Catcher is one of the most important positions on a baseball field. They help to call a pitcher’s game and they are the last line of defense to stop a runner from scoring. Along with their great importance, catchers also deal with a safety concerns from catching multiple pitches a game and possibly dealing with a collision at home plate. Because of this danger, it is important to get the best gear possible so that catchers can remain safe while still playing at a high level. So how do you find the best catcher’s gear for you?
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**Below, you'll find our more detailed reviews, but you can also click the links above to see current prices or read customer reviews on Amazon.
Best Catcher’s Gear Sets Available Today
How To Choose The Best Catcher’s Gear
Choosing the right gear can make or break your game as a catcher. You will want gear that will protect your body from the beating you will get behind the plate but you also need gear to be flexible to throw out attempted base stealers and cover home plate when necessary. These are a few factors that you should consider when looking at purchasing new gear.
Protection
As mentioned earlier, protection is a major factor that needs to be considered when looking at gear as a catcher. There are many wild pitches that get away from a pitcher during a game and that end up hitting the catcher all over their body. And in the case of a collision at home, you will want to make sure your body is protected as much as possible.
Durability
Durability goes along with protection in many ways. While the gear is protecting you from the pitches that it must absorb, you want to make sure that the gear is going to last. After getting hit with a few wild pitches, some gear may start to wear down, reducing the protection that it is supposed to provide. Therefore, making sure you have a durable set of equipment is of the utmost importance.
Comfort
While protection and durability should be a major concern for a catcher looking at new equipment, comfort should also be a major consideration. Catchers must sit in the crouch position the entire game so making sure the gear is flexible and comfortable in that position is important. Another one of a catcher’s major responsibilities is throwing out base stealers and if the equipment is not comfortable and restricts the throwing motion, the player’s game will surely suffer.
Design
Design may not be as important or a critical factor when choosing new catching gear but it is something that should be considered. There are a variety of designs that are available for catchers, including stylistic colors, specific materials, and even different designs of the equipment themselves. Masks, for example, come in a variety of different styles that provide different perks. Design should be chosen based upon the catcher’s preferences.
Price
Price is always a high consideration when buying almost anything. This is especially important to consider for catcher’s gear, however, because it is quite expensive. If you or the person you are buying the gear for is only planning to catch for a short period, it may not be worth getting the best gear available. Those who look to make catcher their full-time position, however, should not be as worried about the price.
Fitting Catcher’s Gear
One of the other major considerations that goes into being a catcher is making sure your equipment fits. This seems like a logical characteristic to take into account when buying any gear but this is especially important for catching gear because there are many parts that need sized.
Mask
Masks must have a comfortable but somewhat loose fit. They need to be comfortable because the player is going to wear it every time they are in the field but catchers also have to take their mask off quickly on balls batted in front of them or balls that go behind them. Luckily, sizing a mask is easy, as they typically come in two sizes, youth and adult. Other manufacturers could size their masks using hat size so knowing the size of hat you wear would be beneficial.
Chest Protector
Having the right size chest protector is necessary because this is the piece of equipment that will protect your body. These protectors typically take a beating from bounced balls and wild pitches. To correctly size yourself for a chest protector, you should measure yourself from the base of your neck down to your waist to make sure most of your body is covered. You should only buy a protector that is in the half inch of your measurement. Most manufactures will have sizing options available in a youth, intermediate, or adult category.
Leg Guards
While leg guards may not be as important as a chest protector, they do protect the legs from loose balls and from constantly being on the ground or in the crouch position. To size the leg guards to your fit, you should measure from your knee to the top of the ankle. This measurement should be used within the half inch when buying new gear. And like chest protectors, most sizes can be found within the three categories of youth, intermediate, and adult.
Top 5 Best Catcher’s Gear Sets Reviews
With catching gear being needed at all levels of the game, there is a variety of sets that are available on the market. It can be hard to sift through the market, especially if it is the first time you have had to buy gear. These are a few of the best catcher’s gear sets available today.
Product Name | Quality | Price | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
A | $$$ | ||
A | $ | ||
A- | $$ | ||
B+ | $$ | ||
B+ | $$$ |
Easton again has a great design that is one of the best sets of catcher’s gear on the market. While this design is also an adult set of gear like the previous Easton gear, this design is made slightly different that allows for different positives compared to their other pieces of equipment.
Pros
- Protection – Easton makes this gear with a high rate shock shell that not only allows for strong protection in the chest plate but it also allows for greater durability so that it can be used over time.
