Jen Schro The Very Best vs. All-Star AFX

[ECU20012005]

Hi everyone. My daughter (11) is getting taller as her size small Easton Jen Schro The Very Best gear is too small for her to make it into and through the fall season. With that being said, we are considering size medium or jumping over to All-Star for the AFX gear. Does anyone have any thoughts or recommendations? I have read a few reviews online and watched a video comparison of Mizuno Samurai vs. All-Star AFX, but they didn't (couldn't) mention Jen Schro gear. My daughter has liked the Jen Schro stuff, but ultimately she will like whatever we get her. We just want her to be safe (and stylish). Oh, and are there good prices anywhere? Thanks for the insight.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Both are good sets, and if you go through me, I can save you a considerable amount of money.

That being said, my daughter loves her Jen Schro gear, but her catching trainer swears by All-Star. She's had her set for over three and half years, and we only just had to replace the shins. With Easton sets, you need to make sure the sizing is correct since the helmets don't always match what you get with the chest and shins. For example, some S&S sets have a large helmet with a medium kit, so sizing can be an issue. Easton does sell helmet pad inserts, which work really well, but that is something you have to decide on.

AFX gear is more standard sizing, so it should match what's on the package. If you can try them on, that would be ideal, but not everyone has them in stock.

I hope that helps.

 

[ECU20012005]

Both are good sets, and if you go through me, I can save you a considerable amount of money.

That being said, my daughter loves her Jen Schro gear, but her catching trainer swears by All-Star. She's had her set for over three and half years, and we only just had to replace the shins. With Easton sets, you need to make sure the sizing is correct since the helmets don't always match what you get with the chest and shins. For example, some S&S sets have a large helmet with a medium kit, so sizing can be an issue. Easton does sell helmet pad inserts, which work really well, but that is something you have to decide on.

AFX gear is more standard sizing, so it should match what's on the package. If you can try them on, that would be ideal, but not everyone has them in stock.

I hope that helps.

Thanks for the insight. I did notice that for the Easton, the medium and large gear jumps up in helmet size. Apparently, when you need medium gear, your head increases by 40% according to their sizing. Regarding savings, how much is a considerable amount of money?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Thanks for the insight. I did notice that for the Easton, the medium and large gear jumps up in helmet size. Apparently, when you need medium gear, your head increases by 40% according to their sizing. Regarding savings, how much is a considerable amount of money?

I'm sending you a PM.

 

[Nuwin]

Interesting that this came up and prompted me to finally create an account and hijack a thread. My situation is very similar. I'm struggling to find the All-Star AFx line locally. We're Jen Schro or bust it seems. And mostly everything is a bust as far as available stock.

@LEsoftballdad - how long do things take to come back in stock? Is there a seasonal release of different types of gear?

 

[LEsoftballdad]

Interesting that this came up and prompted me to finally create an account and hijack a thread. My situation is very similar. I'm struggling to find the All-Star AFx line locally. We're Jen Schro or bust it seems. And mostly everything is a bust as far as available stock.

@LEsoftballdad - how long do things take to come back in stock? Is there a seasonal release of different types of gear?

All-Star has struggled to keep the box sets in stock for some reason. You can get the colors and sizes you want through individual pieces, but the price is slightly higher than in the set. This is not uncommon in the other companies' sets, too. The problem with places like Dick's is that they carry so much stuff that they can't specialize in softball/baseball gear only, so they limit what they carry in the store so they can carry that kayak.

There are always new releases of gear, but the catching sets don't tend to follow the same trend as bats.

 

[Intheboondocks]

We ended up just buying individual All-Star pieces, we were able to get everything to fit better that way. She needed adult leg guards but a small helmet, I think the leg guards might be S7 instead of AFX too.

 

[Nuwin]

That seems to be the path we're on too.

 

[LEsoftballdad]

That seems to be the path we're on too.

All-Star has some sets in stock, but if you got the route of getting individual pieces, you're more likely to get what you want. Also, what @Intheboondocks said is correct. Not everyone fits in large for every piece, so even though you pay a little more, it fits correctly.

Hit me up if you have any questions or need ordering assistance.

 

[Nuwin]

Yep, we're finding that we don't fit within the box so to speak. And some of these legs seem really wide as they get longer. So we may end up having to mix and match brands to ensure the fit is functional for her.

Our catching coach was able to recommend a local shop that we're going to try first. I didn't know it existed. If that's a bust, I may solicit the vendors here to try to support smaller businesses first. Seems most of my peers around here just order everything they can get their hands on through Amazon and return what doesn't work.