STX Shield 600 Chest Protector Review

Launched in 2021 the STX Shield 600 lacrosse goalie chest pad is the choice for many professional and elite college goaltenders alike.

An update to the successful Shield 500 Chest Pad, the Shield 600 is the most recent upgrade to STX’s elite goalie chest protector line, meeting the newly established NOCSAE impact standard.

To help us with the review of this chest pad we sent out the bat signal and brought in Lax Goalie Rat Sponsored Athlete, St. Bonaventure and Team Canada goalie Brett Dobson.

Is the STX Shield 600 Chest Pad the top chest protector on the market?

Read the article below to find out for yourself.

Important Features of the STX Shield 600 Chest Pad

STX was ahead of the times when it launched its Shield line of protective equipment.

The chest pad line introduced the Cardiac Silhouette feature. The Cardiac Silhouette is increased padding under the chest plate that extends over into the cardiac region. Instead of just having mid-chest protection, this helped provide extended protection in the heart region.

While the Shield 500 featured a removable air bladder under the chest region to provide this protection, the Shield 600 line incorporated a padding stack on the inside of the pad that is more stout than the Shield 500 pad in order to comply with 2021 NOCSAE standards to prevent against commotio cordis.

While the Shield 600 doesn’t have same hard plastic reinforced chest plate as the Maverik Max EKG chest pad it still features very solid protection of the chest and heart area with max comfort that we all really enjoyed.

A huge feature of the STX Shield 500 and 600 lines of Chest Pad is the floating chest plate.

The floating chest plate is a hard-plastic material that sits freely of the chest pad itself. This chest plate was designed to have flex points in specific areas to offer the most flexibility and mobility while also providing a dual layer of protection to the goaltender.

This is a really awesome feature because as you move in the net the chest pad adjusts with your motions.

So for example if you were to make an off-stick high or hip save where you have to reach across your body the indents in the chest pad fold in adjusting the pad giving you that extra range of motion you might need to get to the ball in time.

While you may think a feature like this would take some time to adjust and break in it was quite the contrary. This chest pad felt flexible and broken in from the minute you start using it.

Below the chest plate, the STX Shield 600 features a compression-molded design that offers a low-profile silhouette that fits nice and tight to the body and chest area.

The dual-density foam padding has a soft inside finish to the backside of the pad to provide the goalie with maximum comfort as it sits next to their chest while the harder front side padding protects you from the shots you face as a goalie.

We really liked this compression fit design of the chest pad as it fits snug to the body wrapping around your rib cage area. Whereas the Maverick chest pad sat more freely from your body due to the design of that chest pad resulting in it flopping around more.

The chest pad also features strategically placed elastic stretch zones which allow the pad to extend and upper body to move freely when making hard-to-reach saves.

We really liked this feature as it gives you that extra little bit of stretchiness to allow for maximum range of motion while also having the chest pad form fit to your body.

The Shield’s three-point adjustable strapping system allows you to adjust the pad both vertically and horizontally which provides you with the most personalized fit to get the chest pad in the right position for your preference.

Brett prefers his chest pad to sit low enough so that when his chest pad isn’t preventing him from looking down with his helmet, just below the t-shirt line.

Lastly, the chest pad includes a detachable stomach pad that allows for additional optimum coverage to the lower abdomen area while also giving you the option to remove it for increased mobility and flexibility.

A lot of goalies remove this stomach pad when using the Shield 600.

This is mainly because the Velcro strapping that attaches the pad starts to wear off over time causing the pad to fall off on its own.

Furthermore, a lacrosse goalie or ice hockey goalie cup will provide you with the protection of the abdomen area that the stomach pad covers so removing this piece provides you with a bit more maneuverability and range of motion.

Having this as an optional feature just adds to the customizability of this chest pad which is really nice to have.

STX Shield 600 Chest Pad Price

The STX Shield 600 Chest Pad comes in at the high-end of the market with a price tag of $169.99.

As mentioned in our Maverik Max EKG chest pad review, $170 seems to be about the standard rate for a top-of-the-line chest pad these days.

So regardless of the brand if you want a new model chest pad from the top lacrosse companies expect to drop $150-170. You can also use SidelineSwap to find a cheaper secondhand option if you’re looking to save some money.

If you’re looking for a lower budget option STX also has the Shield 400 chest pad which also meets the NOCSAE performance standards at a lower price option of $129.99.

You can purchase the STX Shield 600 chest pad on LacrosseMonkey for $169.99 today.

Who is the STX Shield 600 really for?

This chest pad is really made for higher-end elite caliber goalies in high school, college, or the pros where you’re at the age where shots start to get harder and you might need a chest pad that provides you with the maximum amount of protection while also providing you with features to help you maneuver in the net faster.

Not to say that younger goalies wouldn’t enjoy this chest pad as well especially if you’re looking for increased protection.

But if I was a youth goalie mom or dad I would get my kid a lower end model (like the STX Shield 200) until I know for a fact they’re sticking with this position. Not only will those lower end models go easier on the finances (especially if you find one on SidelineSwap) but they also have some shoulder protection that the STX Shield 600 is lacking.

Video Review of STX Shield 600 Chest Pad

Here is a video that Evan, Brett, and I did talking about the pros and cons of the STX Shield 600 chest protector.

Conclusion

I’m a huge fan of the STX Shield 600 chest pad. The comfortability of this chest pad is amazing. When you put it on it fits nice and snug to your body allowing you to feel safe and secure while also being very maneuverable in the cage.

The protection in this pad is also really great. It’s specifically designed to provide dual reinforced protection in the common area’s goalies get hit on the chest/core region of the body. So, if you’re like Brett and enjoy making body saves this chest pad really does a good job at keeping you safe.

The way this chest pad provides you with the maximum amount of flexibility through the floating chest plate and integrated stretch zones is also an important feature that makes this chest pad stands out amongst the rest.

Ultimately at the end of the day, you want to do whatever it takes to make a save and this chest protector is specifically designed to provide you with the range of motion that you need to make a save while also keeping you safe, secure, and protected.

Lastly, the strapping system and detachable stomach pad really allow you to customize the chest pad so that it fits your desired needs. There are not that many products on the market that allow you to do this.

There are not that many things we didn’t like about this chest pad, it really is a great design. The only thing that I didn’t like is that it seems from talking to other goalies that the Velcro on the Adjustable Stomach pad doesn’t seem to last that long.

I also did notice that at times the chest plate may get caught up in your helmet due to its free-flowing nature. Wearing a pinnie or a jersey over your chest pad should help prevent this issue though as it will hold the chest pad down.

Grab the STX Shield 600 on LacrosseMonkey.com.

 

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