Imagine fighting a war without wearing a proper shield. Maybe you will refuse to go for it, or even if you go, no matter what you will end up losing it. A game like hockey where pucks are flying here and there, players with sticks around you, you can fall any moment; it is not less than a war. So being a hockey warrior, it is really important to take proper protection measures. One of the most important ice hockey protective gear is the shoulder pads.

Why is it important to use hockey shoulder pads?

Hockey is a very fast paced game. You can have a lot of injuries while playing. One of the most common injuries is shoulder injuries. It can occur from direct contact with other players, boards, sticks or ice.  The impact can mainly cause you two fatal injuries. One is shoulder separation and the other in collarbone breaking. Shoulder separation is mainly a ligament injury. In a mild shoulder separation, your ligament that holds your shoulder blade to your collarbone gets stretched. In a fatal one, your ligaments will tear. It takes a long time (from 6 months to 2 years) to recover, but you will not need any surgery in most cases. The second case is a collarbone break.  The collarbone is one of the main bones of the shoulder. Most of the fractures occur due to a fall onto the shoulder or an outstretched arm. All these lead to a snap or a fracture on the collarbone.

How to choose ice hockey shoulder pads for you:

The shoulder pads are categorized into three different levels of play. Those are recreational, performance and elite.

• Recreational level play means the beginner level. This is a great option for a brand new hockey player who is getting into a non contact hockey league. It is more affordable also.  Talking about the construction, you will find a one piece panel design on the front and the back and the majority of the protection is gonna be a single layered foam. You will find some plastic covering up some key areas like the sternum and spine. These two are very vital areas. So adding up some plastic layers offers some extra protection.
• The next design is for the performance level play. This is for those players who are getting into contact hockey. This design is a great balance of protection, comfort and mobility. But you won’t find a high price tag on it. Getting down to the construction, you will find a 1, 2 or 3 piece panel design on the front and on the back. You will also find a bicep pad which will allow you to have a customized height. You will also find a great upgrade in the liners. They will be much more comfortable than the recreational level one.
• Moving to the elite level shoulder pads, this is for the full contact players, who are actually pros. This comes in the highest price range. So it is the absolute best shoulder pads in terms of protection, comfort and mobility. Getting down to the construction part, you will find 2 or sometimes 3 piece panel design. It means you will have a torso movement easily maintaining the protection outside. In the terms of protection, you will see multi layered foams such as, smart foam, composites etc. You will find some more adjustment features in here. Overall this will protect you from all sources of impact while providing you enough comfort.

How to size your shoulder pad:

Sizing is the most important thing to do in case of getting the required protection. You can have horrible injuries even while wearing the best hockey shoulder pads, if it has a bad fit. So it is important to know how to size them properly. So let’s get down to the measurement. First, wrap the measurement tape around your chest like an inch below your armpit. Then note down your size and you will find your size in the general sizing chart entering your chest measurement and height. If you fall in between two sizes, it will be your personal choice. If you are looking for closer fit and mobility then go for the smaller size. In case of the need of full coverage, go for the larger size. Now different brands got different sizing charts. So make sure you check the right brand’s sizing chart before your purchase.

Now, how to check the proper fit. You have to make sure by wearing it on. Your shoulder caps should be square on the top of your shoulders. Not above or below. The torso should be near your belly button. For the bicep pads you better look for that adjustable height option. You need to ensure that there’s no gap in between the shoulder pad’s bicep guard and the elbow pad. And the torso shouldn’t move around you. You need to have a locked in feel for proper protection.

Best hockey shoulder pads suggestion:

There are so many features, so many advertisements floating all around the internet. You must have been confused by now which one to buy. That is exactly why we are here for you. We have picked up all the best hockey shoulder pads amongst all. You will surely find the one for you from here.

1. CCM SUPER TACKS AS1C

The front panel has a two piece construction. You will find a floating sternum guard. This is one of the provide some of the widest coverage and protection available on the market. The sternum guard got an injected plastic with D3O inside and high density closed cell foam outside. All these will provide ultimate protection against high impacts. The chest part is made with medium density foam and it has good ventilation. On the ribs part you will again find the closed cell foams.

There is a two inch dropping system, which you will find new and pretty cool. It has quick release tabs, which will help you to easily wear it on and off. Moving up, you will find a dual density foam in the collarbone part with an injected plastic inside. The shoulder caps have JDP technology and D3O foam inside. None of the material absorbs water. So you will stay fresh and dry all day long. You will find the most adjustable bicep protection than any other shoulder pads on the market now. The bicep guard construction is the same as the collarbone part. The back has a three piece construction. Spine guard is the same as the sternum one. The kidney protection is pretty good with an injected plastic and closed foam on top. The nylon type strappings around offer excellent mobility. This is definitely one of the best hockey shoulder pads available on the market.

Pros :

• Removable bicep bulks
• Two inch dropping system
• Durable

Cons :

• A little expensive in comparison to other pads, but it is worth every penny of yours.

2. CCM JETSPEED FT1

It is an elite level shoulder pad and a two piece construction. On the top you will get the sternum guards and the covering foam. The base layer got something interesting. The top two portions connect to the lower bottom half with elastic straps. So you will find great mobility in here. You will find rocket frame composite down through the center for sternum guard. It is one of the best lightweight hockey shoulder pads. The base is made with lightweight closed cell foam. You may have a little medium density feel to it. This doesn’t absorb any water and there is good ventilation present as well.

