Purchasing Hockey Equipment
Basics of Hockey Equipment (adult women)
More information on purchasing hockey equipment can be found on a blog called Wild About Hockey, which goes into more detail about the equipment you will need. Below are some of our additions to his suggestions, specifically for adult women players.
*Regarding sizes, you may fit into a junior size for some of the gear, so don’t be afraid to try on junior (as opposed to senior) sizes.
Skates
I have nothing to add to his excellent section on skates. This really is the best place to put your money and make sure you’re being fitted at a reputable shop. Skates are one piece of equipment you may be able to fit in a junior size, which means a better deal on top-of-line skates. Once you have your skates, it's important to have them sharpened regularly and at a reputable shop.
Helmet/Cage
Blog is right on about getting a good, protective helmet. Although I will say, as a beginner I do use a cheaper helmet and cage. They’re still rated to be effective, and I don’t go at quite the speed or force of upper-level players. That said, I agree that this is one place not to go cheap or used, and if your helmet is cracked get a new one!
Gloves
Ok, I do disagree with the price range advice on gloves. Maybe for upper-level players where you see much more slashing and contact $100 gloves are needed, for me the bottom-line gloves have worked just fine. So sizing – one tip I was given was to make sure my fingertips were NOT at the very edge of the glove. If the glove is that small you have more chance of getting your fingers knocked during stick-on-stick contact. At the same time, you don’t want them so big you can't feel the stick.
Gloves typically come in sizes like 13”, 14”, etc. and most women’s hands will be in the 13-15” range. Test both junior and senior sizes, but with the junior sizes make sure the cuff does cover your wrist adequately.
Elbow Pads
Not much to add here. This was one piece of equipment that I really just had to keep trying on for size because the brands and sizing vary so much. When it feels right, you’ll know; if it feels bulky, keep looking. One more point is that elbow pads come in hard and soft varieties. Hard elbow pads have a plastic, hard cup at the elbow and soft pads have extra soft padding at the elbow. It’s personal preference, but I’ve liked the hard pads and haven’t had any issues falling onto my elbows.
Shoulder Pads
Again, the shoulder pad write up is spot-on. For my first season of beginner classes I did not wear shoulder pads so that I could save some money. If you are in a beginner class, this is one piece of equipment you might delay buying. As soon as you start playing pickups or games outside of the class though, this is essential gear.
Hockey Pants
Ahh hockey pants, every woman’s nightmare (or maybe just mine). Once I got past the feeling of having a large, pear-shaped sumo suit on, I did grow to love my hockey pants. Buying hockey pants for women is really variable depending on your body shape. Some ladies can fit in the junior range, others of us need the senior pants to comfortably fit our, um, assets. There are women-specific hockey pants out there and I actually wear a pair of those, although I do wish it feel into more of happy medium between narrow juniors and oversized seniors.
Don’t be afraid to modify the padding to make the pants comfortable for you. My pants came with a thick circle of foam padding around the waist. For upper-level players who play games with speed and contact, the padding is probably a godsend. For me, it was way too bulky and not necessary. Solution: rip out those stitches and get rid of the circle of evil foam. I don't recommend taking out much of the butt and thigh pads, though; and you'll want to make sure your tailbone is covered.
Shin Guards
Most senior shin guards have extra-long sides to cover the back of your shins. In competitive leagues this is much-needed protection from sticks slashing the backs of your legs. For beginners playing in less competitive leagues and women who have smaller calves to begin with, the wraparound shin guards can feel overly bulky. Try out a junior size here and don’t be afraid to buy used, either.
You want to make sure the knee cup fits over your knee and the bottom of the guard hits about an inch above your foot. Don’t go short with shin guards. Similar to gloves, sizes here come in inches and although they vary by brand, you’ll be looking at around 12-14” guards depending on your height.
Stick
I agree with the blog – if you’re just starting out go with a wood stick, it's so much cheaper. Beyond that, beginners try to find a stick with a fairly straight blade. The more curve in the blade, the more difficult it will be for you to initially get a feel for the puck and your aim. When looking for a stick, take out a few and compare the blades; you’ll see what we mean by curve. I'd suggest going to a hockey store as opposed to a box store like Dick's for the best stick selection.
