Best Ice Hockey Gloves of 2012
You can have the best skates, the best stick, and the best pads, but if you don’t have the best hockey gloves of 2012, your game will suffer for it. As if chasing a tiny puck at high speeds across the ice wasn’t difficult enough, try doing it with bulky, ill-fitting gloves that restrict your range of movement and don’t allow you to feel the stick in your hand. Newer hockey gloves offer the latest designs for a good fit from wrist to fingers and lightweight protection that won’t preclude responsiveness while still handling the worst hacks and slashes your opponent can dish out. Look for durable palm materials and comfort-conscious liners as well. Here are few that are worth checking out.
Warrior
There are a few gloves to watch from Warrior this year. The soon-to-be-released Bonafide X gets an update with a thin yet durable Clarino palm for a solid grip, and a silver shield liner for both moisture-wicking and anti-microbial benefits so that your glove will stay dry and odor-free. It will also feature a newer version of the Bone System, four layers of foam and HDPE for added protection that were on the Projekt for 2011. Look for new versions of the Projekt and the Koncept gloves this year as well, featuring Smart Palm design and a V-Tek liner.
Miken
The Pro Fit T gloves from Miken are new for this year, and feature a Sensa-Tec layered Nash palm for a good balance of feel, breathability, and durability while the four-roll design and PE plastic inserts offer solid protection. A longer cuff guards your wrist without sacrificing mobility, and the moisture-wicking liner keeps your hands sweat-free and comfortable, then dries out quickly so you can play again the next day. Two-piece construction on the fingers allows for good movement, while extra stiffness on the thumb offers additional protection.
Bauer
Set for release in April of 2012, the Vapor APX gloves from Bauer are worth waiting for. The Vapor APX boasts a techni-flex palm while the APX Pro has a layered Nash one, and both will have a moisture-wicking liner containing silver fibers for anti-microbial action and odor control. The APX gloves are made of lightweight Aero Foam and feature a free flex cuff for protection that won’t hang up your wrist. The APX Pro uses dual-density foam and a segmented cuff for a snug fit that doesn’t sacrifice wrist action. Both gloves have a tapered fit, meaning closer in the fingers with a bit more room at the wrist.
Easton
Look for new versions of a few of the gloves from Easton this year, including the well-designed RS from the Stealth collection. The wrist is open and features a new angled cuff for total range of motion, and triple-segmented index, middle, and ring fingers allow you to grip and hold your stick naturally. Other features include an AX suede palm that offers durability but still lets you feel and connect with your shots, and a moisture-wicking Dri-Lex liner that dries quickly. A lightweight shell keeps you nimble, while the medium-density foam and PE plastic inserts protect you from knuckle smashes and hits so you can keep your mind on the game.
