Bauer Vapor Hyperlite Leg Pad Review: Vapor adds Stabiliflex

One of the most notable innovations Bauer brought to the Hyperlite leg pads is the Stabiliflex knee block. First seen in the Ultrasonic line, this new design creates an ultra stiff knee block that’s built right into the core of the pad. There are many advantages to this design mainly that the goalie is able to drive straight through the knee block into the butterfly without losing any energy in the process.

The butterfly seal and sliding is also improved due to the more structured knee block that more evenly distributes weight across it and into the core of the pad maintaining great seal even in a softer pad such as the Hyperlite. The StabiliFlex knee block also uses the same outer skin seen on the Ultrasonic knee block which has been much more durable and eliminates any durability issues goalies may have had with the sliding surface of the 2X Pro.

Despite the stiffer knee block, Bauer made sure that the Hyperlite still played like a Vapor pad giving it an ultra soft boot with break points both above and below the knee. After owning and using the 2X Pro pads, the Hyperlites do flex differently especially above the knee where they feature a softer, more pre-curved shape that will help better seal the 5-hole.

In recent years Bauer has been known to bring the goal market a pad that produces the hardest, fastest rebounds available. The Hyperlite pads are no exception to this bringing a new Rebound Boost Core in combination with their Curv Composite to punch rebounds out of harm's way harder and faster than before.

While the Hyperlites keep the same ultrasoft boot flex seen on the 2X Pro, a new 110 degree boot has been introduced. This makes the boot of the Hyperlite sit slightly flatter than that of the 2X Pro allowing the goalie to feel more sucked into the pad. The new boot also brings the overall standing height of the pad down by about half an inch.

This new boot angle is a nice addition that helps with mobility and reduces the amount of thigh overlap when goalies take their stance. That being said, there’s no loss of 5-hole coverage when in the butterfly, nor is there any need to size up in the Hyperlite as the knee height is not affected meaning staying true to size is the way to go.

Another area Bauer made an adjustment is in the leg channel of the Hyperlite. A Nash lining runs from the knee to the boot while small channels help improve airflow around the leg. The StabiliFlex knee block is lined with CatchGrip material in order to give goalies a bit of extra grip to reduce the likelihood of their knees shifting and sliding when in the butterfly or sliding.

The most noticeable change is the new calf block which sits on the inside of the shin. Much like the calf pillow seen on the Ultrasonic pad, this block is designed to keep the goalie’s ankle in line with their knee reducing stress and strain on the knee while also providing a better seal due to the weight being more evenly spread across the pad.

Bauer elected to keep their successful Tune Fit strapping setup but had to make a few adjustments to accommodate the new knee and calf blocks. The knee strap is the same as the one seen on the Ultrasonic featuring an adjustable velcro attachment to the back of the knee block.

The updated “Y” shaped calf strap has an adjustment built more like that seen on the knee to work with the Balance Plate while maintaining the feel of the original Tune Fit strapping seen on the 2X Pro. Bauer now uses their own bungee toe tie system and just like on the 2X Pro they also offer the option to attach a boot strap if desired.

The Hyperlites have stuck with Bauer’s theme of simple, clean graphics while offering a more angular appearance than the 2X Pro’s. As always, custom graphics are available through the use of Bauer’s DigiPrint technology which allows goalies to design any graphic they’d like no matter how complex or intricate.