The best shoulder pads are CCM ft4 pro shoulder pad, Vapor 3X PRO Shoulder pad, CCM tacks as-v pro shoulder pads, Warrior LX Pro shoulder pads and Bauer Supreme 3S Pro Shoulder Pads. We explore the best shoulder pads with the basis of its features, benefits, high-density foams, secure & customizable fit, flexibility, adjustable straps, design to prevent injuries, superior fit, flexibility of players, superior protection, Reducing of chances of shoulder dislocations, bone fractures and other serious injuries.
Hockey is one of the oldest games and much injury prone too. Anyhow the puck can heat hard on your shoulder, or the hockey stick can crush your shoulder during a game. So important safety gears like shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin pads, neck guards, and gloves are very common in ice hockey.
Here we would like to discuss the best hockey shoulder pads and why we think they are the best in the market. As always, not ensuring the best safety measurements, we try to notice if the shoulder pads are good enough for fast movement, minimal weight, and maximum mobility.
Most popular shoulder pads
Table of Contents
Here we’ll let you know the best features of our top safeguard pads for the shoulder. Most of them have many common features, but we tried to pick the best ones with good prices and features.
Best for versatility: CCM ft4 pro shoulder pads
It has given its focus on the entire torso part of our body. Everything from straps to sternum shields, belly pads, and shoulder caps provides elite protection.
Best Value for Money: Vapor 3X PRO Shoulder pad
This shoulder pad is following the path of Vapor 2x. Very lightweight and comfortable. Also, it provides the best quality protection from the sternum to the neck.
Best for Using Smart Materials: CCM tacks as-v pro shoulder pads
CCM always uses all the latest smart technologies and protection items in their shoulder protection vest. But this shoulder pad uses D3O material throughout the construction.
Best for Affordable Price: Warrior LX Pro shoulder pads
It’s unique how you get all the elite-level features in one shoulder pad and it is in an affordable price range.
Excellent for Coverage: Bauer Supreme 3S Pro Shoulder Pads
This one-piece shoulder pad protects every vital part of the torso. Though a one piece, it still flows with body movement and protects the body from every angle.
5 best Shoulder Pads 2023
In the review section, we review almost every important feature of the hockey shoulder protection pads and try to go through the customers’ reviews from different online platforms. That’s why the 5 shoulder safeguard pads we have here are according to the review of users and our use. So keep your trust in us, we assure you the shoulder pads won’t disappoint you.
CCMft4 pro shoulder pads
CCM FT4 is focusing on the feather light and the low profile features which are very good for agile players. The shoulder pad ensures the performance level for the players on the ice who are looking for lightweight, good protection but looking for a reasonable price.
Features at a Glance
Independent Front Panel: The two-piece design allows the front panel jacket to move freely and has a standard floating guard in the middle.
Hybrid Sternum Shield: It is constructed with molded plastic and a high density of foam. So it ensures elite quality protection but doesn’t have much weight.
Perforated Foam Base Panels: Base panels on both sides have perforated foam covering a good area and a low profile. Furthermore, they have great breathability.
Increased protection On the Top: More molded foams are added on the top to secure the place. The molded foams are closed cells, so they don’t absorb water.
Vented Belly Pad: The vented belly pad gives extra protection but is also removable.
Classic Strap System: it offers classic two inches straps with two quick-release tabs.
Shoulder Pad: Thick molded plastic protection and standard foam construction. Very secure for physical games. Also, there is a neck comfort pad for added support.
Shoulder Cap: It uses CCM’s U-foam construction with a unique design. There’s no plastic thin the entire shoulder cap construction. It is extremely light and has an extremely durable EPP core. Under the shoulder cap, there are floating adjustable biceps.
| Pros | Cons |
| Lightweight and not bulky. Doesn’t absorb sweat. Doesn’t hamper the motion and mobility. Very durable. | The back part has a point that always sticks up with the jersey. Quite irritating. |
Tester Review
Most of the users have positive reviews after using it, and so do we. The shoulder pad doesn’t restrict our view like some average shoulder pads and wearing it doesn’t feel heavy.
Vapor 3X PRO Shoulder pad
The Bauer Vapor 3x pro is for players who skate very regularly and are quite injury prone because this brand doesn’t compromise with price for quality. Even after a year of use, it rarely shows signs of wear. So it provides elite-level protection for highly competitive players.
Features at a Glance
3-piece Design: The vest is separated from the sternum protection pad. This shoulder pad is constructed with Bauer’s flex supreme design that allows everything to move and flows freely with your body movement.
Hyperlite HD Foam: The sternum has this foam protection and a high-density insert. This high-density foam goes up to the collarbone and reinforces with plastic inserts.
