how the pads wear over time. I've worn them anywhere from once to three times per week since I got them in August, and all of these pictures you see in the post are current. Let's start with the infamous sticker logos.

On the demos, the Bauer logo is actually not a 1 piece sticker like it is on the new pads. Rather, the letters are like jenpro with an acrylic covering which outlines the logos that keeps them in place. No logos have fallen off, nor will they unless you try to peel them off yourself. I tried to use some of the sticky backing of my padwrap to keep the logos stuck to the pads (in the corners of the letters, where they have somewhat begun to peel), but it hasn't worked great. When I received the pads, the logos were already like this. Close to 1 year later, I am happy to report little to no changes in the logo adhesiveness. I'd like to think puck marks over the logos are testaments to their durability. Yeah, sticker logos are corny, but on these, I don't really care enough to make a big stink. Sure, they shouldn't fall off, but if they do, it's not the end of the world to me. I know for some, it may well be, and it sucks to pay $$ for logos that fall off, but a pilot, 1st-2nd gen pad that is still very new, and still being tested, and updated, will face shortfalls. On the new S190 retail gear, the logos are no longer stickers, but rather heat press. On the 1X gear, the logos are textured, but not stickers. See where I'm going here..?

Next, the burned corners should be addressed. My pads came with the corners already burned out, and I put padwrap on the corners to prevent future rubbing. It's no doubt that they rub, and the padwrap jenpro has rubbed quite a bit, seen in the pics below. Bauer has addressed this issue on the new 1S and 1X pads, with a thinner top profile and a binding that covers the entire top part of the pad. It's just the fact that earlier versions didn't have the binding all the way, so I had to get creative. It's white and the pad is white and is barely noticeable to me. I have changed the padwrap once because the first time, it didn't stick properly. So, this is basically one and a half applications of padwrap over the corners, and the issue is solved.

 

Next, skate cuts. I frequently get asked if the CORtech skin increases the chances of skate cuts. No, it doesn't. Any pad is susceptible to a skate cut. If a guy falls on his butt and slides into you feet first on the ice, a 1S pad and a Vaughn Pro V Elite will not react differently - sure, the Pro V Elite's stitched graphics might help reduce the severity of the cut, but both pads may be cut in the process. I've incurred no skate cuts (knock on wood) since I bought these. There are 2 minor, hair-strand width cuts on the boot and shin that I covered with padwrap because I just want the pads to last, and don't want anything serious happening because of the "cut". Nothing since.

One of my only real concerns with these is at the corner of where the shin meets the boot on my right pad. The skin was cut and exposed is the actual pad. I've contacted Bauer about this, and they say it's an issue that was addressed and fixed with newer generation 1S' plus the new 1X. All I can do is put a piece of padwrap over it and ensure it adheres to the skin. There is red residue around it because I tried super-gluing the padwrap down and used a red winter glove to prevent the super glue from bonding my fingers together, lol. This, I believe, is the issue that allowed the picture of the puck stuck in the boot of someone's 1S pad to happen (not the picture, the puck in the boot). It sucks, but again, as a first-generation pad owner, I can only assume these risks as the new models continuously get updated. I think it's pretty cool that Bauer sees wear issues, addresses and fixes them within the same period that the pad is considered current. 

 

As I mentioned before, the knee foam is all recessed in the knee area, giving me maximum kneepad area. Due to this, and I think in due part to my own knee pads, and that I don't wear socks over top of my knee pads, there's a little fraying of the top of the knee area where my knee pad makes contact. Although it's begun to frat slightly, don't see this as an issue.

The last wear spot comes from the inside of the pad, where the CRS strap is mounted. Due to the pad being comprised of all velcro staps, there's a fair bit of rubbing and friction that occurs between the velcro, the calf wrap, and the leg channel as a whole. As a result, the 37.5 Liner that liens the inside of the pad has begun to wear on both pads. It is all cosmetic and doesn't affect performance, but I've heard this is a fairly common issue. I assume this is something the 1X will address with their more simplistic strapping. Otherwise, I would hope Bauer changes how the CRS is executed in the newer 1S that will hopefully come soon!

