Hockey Goalie Pants Buying & Fitting Guide
Every goaltending kit should include robust ice hockey goalie pants capable of withstanding battle at the crease. Designed to be more protective, goalie pants feature internal padding, while player pants don't. Player pants fit closer to the legs to facilitate skating, whereas goalie pants are wider to cover more of the net. If you or your child just stepped into the goaltending position, you’ll need a pair of these specialized breezers.
All About Buying & Sizing Hockey Goalie Pants
We’ve done the legwork and collected all the info a player or parent needs to know to buy the best hockey goalie pants. Here’s what you can expect from our comprehensive guide:
Anatomy of Hockey Goalie Pants
Hockey goalie pants are engineered to protect some of the most vulnerable parts of a player’s body, including the kidneys and spine. Here’s how this equipment shields the lower body:
- Kidney & Hip Pads: The kidney and hip pads flank the player’s sides, contouring around the hips and rising over up the waist to shield the kidneys. These two pads feature HD foams and protective caps to absorb and redistribute the force of impacts.
- Spine Protector: Located at the center of the back, this component offers critical protection to the player’s spine. Modern hockey pants usually come with a floating spine guard that moves and adjusts with the player.
- Waist Pads: This portion of goalie pants surrounds the waist from all angles.
- Inner Belt: The inner belt adjusts the waist, offering a custom fit for the wearer.
- Thigh Pads: Thigh pads contour around the front of the upper legs. This part of the goalie pants offers coverage against stinging slashes.
- Internal Padding: Unlike regular player pants, goalie pants feature added internal padding to shield the body from high-speed pucks and collisions. This extra layer of padding gives goalie pants a bulky, high-profile look.
- Hockey Pant Shell: A hockey pant shell is a separate pair of shorts with no padding that’s worn over goalie pants to match the team.
How To Choose Hockey Goalie Pants
Personal preference plays a major role in choosing goalie pants. One of the most important variables to consider in selecting lower-body protection is how the goalie wears their gear. Some players prefer to tuck the bottom of the chest and arm protector into the waistband of their pants. In this case, the goalie will need a model with a wide waist. Goalies can opt for pants with a tapered waistline if they wear their torso padding untucked. Some options feature a removable inner belt to assist in tucking and achieving a custom fit. Materials, constructions, and profiles also vary to suit a range of comfort levels and styles.
Other than personal preference, the goalie’s size and level of play should be considered when purchasing pants. But before we break down the sizing, let’s talk more about how much protection a player needs in the crease.
Your Ideal Lower-Body Protection Level
Constantly in the line of fire, a goalie requires more protection than a regular player. But every goalie doesn't need the same amount of padding. A beginner or casual goaltender can gear up in affordable, lightweight pants and still enjoy adequate protection for their level of play. A performance or pro goalie needs high-end pads to shield them against hard-hitting pucks and slashes. The higher the league, the more protective the goalie pants should be.
Hockey Goalie Pant Sizing
Gearing up in the right size of goalie pants is critical for on-ice protection and performance. Tight leg padding will restrict movement and prevent the player from changing stances. Baggy pants can shift during play, leaving gaps in coverage. You can easily avoid these scenarios by ordering goalie pants in the correct size.
Makers create hockey equipment in four size categories: youth, junior, intermediate, and senior. Each brand uses slightly different waist and height measurements to size their pants, so we recommend verifying your size with our goalie gear sizing charts. As a baseline reference, we’ve listed the Bauer dimensions for goalie pants:
- Bauer Youth Hockey Goalie Pants:
- Bauer Junior Hockey Goalie Pants:
- Height: 4’7” to 5’8”
- Waist: 24” to 32”
- Bauer Intermediate Hockey Goalie Pants:
- Height: 5’3” to 5’9”
- Waist: 26” to 32”
- Bauer Senior Hockey Goalie Pants:
- Height: 5’5” to 6’1”+
- Waist: 30” to 42”
What Size Hockey Goalie Pants Do I Need?Your goalie pants will be roughly 8 to 10 inches larger than your waist size. Wrap a cloth tape measure around your waist just above the hips. The number that meets the tip of the tape measure equals your waist size. Then, add between 8 and 10 inches to this measurement for your goalie pant size. Add less length if you wear the goalie chest protector over your pants and add more length if you tuck your torso padding in. Your final measurement will fall into one of the four size categories above.
We recommend every goalie try on pants while wearing their chest protector. This guarantees you’ve got the right size for your existing gear. Stop by the nearest Pure Hockey or Pure Goalie store to try on equipment with assistance from one of our expert staff. Or, call our customer service department for help sizing and buying goalie pants.
How Hockey Goalie Pants Fit
To determine a proper fit, you must wear all the equipment simultaneously to make sure that one pad does not hinder the movement of another. Your pants should fit comfortably yet provide enough room for your leg pads and chest protector to cover you without gaps, and without getting in each other's way. Properly fitted hockey goalie pants sit on the hips and end just above the knees. These pads fit snug at the waist and loose around the legs for top-notch mobility. While all breezers should feel secure and shouldn’t shift during play, pants can be worn tighter or looser depending on preference. A goalie who wears a chest and arm protector tucked into their lower-body protection needs pants with more slack at the waist. The player who doesn’t tuck in their torso padding needs a snug waistline to hold the pants in place.
Hockey Goalie Pants Care
Wearing the right baselayer apparel is the easiest way to care for your goalie pants. Base layers are the athletic apparel hockey players wear beneath their protective padding, including under goalie pants. A quality base layer features lightweight compression materials with moisture-wicking, thermo-regulating tech for hours of comfortable wear. These layers prevent excess sweat from soaking into the pads, and reduce irritating friction between the player and the padded pants.
Make sure to wash your hockey goalie pants and base layer after each practice and game. Routinely cleaning gear prevents bacteria buildup that could cause irritating skin rashes and embarrassing odors. To clean your goalie pants, use a sponge dampened with mild detergent and warm water. Wipe down the inside and outside of the pants and allow them to air dry. Base layers can easily be washed along with the regular laundry. Sanitizers, deodorizers, and other equipment care accessories can be used to freshen up as needed.
The lifespan of your goalie pants depends on their quality, the level of action you see, and how well you take care of your gear. Goalies playing once a week and who clean, dry, and disinfect their gear regularly, can expect their pants to last longer than pants that see frequent play, take a lot of hits, and are left inside the goalie bag. Suspender buttons corrode from sweat exposure, but completely drying them from session to session helps them last longer. Also, if you wear knee pads, the Velcro may wear out the inner thighs quicker.
That’s everything you need to know about choosing and sizing goalie pants. Check out our other goalie equipment guides for a crash course on all your gear. When you’re ready to buy new breezers, we’ve got you covered with the best prices available, thanks to our Low-Price Guarantee.