Elbow Pads
Whether it’s the NHL or Wednesday-night beer league, every hockey player loses their balance at least a few times each game. An unexpected, graceless fall is sure to get a laugh out of the other team (and possibly your own teammates), but it will be even more humiliating if you take a while to get up because your elbows hurt. The feeling of striking unprotected elbows against the ice is more painful than stubbing all toes individually. To avoid injury and humiliation, you’ll want to have a basic understanding of the different options and correct way to size your elbow pads.
There are three main parts to every elbow pad:
- Elbow Cap
- Forearm Protector
- Bicep Protector
Elbow Cap
The elbow caps are the most important piece of your elbow pad because they cover the area at highest risk to come in contact with the ice and boards. To prevent banging your funny-bone during play, you’ll want to make sure your elbow rests exactly in the elbow cap.
There are two different construction methods to elbow caps.
- Soft-shell caps are made of foam padding, and allow more mobility than hard-shells.
- Hard-shell caps have a hard plastic insert that offers more protection than soft-shell caps.
Sizing
Your pads should cover the area from the middle of your bicep to the middle of your forearms. Wearing a size too small will leave these areas exposed, and wearing a size too big will cause your pads to slip out of place during play. In order to avoid the annoyance of constantly having to adjust your straps, measure the distance from your mid-bicep to the edge of your glove. The sizing chart below should help you find the right fit.
| Age | Size | Mid-Bicep to Glove Cuff (in) | Height (ft) |
| YOUTH | S | 7 – 8 | 3’3 – 4’1 |
| M | 7.5 – 8.5 | 3’7 – 4’4 | |
| L | 8 – 9 | 3’9 – 4’7 | |
| JUNIOR | S | 9 – 10 | 4’3 – 4’8 |
| M | 10 – 11 | 4’7 – 5’1 | |
| L | 11 – 12 | 5’11 – 5’4 | |
| SENIOR | S | 12 – 13 | 5’5 – 5’9 |
| M | 13 – 14 | 5’7 – 5’11 | |
| L | 14 – 15 | 5’9 – 6’1 | |
| XL | 15 – 16 | 5’11 – 6’3 |
Basic v. High-End
Depending on your preferences and level of play, you might find that the top-of-the-line models don’t provide an additional benefit that makes them worth paying the higher price. Higher-end models are slightly more durable and have straps that usually don’t lose their elasticity as quickly as cheaper pairs tend to. However, whether you have a $50 or $150 pair of elbow pads, there won’t be much of a noticeable difference by the time you step on the ice. As long as you’re comfortable in your pads, and the bottom of your elbow rests in the cap, you’ll be good to go.