 

Conclusion:

Overall, for a first generation pad, this has been a fantastic performing pad. For an off-shored, pro model used in NHL games, the pad has held up well. Considering this is a pro return pad, it's difficult for me to compare it to the retail models, and I know that. However, considering that Bauer's manufacturing process is practically identical on all 1S pads, I can't help but think that the only thing that differentiates the two is the quality control. Considering Bauer has made on-the-fly changes to its 1S line, I'd be interested to see how newer-model 1S hold up, especially pro-return models. This first gen pad is a sweet keepsake that I'll always hold onto, being a Leafs and Reimer fan. It performs like no other pad I've ever worn. Light, reactive, rebounds shoot out like its nothing, and the transition from a soft Vaughn was almost minimal. The mods done to the pad are unique and aren't normally offered at a retail level, giving this pad a distinct feel that makes it seem like it was made for me. It's truly fantastic!

I'm sure I've missed something in the review, as I've gone through both his mods and what I like about them, and how I wear them. If there are questions or concerns about the pads, my experience, or anything I've missed, feel free to ask! It's been a long review, but I really haven't seen many in-depth 1S reviews. I hope this has been a unique review, but also an informative one.

[mik]

Great detailed and informative review, thanks djtendy. I like how you write honestly negatives, when it is obvious, that you realy like pads, just they are from Reims. 

I think it's quite common that bauer pro return pads and gloves does not have a JRZ stamp or model numbers and still are made in CAN.

Questions:

Did they loose some of the stifness over time or not?

How has been toe area holding/tearing ?

 

 

[Hills]

Just to clarify a few things. When you order a pair of custom 1S or 1X, you have no idea what country they are being made in. It all depends on how busy they are and how much product the factories can make. For example off the shelf pads 1X pads at my local retail store are made in overseas while the gloves are made in Canada. But another local retail store has everything made overseas.

When I get my 1X I'll make a note about it, but that will be many many weeks away.

[djtendy]

9 hours ago, mik said:

Great detailed and informative review, thanks djtendy. I like how you write honestly negatives, when it is obvious, that you realy like pads, just they are from Reims. 

I think it's quite common that bauer pro return pads and gloves does not have a JRZ stamp or model numbers and still are made in CAN.

Questions:

Did they loose some of the stifness over time or not?

How has been toe area holding/tearing ?

 

 

Thanks, Mik! I can't believe I forgot to add the "common" wear spots: toes and knees.

Here are the toe pics that I took this morning after I got off the ice. Literally, almost nothing. On the right pad, there's a small slit closer to the inside of the toe. Otherwise, the toes have held up better than any pad I've ever used. It's a great plus about these pads. Not sure if it's the jenpro, or just what they do during the manufacturing process, but the toes have barely worn.

Moreover, because the knee and shin landing areas are reinforced plastic w/ the CORtech skin around them (I believe), the knees have incurred practically no wear. I've always used the analogy that sliding with these pads is like sliding with more balanced shin pads on ice. They slide incredibly well!

To answer your question re: stiffness. 

I think they have softened up a bit. I believe he ordered a soft boot on these as the boot is pretty flexible. Because they are the first-gen pads, too, they are noticeably softer than the newer-generation 1S with the thinner top profile. However, they are still considered stiff in my opinion, coming from a soft V5. If I had to "rank" the stiffness, from 100% being brand new, newer-gen 1S, I'd put these at about 85%. Still stiff, still kick out rebounds, but by leaning on them and wearing them, they have become a bit softer. I won't complain about them coming from a softer pad! They still flex only below the knee, and I've always wanted a single break pad, so these are a great fit for me.

[djtendy]

2 hours ago, Hills said:

Just to clarify a few things. When you order a pair of custom 1S or 1X, you have no idea what country they are being made in. It all depends on how busy they are and how much product the factories can make. For example off the shelf pads 1X pads at my local retail store are made in overseas while the gloves are made in Canada. But another local retail store has everything made overseas.

When I get my 1X I'll make a note about it, but that will be many many weeks away.

I am 98% sure that if you order "basic" 1S pads (i.e. black base, with black logos and no special specs), then the pads are offshored. If you order something out-of-the-ordinary per se (i.e. orange base w/ purple logos and a purple binding, with a soft boot, etc) then the pads are made in Canada. All of the 1S pads that have "different" logo colors and base colors at the store I work at are made in Canada. Here's an example: the Lundqvist colorway (red logos, blue base, red binding) is made in Canada, due to the "complex" colorway differences. The area in white circled below would say "Bauer 1S OD1N" if it were offshored. Here, it's blank, and above the Bauer symbol are the words "Made in Canada". It's a screenshot from my phone, I apologize hahaha. The offshore plants may not be able to handle the different color requests simply based on their demands and time-restraints, as you mentioned. I am pretty sure it just depends on what the customer orders. With the 1X stuff, however, I have no clue. Our gloves are also made in Canada while the pads were offshored. I wish I knew more about that process.

