Simmons 996 Professional Chest and Arm Protector Review

Well, I've finally decided to sit down and write my very first review. As many of you have probably seen in another post, I have recently ordered a whole bunch of new gear from Simmons, and the first to arrive was my new Simmons 996 Professional chest protector. I'm going to steal some of the format from other reviews that I've read, so hopefully I get all this in!

The first thing I noticed pulling it out of the box was how big it actually looked. I'm definitely not the smallest guy out there, and one of the issues I've always had was finding a chest protector that provided enough protection for me. Pulling the Simmons on for the first time, I was instantly impressed. The torso was long enough to actually cover all the way down to where my pants sit, and was able to do so comfortably while still providing excellent coverage up around the neck/clavicle area.

New Simmons 996 compared to the DR Bulletproof chest/arm combo I was using:


In the photo, I tried to line up the shoulders of both chest combos to show the extra length that I'm gaining in the new Simmons pad. I've now played a few games wearing the Simmons, and while it has taken some getting used to, I'm now feeling much more comfortable in it, and am starting to feel much more mobile than I was originally. The first couple of games, frankly, it just didn't feel right. I felt very restricted, and it felt like the area directly over my chest was sticking out a bit. After this, I put on the protector at home, and determined that it actually wasn't sticking out, it's just the sheer size difference between this and my previous DR model that I was noticing.

Stepping up from a recreational level chest protector to a professional level one is (at least for me) a big change. I knew there would be an adjustment, and I'm actually pleased to report that it has been MUCH quicker than I had originally anticipated. One thing that was included with the unit I purchased from Simmons was what they have listed on their site as a "belly beef up" pad. Essentially it's an additional pad that is attached to the inside of the unit with velcro that adds approximately an additional 3/8" to 1/2" (just eye-balling the measurement...) of padding to the inside. You can see the beef-up pad here:


In the photo, you can see the beef-up pad begin just above the tag near the bottom of the chest protector, and it carries all the way up to just below the collar. I haven't decided yet if I'm actually going to keep this in or not - removing it very well solve my problem of feeling like the chest area is protruding while I'm wearing it. If I do remove it, I certainly don't feel any less protected (and well, I have plenty of my own padding built in... ). Maybe I'll try it at my next game, and see how that goes. I'll add an update on that for anyone who may be interested.

One of the things I did when I first received this protector was to put on my old one and look in a mirror to see the difference in coverage area. All I can say is that I'm very impressed that I walked away with as few bruises as I did wearing my old DR! This is likely due to the fact that I am a bigger guy, and lets face it, equipment for me isn't the easiest thing to find all the time.

Now on to some of the things that I really like about this Simmons unit.

First on the list, is that it's handmade in Canada, and done so to meet all necessary league requirements. The league that I primarily play in doesn't check goaltenders equipment (at least they've never checked mine), but they do specify in their rule book that they conform to Hockey Canada standards, so it's nice to know that if they ever do check, I'm good.


I'm hard pressed to find a gap in coverage at the front of this protector, and having that peace of mind that I'm fully covered in the net is nice to have. The shoulder protection easily extends far enough down to ensure that there is no gap between the chest pad and the arm pad - something that (apparently) wasn't completely covered when I would put on my previous chest protector. As well, there's velcro adjustable pads that lie under the primary shoulder/clavicle pads that can be moved in or out to suit your personal preference. For me, they were in a good position as they were, so I've left them in the original position.


Now that I've adjusted to it, I really like the fact that the protection around the neck and collarbone comes quite close to the neck. It's certainly a far cry from what I was using. When on, my old DR would probably top out about 3 inches below my neck, and with quite a wide opening, so there was always that slim chance that something could get through. In the first picture in this post, you can see them side-by-side, and quite easily see the difference in the neck opening.

For me personally, at least in this particular point in time, the strapping on the arms could stand to be a little bit longer, but I'm still comfortable in the strapping set-up that is there. When I originally spoke with Mark, he had offered up additional strapping if it was needed, but the setup that is there right now provides a nice secure fit, which is what I'm accustomed to anyway.


Overall, I am very pleased with this unit, and the quality of workmanship and protection in this chest protector gives me the utmost confidence in the custom pad set that I ordered as well. I would highly recommend this unit to anyone looking for that pro level protection on a budget.

Protection: 10/10
As I mentioned earlier, I really am hard pressed to find a gap in the coverage with this unit, and have yet to really get a stinger through all the padding. While it is bulkier than what I was using, now that I'm adjusted to it, the mobility is there again, and it is far superior protection to what I was accustomed.

Quality: 10/10
The materials and workmanship that goes into Simmons products is quite impressive. The fact that it's all handmade, and done so in Canada makes it that much better. Very pleased.

Customer Service: 10/10.
Dealing with Mark was fantastic. I probably emailed him back and forth for a good couple of months before I finally made the decision to pull the trigger on this purchase. After sorting out the custom pad order, he said that he'd get the chest protector out right away, and he certainly made good on it - it was at my doorstep a week after placing the order, and I didn't have to pay any additional shipping, even though I wound up with two completely independant shipments! If I knew nothing else about Simmons, the fact that the customer service was exceptional would be enough to make me a returning customer.

2-3 for the chest and the shoulder, a lot more on the arms