Goalie Crease Network - Video Review Episode 2: Don Simmons UL6

The Simmons Ultra Light 6 PRO Goalie Pads brings you a professional level product for a senior level price. The biggest comparison we see in the market is to the Vaughn Velocity 4. With a similar look to them, they often get confused. People tend to complain about the similarities, but the looks are basically where the similarities end. The price of the UL6 series is almost half of what you would pay for the other brands. The level of quality and attention to detail are definitely a plus with the Ultra lights. You truly get the most value for your money, and your performance will improve with the UL6 line of products.

PADS


Light weight at only 5.2 pounds (34”+2) they feel very light on the legs, you’re able to move well in them.

The graphic is done very well, it was chosen from a contest which produced thousands of entries. All of the logos and graphics are stitched in to the pad; none of the paint on type that you might see on other brands.

The Goal Pad that I tested out was a 36”+2, and was a little small with my standard size of 37”+1. My knees we slightly out of the cradle, and only really affected my performance slightly. With a proper sizing you would have zero issues. I found the knee cradle to be one of the most comfortable ones I’ve tried to this date. They use a combination of high density foam on the outside that comes in contact with the ice. Then switch to a low density softer foam that comes in contact with your knee. It makes for a great comfortable landing.

The strapping system was well thought out as they used a combination of leather straps and vinyl straps. The leather straps are easily switched out when worn out with a unique pocket setup. I liked how the straps were placed, worked well for me.

The UL6 pad also comes with a sliding toe bridge standard, which is a huge plus for those who enjoy the option. It can be quickly removed if the option isn’t for you.

The front face of the pad is soft and supple; which deadens rebounds quietly and quickly. This enables the goaltender to quickly cover up and contain rebounds. The knee rolls add to the softness of the impact from the puck, which help control big rebounds in to the slot. A great hybrid style pad, that has been adopted for use by butterfly goalies a like.

GLOVE

The UL6 glove is the most unique feeling glove I have ever used. It opens up really wide, and has an interesting catching angle. It’s almost like you don’t have to close the palm in order to snag a puck in the pocket. In fact many times during my testing period I found that I didn’t close the glove; I would just hold it in the pocket and drop it to a waiting defense man quickly.

The protection level of the glove was sufficient. The palm was not a pro palm, and you can request different levels of padding for the palm when talking to the sales people at Simmons. The outside of the fingers was also sufficient. I wouldn’t say great, but I could get used to it the way it was. I found the Simmons 995 was much better protection; but that’s another review.

BLOCKER

The blocker was very beefy, and I felt well protected in it. It provided much better protection than my current Itech 12.8 Pro blocker. It has great finger movement, and I had no issues holding my stick with a brand new blocker; which is another issue I found with my own blocker when it was new.

The angle of the curve was perfect, and the quality level was high just like the rest of the UL6 package. I’m quite tempted to buy a UL6 blocker for my current set.

CONCLUSION

For the money this is a good set; if you’ve worn other similar style pads made by other manufacturers you may want to consider making the switch. The price is right and the Made in Canada quality is there. I would definitely put my stamp of approval on the Simmons UL6 series. So if you want a made in Canada professional grade product for a slightly higher than a Made in China low grade product the decision is simple.

ABOUT

Don Simmons Sports started as a small but respected sports equipment store over 20 Years ago. We evolved into the First Ice Hockey Goalie Equipment Specialist Store. We began to manufacture our own lines of Goalie Equipment to fill the void of Top NHL Level equipment at affordable prices. These practices have become our values and the keystone of our business. "NHL Quality at Affordable Prices" served with the knowledge of Goalie Equipment Specialists. Today we are the largest goalie equipment store on the planet.

Don Simmons Sports is a world leader in goal equipment sales and services. We will accurately fit any goaltender regardless of size, age, level or style of play in store, over the phone or online.

DON SIMMONS SPORTS INC.
1117 Concession Rd.
Fort Erie, ON, Canada, L2A 4G9
Monday to Thursday 10am - 7pm | Friday 10am - 9pm | Saturday 10am - 6pm | Sunday 12pm - 5pm
Toll Free:(800) 598-9298 Phone:(905) 871-6913 Fax:(905) 871-8088

Originally Posted by ItechWarrior

I had never tried the UL5 before, so I can not compare. It was so wide and pancake flat, it felt huge. It also felt like it was really pulling my hand open wide. Shows a lot of open palm for blocking if not catching.

It's looks very much like the Vaughn Velocity "Kirprusoff spec" trapper.

Nice review. A bit too much dead air in the very beginning.