When choosing the best shoulder pads for your hockey game, there are a few key things for consider. The first is finding a set of pads with appropriate protection for your level of play. A mite or a once-per-week men's league player probably doesn't need the top model with all the bells and whistles. On the flipside, athletes who playing at a high level like select, juniors, high school, or college, might need more protection than bargain bin shoulder pads offer. So one major key is finding the correct level of protection for you and your game.

Another key is fit and mobility. Choose a set of hockey shoulder pads that restrict your movement as little as possible. When you try them on make sure you can move around. Try to jump, swing your arms, celly, make a shooting movement, dance – whatever you need to do to make sure you can move adequately. Also make sure the shoulder pad doesn't overlap your elbow pad too much. You don't want the two pads to interfere with one another, but they should meet so there are no large protection gaps. The shoulder pads should meet the top of your hockey pants in the same way, close but without interfering with them.

The two important measurements when fitting hockey shoulder pads are the chest and height. To measure the chest, take a soft tape measure around the body just under the armpits. Combine that with the height of the player, and you can get a good sense of the size needed.

While wearing the pads, consider these important factors:

• Comfort and your ability to move around
• Make sure that your collarbone area is protected well and covered by the pad.
• Make sure the straps around the midsection connect correctly. They should be snug, but not overtight—you shouldn't have to stretch and pull hard on the straps to get them to connect. You also don't want them so loose that they are not holding the pads against your body.

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