Traditional strapping system present with quick release tabs.  You will get a removable belly guard here as well. The collar part is made with microfiber which will offer you great comfort. The shoulder cap is made with CCM’s lightest foam with elite level protection. Moving down to the bicep guard, it is made with full compression molded HD foam and is adjustable as well. You will find one extra bicep lock strap to make sure it stays in its place.  You will find almost the same construction as the front, in the back. So you will get superior protection and mobility in the back as well. The material reduces time to dry after the game and will keep you dry and cool throughout the game.

Pros :

• Max level mobility
• Segmented collar part
• Mobility of shoulder pad

Cons :

• No inserted plastic in the bicep guard

3. BAUER VAPOR 1X LITE HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

The front panel has a two piece construction. You will find a floating sternum guard. That allows the side panel to stay in its position. You will find curv composite to protect your sternum. Around the sternum you will find high density foam. That is reducing the weight incredibly and gives you elite level protection. On either side you will see hyper light foam, all these materials repel the water. So you will have a lightweight pad all game long. On the bottom you will find a traditional strapping system.

You will also find a removable belly pad here. A dual density foam set up will give you a total wrap around your collar part. Unlike any other shoulder cap, you will not find any plastic insert here. It is made with aerolite 2.0 foam, which is even lighter than aerolite foam. The bicep guards are made with the curv composite high density foam. Adjustable height option is present like any other elite level shoulder pad. The back has pretty much the same features. The spine guard construction is like the sternum construction.

Pros: 

• Tight fit for slimmer hockey players
• Free floating shoulder cap
• 37.5 technology used in the interior to keep the player cool and odor free all game long

Cons :

• No plastic at all, so very high impacts can leave you with slight pain

4. BAUER SUPREME 2S HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

Starting off with the front construction, it has Bauer’s new amp construction. It is a three piece construction. You will find a floating sternum guard. That allows the side panel to stay in its position. You will find curv composite to protect your sternum. The other constructions are made with vent armor foam to increase protection. You will have plastic inserts in the collar, bicep and shoulder part. The back construction is pretty much similar to the front. This is Bauer’s one of the best hockey shoulder pads so far. 

Pros :

• Elite level protection
• Every single part moves with you, even during heavy movements. 
• Best possible features in medium price range

Cons :

• If you compare with the pro version, you will find it heavy

5.CCM JETSPEED FT390 HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

This is a dual air high mobility design. The front layer is well segmented away from the bottom layer. This allows the front and back panel to move separately from one another. In the centre you will find HD PE insert providing you elite level protection. Other parts are made of thick medium density foam or dry foam.

All the materials come with good ventilation and don’t absorb any water. The strapping system is very traditional with added quick release tabs. The collarbone guards are super comfortable. For the first time the shoulder caps are attached to the body. So they will always stay in place while high making high movements. The shoulder cap and bicep guard both got PE inserted in it. The back construction is almost similar to the front part.

Pros :

• High mobility 
• Flexible collar part
• Shoulder cap stays in place nicely

Cons:

• Bicep guard strap is weak to hold them on during heavy movements.

6.BAUER SUPREME 2S PRO HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

Starting off with the front construction, it has Bauer’s new amp construction. It is a three piece construction. You will find a floating sternum guard. That allows the side panel to stay in its position. You will find curv composite to protect your sternum.

The other constructions are made with vent armor foam to increase protection. You will have plastic inserts in the collar, bicep and shoulder part. The back construction is pretty much similar to the front. This is Bauer’s one of the best hockey shoulder pads so far. You must be thinking about having all the same features, why this pro one got the higher price tag? The answer is every feature is upgraded here. This model will be much lighter and durable than the 2S one.

Pros :

• Elite level protection
• Every single part moves with you, even during heavy movements. 
• Lightweight 

Cons :

• A little expensive in comparison to other pads, but it is worth every penny of yours.

7. WARRIOR ALPHA DX3 HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

It is a two piece construction with a lot of upgrades in the ALPHA series. Starting from the top, the collar line got dual density foam with injected plastic protection. In the sternum part you will see a TVA foam, so it is lightweight and good enough to provide good quality protection. Good quality moisture control and ventilation systems are available. The straps are traditional 2 inch velcro straps. The rear panel is a single piece construction. For protection you will see multiple PE inserts. 

Pros :

• Slimmer shoulder caps in comparison to the other ALPHA DX series products
• Very much affordable
• Offers close to body fit

Cons :

• Not so durable

8.SHER-WOOD 5030 HOF HOCKEY SHOULDER PADS – SENIOR

The most classic model I have ever seen. It is a good, old and classic model. Maybe you have seen it on the players you have idealized since your childhood. It has a very simple and lightweight construction. The entire thing is made with a single density foam. It has floating shoulder caps. This model is really good for the extreme beginners, as it is very much affordable and provides required protection. Beginners usually hate wearing heavy gears. As there’s nothing much to it, it is very lightweight. The overall setup looks pretty cool while wearing it. 

Pros :

• Really a thing for extreme beginners
• Very lightweight
• Almost unimaginable low price range

Cons :

• Almost zero technology comparing today’s gears
• Low durability
• The collarbones will remain totally exposed

So that was our total collection of best hockey shoulder pads for you. We hope that you got the pad for you from here. We hope that you will stay protected and enjoy your hockey career. Because we care for our players more than anything. So your security has always been our basic priority.