Shin guards are probably the piece of equipment that is going to take the most abuse. So it is really important that you get a shin guard that matches your level of play as well as fits your leg. We have listed down the market’s best hockey shin pads which will make it easier for you to select the right-sized shin guards. Let’s dive into the best hockey shin guards review 2022.
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The Top 9 Best Hockey Shin Guards
CCM Super Tacks Shin Guard
The shell of CCM Super Tacks hockey shin guard is constructed with a high-density PE material that is ribbed and this works along with the same lines as the JDB cap in the knee does. Basically, both of these work to deflect away impact energy from the knee and into the shin guard. The foams used in these CCM shin guards provide you that elite level protection at the bottom. There is a shell wrap that helps to reduce wear and tear on the inside of your skates. Then up into the knee foams, you will have an adjustable injected insert in the top portion so you just adjust the Velcro or you can completely remove it.
These shin pads have medium density foams on both sides of the knee and then for the new wing as well as the new shot-blocker protection. You will see some of their D3O foam. This is some of their most protective foam that is on the hockey market today. It is a rate-sensitive foam meaning that it is soft to the touch but upon a heavy impact, it tenses up and it does one of the best jobs on the market of absorbing that impact energy. The reason why they used it in the shot blocker protection zone is for players who like to go down on a knee and turn to the side because players in the NHL usually take big shots and having their legs broken so It just gives them a little bit better protection.
Into the calf wrap, there is a dual molded HD foam construction that does have a lot more flexibility than what you would typically find in a calf wrap with plastic. It actually helps to reduce the weight while still offering that elite level protection.
The lock strap has been upgraded as of its previous version with a one-inch system. It is pretty thin and different from what we typically see in guards on the market. This nylon construction actually turns into neoprene on the back as well as the vented mesh to provide a nice wide wrapping coverage. Therefore, you will get that really nice feel, comfort, and a lot of breathability for the back of the leg.
Warrior Dynasty HD1 Shin Guard
The shell of Warrior Dynasty HD1 hockey shin pads come in attrition design so you will have a little more volume throughout the shin guard which in turn offers some more protection and coverage. There are some vents on the sides for more air circulation and padding at the bottom to provide a hockey player elite level comfort.
They have used smart cap technology which is a thick layer of high-density foam underneath the shell to really give you that high impact protection. Now onto the thigh guard, you will see high-density perforated foams from where air circulates and ensures high-level protection. The calf wrap has segmented high-density foams with reinforcing of the molded plastic insert for comprehensive protection all the way around.
Their warrior’s war tech FNC liner spreads the moisture out across the fabric which is going to accelerate the evaporation process to keep it dry and it is a Nepalegene additive that prevents the formation of odor-causing bacteria to keep your gear fresh and clean. The liner is also removable so you can take it out to dry your gear a little quicker or if you need to wash it, you can do that too. The Warrior HD1 shin guards have a two-strap system with a one-inch elastic calf strap followed by a y-shaped neoprene strap that wraps around the front to give a player a nice hold.
Sherwood True Touch T30 Shin Guard (Junior)
The Sherwood True Touch T30 hockey shin guards are an entry-level pad. They have a lightweight PE shell with ribbed knee cap for energy dispersion. You will see the same lightweight design down in the shins that is a two-piece design allowing it to move freely of each other giving you good flexibility all around the pad.
These Sherwood shin pads have medium density foams that provide a little bit more protection. On the sides moving down along the calf, they have molded plastic which is inserted into a medium density foam to provide you a good rap over the calf while still remaining nice and lightweight.
Now on the interior, you will see a nice moisture-wicking mesh liner that is also removable and give you an enhanced drying time and also allows you to wash it easier. As far as the straps go, the T30 shin guards feature a wide strap with two straps that come together connect and walk in right across the calf. These shin pads have a wide Velcro base which gives a good customization option.
Bauer Vapor 1X Hockey Shin Guard
The Bauer Vapor 1X hockey shin guard features a three-piece design so you will have a molded plastic knee cap and curve composite in the shin guard. The curve composite is the layer of carbon fiber that dramatically decreases the weight while increasing responsiveness and enhancing protection. It is also the same material that they use in the top of the line skates including the MX3, and the 1S hockey shin pads as well. So you will also have a toe cap towards the bottom that allows the player to be extremely mobile allowing the pad to flex forward while keeping the protection in place allowing for a natural skating movement.
All in all, this is a tapered design therefore, you have a wide fit in the knee and as you move down towards the ankle, you are going to have it slim down for a more narrow fit around the knee. The Bauer uses Aero light technology in the Vapor 1X hockey shin guard. It is a high-density foam that is 30% lighter than other high-density foams but equally as protective. This is extra lightweight and located in the lower thigh guard which extends so that way, you can have a customized fit depending on your level of preference around the knee is high-density foam providing great supplementary protection.