In terms of size, you want the stick to come to between your chin and nose if you are standing in your skates and the blade is on the ground. This means you will have to cut it down before using it; hopefully you have a saw in the house.
Intermediate stick buying tips—so now you're addicted to hockey and you're willing to shell out $100+ on the composite stick of your dreams. There are a lot more factors to consider with this purchase. You will want to think about how you like to play to determine your choice of blade angle, curve, and lie. You can spend hours researching this; I do like the discussion offered by How to Hockey (they're also a great resource for training tips). There's also lie and flex to consider. A good blog post on lie was recently added by Ice Magazine. And Total Female Hockey has posted their suggestions regarding flex for female players.
Pelvic protection/compression shorts
For beginner ladies pelvic protection isn’t a big deal, but the pants that come with the protector are great. They're a tight spandex that will compress the begeeges out of you. This is a good thing because the compression of upper leg muscles means you’ll get a little less sore. There’s some scientific reason about build up of lactic acid, blah, blah.
The other great thing about these shorts is the Velcro. There will be four squareish patches of Velcro (two in front, two in back) on the shorts, which allow your socks to adhere and stay up. That’s the magic. You can usually find these shorts at hockey stores, just ask. (You can also, I have personally proved, use them as a sort of Spanx under a formal dress:)
Socks
Finally, socks. A chance to color coordinate and show some personality. Basic hockey socks are going to be knit, wooly things although there are slightly more expensive and lighter weight nylon socks out there as well. Just be sure to get socks that stretch up to your mid-thigh so that they’ll adhere to the Velcro (see above). Some players choose to tape their socks once they’re on to ensure they don’t slide down. I’ve never had that problem, but it’s personal preference.
Mouthguard
I have yet to wear a mouthguard playing hockey, a few people have guards that strap to their cages. I would say for beginners they’re not necessary, but it’s not unheard of, either.
For a list of the local hockey shops, click here.
If you have any questions or suggestions on equipment, feel free to contact us!
*Regarding sizes, you may fit into a junior size for some of the gear, so don’t be afraid to try on junior (as opposed to senior) sizes.
Skates
I have nothing to add to his excellent section on skates. This really is the best place to put your money and make sure you’re being fitted at a reputable shop. Skates are one piece of equipment you may be able to fit in a junior size, which means a better deal on top-of-line skates. Once you have your skates, it's important to have them sharpened regularly and at a reputable shop.
Helmet/Cage
Blog is right on about getting a good, protective helmet. Although I will say, as a beginner I do use a cheaper helmet and cage. They’re still rated to be effective, and I don’t go at quite the speed or force of upper-level players. That said, I agree that this is one place not to go cheap or used, and if your helmet is cracked get a new one!
Gloves
Ok, I do disagree with the price range advice on gloves. Maybe for upper-level players where you see much more slashing and contact $100 gloves are needed, for me the bottom-line gloves have worked just fine. So sizing – one tip I was given was to make sure my fingertips were NOT at the very edge of the glove. If the glove is that small you have more chance of getting your fingers knocked during stick-on-stick contact. At the same time, you don’t want them so big you can't feel the stick.
Gloves typically come in sizes like 13”, 14”, etc. and most women’s hands will be in the 13-15” range. Test both junior and senior sizes, but with the junior sizes make sure the cuff does cover your wrist adequately.
Elbow Pads
Not much to add here. This was one piece of equipment that I really just had to keep trying on for size because the brands and sizing vary so much. When it feels right, you’ll know; if it feels bulky, keep looking. One more point is that elbow pads come in hard and soft varieties. Hard elbow pads have a plastic, hard cup at the elbow and soft pads have extra soft padding at the elbow. It’s personal preference, but I’ve liked the hard pads and haven’t had any issues falling onto my elbows.
