Introducing Total Hockey Labs: Where Hockey Gets Tested
Buying hockey equipment should be exciting. But with hundreds of sticks, shoes, goalkeeper products and new technologies to choose from, finding the right equipment isn't always easy.
How much carbon should your hockey stick have?
Which bow is right for your game?
Is a £300 stick really better than a £100 stick?
Which hockey shoes provide the best grip?
And when it comes to goalkeeper equipment, where do you even start?
These are questions we hear from hockey players every day.
So, we're going to start answering them.
Welcome to Total Hockey Labs.
What is Total Hockey Labs?
Total Hockey Labs is our new home for hockey equipment testing, reviews, comparisons, buying guides and practical advice.
We've spent years helping players choose hockey equipment in our stores and online. Through that experience, we've learned something important:
Players don't need more adverts. They need better answers.
That's what we want Total Hockey Labs to provide.
We'll take the hockey equipment players are interested in, look beyond the marketing claims and help explain what actually matters when choosing your kit.
We'll test it.
We'll compare it.
And we'll explain it.
TESTED. COMPARED. EXPLAINED.
Hockey Stick Reviews & Testing
Choosing a hockey stick can be confusing.
There are different carbon percentages, bow profiles, head shapes, weights, balance points and price points—and every brand describes its technology differently.
Total Hockey Labs will make choosing a hockey stick easier.
We'll be looking at questions such as:
- What is the best hockey stick for your playing style?
- How much carbon do you actually need?
- What's the difference between a mid bow, low bow and ultra-low bow?
- Are expensive hockey sticks worth the money?
- Which sticks are best for defenders, midfielders and forwards?
- Which hockey sticks are best for drag flicking?
- What's the difference between a £100 and £300 hockey stick?
- Does stick weight really matter?
- Which brands and models compare most closely?
We'll also put sticks head-to-head rather than simply reviewing each one in isolation.
Because sometimes the most useful question isn't:
"Is this a good hockey stick?"
It's:
"Is this the right hockey stick for me?"
Hockey Shoe Reviews & Testing
Shoes are one of the most important—and sometimes overlooked—pieces of hockey equipment.
Different pitches, playing styles and foot shapes can require very different footwear.
Through Total Hockey Labs we'll test and compare hockey shoes for areas including:
- Grip
- Comfort
- Stability
- Weight
- Durability
- Fit
- Protection
- Value for money
We'll also answer common questions such as:
What are the best hockey shoes for water-based pitches?
Which hockey shoes are best for wide feet?
Do expensive hockey shoes actually perform better?
How long should hockey shoes last?
What's the difference between hockey shoes and trail running shoes?
The aim isn't simply to tell you which shoe we like most.
It's to help you understand which shoe is most suitable for you.
Goalkeeper Equipment
Goalkeeping is one area where we believe Total Hockey Labs can offer something particularly valuable.
Goalkeeper equipment can be complicated—and expensive.
Legguards, kickers, hand protectors, helmets, body armour, shorts, sticks and accessories all need to work together.
We'll use Total Hockey Labs to make goalkeeper equipment easier to understand.
Expect:
- Goalkeeper equipment buying guides
- OBO equipment comparisons
- Mercian goalkeeper equipment reviews
- Beginner goalkeeper guides
- Legguard and kicker comparisons
- Goalkeeper stick reviews
- Sizing advice
- Equipment maintenance
- Product testing
- Budget vs premium comparisons
- What's In My Goalkeeping Bag?
- Goalkeeper tips and education
Whether you're buying your child's first goalkeeper kit or replacing elite-level equipment, we want Total Hockey Labs to become somewhere you can turn for useful, practical advice.
We're Going to Test the Questions Hockey Players Actually Ask
Some Total Hockey Labs episodes will be detailed buying guides.
Others will be much simpler.
And some will just be fun.
You can expect videos including:
£100 Hockey Stick vs £300 Hockey Stick – Can You Actually Tell the Difference?
Does More Carbon Make a Hockey Stick Better?
Which Hockey Stick Hits the Hardest?
What's the Best Hockey Shoe for a Water-Based Pitch?
Mid Bow vs Low Bow – Which Should You Use?
Cheap vs Expensive Goalkeeper Equipment
Can You Guess the Hockey Stick in a Blind Test?
Which Hockey Shoe Has the Most Grip?
We want to combine useful buying advice with proper testing and entertaining hockey content.
Honest Opinions Matter
For Total Hockey Labs to work, it needs to be useful.
That means we'll talk about what we like about a product—but we'll also talk about what we don't.
A £300 hockey stick isn't automatically better for every player than a £150 one.
The highest-carbon stick isn't necessarily the right choice for everyone.
The most expensive goalkeeper equipment isn't always what a beginner needs.
And the shoe we recommend to one player might be completely wrong for another.
That's the point.
We're not trying to find the best product for everyone.
We're trying to help you find the right product for you.
More Than Product Reviews
Total Hockey Labs is only one part of what we're building.
We want Total Hockey to become somewhere the hockey community visits even when they're not shopping.
Alongside equipment testing, we'll continue developing content across hockey, including Inside the Circle, goalkeeper content, club stories, player features, buying advice and educational videos.
Over time, we want to bring players, parents, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and brands together in one place.
Because hockey deserves more great content.
It deserves more discussion.
And it deserves somewhere players can get genuinely useful advice about the equipment they use every week.
Help Us Build Total Hockey Labs
The most important part of Total Hockey Labs is going to be you.
We don't want to sit in the shop deciding what hockey players might want to know.
We want you to tell us.
What stick should we test?
Which two brands should we compare?
What have you always wondered about hockey shoes?
Which goalkeeper products would you like us to put head-to-head?
What piece of hockey equipment do you think is overpriced?
What hockey myth should we test?
Send us your questions through our social channels or leave a comment on one of our Total Hockey Labs videos.
If enough people ask the same question, there's a good chance we'll put it to the test.
The Lab Is Open
This is just the beginning.
Over the coming weeks and months, you'll see hockey sticks tested, shoes compared, goalkeeper equipment explained and plenty of hockey myths put under the microscope.
Some results might confirm what everyone already thinks.
Others might surprise us.
That's what makes it interesting.
So before you spend your money on your next stick, pair of shoes or piece of goalkeeper equipment...
check the Lab.
Welcome to Total Hockey Labs.
Where hockey gets tested.
TESTED. COMPARED. EXPLAINED.