[Hills]

What you're saying makes sense. But I've seen a retail order of red pads made in Canada, then the exact same spec pad made in China right next to it.

While another local store had a pair of yellow pads from Canada, then a pair of yellow gloves and green pads and gloves made in China.

[djtendy]

7 minutes ago, Hills said:

What you're saying makes sense. But I've seen a retail order of red pads made in Canada, then the exact same spec pad made in China right next to it.

While another local store had a pair of yellow pads from Canada, then a pair of yellow gloves and green pads and gloves made in China.

Wow. So maybe it is completely chance. That's unfortunate, you're basically playing "Quality control roulette" when you order these. It's a shame because the quality control seems to really affect how these pads perform over the long term.

[bunnyman666]

I admit to leading the chorus of lambasters as far as these pads are concerned, but your pads have me intrigued, @djtendy.

I would never, EVER pay full price for those pads, but if I could find them in a small at a good price and not *too* used up, I'd give them a whirl, especially knowing your fixes. 

Thanks for the review! 

[TheGoalNet]

1 hour ago, bunnyman666 said:

I admit to leading the chorus of lambasters as far as these pads are concerned, but your pads have me intrigued, @djtendy.

I would never, EVER pay full price for those pads, but if I could find them in a small at a good price and not *too* used up, I'd give them a whirl, especially knowing your fixes. 

Thanks for the review! 

If you are serious about that, scope eBay. These resell pretty inexpensive.

 

I was very pleased with what I just pad for mine. I'd offer them to you post review, but they are XL... 

 

But then again, that might you give you some extra padding for all those head shots you've been complaining about?!?!

[bunnyman666]

1 hour ago, TheGoalNet said:

If you are serious about that, scope eBay. These resell pretty inexpensive.

 

I was very pleased with what I just pad for mine. I'd offer them to you post review, but they are XL... 

 

But then again, that might you give you some extra padding for all those head shots you've been complaining about?!?!

Not inexpensive enough for my skin flint arse, yet!!!!

[mik]

On 6/13/2017 at 11:29 AM, djtendy said:

Thanks, Mik! I can't believe I forgot to add the "common" wear spots: toes and knees.

Here are the toe pics that I took this morning after I got off the ice. Literally, almost nothing. On the right pad, there's a small slit closer to the inside of the toe. Otherwise, the toes have held up better than any pad I've ever used. It's a great plus about these pads. Not sure if it's the jenpro, or just what they do during the manufacturing process, but the toes have barely worn.

Moreover, because the knee and shin landing areas are reinforced plastic w/ the CORtech skin around them (I believe), the knees have incurred practically no wear. I've always used the analogy that sliding with these pads is like sliding with more balanced shin pads on ice. They slide incredibly well!

To answer your question re: stiffness. 

I think they have softened up a bit. I believe he ordered a soft boot on these as the boot is pretty flexible. Because they are the first-gen pads, too, they are noticeably softer than the newer-generation 1S with the thinner top profile. However, they are still considered stiff in my opinion, coming from a soft V5. If I had to "rank" the stiffness, from 100% being brand new, newer-gen 1S, I'd put these at about 85%. Still stiff, still kick out rebounds, but by leaning on them and wearing them, they have become a bit softer. I won't complain about them coming from a softer pad! They still flex only below the knee, and I've always wanted a single break pad, so these are a great fit for me.

Thanks for the answers. It is good,that bauer worked on the toe area. If I remember corectly, this was issue on totalone/NXG pads.

Did you had chance to try stock ones and compare quality/materials?

[djtendy]

@mik I haven't yet had a chance to try the stock ones. I was interested in getting demos but never got around to it. These are the only 1S I've worn. As I have mentioned throughout the review though, the fact that Bauer has made running changes to the 1S line is indicative of their attention to detail and quality control. I do know that the running changes they have made on the retail-level models (and custom) address many of the problems I discussed in my review, so I assume the quality on the newer-gen retail models would be better than this first-gen model.

[mik]

@djtendy Thanks. I regularly have most parts of the equipment from Bauer, but just a 1S line did not get me in the store. I had promised to borrow demos, but so far it did not happen. It's hard to judge by pictures, but your pads looks better than the serials I saw in the shop (but they vere 1st generation). I have experience from bauer gloves (Totalone, NXG) that pro return is really different from stock, so I´m curious how is it about 1S.  

[Duppe]

Hey, did you find a fix to the issue with the inner leg channel getting inside the skate? I have S29’s and so far I haven’t gotten to really enjoy them since the flaps get stuck inside my skates constantly :/