Shoulder Pads
Again, the shoulder pad write up is spot-on. For my first season of beginner classes I did not wear shoulder pads so that I could save some money. If you are in a beginner class, this is one piece of equipment you might delay buying. As soon as you start playing pickups or games outside of the class though, this is essential gear.
Hockey Pants
Ahh hockey pants, every woman’s nightmare (or maybe just mine). Once I got past the feeling of having a large, pear-shaped sumo suit on, I did grow to love my hockey pants. Buying hockey pants for women is really variable depending on your body shape. Some ladies can fit in the junior range, others of us need the senior pants to comfortably fit our, um, assets. There are women-specific hockey pants out there and I actually wear a pair of those, although I do wish it feel into more of happy medium between narrow juniors and oversized seniors.
Don’t be afraid to modify the padding to make the pants comfortable for you. My pants came with a thick circle of foam padding around the waist. For upper-level players who play games with speed and contact, the padding is probably a godsend. For me, it was way too bulky and not necessary. Solution: rip out those stitches and get rid of the circle of evil foam. I don't recommend taking out much of the butt and thigh pads, though; and you'll want to make sure your tailbone is covered.
Shin Guards
Most senior shin guards have extra-long sides to cover the back of your shins. In competitive leagues this is much-needed protection from sticks slashing the backs of your legs. For beginners playing in less competitive leagues and women who have smaller calves to begin with, the wraparound shin guards can feel overly bulky. Try out a junior size here and don’t be afraid to buy used, either.
You want to make sure the knee cup fits over your knee and the bottom of the guard hits about an inch above your foot. Don’t go short with shin guards. Similar to gloves, sizes here come in inches and although they vary by brand, you’ll be looking at around 12-14” guards depending on your height.
Stick
I agree with the blog – if you’re just starting out go with a wood stick, it's so much cheaper. Beyond that, beginners try to find a stick with a fairly straight blade. The more curve in the blade, the more difficult it will be for you to initially get a feel for the puck and your aim. When looking for a stick, take out a few and compare the blades; you’ll see what we mean by curve. I'd suggest going to a hockey store as opposed to a box store like Dick's for the best stick selection.
In terms of size, you want the stick to come to between your chin and nose if you are standing in your skates and the blade is on the ground. This means you will have to cut it down before using it; hopefully you have a saw in the house.
Intermediate stick buying tips—so now you're addicted to hockey and you're willing to shell out $100+ on the composite stick of your dreams. There are a lot more factors to consider with this purchase. You will want to think about how you like to play to determine your choice of blade angle, curve, and lie. You can spend hours researching this; I do like the discussion offered by How to Hockey (they're also a great resource for training tips). There's also lie and flex to consider. A good blog post on lie was recently added by Ice Magazine. And Total Female Hockey has posted their suggestions regarding flex for female players.
Pelvic protection/compression shorts
For beginner ladies pelvic protection isn’t a big deal, but the pants that come with the protector are great. They're a tight spandex that will compress the begeeges out of you. This is a good thing because the compression of upper leg muscles means you’ll get a little less sore. There’s some scientific reason about build up of lactic acid, blah, blah.
The other great thing about these shorts is the Velcro. There will be four squareish patches of Velcro (two in front, two in back) on the shorts, which allow your socks to adhere and stay up. That’s the magic. You can usually find these shorts at hockey stores, just ask. (You can also, I have personally proved, use them as a sort of Spanx under a formal dress:)
Socks
Finally, socks. A chance to color coordinate and show some personality. Basic hockey socks are going to be knit, wooly things although there are slightly more expensive and lighter weight nylon socks out there as well. Just be sure to get socks that stretch up to your mid-thigh so that they’ll adhere to the Velcro (see above). Some players choose to tape their socks once they’re on to ensure they don’t slide down. I’ve never had that problem, but it’s personal preference.
Mouthguard
I have yet to wear a mouthguard playing hockey, a few people have guards that strap to their cages. I would say for beginners they’re not necessary, but it’s not unheard of, either.
For a list of the local hockey shops, click here.
If you have any questions or suggestions on equipment, feel free to contact us!
