What's your favorite chest protector and why?

[SentryHockey]

Ive used a Brian Heatons, Glenn Miller and originally a unit by MCM?

Favorite it still my Glenn Miller, after 20 years. And its been retired for awhile.

[RichMan]

I loved the protection of my JB503, loved the minimalism of my pro-return H5...the combination of both would of been great.

In between I've used and tried brands like Miller, Mckenney, RBK, Passau, Brian's and currently Warrior. All these exclude the Cooper and D&R of old that I wore in my youth.

I have yet to find the golden egg. 

[Maxpower29]

I absolutely love the VE8 Vaughn pro carbon one I have now outside of it needs to have a shoulder cap added. You can get stung pretty easy with the single one (although hasn't happened in a while as mine got more used. 

But this thing is so light and so moveable. In the back of my head it almost feels too light where you worry about protection.

[DL42]

Prob BROWN roy spec.  

but now prob would not wear it, too much protectionfor beer league, heavy , hot in the summer.

[ArdeFIN]

Brown JB2000 with own mods. Protective and broken in. Hot and heavy but that's acceptible for training style of gaming.

Warrior Pro without robotic arms. Fit me really well, feels solid, mobile and protective. Robot armsmassive elbow floaters always contacted gloves on both hands.

Vaughn VE8 feels like Warrior. Added padding to arms and shoulders. Fit me just as Warriors. Waiting for rinks to open again.

Woud like to try on Passau and maybe Kenesky etc "special" brands. But afterall maybe I would order a brand new Brown with all the specs possible. Just to have some extra training out of weight and heat of the unit 

Edit: Adding the complete list of it:

Reebok 9K, my first C/A when started as a goalie two years ago. Very used one, was cheap to start with as I didn't know if the gloalie route was going to last. Never had any big issues with this but didn't play that much either and the style of play and all for a beginner. And maybe the guys I was playing with were being polite with shots and just happy to have two goalies available for that time.

CCM Premier R1.9, bought it as I was looking for a tank to replace my Warrior which I felt was a size too small. I wasn't able to tighten the straps enough to make this pile of C/A to fit me. Body part was way too wide and spinning around me like a barrel. The hands were not fitting at all for the same reason, couldn't get the elbows to stay on place so the stiff arms were impossible to work with. Sold it without using it at all.

CCM AB Pro, bought after the Premier and this was already a lot better one but the arms were still bugging me way too much. The elbows didn't fit me too well and the forearms hang down to my glove cuffs. Changed this to the Vaughn VE8 for a guy who had changed from Premier to VE8 and didn't like the sweater style. Aren't we all different which is nice.

Edited April 24, 2021 by ArdeFIN

[bildeer]

I really like my Brown 2400 "Russian Spec" Have had no mobility issues since properly breaking it in, although I do recall getting one stinger to the forearm in the first few days of use, but that' just goaltending (have not had it happen since). I did have to modify the back plate because it was way too big for someone my waist size and had too much empty space, but since I have done that and replaced the nylon straps with elastic, it has been nice to use.

I had a first generation Warrior Ritual pro with the plastic arms (nothing wrong with the arms, just couldn't feel the puck as much as I would have liked), I really liked it, but by the time I got to college, the shots to the chest could be felt hard enough to be considered annoying, so I bought a THS spec Vaughn VE8. It was good for about 6 months before shots to the arms started to really hurt, mind you I was playing with 6'3 230lb 20-something year olds. I rode it out for about a year and bought the Brown that I had my eye on since I saw @Hills review on the GSBB, but couldn't bring myself to purchase it until I was reasonably sure that I was done growing, and here we are!

 

[creasecollector]

The RBK Premier 1 will always be my favourite. Love everything about it and it's a true classic C/A unit. 

Currently I rock a CCM P1, so essentially a clone. I still love everything about it. It will be a sad day when/if I have to ever get rid of the thing. 

Here's a picture of the unit when it was new. I have since (for fun) added the old RBK heart guard and shoulder floaters under the existing spots for added, and maybe unnecessary, "beef". 

[Chenner29]

100% best I've ever used, and I've used a lot.

Heaton Helite 5 (6750, not the one with the crazy wings),
Vaughn 3700
custom BHG "Helite 5"
Vaughn 5500
Vaughn V2/6000
Brown (503?)
Reebok P1
Reebok 11k
Reebok P1 Bernier pro return
Brown 2200
CCM AB Pro
Kenesky PP1

The BHG Helite 5 remake was probably my second favorite, but I was getting nasty bruises in it 6 months after getting it

[ThatCarGuy]

I fell in love with my CHL spec Shield 2 and will probably look into trying to find or order an nhl spec ccm after this one’s run it’s course

[ser33]

Bauer Supreme TotalOne NXG proreturne

ideal ratio of protection and weight (2700 grams).

unrivaled mobility.

hands are completely plastic + Poron.

not a single stock of C/A pro level carries plastic on the side of the hand from the store.

very cool, due to the multi-layer construction allows the body to breathe.

comfortable as a favorite sweater.

no bites at the highest level of amateur league shooters

[SentryHockey]

18 hours ago, Chenner29 said:

100% best I've ever used, and I've used a lot.

