One great thing about starting to play roller hockey is that a lot of ice hockey gear is transferable, and you really only need a few pieces of protective gear to get you ready to roll. Roller hockey players are required to wear the following gear:
- Protective Hockey Helmet
- Hockey Visor/Cage
- Lightweight Hockey Gloves
- Hockey Elbow pads
- Lightweight Hockey Shoulder Pads / Padded Shirt
- Hockey Shin Guards
- Inline Hockey Girdle
- Inline Hockey Pants
- Inline Hockey Skates
In this guide, we’re only going to look at a few top products specific to inline hockey such as the girdle, inline pants, and padded shirts so if you want to check out our guides on best hockey helmets or any other ice hockey products click the links above to our guides!
Our Recommendations
Best Inline Hockey Girdle
This top of the line roller hockey girdle gives you a combination of compression and a padded short for the ultimate in comfort and protection. It has molded PE thought protection and inserts on the hip and tailbone, with a Mueller cup.
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Top Padded Shirt
Lightweight, breathable protection are the key features in the Mission Inhaler Core padded shirt. It also has a multi-segmented design for the ultimate in flexibility and perforated padding to reduce the weight even further.
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Best Inline Hockey Pants
Missions top of the line roller hockey pants are exceptionally breathable and have 4-way stretch fabrics so you’ll feel no restriction during the game. They are also designed with abrasion resistant knee zones for improved durability!
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How We Did Our Research
Getting new gear of any kind is no joke, but inline specific gear is something a lot of ice hockey players may not know a lot about. In this guide we did extensive product research to make it easy for you to make the right choice. We looked at performance, durability, comfort, and protection as the main considerations for each piece of equipment. We will break down the best inline hockey pants, girdles, and padded shirts so you can step up your roller hockey game!
The Best Inline Hockey Girdles
A roller hockey girdle is a cross between ice hockey pants and jock, with padding on the thighs, hips / tailbone, and a cup to give you all the protection you need in one piece of equipment. Inline hockey players will usually wear a girdle underneath their roller hockey pants.
Specifications and Features:
- Compression Fit – With tight and flexible materials, the compression fit ensures the girdle moves with you and doesn’t give the roller hockey player any restriction during the game
- Molded PE Protection – With high density polyethylene in the thighs and on the hips + tailbone, you’ll have no issues falling down and getting back up unscathed
- Breathable Material – The Mission Inhaler compression inline hockey girdle is constructed of lightweight and breathable materials, so you’ll still be cool late in the 3rd period!
Pros – Compression Fit, Flexible material facilitates movement in all directions, high density PE protection for the thighs, hips, and tailbone, lightweight mueller cup
Cons – The Mission Inhaler roller hockey girdle is a top of the line product, so it won’t be the cheapest option on the market but it gives you top tier performance
BOTTOM LINE:
If you’re looking for the best protection and performance combination in your inline hockey girdle, the Mission Inhaler compression is the one you should consider. Offering a perfect balance of protection and flexibility, this roller hockey girdle is going to have you flying around the rink without feeling restricted at all. The high density PE inserts give you lightweight protection for your thighs, hips, and tail bone so you won’t think twice about getting injured. One of the reason it gets our pick for the best inline hockey girdle is for the breathable materials, as it does a excellent moving air through and cooling you down. This is top choice for serious roller hockey players that demand the best performance out of their gear!
Specifications and Features:
- Ariaprene Padding – A unique material that is mainly used in roller hockey, the Ariaprene padding is a sythnetic rubber that does a great job dissipating the force and reducing what reaches your body.
- Compression Fit – The Tour Code 3 has a very comfortable compression fit, which keeps the protective pads snug against your body without restricting movement
- Superior Ventilation – Tour has designed this roller hockey girdle with carefully placed vents to improve airflow and breathability on the rink
Pros – Innovative protective pads use a synthetic rubber to distribute the force, comfortable compression fit, lightweight and breathable material, great flexibility and mobility
Cons – This model is a little bulkier than the Mission Inhaler, but a great product for the price
BOTTOM LINE:
If you’re looking for a new inline hockey girdle but don’t want to drop the cash for the newest model, this is the best product for the money. While still giving you the protection you require with the Ariaprene rubber pads on the thighs, hips, and tailbone you don’t have to sacrifice anything with the Tour Code 3. The compression fit and superior ventilation give you a comfortable fitting roller hockey girdle. Going with the Tour Code 3 model isn’t cheaping out, its making a smart investment that won’t impact your performance during the game!
The Best Inline Hockey Pants
The inline hockey pants are nothing like ice hockey pants, as they really don’t offer anything for protection at all. The are used more to fit over your gear easily and they look a lot better than trying to wear track pants. They’re also designed to not restrict your stride at all and improve airflow with breathable materials. If you’re just looking into playing roller hockey, we seriously recommend getting a pair of inline pants as you’ll definitely notice the difference!
