Hip protection for men

[nicklaszlo]

Any men on the forum have experience with hip pads/protective shorts/what ever?  Some of the products seem to be designed for smaller people, or to go under tights.  I'm getting a bit tired of having swollen lumps on my hips.  What's easy to use, comfortable, and doesn't look too weird?

[Sk8tmum]

Yes, my son wears hip protection, and it has protected him after an injury and saved him from quite a few possible injuries.

He uses the Skating Safe hip gel pads, and anchors them under a pair of UnderArmour frosty tights he wears under regular skating pants.  The UnderArmour pants also help support the groin muscles, etc, and our physiotherapist has told him to wear them for that purpose. You can't see the Skating Safe ones at all, and he can walk away from a crash that makes people come running to see if he's in one piece.

He also uses the knee ones, and the tailbone one now that he's working on his triples.  The tailbone one helps with the impact that otherwise jars his back.

[jjane45]

Skating safe +  running tights? Guys really have it easy with the skating pants, no one can see anything.

[Sk8tmum]

My daughter is able to hide her skating safe pads under her competition dresses and tights  

However, I will also plead that it costs us a lot more for his skating clothes, and it's harder to find him stuff than it is for my daughter ... the frosty tights are under proper guy skating pants with straps etc, and, thanks to yet another company going out of business, I'm getting to my wits end about getting him stuff to practice and skate in!!!!!!!

And, actually, as I ramble ... you sure can see it when a guy has underpant lines underneath his skating pants in a competition ...

[aussieskater]

Better those lines than at least one of the alternatives! 

@ OP - if full length tights are too hot, one of the male skaters at our rink wears pads under compression shorts (which are under skate pants as sk8mum says).  The shorts are available from any sports shop and aren't too expensive.

[nicklaszlo]

if full length tights are too hot...

Yes, yes they are.  My exercise motto is "if you are cold, you are not working hard enough."  Usually I skate in shorts.  However, some of these Under Armour products look interesting, though I am not looking forward to the inconvenience of putting them on.  I see they have some made for hot weather.  Has anyone tried the ones with pads already built in?

[Sk8tmum]

We just use the compression shorts (to avoid underwear lines in competition) and the frosty tights as our rink is very cold, to the point where you lose the feeling in unprotected fingers within a couple of minutes; however, there are heatgear ones that could be used in a warmer environment.

My concern with the UnderArmour pads is that they say "lightweight" protection, which wouldn't be enough for my kid, and they aren't targetted where the impact is on falls. We need the level of protection that the Skating Safe ones have. It's no big deal to use the pads, you just slide them in where they should be and they stay nicely. In terms of putting on the compression shorts, etc - they just pull on - easier than skating tights !

[nicklaszlo]

I got the underarmour heatgear compression shorts and skatingsafe pads.  I did not observe anyone staring at me when I wore them to and from the rink or on the ice under normal pants.  They are slightly itchy.  I think I will continue to wear them.  I did not fall on them yet.

It is slightly disturbing that the instructions describe the pads as "anatomically correct."

[jjane45]

I got the underarmour heatgear compression shorts and skatingsafe pads. 

Glad it's working out for you!

[Skate@Delaware]

When my husband used to skate, he wore BMX padded shorts under his pants. He's a big guy and nothing else seemed to come in his size. He said they were comfortable and seemed to do the job.
like these:
http://ep.yimg.com/ca/I/yhst-66501846900183_2190_111800734.gif (posting link because image was huge when I previewed it).

[hopskipjump]

My daughter uses these http://www.zoombang.com/zoombang_shop_category.php?i=4

She likes them.  They are are not bulky.

[Sk8tmum]

My daughter uses these http://www.zoombang.com/zoombang_shop_category.php?i=4

She likes them.  They are are not bulky.

Never seen them ...  don't think my kids would wear them - they like being able to wear the ultracrash pads without anyone knowing, and for my DD, in a skating dress for runthroughs ... and in a pinch, they can wear them even in competitions as they are virtually invisible due to their thinness. I like that they don't get outgrown - one of our sets is 4 years old, and is still as good as new (plus hygenic as they are sooooo easy to wash).

[hopskipjump]

She likes them - they are thin and comfortable and they are now popular at the rink.  The pads in them are made out of the material in the vests police and military wear.  Kind of like a gel filled pocket.  I just wash them by hand like I do with her skating tights. 

[MadMac]

My daughter uses these http://www.zoombang.com/zoombang_shop_category.php?i=4

She likes them.  They are are not bulky.

They look like they would be comfortable unless you have large thighs (as I do). However, the pads look to be placed very high. I find I need the protection on the side of the upper thigh rather than so high on the hip.