Heaton Helite 5 (6750, not the one with the crazy wings),
Vaughn 3700
custom BHG "Helite 5"
Vaughn 5500
Vaughn V2/6000
Brown (503?)
Reebok P1
Reebok 11k
Reebok P1 Bernier pro return
Brown 2200
CCM AB Pro
Kenesky PP1

The BHG Helite 5 remake was probably my second favorite, but I was getting nasty bruises in it 6 months after getting it

Is that CCM model the AB pro?

[Taco]

My favorite out of the handful I have used is probably the Brown 553, the same style that Hasek wore. Super nice without all the plates and things that are on the current models.

I am in an Optik 2 right now and loving it. In time, this could be better than the Brown. I feel like it really works for me.

[Naz]

18 hours ago, Taco said:

My favorite out of the handful I have used is probably the Brown 553, the same style that Hasek wore. Super nice without all the plates and things that are on the current models.

I am in an Optik 2 right now and loving it. In time, this could be better than the Brown. I feel like it really works for me.

I still use my JB 553 and LOVE it.

[SaveByRichter35]

Jesus I have used a lot.  I will try to remember all of them.  My favorite is my current custom Brown 2200.

I remember my very first c/a that I used for street and deck hockey was a regular street hockey chest pad(think baseball style, only chest and belly protection), hockey shoulder pads, and long lacrosse arm pads that I think were supposed to be elbow pads that I flipped around to have the padding on the front of my forearms instead.  I'll skip to the first quality c/a that I can remember using for competitive roller/ice hockey and try to remember as many as I can.

• Some kind of Heaton, no clue what the model was, most likely a senior of some sort.
• Brian's Alite, to which I have no clue what the model number was.  Most likely some senior level.
• Vaughn V1 or V2, it was black, silver, and gold/copperish
  • I don't believe I ever wore this during a game.  It was way too stiff and bulky.  It was my first dip into the modern built c/a
• Brown 1800(first time wearing a Brown)
  • I borrowed it from Keeps33 for a weekend adult camp up in Buffalo in 2010-11. I remember not feeling safe facing ice pucks wearing whatever c/a I was wearing at the time(I think it was the Brian's listed above but not 100% sure) as I was playing strictly inline.  That was going to be my first time on ice since high school(2001).
• Bauer Reactor 5
• Bauer Supreme
• Brown 503(I think)
  • Finally found my first Brown.  I had wanted one ever since I tried Keeps'.  I used this for a few years playing inline and it was at this point that I stopped playing inline and moved onto ice permanently.  This thing was pretty old, very well used, like an old sweatshirt and so comfortable.  Worked very well for inline but I was getting quite a few stingers in some areas as I transitioned to ice.  It was the predecessor of the 553.  No chest plate and short shoulder floaters.
• Brown 1800
  • I don't remember if I got this brand new or if it was very lightly used but it was mostly new.  Definitely not as comfortable as the 553 but way more protective.  Never had an issue with stingers wearing this one.
• Brown 502(I think)
  • I think this was an intermediate version of the 553 that had more bells and whistles than my 1800 but the sizing just wasn't big enough.  I kept the chest plate from this one and had it added to my 1800 and sold the 502.
• TGC Spec Reebok Premier(P1 copy), the blue one of course lol
  • Wanted to try it as I had heard so many good things about the "Unicorn" c/a.  Had it shipped to my family in Barrie, ON at the time and then they shipped to me in NY since TGC wasn't able to ship this particular c/a over the border for whatever reason, I don't remember.  It was nice but I didn't like the fit.  I didn't like how close it sat to the body and I hated the wrist straps(trivial, I know).  I never tried it on the ice, one time wearing it at the house after opening the box was all I needed to know it wasn't for me.  
• My current custom spec Brown 2200 

There are probably two to three, possibly a fourth, that I don't remember that would fall somewhere in between the Vaughn and the first Brown 503.  I binged on chest pads during that time frame trying to find something I liked until I finally found the 503.

[Chenner29]

9 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

(WORDS)

It seems your chest protector brand of choice matches the colored stains on your underwear

[Taco]

On 4/21/2021 at 1:25 PM, Naz said:

I still use my JB 553 and LOVE it.

Part of me kinda wants to see if he will recreate a new one, but I know that he nickel/dimes on any modifications or changes to his current models. I know simply cutting off the heart guard on the 2000 or whatever it is will get you mostly there, but I think I would want to put modern arms from one of the other versions on it (the elbow creases have less padding in the old style arms) and also lose the ridges etc. that come standard. Not to mention, getting rid of the white nylon accent pieces. Overall, I don't think it'd be worth the cost.

