It’s the best time of year to be a goalie. Well, best for your dreams, worst for your pocket book. It’s the “new gear” time of year, when we get to start previewing everything to come for the new season.
Bauer has been making waves with their 2X line, and the goalie chest protector is no different.
Bauer Vapor 2X Chest Protector Review
The Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Chest Protector is one of the best goalie chest protectors that you can get. As it was released quite a few years ago up to this point, we’ve learned much about it. Many pros were using it for some time including Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger.
Jake Oettinger is pictured below wearing the new 2X chest and arm unit.
Check out our review of the Bauer Vapor 2X gear line.
Protection
Protection-wise, the Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Chest Protector is incredible.
The chest area has several layers of HD lightweight HD foam that creates the barrier from puck to body. HD foam is super popular in goalie chest protectors, simply because it’s lightweight yet still impact absorbent. There isn’t any carbon or composite implemented throughout like the Vaughn V9 Pro Carbon chesty, but the foam is placed in such a way that it does not matter.
The foam is very lightweight and flexible. To be honest, it seemed like it might be too flexible at first, but it isn’t. It’s super protective.
And the extremely flexible foam has some large advantages (more on that later).
The arms are made up of Dynamic 3 Flex and Cor Composite. It’s a high tech protection system that keeps the arms out of harms way. The shoulders feature AeroLite technology. Again, there’s nothing super crazy in terms of material being used – rather the way the foam is being placed.
Bottom line, the Vapor 2X chest protector is highly protective. Everything we know about it says that it’s an absolute tank with great puck stopping abilities.
Mobility
One aspect of the Vapor 2X chest protector is how mobile it is. Because the foam is super lightweight and flexible, it allows for maximum movement without interruption. You can skate and move quickly around in the crease confidently, knowing that your chest protector is going to move with your body, rather than against it.
Not only that, but areas of importance such as the shoulders have Free-Flex Edge and Arch Adjust Systems. These allow for better vision and mobility while still keeping you safe.
The Dynamic 3 Flex system in the arms are yes – there to stop pucks. But they also have another major importance. It’s there to give you maximum range of motion in the arms. The foam is split and divided into different chunks that create movement.
Thus creating a super mobile goalie chest protector.
Comfort
Last but not least – the Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Chest Protector is super comfortable.
The thermo core liner that it uses is meant to cool the body down while using. Most of us have all played hockey in a chest protector that held onto all of the heat the body was releasing while playing, creating a sauna-like feel. If there is no technology in the chest protector to cool yourself down, you will most likely get very hot.
The Vapor 2X Chesty is very cool and comfortable to play in.
And going back to the flexible foam – putting it on feels sort of like throwing on a comfortable jacket.
Durability
The Bauer Vapor 2X Pro goalie chest protector was released in 2018. Since it’s release, there have been no complaints of it breaking down t0o quickly or something going wrong with it.
For a Bauer piece of equipment, it’s actually very durable.
And that’s not a shot at anyone because I love Bauer skates. But they are notorious for creating low quality gear.
So it’s definitely good to see them build a goalie piece of equipment that doesn’t break in the first year of usage.
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Bauer Vapor 2X Pro Chest Protector Review Conclusion
Overall, this goalie chest protector is worth it. If you have the money to spend on it, you won’t regret it. Especially if you are playing a lot of hockey. A nice chest protector will give you a lot of confidence in the net and help you stop more pucks easier. This one will do both.
