Easton Pro-X Catcher's Helmet

[Eric F]

I've been anticipating the release of this helmet for a while, encouraged by the pics and info I've seen, in hopes of finding a helmet that does a better job with head impacts...and one my DD likes. It arrived today.

Thoughts and observations...

Easton got a lot of stuff right with this helmet, including improved padding materials and no forehead cage mounts. The main pads include 2 different materials - one soft, and one that squishes with some force applied to it (not rigid like EPS). In my estimation, these materials will do a good job of absorbing and dispersing impact energy. The marketing notes for the helmet mention PoronXRD padding material (good stuff!) in the crown of the helmet. I was expecting more than the two yellow strips.

Overall, my impression is that it isn't as full of safety features as the Force3 helmets (which struggles with appearance issues), but is on par with the All-Star. It's definitely a step forward for Easton, but not a huge revolution.

 

[justanotherguy]

Thanks for the write up Eric.

 

[Jdaddy]

Good to see it comes in a small. We will have to try one. Hope it fits better than the Mako did. DD has a small head and the only helmet that has ever fit her properly is an LS youth, which she still wears as a senior.

 

[Eric F]

We have success! My DD likes the size, fit, and appearance of the helmet.

 

[Eric F]

Good to see it comes in a small. We will have to try one. Hope it fits better than the Mako did. DD has a small head and the only helmet that has ever fit her properly is an LS youth, which she still wears as a senior.

The Mako was one of the few helmets my DD likes the fit of, and the Pro-X is similar (according to my DD). The padding of the Pro-X is easily removable, and adding some extra thin padding inside the shell to customize the fit is possible.

 

[Jdaddy]

Glad your DD likes it. Fitting anything like the Mako throws it out for DD.

 

[YOCOACH]

The Mako was one of the few helmets my DD likes the fit of, and the Pro-X is similar (according to my DD). The padding of the Pro-X is easily removable, and adding some extra thin padding inside the shell to customize the fit is possible.

As you know, neither Emily or myself where big fans of Easton gear since the longevity and overall protection was lacking. As you said, It looks like a nice step up from their past offerings but still lacking IMO. I'm looking at the Schutte S3.5 or the Diamond IX5 series for her next set. She currently has the Schutte S3.2 series and quite honestly, I have yet to find a helmet I have more confidence in protection-wise than her current one since she's taken numerous hard shots that don't affect her whereas those same shots gave her a concussion with a Wilson Pro and an All-Stars helmet both. JMO

OTOH, I'm extremely glad your catcher-beast likes it!

 

[Eric F]

As you know, neither Emily or myself where big fans of Easton gear since the longevity and overall protection was lacking. As you said, It looks like a nice step up from their past offerings but still lacking IMO. I'm looking at the Schutte S3.5 or the Diamond IX5 series for her next set. She currently has the Schutte S3.2 series and quite honestly, I have yet to find a helmet I have more confidence in protection-wise than her current one since she's taken numerous hard shots that don't affect her whereas those same shots gave her a concussion with a Wilson Pro and an All-Stars helmet both. JMO

OTOH, I'm extremely glad your catcher-beast likes it!

The Schutt helmet padding looks awesome, and their history with football helmets is a good pedigree for head protection. However, the Shutt helmet was intolerably uncomfortable for my DD. I haven't had a Diamond helmet in my hands, but have seen them a few times. IMO, both could be better by eliminating the forehead cage mounts.

I have heard the complaints about the durability of Easton gear more than a few times. So far, the stuff my DD has used - bat, batting helmets, catchers helmets, and gear bags - have all held up very well.

 

[Travis Lassiter]

Does anyone know what the difference is between the Pro-X and the Elite-X is? Daughter tried on the Pro-X and really liked the way it fit. She liked it much more than the Allstar one she currently has. Just wanted to see if there’s enough of a difference between the two.

 

[Eric F]

Does anyone know what the difference is between the Pro-X and the Elite-X is? Daughter tried on the Pro-X and really liked the way it fit. She liked it much more than the Allstar one she currently has. Just wanted to see if there’s enough of a difference between the two.

They are very similar. The Pro-X includes strips of Poron XRD impact absorption material (the yellow strips in the pic above). The Elite-X does not include that feature. Otherwise, I think they are the same. IMO, any additional safety features you can add to protect the head are worth it, even if they seem small.