Also tough, b/c I got an Optik 2 for around 300$ due to some website misprint/coupon code stack and I currently love the thing. I occasionally put on the old girl just to reminisce, but it is arm-heavy and not balanced. Oh yeah, I took off the backplate on my 553 and added inside loops to it - I know John probably wouldn't do a factory-stitched version of that without charging.

I have also committed to not buying old technology for the most part b/c I do not want to be stuck in the past on something that I have to get custom made in the future. I try to stick with things that are currently available or lines that continue to be enhanced each year so it isn't as big of a change.

Edited April 24, 2021 by Taco

[WillyGrips13]

So for all the Brown users, are the newer  generation models (jb2200 & jb2400) any lighter or cooler than the pre-lockout (2005 year) versions?

 I have a 2100 which would be illegal in the NHL now. I go back and forth between that and a Vaughn 8800. I just finished a season with the Brown and I wore the Vaughn today and felt like I was wearing a sweatshirt. I felt like I looked small. Still adequate for protection, I just feel smaller. I wanted to use the Vaughn for the summer session because it’ll be cooler, but now I’m concerned I may be showing too much net. 

I wonder if I should eventually update with a Brown 2200 or 2400. I wouldn’t require the Russian spec or the integrated throat guard. Or would it be pointless since it’d be as hot as the 2100 and nearly as massive? Thoughts?  

[SaveByRichter35]

3 hours ago, WillyGrips13 said:

So for all the Brown users, are the newer  generation models (jb2200 & jb2400) any lighter or cooler than the pre-lockout (2005 year) versions?

 I have a 2100 which would be illegal in the NHL now. I go back and forth between that and a Vaughn 8800. I just finished a season with the Brown and I wore the Vaughn today and felt like I was wearing a sweatshirt. I felt like I looked small. Still adequate for protection, I just feel smaller. I wanted to use the Vaughn for the summer session because it’ll be cooler, but now I’m concerned I may be showing too much net. 

I wonder if I should eventually update with a Brown 2200 or 2400. I wouldn’t require the Russian spec or the integrated throat guard. Or would it be pointless since it’d be as hot as the 2100 and nearly as massive? Thoughts?  

They're still a solid c/a and with that comes the heat.  I never have any issues though.  I used it playing indoor inline hockey in the summer and I had no issues with overheating.  Totally blown out of proportion if you ask me.

[bildeer]

3 hours ago, WillyGrips13 said:

So for all the Brown users, are the newer  generation models (jb2200 & jb2400) any lighter or cooler than the pre-lockout (2005 year) versions?

 I have a 2100 which would be illegal in the NHL now. I go back and forth between that and a Vaughn 8800. I just finished a season with the Brown and I wore the Vaughn today and felt like I was wearing a sweatshirt. I felt like I looked small. Still adequate for protection, I just feel smaller. I wanted to use the Vaughn for the summer session because it’ll be cooler, but now I’m concerned I may be showing too much net. 

I wonder if I should eventually update with a Brown 2200 or 2400. I wouldn’t require the Russian spec or the integrated throat guard. Or would it be pointless since it’d be as hot as the 2100 and nearly as massive? Thoughts?  

I transitioned from a Vaughn VE8 to a 2400 russian spec without the integrated throat collar about 6 or so months ago. While it weighs much heavier (6.4 lbs v. 9 lbs), I have noticed a bit more retention of heat, but nothing unreasonable. My experience may be skewed because I was one of those guys that would show up to lacrosse practice in a sweatshirt and pants in 90 degree weather.

[Yzueblin]

1) passau 2th gen 

2) warrior rgt2 pro

3 Bauer 2xpro 

I have warrior rgt2 pro at this moment and I learn passau release a 3th gen chest in 2 to 3 week and I’m pretty sure I will go back to passau 

[A.YOUNGoalie13]

Optik 1. Built like a tank, lightweight, and great mobility with no kinks in the armor.

[RichMan]

23 hours ago, Yzueblin said:

1) passau 2th gen 

2) warrior rgt2 pro

3 Bauer 2xpro 

I have warrior rgt2 pro at this moment and I learn passau release a 3th gen chest in 2 to 3 week and I’m pretty sure I will go back to passau 

What? No leaks?!? lolll

I have the GT2 Pro and I feel like I'm wearing 2 chest pads at once. How do you compare it to your Passau?

[Yzueblin]

15 hours ago, RichMan said:

What? No leaks?!? lolll

I have the GT2 Pro and I feel like I'm wearing 2 chest pads at once. How do you compare it to your Passau?

No  I was at chambly to buy the goalie bag and talk about the chest to the director and he said me the new one coming on in 2-3 weeks I ask to see it but he was dismantle .. don’t know if it true 

I like my rgt2 but he have too much velcro lolll I can’t find my perfect fit , passau was simple but protective , pretty mobile too like a Vaughn but a lot more protective