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Just like comparing goalie skates, identifying the best goalie stick on the market is largely opinion and styles of play. With that being said, there are really 4-6 awesome composite goalie sticks that perform well in the $200-$300 price range.
If you’re buying a composite goalie stick for the first time, we recommend the Warrior CR1 or the Bauer 2S (it’s different from the 2S pro, read the comparison here). If you’re not quite on board with the whole composite goalie stick trend yet and want an easier entry to these revolutionary sticks, we recommend trying the Bauer Vapor 1X.
These are no longer the top goalie sticks, read our guide for the updated list.
Comparing the top composite goalie sticks on the market in 2018
The composite goalie stick market is largely dominated by three gear manufacturers. These would be Bauer, CCM and Warrior, in that order. TRUE has recently started to make a push following the successes of Bauer / CCM in the space.
With that being said, here are some breakdowns of composite sticks you’ll see this year.
If you’re not willing to read, in this order, these are the best goalie sticks ranked for 2018.
Having used the Bauer 2S Pro and the 1S stick, we feel these are two of the top products on the market today. Bauer released the 2S Pro in the spring of 2018 following the popularity of the 1S. We wrote a review on the 2S Pro stick as well.
The major difference between the 2S Pro and the 2S is the Textreme Technology that Bauer has started to use in all of their products as well as the ERGO SPINE on the back of the 2S Pro. The Bauer 2S pro is also 10% lighter than the 1S stick.
For $199, a Warrior Ritual CR1 composite goalie stick will put you at the same levels as many NHLers during the 2017/18 season. This stick is a wildly popular option at the NHL level and for good reason. It simply performs. We reviewed the CR1 stick in depth as well, however looking at it from a high level this or the 2S are the best $200 goalie sticks available today.
3) CCM Premier II
The biggest change in the CCM Premier 2 goalie stick is that it “now features Sigmatex spread-tow technology on the paddle and shaft, providing increased strength while maintaining a light weight”.
The stick is gaining popularity at the NHL level and it’s continued trajectory should follow at youth and high level juniors. One of the interesting things to watch with CCM is whether or not they will continue to be able to compete with Bauer and now Warrior in the goalie stick game.
At $199, price wise the CCM is a solid stick for the money. They do shoot a bit differently, so if you’re not used to playing with a CCM, a Warrior may be a better fit for you.
While we’re on that note, the Bauer 2S stick by far shoots the best of any of these sticks.
The Bauer Vapor 1X goalie stick comes in as the 4th best composite goalie stick in 2018, even though it’s a 2017 model.
The biggest plus to the Vapor 1X goalie stick from Bauer is that it essentially offers foam core benefits in a composite stick. It’s woven with carbon reinforcement and uses balsa wood for dampening purposes.
My biggest “con” for the Bauer Vapor 1X goal stick is that it’s priced at $249. For a stick that’s designed to ease the transition from foam core to composite, the price point here isn’t necessarily doing traditionalists any favors.
Our of fairness for TRUE, we’re going to wait until we have more insight into which stick they’re launching next before providing a full review. If you’re in the market for a composite goalie stick, we highly recommend checking out one of the listed sticks above that fits into your price point, or, if you’ve got questions shoot us a DM.