The knee wing features air-light foam back to the plastic insert to protect that sensitive area and also have air-light foam on the calf guard as well for the back area reinforced by another plastic insert. So it is going to give you really great protection against slashes, pucks whatever else might come your way in hockey.
And the inside, they use 37.5 technology that increases the drying time in the evaporators process up to 5 times faster than other similar fabrics. It does this by using the player’s body heat to help speed up the process and provide a more comfortable climate on the inside while keeping you lighter because of all the evaporation.
Now, these are also reinforced by medium-density foams for a nice cushion fit as well as increased protection. The need for it especially is padded to help lock in the knee, keep it in place and keep the rest of the pad from slipping out riding around the knee. They have transfer mesh which enhances 37.5 technology that lets air flow in between the different layers of fabric so that way it cools even faster and all this is removable to help for easy washing and drying.
The 1X shin guard features 2 strap design with very wide mesh straps. One originating from the center and then locking in towards the bottom with the nylon strap in the front. So it ensures a great lock and you are also going to have the same kind of thing except for the top. This locks in the front and a very comprehensive wrap to ensure that the shin guard stays in right place.
STX Stallion HPR Shin Guard
The STX HBR Hockey shin pads have a full HDPE shell and ribbed knee cap which helps to deflect away impact energy from your knee. Their bottom is wrapped which helps to prevent wear and tear on shin guards. On both sides of shin guards, they do have a matte finish and gloss down through the center just adding some really cool richness and overall looks to the knee have some really good mobility right out of the box. But the unique thing is their flat face design which gives a little bit better stability if you are down on a knee and trying to make a play real quick.
This version of Stallion shin pads has vents on both sides to offer the player a little more airflow during the game. A hex pro foam is stitched along with the vents in the lower thigh which is adjustable with elastic straps. The hex pro foam offers elite-level protection being lighter in weight and breathable. Therefore, it gives better breathability, elite-level protection, and a little bit more mobility just because it does wrap around the body a little bit better than traditional foam.
On both sides, there is a high-density foam to provide a player some great elite protection and then their unique inner and outer knee wings also feature more of that hex pro foam for the calf wrap. They are also hydrophobic which helps to wick away moisture to keep you dry and lighter than plastic so helping to remove weight without sacrificing that protection level.
For the strapping system for the calf, they have full customized neoprene oversized straps that offer a really nice comfortable hold and then if you do feel them with your skin, you can tight or lose them depending on your preferences.
A cut-resistant little sleeve is unique and probably the most obvious technique that has been used in this line of Stallion hockey shin guards. So instead of having to wear those some socks that are pretty uncomfortable inside the skate, you just wear them which will be protecting you from foot slippage while playing ice hockey. The liner itself is a full microfiber and very soft to the touch almost has a memory foam that is fully adjustable and removable so you can wash it once it starts to smell.
CCM Tacks 7092 Shin Guard (Senior)
The CCM Tacks 7092 hockey shin guards have a high-density PE shell and kneecap construction. The shell has been ripped which follows the same idea as the signature JDP camp technology. Essentially, these both work together to deflect away impact energy from the leg and into the rest of the shin guard. High-Density foam is used in Tacks 7092 that absorbs impact energy efficiently and keeps you better protected at the bottom.
There is a durable shin wrap that helps to reduce wear and tear on the skates over time. On the sides, these shin guards have an injected insert in the lower thigh that has a nice anatomical shape to it to give you a good feel, and then you will have an insert with medium density foam and the wing guard as well into the calf wrap. This is a really cool upgrade with the shot block protection with D3O light foam which is a rate-sensitive foam and one of the most protective foams that CCM uses today. Basically, it offers elite-level protection in this strategic area when you go down on one knee and kind of turn to the side.
The CCM Tacks 7092 shin pads come up with a one-inch strapping system that offers a little bit more low profile fit and feel but the strap itself is the big upgrade. It is a vented mesh material that helps breathe a little bit better and then it does still have the nylon running through it in the top that is durable and more comfortable. The fit profile is going to be traditional meaning a little bit bigger and a little bit bulkier but offering more coverage and protection.
In the liner, they have used some cool kind of D3O light foam that absorbs a lot of impact energy during the game. The liner is removable that you can wear or remove easily depending on your preferences. These shin guards feature moisture-wicking microfiber which has a memory foam type material inside of it. So it is very comfortable in the legs and helps to manage moisture a little bit better to keep you dry.
Bauer Supreme 190 Hockey Shin Guards
The Bauer 190 features a two-piece design with a hard plastic shell protecting the knee and also the shin. This design is very thick to provide great impact protection. It is also vented so that way you get good airflow and keep your leg nice and cool. In between the two pieces, you will have medium density foam that reduces the friction in between the two pieces and also provides good resistance for those impacts.