Front Panels: They are made of standard foam, so doesn’t hamper the breathability. The removable standard foam belly is not abrasive.
Nylon Strap: The wide elastic nylon strap allows the vest to fit anyone.
Shoulder Cap: It uses premium quality aerolite 2.0 foam, it is totally weightless on the shoulder but good enough to dish out those big hits.
Molded Plastic Bicep Guard: the standard foam profile is adjustable, so you can dial in the fit between elbow pads.
| Pros | Cons |
| Maximizing the range of motion. Feather-light shoulder pad. Safe against stick check and a block shot. Doesn’t absorb water. | Collar protection doesn’t feel comfortable. |
Tester Review
The overall protection looks safe and gives us the confidence to play our natural. But this shoulder protection will be suitable for less-weight and tall people.
Bauer also offers some of the best hockey skates for flat feet. Try them out too.
ccm tacks as-v pro shoulder pads
This is a traditional or conventional fitting, meaning you will have maximum coverage. But one of the best shoulder pads for hockey. As always, the CCM Tacks AS-Pro is for elite-level players and it ensures maximum protection, comfort, and mobility. So wearing it doesn’t shorten the performance a bit.
Features at a Glance
Flex Motion Front Panel: it has incredible mobility and ensures the protection moves with your body movement. So, it covers vital areas.
Hybrid Shield Sternum Guard: The vent tech hybrid shield sternum guard that offers a ventilated base. So the sternum guard has breathability to keep you cool and dry. The sternum guard has compressed molded injected plastic in the front and compressed molded EVA foam on the outside. The D3O has reinforced the bottom sternum guard.
HD Foam Torso Protection: The pro-level HD foam protection has thick segmentation and extremely good coverage from side to side. Also, the shoulder pad includes a removable EVA foam belly guard.
Elastic Straps: The straps have elasticity and length adjustable. So dialing in the fit won’t be an issue.
Shoulder Cap: Shoulder caps have an elite-level design with dual-core hd foam construction but are very lightweight. But the fascinating thing is that these pads have super protection from D3O both outside and inside.
Molded Injected Plastic Biceps Guard: It reinforces the biceps guard with standard foam and the whole piece is length adjustable.
| Pros | Cons |
| The lower back pads provide extra protection. Designed for maximum air flow. Almost no shake happens to the body when the puck hits hard. Lightweight and breathable. | Not suitable for junior players. Doesn’t fit well with them. |
Tester Review
It’s on the expensive side yet very much a money-worthy purchase. Because it protects you from anything. Playing fearless comes naturally after wearing this vest.
Warrior LX Pro shoulder pads
Warrior LX Pro surely is one of the best shoulder pads in hockey; it first showed up in the market in 2021. This heavy-duty shoulder pad is suitable for very physical players. Suitable for 4-5+ times of skating per week. So let’s find out all the exciting features.
Features at a Glance
Two-Piece Design: The two-piece front panel design makes it look like armor. A mesh vent separates two panels. This mesh vent obviously helps in breathing and also keeps the panels mobile.
Floating Sternum and Floating Collar Bone Protection: Both of them are very low profile and keep moving according to your movements. The sternum is constructed with impact foam that closes all cells and doesn’t absorb water. In the collarbone, there is high-density foam with plastic inserts.
To provide more elite-level coverage, Warrior LX Pro adds impact foam on either side of the sternum.
Fantom Vented Internal Back Pads: The Internal back pad material is equipped with vented and stretchy material to keep your back cool. The youth who wear the best youth hockey skates will definitely admire the vented internal pads because youth people look for more comfort on the back.
Straps and Belly Pad: The adjustable torso strap has a lengthwise dial fit, and the removable belly pad helps to adjust the strap according to your comfort.
Hard Molded Plastic Shoulder Cap: This solid impact plastic gives coverage of the front and back. There is foam underneath the shoulder caps to protect you from impacts.
Two-Piece Floating Biceps Guard: Warrior LX Pro comes with a good update here, the two-piece floating biceps. You can adjust the top portion up and down to overcome the gap between the elbow pad and biceps guard.
Vortex FNC Liner: This is absolutely the best FNC liner to manage sweat and moisture.
| Pros | Cons |
| Low profile and better mobility. EVA IMPAX foam gives the finest protection on the sternum. Straps and bicep pads are adjustable. Keep the body cool and odor free. | Little bulkier than the previous model. |
Tester Review
Warrior LX Pro is for elite-level players because it has upgraded a lot of features from the previous. You’ll get all the latest technologies included in the protection part of this shoulder pad.
Bauer Supreme 3S Pro Shoulder Pads
Bauer always comes with the best youth hockey shoulder pads, and this Supreme 3S pro is no different. It features plenty of high-end technologies. This shoulder pad is good enough for the most physical player on the ice.
