The Best Youth Goalie Pads For Any Budget

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So you’ve got a new goalie, hey? Exciting! Buying new gear for a youth goalie is one of the most exciting parts of their playing career. Ask any professional goalie, the chances they remember exactly which pads they wore as a kid are very high. Youth goalie pads have never been more affordable and getting your kid started in net will be something you remember as a parent for a very long time to come.

In regards to youth goalie pads, as is the rule with high-end, pro level goalie pads, the top manufacturer’s reign king. So as a rule, stick with your major manufacturers like Bauer, CCM, Warrior, Brian’s, and Vaughn.

In this deep dive, we’re going to do a comprehensive look at youth goalie pads. They’re the one piece of gear where you can get away with a true, entry-level youth goalie pad that won’t break your bank account.

These are the best youth goalie pads for your buck this year.

  • Warrior Ritual G6 E+
  • Bauer GSX
  • Brian’s NetZero 3
  • CCM YT Flex 3
  • CCM EFlex E6.5
  • Vaughn V10 / Velocity
These are the top youth goalie pads this year.
RankPad NamePad ImageDescriptionPrice at GoalieMonkeyPrice at PureGoalie
#1Warrior Ritual G6E+ Warrior Ritual G6E+ Youth Goalie Pads Warrior is the top manufacturer for Youth Gear.GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie
#2Bauer GSX Bauer GSX Goalie Pads Bauer GSX is an excellent choice for Youth both in performance and budget.GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie
#3Brian's NetZero 3 Brian's NetZero 3 Goalie Pads Brian's most affordable pad series in Youth/Junior.GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie
#4CCM YT Flex 3 CCM YT Flex Series Goalie Pad CCMs best offering at Youth level.GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie
#5CCM E Flex E6.5 CCM E Flex E6.5 Goalie Pad Higher priced, but better quality than YT (or anything here)GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie
#6Vaughn Velocity Vaughn Velocity Junior Goalie Pads Vaughn's Junior V10 Series.GoalieMonkeyPureGoalie

Best Youth Goalie Pads

Before we jump into this, a quick disclaimer. These pads are specifically for youth goalies. We’re not talking about pro level goalie pads, nor are we necessarily talking about pads for beginner goalies (unless, they’re a youth goalie who has never played before).

When buying youth goalie pads, there’s an important distinction between “youth” pads and “junior” pads you should know.

Gear that is labeled as “youth” is going to be the very bottom of gear that a manufacturer produces. In any of the series’ we’ve discussed here, should you want a pad that will last a little longer than a youth specific model, get it in Junior or even Intermediate size. We have more information on this in our goalie pad sizing guide.

Either your kid wants to try out being a goalie or your young goalie is looking for a new set of pads. Young goalies are usually overlooked in the pad buying process, but not here. We know that no matter what age the player is, every goalie can get an advantage by using the correct pad for his/her style of play. 

These are the best youth goalie pads this year.

CCM E Flex 5.5

This photo displays the strapping, leg channel, side profile, and the front face of the CCM EFlex 5.5 Youth Goalie Pads

 

Product CCM E Flex 5.5
Durability 10/10
Sliding Ability 10/10
Price 7/10
Rebound Control 9/10
Weight 9/10
Strapping System 10/10
Total Score 55/60

CCM EFlex 5.5 Youth Pads

CCM's EFlex 5.5 Youth Pads are some of the top youth / junior goalie pads on the market today. As far as pads that get a young goalie closest to their pro level counterpart, the 5.5 model from CCM does exactly that.

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Warrior Ritual G5

This photo shows the front face, leg channel, strapping, and side of the Warrior G5 Youth Goalie Pad.

Product Warrior Ritual G5
Durability 10/10
Sliding Ability 10/10
Price 8/10
Rebound Control 9/10
Weight 8/10
Strapping System 10/10
Total Score 55/60
Warrior G5 Youth Pads

The Warrior G5 Youth Pads are one of the top competitive youth and junior sized goalie pads on the market. As far as goalie gear is concerned, if you're the parent of a youth goalie, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Warrior.

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Bauer GSX

This photo shows the front face, leg channel, strapping, and side profile of the Bauer GSX Youth Goalie Pad.

Product Bauer GSX
Durability 7/10
Sliding Ability 9/10
Price 10/10
Rebound Control 9/10
Weight 10/10
Strapping System 7/10
Total Score 52/60

Vaughn Velocity V9

This photo shows the front face, leg channel, strapping, and side profile of the Vaughn Velocity V9 youth goalie pad.

Product Vaughn Velocity V9
Durability 10/10
Sliding Ability 9/10
Price 7/10
Rebound Control 9/10
Weight 7/10
Strapping System 7/10
Total Score 49/60
Vaughn Velocity V9 Youth Goalie Pads

Vaughn is one of the top brands amongst professional goalies and the quality of their youth pad is no different. While this pad didn't score the highest in our youth goalie pad ratings, it's a high quality pad for a youth goalie.