Moving down from the top, you will see a ribbed design on the shin. This provides great protection and also disperses the energy from the impacts and keeps it away from your leg. In addition to that, you will also see a fabric piece towards the bottom that is designed to protect your skate.
There is a high-density segmented foam riding very advanced lightweight protection and this is going to give you just enhanced protection on the side of the knee area that is really sensitive. They come with Bauer’s vent armor foam which is a very high-density foam that provides great protection. It is lightweight and also breathable and is backed by a molded plastic piece so that Shin is going to have a nice wrap right around it and provides very high-level protection.
The Supreme 190’s liner is a matched nylon liner. This is Bauer’s Thermomix technology that features antimicrobial properties. So it will stop the bacteria from even forming keeping your shin guard without odor. This liner is also removable so that way, it will be really easy to wash and dries quickly. In addition to that, you will see pads running along the side of the knee doughnut. This is Poron XRD which protects against 90% of the impacts.
This model of Bauer’s shin guards also features a two-strap design with an elastic strap that runs across the calf and locks it on the other side in a neoprene backed by nylon strap that runs right underneath the knee providing a secure fit. The 190 and the rest of the Bauer Supreme line featuring anatomical fit so it is going to be snug and responsive.
Easton Stealth C7.0 Hockey Shin Guard
The Easton Stealth C7.0 hockey shin guards use a hard plastic construction with vents to allow for greater flow out on the rink. At the base, there are medium density foams that are segmented to give a good rap and at the side of the knee and at the top, there is a thick medium density foam to protect the lower thigh.
The knee features the same hard plastic design with vents for breathability in the calf. There is a molded plastic insert topped with thick medium-density foams to provide protection against slashes. The liner is a moisture-wicking liner that is going to be comfortable and provide a little extra padding. the shin pad uses Eastern slink tech technology that holds the liner and suspension away from the hard plastic pieces for better energy dispersion providing good cushioning out there on the ring.
Additionally, the liner is fully adjustable and removable for quick drying. You will see a strap design with the one and a half-inch elastic strap stretching over the calf and a one-inch nylon strap going around the back and locking in the front underneath the kneecap.
Warrior Alpha QX3 Shin Guard
The Warrior is a well-known name in designing and manufacturing sports gear especially hockey equipment. So let’s take a look at Warrior Alpha QX3 shin guard. For the first time, they have used the Pro 2P shell in this model. These shin guards have vents down through the center to give you better airflow during the game which is a little more robust.
The ribs down through the front help to dissipate the impact energy to keep you protected. Also, the pro knee suspends the liner away from the face of the shell to dissipate the impact energy to keep you protected. They have a little bit more protection of medium-duty foams on the inside of the calf. The cap wrap features the injected plastic insert for the first time in this line as well giving you a big upgrade having some medium-density thumbs to give you some good protection and comfort.
Their elastic straps provide you better hold on the leg keeping you nice locked in and then you will have a one-inch elastic anchor strap for the top as well. Getting in the liner, you will have a full removable microfiber liner very soft to the touch that has a really nice kind of memory foam feel. It is very comfortable but also going to help reduce drying time and keep you dry during the game too and then for the fit profile, it is anatomical. Therefore, it is going to give you really nice clothes to go to the body fit and feel.
How to Size a Hockey Shin Guard
It is very important to know how to properly size a hockey shin guard as it will help you to select the best shin guard as per your requirements and save money and time as well that you could spend being unconscious to it.
The first and most important thing to remember is that every manufacturer has different sizing guidelines for their own shin guards. So when you are checking out a shin guard, make sure you check that specific size and diagram on that product page.
The second thing you want to do is have a tape measure. You can use the soft or the hard ones which do not matter. The other thing you have to do is lace up your skates that are going to be skating on. It is very important because the whole idea here of having a proper fitting shin guard is to make sure that there is no gap in protection.
So just start measure from about an inch below the top of the tongue through all the way up to the middle of the beam cap. In this way, you will find the correct measurement or the size of the shin guard. It is the measurement that you get from the center of the kneecap under the tongue which is going to be perfect for shin guards or players who wear their shin guards over the top of their tongue. After lacing up your skates, you will see there is no real gap in protection and fits really well and the knee directly sits into the D doughnut or the cradle that is a good indication.
If you go under the tongue and roll your leg like a lot of players do, you would see it slides the shin pad up a little bit that is an indication that you have too big of a shin guard and this is where you should follow the rule that you take size one inch down for shin guards.
Final Verdict
We hope our list of above-reviewed hockey shin guards will make it easier for you to choose the best shin pads according to your playing requirements. So if you still have questions or concerns regarding hockey shin guard, shoot us an email or write us down in the comment section below. We will be more than happy to help you out.
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