The HP7000 Elite Pants show Itech’s dedication to quality has improved without sacrificing high value
Written: Apr 12 '04 (Updated Oct 05 '05)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Best protection and quality available, value price
Cons: Itech still hasn't shaken the stigma despite quality products, some fool might tease you
The Bottom Line: You won't find a better hockey pant at any price, save perhaps Itech's new 8000.
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Itech HP7000 Elite Pants |
My feelings on Itech
A few years ago you would have been hard pressed to get two kind words about most of Itech’s gear from my lips. The problem with Itech was the price wasn’t the only thing that was cheap. Itech knew about the stigma placed on most of their products for a few years and wanted badly to change this image. They were the top goalie helmet maker for a few years and along with Oakley had the entire market for helmet shields all but cornered. The rest of their line was another story.
It was stuff that was nice for little kids who just started playing. Without the hard hits that bigger people suffered, the fact that Itech’s stuff was cheap and might not last so many years was of little importance to knee high players. For adults, well it was another story. When the Itech 2003 line started coming into the store I groaned at the number of boxes. When I opened one of the first, and pulled out the HP 7000 pants, my opinion changed.
The Pants
Earlier editions of hockey pants from Itech were thinly constructed, with inadequate padding, cheap nylon and an apparent lack of any imagination in their design. They were the epitome of rookie when spotted on the ice. You knew that a player wearing Itech pants just filled his bag with the cheapest stuff that he could find.
When I unpackaged the first pair of HP 7000 pants, I knew that Itech had changed this once and for all. The first clue was the weight of the HP 7000. Just picking it up, I knew that there was something much more substantial here than what the old pants offered. The old ones were hardly more than nylon with a little bit of padding. These new 7000 pants weren’t just padded - they were outstandingly padded.
The front of each leg on the HP 7000 has a very stiff plastic shield. This is beefy enough that I wouldn’t be afraid to play goalie in the 7000 (not that I recommend these as goalie pants. They are cut wrong). Unlike a few competitors pants where the plastic is straight and relies on the stiffness of the pants to round it out as well as the player to break it in a little, the Itech 7000 pants are nicely rounded on the front of the leg. The padding behind the plastic insert is considerable.
With some pants, the level of padding that the 7000 offers would make them bulky, even heavy or unwieldy. Some of the Bauer Supreme pants were so heavy I am certain they would slow me down. However, Itech did a good job of keeping the weight at a reasonable limit and that will not be a problem with the 7000’s. Also the design of the pants gives good flexibility despite the padding. Sure, there will be some break in time, there always is with a good pair of pants, but you won’t feel like you can’t move your legs during it.
The belt is the next really nice feature on the 7000. It is a fully encapsulated belt. Rather than having three or four belt loops that are never enough, the 7000, has a sewn on, padded pocket that enfolds the belt all the way around the player’s waist. This not only keeps the belt perfectly in place, but it eliminates the possibility of a stick or player’s glove finding your belt as a handle to slow you down. Yeah, it should be a hooking or obstruction penalty, but goals are more fun than power plays, right?
The other nice thing on the belt is the Velcro closure. Every other belt that I have seen to date uses the old plastic catch. It is always the weakest link on the pants. The Itech 7000 uses a fully adjustable Velcro closure that is attractive, sturdy and certainly not prone to breakage. Bravo Itech on using some imagination for the belt!
There is good backside protection in the 7000 pants as well. Prior models had only a minimal amount of tailbone padding, ignoring the rest of the rear. The 7000 has full plastic shields for tailbone padding and kidney protection that are similar to, though not as thick as the thigh pads. The padding in the upper, “love handle” region of the 7000 pants is a vast improvement over previous years as well. Again all of these areas put the 7000 on par with any premium pant.
The nylon is heavier than that used on older Itech models and on par with the top competitor’s models. The liner is nice as well, improved from previous years. The design, while Canadian in origin, fits more like a European pant. It is long and thin, and while there is no denying that it is as protective as any other pant, it is a skater’s pant as well. The compact shape of these will keep you from tripping over your own pants, having little or no affect on skating.
Bottom Line
Itech has come a long way since their days of mediocre quality . . . which were really only a couple years ago. The amount of thought they put into their products and the quality of construction is apparent in these pants.
The Itech 7000 is a hockey pant that will offer superior protection at all levels of recreational hockey, even serving well into minor juniors and college. I highly recommend the Itech 7000 pants for their exceptional combination of quality and value. These are on the short list for my next pair and unless something else comes along, the pants that I will most likely buy.
© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting and Selecting Hockey Protective Gear
Itech HC100 Helmet
Hockey Skate buying demystified
Hockey Stick Buying Guide
Thanks to openroad for adding this item so I could review it.
Recommended:
Yes
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