- Comfort – The padding is made soft with extra foam built in. This helps with the protection that was mentioned before but also provides more comfort than some other sets of gear on the market.
- Velcro Straps – Unlike almost all the of the other gear that has been talked about, this gear requires only Velcro straps, making it easier to get the gear on and off between innings.
Cons
- Large Mask – While it can still work for most adults, the size of the mask is larger than average, fitting hat sizes of 7 1/8 up to 7 7/8. While this isn’t detrimental, it could be too loose for those with bigger heads.
Much like Easton, Louisville Slugger is also known for their bats but have jumped into creating catching gear as well. Unlike other gear that has been examined on this list, this set is made for the intermediate player, somewhere between the adult and youth phase. Because of this, there are some different perks that it comes with.
Pros
- Protection – Protection is of the upmost importance in this design as it comes with high density padding in the chest protector and a special double knee design for extra protection in the leg guards.
- Flexible sizing – This gear has the perk of being pretty flexible when it comes to size, especially with the mask, as it is said to fit hat sizes between 6 3/8 and 7 inches.
- Snug Fit – This gear provides a tight fit for a catcher, especially in the chest protector area so that it allows for the protector to stay in its place, not riding up on the player.
Cons
- Pad Breaks – While the protection the padding allows for is strong, one of the problems with this padding is that there are many breaks in it that leave some parts of the body unprotected.
Mizuno is a trusted name in baseball, having created a brand that has lasted for years. This brand has also been applied to catcher’s gear. This black and white gear is available for younger catchers that are just beginning their career and being introduced to the catching position.
Pros
- Protection – Mizuno uses some of the best materials of any baseball brand and that has produced one of the strongest protective equipment on the market. This is especially important for the youth size.
- Lightweight – One of the most important issues for young catchers is that their equipment isn’t comfortable or weighs them down. This equipment is light and worn comfortably be all players.
- Good for Baseball or Softball – Softball players need catching gear just as much as their male counterparts and one of the benefits of this gear is that it can be used by both sexes in both sports.
Cons
- Lack of Design – While the functionality of this set works well, the gear is only available in one color scheme and only has a helmet option that has a hockey mask style to it.
Although they are not a strictly baseball brand, Under Armour still produces high quality products for the sport. Their line of catcher’s kits are also available for youth players that are just getting their feet wet when it comes to playing catcher and has a lot of perks that some other sets do not have.
Pros
- Protection – Much like other youth catcher sets, this option focuses on protecting younger players, specifically through a high-shock protection shell that allows for more balls to be absorbed and deflected off the gear.
- Ventilation – It gets hot when playing in the sun, especially wearing gear behind the plate. Under Armour has special lining and ventilation holes that allow for greater breathability.
- Visibility – The mask that comes with this set has an I-Bar steel mask that allows for greater strength from a ball colliding with it but also allows the catcher to see better when communicating with the pitcher and throwing out runners.
Cons
- Difficult to get on/off – One of the biggest problems with the Under Armour gear is that it requires a bunch of straps that need to be fastened and taken off, which makes putting it on a two-person job.
Mostly known for their work creating baseball bats, Easton is another reliable name in the baseball industry. Unlike the previous sets that have been mentioned, Easton’s gear is made for adults and because of this, comes with a much different set of positives and negatives compared to the other kits.
Pros
- Design – The design options for this catcher’s set is off the charts. There is an incredible variety when it comes to colors and style while also having straps that are adjustable to fit a player’s needs.
- Stability – Stability is something that is not talked about much but when a catcher moves out of the crouch, equipment tends to shift on the body. Easton has made sure this set has anti-roll design to create more stability for the player.
- Ventilation – Easton has specific ventilation channels within its gear to push hot air out of the gear and integrate cool air to prevent sweat and overheating.
Cons
- Price – This gear is some of the most expensive on the market so it would not be ideal for someone who only expects to play the position occasionally. Rather, at this price point, one would have to be a full-time catcher.
Conclusion
While these options would suffice for anyone at the specific ages they are made for, the best option that I believe is on the market, regardless of size, is the Easton M7 catcher’s set. It provides a unique combination of comfort, protection, and simplicity. There is extra foam padding that provides protection along with comfort. The Velcro straps also make it easy and simple to put the gear on and off. All of this is combined with a lower price than the other Easton model on the list. Do you agree that this is the best set of gear available or do you think there is a better option? Feel free to comment with your opinion below.