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CCM Extreme Flex E4.5

This photo shows the front face, leg channel, strapping, and side profile of the CCM EFLEX 4.5 Goalie Pad

Manufacturer Specs:

*SpeedSkin technology allows for quicker sliding along the ice

*A DuaLiteCore allows better movement while on feet and a stiffer thigh-rise to create a better seal

*Quick Motion Strapping System promotes a close connection between the goalie’s leg and pad

*The toe bungee system allows the pad to sit near the goalie’s skate and help save their hips in the long run 

Pros: 

This pad is very lightweight, customizable, and responsive. This is very similar to the professional model pads that CCM sells. These pads incorporate all of the new technology that CCM has to offer. 

Product CCM Extreme Flex E4.5
Durability 10/10
Sliding Ability 9/10
Price 10/10
Rebound Control 6/10
Weight 7/10
Strapping System 7/10
Total Score 49/60

Overall:

The Extreme Flex E4.5 is CCM’s premier youth pad. This pad is modeled after CCM’s best selling pad, the Extreme Flex 4. They come in two different sizes and five different colors. These pads are suitable for your experienced youth goalie and they are set at a great price of $279.99.

CCM EFlex 4.5 Youth Goalie Pads

The CCM E Flex 4.5 Youth Goalie pad was one of the companies top models previously. Of course, it's been outpaced by the newer, E Flex 5.5 model built specifically for youth goalies. If you're a parent looking for a discounted youth pad, we highly recommend this model.

Goalie Monkey Price Pure Goalie Price
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Related: Best Youth Goalie Helmets

Brian’s NetZero 2

Product Brian’s NetZero 2
Durability 10/10
Sliding Ability 8/10
Price 5/10
Rebound Control 9/10
Weight 8/10
Strapping System 7/10
Total Score 47/60
Brian's Net Zero 2 Youth Goalie Pads

While an older model, the Brian's Net Zero 2 goalie pads are a treat for youth goalies. These pads are built using similar materials as the high end gear Brian's builds for it's pro athletes. If your youth goalie has a favorite pro wearing Brian's, you won't go wrong with their Net Zero line.

Goalie Monkey Price Pure Goalie Price
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Discount shopping? Try these cheaper youth goalie pads

Vaughn Ventus SLR2

Manufacturer Specs:

*No outer breaks but double interior breaks to shape the goalie’s pads to their legs and close the five hole

*The inside of the pad is flat and is made with Vaughn’s QuickSlide technology which allows the goalie to push in the butterfly with less effort

*The pad has leg wraps made with Reactive Rotational Control gives the goalie plenty of ways to customize the snugness of their pads

*The boot strap features a buckle system so new goalies will have an easier time securing their pads

*The toe tie is made of a bungee cord and a plastic buckle for easy strapping

Pros:

These pads are made for goalies who play a lot in the butterfly. They have the features that allow butterfly goalies to excel at a higher level.  These pads also have some of the easiest pad strapping systems in the industry.

Overall:

The Vaughn Ventus SLR2 is an extraordinary pad that is priced at $299.99. The pad comes in two different sizes and three different colors. These pads’ pro model is used throughout the NHL and who wouldn’t want to wear the same pad as their NHL hero.

Related: Best Youth Goalie Sticks For The Money

CCM YTFlex 2

Manufacturer Specs:

*There is a mix of Hgh and Low Density foams throughout the pad to make a more balanced pad more suitable for beginner goalies

*The pad features a double internal break for easier five hole coverage and a single outer break for enhanced flexibility

*The knee cradle is adjustable and soft to allow customization and comfortability to the goaltender

*There are two simple velcro straps attached to secure the pad to the goalie’s leg

*There is a classic bootstrap to keep the pad on top of the skate and a bungee skate strap to allow movement throughout the pad while it is still secured to the goalies skate

Pros:

The CCM YTFlex 2 is a simple and comfortable pad that allows new goalies to learn the ins and outs of becoming a goalie. The pad features a quantity of technology for an entry-level goalie pad.

Overall:

This is the best pad for any newcomer goalie. It has a great price of $159.99 and comes in four sizes and three different colorways. If you have a kid who wants to try out goalie this is the best pad on the market for you.

Conclusion:

There are plenty of factors that go into selecting your young goaltenders set of pads; it is very difficult if you are brand new to hockey and/or goalie. If you have research and information it makes that choice much easier although. I hope this list helped you out in your pad selection process!

Related: How To Dress A Youth Goalie (step by step guide)

Buying Youth Goalie Pads Doesn’t Have To Be Hard

If you’re a goalie parent and you haven’t yet joined our FB group with over 6k other goalie parents.. do that. It’s called “Goalie Parents” on Facebook.

Here’s the thing about this whole “becoming a goalie process”. It’s hard. It’s also one of the most exciting journeys you’ll ever embark on. We’ve been there and done that when it comes to being a goalie. We’ve worked with many goalies over the years, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than watching a young goalie grow and develop.

The youth goalie equipment series is one of our favorite, as it’s our best chance to get in front of goalies right as they’re entering the sport.