Is there a piece of hockey equipment that you absolutely need? Is it the cup? Yes…but also there is a more important part of your body that you need to protect.
A hockey helmet is the most important piece of equipment in your hockey bag. A helmet protects your head which is one of the most important parts of your body. Hockey helmets can range from $60 – $250. The best Hockey helmets are certified by the HECC (Hockey Equipment Certification Council). These Helmets are labeled on the outside rear of the helmet. The HECC says that you need to replace your hockey helmet every 6.5 years.
If you are brand new to hockey and you are trying to save money on some gear you are not alone but do not try to save money on a cheap helmet. Make sure that your helmet is certified by the HECC and a name brand. Lots of research and energy have gone into making these products the safest that they can be.
Choosing A Hockey Helmet
If you are brand new to hockey and trying to figure out how you can save some money on gear then you are like a lot of us. I know that when I was gathering gear I was constantly on the hunt for the sales and always checking the clearance sections.
So I know that price is a factor when it comes to choosing a helmet. But when it comes to choosing a helmet I would strongly advise that price is not the deciding factor. Make sure that they are rated for today’s game.
Even the cheapest modern hockey helmets are HECC certified. There is a distinct sticker placed near the rear of the helmet that signifies the year that the helmet was manufactured and the helmet should only be used 6.5 years after that date.
That being said, most adult hockey leagues or beer leagues do not require your helmet to be HECC certified in order to play.
But the game has changed. Lots of older helmets just do not provide the same amount of protection that newer helmets offer. Helmets generally have the same design with a harder outer shell made of plastics and are padded with foam on the inside.
The cheapest hockey helmets are in the $60 range while the top-tier helmets are in the $200 range. The major difference here is the padding quality that lines the helmets’ inside and comfort.
Cheaper helmets will use less dense, lower-quality foam.
While more expensive helmets will use better quality foams and liners that help with protection and sweat absorption.
Nicer helmets are also designed with airflow in mind that help with sweaty heads, which also helps with visor fog.
So if you are going to stay on the lower end of helmets we would recommend the Bauer 4500. ITs around $100 and it is the most iconic helmet in hockey today. Some NHL players still wear this helmet even. The Bauer 4500 will not break the bank and it will provide you enough protection in non-checking leagues like recreational adult hockey leagues.
If you are looking to make sure that your brain doesn’t get rattled around the BAuer RE-Akt line is amazing.
I prefer these helmets over the CCM line because CCM uses a liquid to fill some of their cushions and I have seen them form a small hole in the padding. When this happens a white, creamy ooze slowly seeps out and your head is then covered in it.
Image the locker room talk there.
But back to the RE-Akt line. They use three different types of foams in the helmet and it is designed with airflow and comfort in mind. The outer shell is made of high-density plastics at different thicknesses which make it super protective but also super lightweight.
The Bauer RE-Akt Hockey Helmet can range anywhere from $160 -$250 depending on the model you get.
History Of Hockey Helmets
The very first hockey helmets were made of strips of leather. Which did practically nothing for your head when it slammed against the ice.
Helmets weren’t really part of the mandatory gear until much later in the history of the game. The event that got players thinking they should maybe wear helmets happened in 1968 when Bill Masterson of the then Minnesota North Stars fell and smashed his head on the ice causing him to die two days later.
It took the NHL an amazing 10 years after that incident before they made helmets mandatory for all players.
Helmets weren’t even mandatory until 1978 and any player that was in the league before that year was not required to wear a helmet. Believe it or not, the last player to not wear a helmet in the NHL was Craig MacTavish who retired in 1997.
That blows my mind.
Other Pieces Of Hockey Gear That Are Important
You’ve got your head protected which is a good thing but what else should you put your hard earned money into?
One of the first things I upgraded was my hockey pants. When we are new to skating we are going to fall…a lot.
At the time I was playing 3 nights a week and for whatever reason, I kept falling on the exact same spot on my ass every single night. By the end of the week, I could not even lift my leg up to put my socks on.
That was when I hobbled into the pro shop and looked for the pants with the most cushion on the butt that I could find.
Surprisingly, a majority of hockey pants do not provide adequate padding on the butt cheek area. My first pair of hockey pants was The Easton Stealth RS. They used thin foam around most of the pants and they only cost about $40.
After suffering for about a week I really wished I just spent the extra $100. I now use mid-tier Bauer Vapor pants that cost around $130 and I have not had a problem putting on my socks and shoes since then.
Less Important Hockey Gear
Just because the gear is less important doesn’t mean that you don’t have to have it. “Less important” gear is just hockey gear where you can get the lower-end stuff when you first start out and not notice a big difference in protection and ability to play the game.
- Shoulder pads
- Elbow pads
- Gloves
- Shin pads
These are all things that you can save some money on. When you are first learning to play the game of hockey you will not notice a difference between $40 shin pads and $150 shin pads.
I would bet a beer that the guys on the ice with you are not even able to shoot the puck hard enough with a slap shot straight to the shins for you to significantly feel it with even the cheapest shin pads.
The entry-level gear on most of this stuff will provide plenty of protection at the beginner level of hockey.
I might also have an unpopular opinion about cheap hockey skates. I think you should get the cheap ones when you first start out. You can learn to skate really well on cheap skates. They have two edges just like the most expensive skates and learning to skate well is all about learning to use your edges.
When I first started skating bought the cheapest pair of Bauers on the market, they were about $60 (and a size too big because hockey skate sizes are different than your shoe size!) I have since bought much nicer skates and I feel like the cheap skates have taught me to appreciate all the extra support and protection that higher-end skates provide.
How Much Can You Expect To Spend On Hockey Gear
A full set of hockey gear can cost anywhere from $500 to $1000+ depending on the quality of the gear that you buy.
Shop the deals on sites like hockey Monkey and Pure Hockey and you can get a full set of gear for closer to $500.
If you are interested in reading more about gear that you need to buy when you are first starting out check out this post below about what hockey gear you should get to start playing and how much it costs.
A Complete List Of Gear That I Needed To Start Playing Hockey
What is The Most Important Piece Of Hockey Gear?
Your head is probably the most important part of your body so it only makes sense that the piece of equipment that protects that is the most important one. A hockey helmet is the most valuable piece of equipment in your bag and you should make sure that any helmet you use is certified by the HECC.
You can save money on other pieces of hockey equipment like your shoulder pads, elbow pads, shin pads, and gloves but a hockey helmet is not the piece of gear that you should be looking to save a few dollars on.
It is worth spending the extra $50 to make sure you get a high-quality helmet to protect your dome! Some of the best helmets for beer league hockey players are the Bauer 4500 or any Bauer Re-Akt helmet.
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