Specifications and Features:
- Built In Shin Strap – A brand new feature, these Mission inline pants come with a nylon shin strap on the back of the calf for easy tightening around your shin guards
- Stretch Waist with Hockey Lace – The key part of any roller hockey pants is how they fit around the waist, and the Mission FZ-0 come with a adjustable lace for a comfortable fit every time
- Abrasion Resistant Knee Guards – The first place roller hockey pants wear out is always in the knees, and the FZ-0 model comes with abrasion resistant materials in these key areas to improve durability
Pros – Best in class durability, flexible and breathable fabrics, comfortable and adjustable fit around the waist, innovative shin tightening feature
Cons – Some players have found these to be too tight around the lower part of the legs, but for a lot of inline hockey players they want this feature
BOTTOM LINE:
Widely considered the best inline hockey pants, the Mission Inhaler FZ-0 do not dissapoint in any category. Offering the best durability we’ve found in any other roller hockey pants on the market with specially constructed abrasion resistant zones on the knees. They also have strategically places ventilation points so you won’t overhead during the game. The flexibility of the material along with the shin tightening feature ensures you’ll be comfortable every time. These are our choice for the best roller hockey pants and we would recommend for any serious player!
Specifications and Features:
- Tapered Fit – Constructed with in multiple segments, these inline hockey pants give you more room up top with a tapered fit so they are tighter around the calves and ankles
- Flexible Fabrics – Made of mesh polyester and lycra gives you increased breathability and flexibility so you won’t be restricted or over heat during the game
- Heavy Duty Knee Panels – Made from thicker and stronger materials, the Bauer Pro inline hockey pants have abrasion resistant panels on the knees to give you longer durability and use
Pros – Tapered fit for maximum mobility, flexible and breathable fabrics to enhance comfort, heavy duty knee panels for improved durability
Cons – The price point of these pants is higher than some of the cheaper models you can find
BOTTOM LINE:
The roller hockey pants are some of the most comfortable you can find, with the tapered fit and flexible fabrics used being the two biggest factors in me saying this. I like the tapered fit because it doesn’t restrict your stride at all but still gives you a snug fit around your shin guards. The flexible and breathable fabrics also improve the ventilation you’ll have on the rink and keep you cool all game long! The heavy duty material on the knees give you a step up in durability instead of just using track pants, and that is one of the reasons the Bauer Pro Inline hockey pants get our vote for the most comfortable you can find!
The Best Inline Hockey Padded Shirts
A roller hockey girdle is a cross between ice hockey pants and jock, with padding on the thighs, hips / tailbone, and a cup to give you all the protection you need in one piece of equipment. Inline hockey players will usually wear a girdle underneath their roller hockey pants.
Specifications and Features:
- Multi Segmented Design – Constructed so it enhanced your mobility on the rink and doesn’t restrict your puck handling, the multi-segmented design is a great feature
- Perforated Padding – The padding on the collarbone, chest, ribs, biceps, and spine is perforated to reduce weight and still offer excellent protection
- Breathable Material – The last thing you want playing roller hockey is something that is going to cause you to overheat, and the breathable material in the Mission Inhaler Core is designed so it prevents just that
Pros – Multi Segmented design for improved mobility, lightweight and breathable materials, perforated padding for lightweight protection
Cons – It has a looser fit so if you’re looking for a compression style shirt you will want to size down
BOTTOM LINE:
Looking for the perfect alternative to wearing bulky shoulder pads when playing inline hockey, the Mission Inhaler Core padded shirt is our top choice! With perforated protection to keep the shirt lightweight, it will easily increase your mobility on the rink. The multi segmented design and the breathable fabrics also enhance your comfort during an inline hockey game. This will not only help you score more goals but it will keep you protected and comfortable all season long!
Specifications and Features:
- Four Way Stretch Material – The material of this shirt is designed to stretch in any direction, so it will really enhance your mobility handling the puck
- High Quality Protection – The dual density foam padding gives you a higher level of protection than other padded hockey shirts
- Compression Rib Padding – Designed specifically to fit tight around your ribs and avoid any injuries, this is a very comfortable feature for roller hockey players of all calibers
Pros – High level of protective padding, four way stretch material for improved flexibility and mobility
Cons – Taller players may find this shirt too short on them and will want to increase a size
BOTTOM LINE:
If you want a padded shirt that will 100% have you covered in terms protection, this is the product for you as the dual density foam padding can’t be beat. Though not as breathable as other models, the four way stretch material ensures you won’t be restricted in any way on the rink. The rib and spine protection has the most coverage of any padded roller hockey shirt, and gets our choice for the best value!
Conclusion
We hope that after reading this guide, you’ll be able to make the right choice when it comes to picking our your next piece of inline hockey gear! We have focused specifically on inline specific protective gear such as inline pants, girdle, and padded shirts. If you have any thoughts on the products we have recommended or others that should be added, drop us a comment below!
