Irbe01

I used the new G7 RTL glove last night.  It was great.  Felt pretty much the same as my G5 on my hand.  I really like puck-handling, and I was happy to see that I was able to grip the stick just as good as the G5.  It is super easy to close even after one skate.  The only thing that I think I will have to work on, is to keep it open a little wider.  That was the easiest glove transition I have ever had.

I just got my G7 RTL glove in today.  Here it is next to my G5 Pro.  I have had it for about 30 minutes, and it is ready to use in today's skate.  Feels a little stiffer than the G5, but it should; the G5 has been used for 2.5 seasons.  Very similar feel between the two, but they definitely look different.  The pocket on the G7 is massive!  I will have to give some more feedback after my skate.

I had a full set of G5 Pros, then got a full set of Hyperlite 1's.  After almost a full season in the Hyperlite glove, I had to go back to my G5.  Even though, I somewhat got used the the Hyperlite glove, I realized that I was still fighting it, so I switched back to the G5.  I have since replaced my Hyperlite 1 leg pads with Hyperlite 2's, have kept my Hyperlite 1 blocker, and now have a new G7 glove.  

To give an update, I decide to keep the X4 E's.  They are super light and way less bulky than the X4 Pro's.  I used the X4 E's last night in a game, and they seemed to work exactly how I was hoping.  They stayed in place, and gave some extra cushion to my knees.  They felt a little more bulky than my Bauer GSX's, but that is to be expected.  I did not take any shots off of them, so I cannot say how the shot protection is on them, but like I said previously, protection from shots is not a huge concern for me.

Thanks for the responses.  I don't have anywhere even close to try them on, so I ended up ordering a pair of the X4 Pro's and a pair of the X4 E's.  I will try them on and see which ones feel better to me, then return the ones I don't want.  I have been impressed with the design of most Warrior gear that I have used (mostly my G5 Pro glove), so I am optimistic that one of these sets will work for me.

I have been using Bauer GSX knee pads for over a year now.  I used the old Bauer Reactor ones before that.  I have liked these cheap, thin knee pads because they are not bulky at all.  I have never had a stinger using these knee guards.  I face some pretty good shooters, but almost never get hit in the knee pads, so I do not prioritize protection. 

Recently though, I have been getting some knee pain just from playing, so I thought about getting a set of knee pads with a little more cushion in the knee.  I started doing some research, and the Warrior Ritual X4 line of knee pads caught my attention.  I am having trouble trying to figure out which of the four different options would work the best for me.

Here is the link to the knee pads I am talking about:
https://www.thehockeyshop.com/collections/goalie-knee-pads#/filter:tags_division:Senior/filter:vendor:Warrior

  Here is what I have gathered about each knee pad:

• X4 Pro+:
  • Wide profile
  • Extra plate over knee cap
  • Pro-level/best protection
  • Pro quality
  • Most bulky
• X4 Pro:
  • Narrow profile
  • Extra plate over knee cap
  • Pro-level protection
  • Pro quality
  • Less bulky than Pro+
• X4 E+
  • Narrow profile?
  • Extra plate over knee cap
  • Unknown protection level
  • Unknown quality
  • Less bulky than Pro+, but unknown if more bulky than Pro
• X4 E:
  • Narrow profile
  • No extra plate over the knee
  • Lowest level of protection
  • Unknown quality
  • Least bulky

Does anyone have any experience with these knee pads?  Are my assumptions correct?  Does anyone have any recommendations on these?  

1 hour ago, coopaloop1234 said:

Just a thought, but have you tried swapping out the tune fit 2.0 for a tune fit+ ?

The anchor points for the Mach and Hyperlite 2 are identical, as is the female velcro end on the outside. It's made to be easily swapped between the two strapping set ups. 

 

I have never tried the TuneFit+ straps or a Mach pad.  I did see that you can buy the straps online.  Are they more comfortable than the TuneFit 2.0 straps in your opinion?

Has anyone else had issues finding a comfortable strapping setup on the Hyperlite 2 leg pads?  I found my favorite strapping setup in minutes on my Hyperlite 1's, but I have struggled to find that really comfortable strapping setup on my HL2's.

I toyed with the length of the toe laces (I am using TGN spec Pro Laces) because of the new non-offset toe bar.  I strapped the TuneFit 2.0 strap higher and lower, and tried the lower calf strap tighter and looser.  I also tried strapping the knee strap tighter and looser to the calf wrap.  I can't strap that one across the knee because it causes too much interference for me.  

I have now ended up tying my TGN Pro Laces fairly tight to the toe bar (only 2 small knots), keeping the lower calf strap loose, strapping the TuneFit 2.0 strap to the center of the Velcro area, and strapping the knee strap just slightly snug to the calf wrap.  This has so far been working for me for a few games now.

How are you all strapping your HL2's?

47 minutes ago, coopaloop1234 said:

I can't see your picture for some reason. 

I think I fixed it now.

Got my Hyperlite 2 leg pads in the other day.  Still using my old Hyperlite 1 gloves.  I do switch out the catch glove for my Warrior G5 Pro.  The G5 closes so much easier and is way easier for stickhandling.  

I installed my TGN Pro Laces, removed the knee flaps, and used them on Wednesday.  They definitely felt lighter and less bulky than the Hyperlite 1's.  I was able to move in my stance a lot better.  I will have to adjust the strapping some, because I think I had them too tight.  I was unable to tell if they slid better or worse than the Hyperlite 1's because the summer ice was pretty bad.  That being said, I did not have any issues sliding with them.

The only thing I can see taking a bit to get used to is the slightly straighter thigh rise.  The Hyperlite 1's had a nice little curve on them that helped seal the five-hole.  I did not have any issues with this on Wednesday, but we will see how it goes as the season progresses. 

I used a Fusion 962 for several years.  The protection was top-notch.  I never had any type of a stinger using it.  It fit my head well, but I noticed that the shell itself was very long (I believe I had a large) and would sometimes interfere with my chest protector.  Not too much of an issue, but could be a little annoying at times.

Like chile57 said above, the fit and finish was not great.  Nothing too serious, but it just looked like the interior was kind of slopped on.  I ended up replacing it with an OTNY CC from GoalieParts.com.  The back edge of the shell started to fray on the 962 after a few years.  I thought about trying to get it fixed, but decided to get a new mask instead.  The 962 is also a pretty heavy, but it is not really an issue while wearing it. 

All that being said, I don't know if you are going to find a better mask for that price.  I would not hesitate to buy another one someday.