Koho 4460 Shoulder Pads are the choice of Santa Claus
Written: Aug 14 '04 (Updated Aug 15 '04)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Excellent sternum and spinal protection, full coverage
Cons: Shoulder protection not as good as some higher end pads
The Bottom Line: An excellent choice for the money. Great shoulder pads for defensive players.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Koho 4460 Shoulder Pads |
Koho is by far Santa’s favorite brand even though they don’t come in red any more. He just likes saying it even though he cannot get it out quite right . . . kohoho, merry hockey!.
Even though the 4460 shin guards are starting to take on some of the attributes of Jofa, the 4460 shoulder pads are still pure Koho. They haven’t been tainted by the association with CCM and Jofa which form the other two big names of the triumvirate that formed Maska a.k.a. The Hockey Company.
Actually I was tossing the word tainted about in an irresponsible manner. Jofa is actually a superior product. In the scheme of things, Jofa is the top protective line not only in Maska’s lineup, but in all of hockey. CCM is the middle tier brand and Koho is the entry level brand. Koho’s 4460 is their top model and fits somewhere in the middle of the road for overall quality and protection compared to other gear on the retail shelf.
▪ 4460 Design
The 4460 is a full coverage shoulder pad. The shoulder cups are average in size, but fit relatively low. Koho claims that this is to improve vision over the shoulder. While I’ve never experienced a problem looking over my shoulder, I would highly recommend these to people with no necks as they might benefit. Despite the lower fit, protection in the shoulder region will be adequate for recreational players.
The sternum protection is excellent on the 4460. It is also rather unique. Instead of the typical strip that simply covers the center of the chest focusing on the area directly over the heart, the 4460 has complete coverage. The sternum protection splits to cover the collarbone at the top. At the bottom the design widens to cover whatever important innards you might have down lower, things like the spleen and appendix I suppose. (I don’t really use my spleen or appendix too often so I forget where they are exactly).
The spinal protection is good as well with a hard ABS insert that widens similarly to the sternum guard. At the bottom of the back, the hard section offers decent kidney protection. (I use my kidneys all the time).
A removable belly flap offers additional protection to cover that gap that taller players will have between their pants and chest protector. I don’t need that as beer has added built in padding in that area for me.
Straps are the typical four-strap variety. The front and back are something of a clamshell design held together with a pair of heavy-duty Velcro straps. Koho used to have a huge area to park the Velcro in, it is still pretty big on this model, but not quite as generous as it was in the past. Still, the fit of the straps shouldn’t be a problem.
The bicep protection is adjustable which is a very nice feature lacking on the majority of pads on the market. The length of the bicep is adjustable to maximize coverage between the shoulder pads and elbow pads without uncomfortable overlaps. These also fasten by a single Velcro and elastic strap.
▪ Comfort
Having tried this on in the store but not played in the 4460, I found it to be a pretty comfortable pair of shoulder pads off the shelf. For the level of protection they didn’t inhibit my range of motion or feel as bulky as I might have expected them to.
I currently use a very light pair of shoulder pads with no sternum or back protection so I expected that the 4460 would feel heavy and bulky. While it certainly had quite a bit more substantial feel to it than what I currently use, I didn’t feel like I suddenly had a monkey on my back or anything.
I could easily see switching to these shoulder pads if I felt a need to increase my protection level. The comfort issue wouldn’t take more than a couple hours of adjusting to on the ice.
▪ Protection
As mentioned these are a full coverage shoulder pad. While not quite as heavy as a Bauer 5000 pad, they do offer the same amount of coverage, including the rare belly flap.
In all I would say that the 4460 shoulder pads would be well suited to defensive players in any recreational league and checking leagues through high school (midgets) level.
The one thing that the 4460 lacks when compared to a Bauer 5000 or a high-end Jofa pad is the superior shoulder protection. This is where you have to give a little, get a little with Jofa. Jofa’s pads are still close to pure shoulder pads. You won’t find the belly flap or as full coverage on any of them as you will on the 4460. With Bauer, you will have shoulder protection that is a little better than the 4460 boasts, but the sternum and back protection isn’t quite on par.
Essentially you have to decide where the biggest threat to your health is. If it’s other players, go with Jofa. If the danger is being hit by the puck, the 4460 is the way to go. Bauer might offer the best protection for those who aren’t sure which it is, or who feel the threat is equal from both sources.
▪ Final thoughts
The shoulder pads that the Koho 4460 compared best to are probably the Bauer 5000 model. The 5000 was among the only shoulder pad that offered similarly comprehensive protection. However, the 5000 retails for twice the $60 price of Koho’s 4460.
Given the choice between the two, I would certainly pick the Koho even if the prices were the same. Koho has engineered these pads with superior protection in all areas but the shoulders. While the shoulders are a bit better in the Bauer 5000, they aren’t good enough to justify a purchase over the Koho 4460. Koho still has more then enough protection for a recreational player.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting and Selecting Hockey Protective Gear
Jofa Shoulder Pads
Bauer Vapor X Act Shoulder Pads
The other Koho 4460 reviews:
Koho 4460 Shin Pads
Koho 4460 Elbow Pads
Recommended:
Yes
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puckmugger
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