Mission M-2 Pants a better pair of pants for a lower price.
Written: May 04 '04
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Lots of features for a low price, unique spinal protection
Cons: At this price, none
The Bottom Line: The M-2 Pants are an awesome buy and suitable for most recreational level players.
|
|
|
| puckmugger's Full Review: Mission M2 Senior Ice Hockey Pant |
Mission has been making increasingly better gear, year after year. The success of their inline gear is unquestioned. They still have a limited following among ice hockey players however. While this isn’t a great thing for Mission, it’s a good thing for players.
• Features of the M-2 Pants
Mission’s M-2 Pants were pretty surprising when they first came out. Here was a top quality ice hockey pant that sold for under $50. As this price the M-2 was hard to beat.
The shell of the M-2 is heavy 420-weight nylon a big step up from the thin nylon found in most pants of this price.
Leg zippers are a nice feature that again most pants in this price range don’t offer. This makes it much easier to dress enabling players to put on their shin pads before their pants. Incidentally, Wayne Gretzky was the first person to ever put zippers in the legs of his hockey pants. Go figure, he was a prolific scorer and a pants genius as well.
How about an internal belt? Mission says sure thing. This is an unheard of feature in a pair of pants this price. Many pants costing in excess of $100 don’t feature internal belts. Internal belts keep players from hooking or grabbing the belt. They are also more comfortable since they don’t move around as easily in use.
M-2 pants have a nice liner as well. The lining in the M-2 is a wicking, anti-bacterial nylon. Not only is it very comfortable, but it dries quickly and isn’t as prone to stinkiness as a standard shell.
The most unique feature of the M-2 pants is the high back guard. CCM has a pretty high spine guard, but nothing like the M-2. The M-2’s spinal protection is a soft, almost neoprene like pad that rises above the back of the pants. I’ve heard comfort issues from some people trying on CCM’s pants, but none with the M-2. The spinal protection of the M-2 is something that most pants don’t offer at any price. Only CCM offers a similar feature in their pants.
• Final Thoughts
Missions M-2 Pants are an excellent pair of pants for the money. Why for the money? The M-2 pants are in the price range of most company’s starter pants. The pants in the same price range generally feature cheap nylon shells and insufficient padding. I’ve seen people wear out entry-level pants in less than six months. Cheap nylon will tear easily in high impact ice hockey. The plastic leg shells are also prone to breakage.
The M-2 pants are substantial in their protection. They feature protection and quality construction that you will only find in much more expensive pants. I would compare the M-2 pants to a CCM 652 pant, which is among their mid-line pants. CCM’s 652 pants cost a good $25 more than the $45 Mission M-2 Pants do.
The simple fact is that CCM has a recognizable name in the ice hockey industry. Mission simply hasn’t penetrated the market as deeply and still offers their wares up at discounted rates in order to compete. The decision to make is whether you prefer to pay 50% more for a name, or save the money for a slightly better pair of pants. I’d go with the Mission M-2 pants.
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting and Selecting Hockey Protective Gear
Mission M-1 Stick
Mission M-2 Gloves
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
puckmugger
|
 - Top 50 |
|
Location: wandering the fringes of the goal crease
Reviews written: 488
Trusted by: 247 members
About Me:
My book is now available in major bookstores or by order from my profile page.
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.