Features at a Glance
Low profile: obviously, the protection pads must have to be contoured and low profile for elite players. That’s what 3S Pro is offering. This structure is excellent for quick and agile players.
One-Piece Panel: They attached the floating sternum guard in the middle of the one-piece panel. Adaptive skin technology provides the highest quality protection.
3D standard Foam: This foam is all around the sternum to make sure the coverage is on the front portion of the front panel. Down low of the 3D standard foam, there is a removable belly pad with standard foam.
Elastic Straps: The elastic strap and the landing pad are large. So you can dial in that fit too.
Collar pad: Collar foam is very comfortable around the neck, and there is standard foam with plastic inserts for the collarbone.
Shoulder Cap: Both of the shoulder caps have amp construction, so there is a flex zone in the triangle zone in the shoulder cap. This flex zone easily moves up, down, right, and left. It helps you to have maximum motion.
The shoulder caps have anatomically molded plastic construction in them; it keeps the shoulder cap low profile and keeps it nice and quick on the ice.
Vent Armor Foam: It sits outside of both shoulder caps because this shoulder pad is for senior level, that’s why it provides the highest level of comfort. So then, vent foam provides great breathability and keeps us cool.
Two-Piece Design Bicep Cap: this comes with an adjustable arm split bicep. The lower portion is easily adjustable using two Velcro attachments.
| Pros | Cons |
| Comes with a Thermo Max liner. No sweat and no moisture. This one piece can change position with body movements. Comfortable foams all around the shoulder pad… Good price. | Sometimes some portions keep pinching you on the skin. |
Tester Review
This shoulder pad is an elite package that is very good for high and competitive physical players who go on ice thrice a week.
What to Look for in the Best Hockey Shoulder Pads
The shoulder pad is for protecting a player from a puck and stick. It saves almost the entire torso part of the body from getting hurt badly. So if you wear protective gear, you must wear the best quality. Here we’ll explain what you must ensure before purchasing a hockey chest and shoulder protector.
Right size and Fit
Every hockey shoulder pad board offers different sizes because if the fit is loose or tight, then the shoulder pad may not protect you perfectly. One thing must keep in mind right mobility is a must for the best hockey chest protector. So follow the manufacturer’s size chart, measure your chest and weight, and get the perfect size for you.
Recreational or Professional
There are definite differences in the intensity of the game between recreational and professional. If you are not a professional or frequent ice hockey player, then the one-piece single-layer shoulder pad is good enough. These shoulder pads have plastic reinforcement in some key areas like the sternum and the spine.
For elite-level players, two and three-panel design is popular, and the construction ensures the most safety, comfort, and mobility.
Choosing the Right Front Panel
It depends on what you like; the one-piece panel will entirely move with your body movement, adding an extra bit of weight on you while you are skating. The shoulder pads are in parts right from the middle in a two-piece panel. The panel parts around the sternum move separately.
And for the 3-piece front panel, the torso protection will move like the 2-piece front panel and the sternum will move too to give better coverage.
Types
Skater and goalie shoulder pads are the popular two types. The shoulder safeguard pads we reviewed already are skater-type. It normally focuses on covering the chest, sternum, shoulder, belly, back, and biceps.
In contrast, the Goalie heavily protects the arms and abdomen. Light protection on the sternum, belly, and collar.
Comfortability and Protection
The shoulder pads are much thicker than our normal clothes because they are for protecting us. But we need some breathability too, otherwise wearing it won’t be comfortable. That’s why we suggest having a mesh vent around two panels, which will help with venting.
Also, at least HD foam torso protection is a must for elite-level players. Ensure plastic foam on the sternum and shoulder cap. Also, like vented foam in front panels, make sure the shoulder caps have a vented option underside. Otherwise, wearing a shoulder pad will be super uncomfortable.
FAQ’s
- What are the best shoulder pads brand?
– CCM, Baur, STX, and Warrior are the most popular brands. Beth Bauer and CCM are renowned hockey equipment brands, so you can expect much better shoulder pads from them.
- How much do hockey shoulder pads cost?
– The elite pads for professional players cost more. There is no highest range of price, but the lowest one may cost more than $150 with no discount.
- How to choose the right size of hockey shoulder pads?
– Players’ chest size and players height There are two main measurement methods for having the right size of shoulder protection pads. The shape changes for different ages of players. All brands have a size chart for all ages of players.
Conclusion
So far, you have learned about elite shoulder pads and their features. But buying one of them doesn’t mean your job is done for the next one or two years. To extend their lifespan, try to clean them after two or three games and replace the straps and Velcro if they wear out. Hopefully, you’ll have a great protection vest with a low profile and excellent mobility.
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