Retail that is. I thought that maybe for those of us who like to try out new equipment as it comes out, it may be interesting to tell people what you think about it.
I've picked up some of the new Warrior protective. I have have a pair of the APX1 Shoulders and Elbows and a pair of the APX2 Shoulders. I tried both the mediums and larges in the shoulders and was able to fit comfortably in the mediums. Both are lightweight and fairly low profile (I prefer to not have a robocop feel on the ice). I was confused about the true differences between the AX1s and AX2s. Having them both in hand, the caps are actually slightly smaller on the AX1s, but basically the same shape. The AX1s have two-piece bicep guards, while the AX2s are one piece (I think I actually prefer the one piece), but other than that, the differences are in the materials and I don't personally see much practical difference in the fit or mobility. They're both mobile and protective. The body of the pads reminds me of the Projekts, which I thought were also nice, but unlike the Projekts, these seem to not be so wide sitting across the shoulders. As a point of reference, I liked the way the Projekts fit in the body, but thought that the caps were too wide fitting for my body type. These are more form fitting.
Admittedly I have not worn either pair on the ice for more than a few times yet, so this is really only based on minimal ice time.
If you're like me and couldn't see the pads side by side, here you go.
The elbow pads are nice and very jofa-esque. They definitely lock in at the elbows and don't seem to slip as much as my 7Ks did. I haven't had them out of the ice (between seasons), but they seem like they have a lot of potential. The AX1s are a bit bulky, but if you've been wearing Jofas, then I'd say that they're similar in bulk.
Now, I have a question - is anyone trying the Reebok 20K protective? I've heard it is extremely lightweight. I haven't had a chance to try it on, but was particularly wondering about the shoulder pad sizing. I'm wearing mediums in the Warriors and tend to be between mediums and larges depending on the brand. At 5'10, 190 I seem to be right in between the suggested sizing in the 20Ks. In the past I've had to wear larges in the 10K (those were the last Reeboks I wore). Similar sizing?