Review of Hi-Control RHP

hmmm so i got this Little piece of kit back in 2006 , and honestly it was not my 1st choice, i wanted the hi control robo RHP, but my current glove( yes those good old leather ones) didnt work at all and my local supplier was out of the robo hi-control ones, so i ordered the hi-rebound.(SP then)

robo-hi-rebound-rhp
At 1st after a few practices with it i really did not enjoy using it , i am a keeper who likes to slide and am rather agressive. the glove made slide takling with the stick  hard  and  logging.
That all changed after a went onto the obo site and wached some video’s or was it looked at some pictures( it was a while ago) and they explained how you need to change the style of play for this little beauty, i also found out that the inner pieace right by your hand can come out.
After removing the innner pieace and trying this new technique i was blown away…
the glove works just as well on the ground as the hi-control, but it also has the hi-rebound characteristic.
its also alot larger and on a few occasions has helped me make some awesome top right drag saves.
The glove may be large but its not a replacement for the LHP as you dont have as much controlle and you feel a hard hit ball through it alot more than the left, having said that it comes in handy (no pun intended) for those quick reflex saves.
ITs a very durable glove too iv had it for 3 yrs of constant battering and only now has the top opening started to tear. easily fixed with some glue though .

In generall its an awesome piece of kit, it takes some getting used too ,but once you know how to handel it it works really well and i more than happy with it.

Review Your Kit Competition Winners

review-your-kit-competition

The Review your kit Competition has now closed, but we and other people around the world really value your reviews of kit; so keep sharing, contributing and enjoying. See this link to view all the competition reviews.

We requested creativity in how the content was displayed along with some straight talking on what you really think of OBO products.

After much discussion we would now like to announce the 5 winning articles;

Review: Robo Bodi Arma by CormacDC

OBO comment; Favorite quote – “It glistened like nose hair after a sneeze.”

Review of CLOUD Hotpants by Folmer

OBO comment; Good real review with good constructive criticism. Maybe we need to develop the Cloud hotpants.

Review of Robo Hi Control RHP by Kanuckkeeper

OBO comment; liked the use of video.

OBO Cloud Leg-guards Review In A Short Story by danni

OBO comment; good creative story.

OGO Kickers Review by Ozzie

OBO comment; pleased that someone thinks OGO is misunderstood.

If your review was selected as a winning review we will be in touch via e-mail.

Thanks,

The OBO Team

ROBO Bodi Arma Review

Hi Amazing Guys and Girls

I’m going to keep this short and sweet, just like me 🙂

I’m the proud owner of Obo ROBO Bodi Arma, well let’s just say when the parcel arrived I was like a small child at Christmas, and was soon bouncing about in my new toy.

Why do I think it’s so great???

1) When I’m wearing it I don’t look like a midget sumo wrestler!!! ( that’s because it’s super slim lined).

2) Those occasional blows to the chest dont’t feel like bullets and take my breath away; rendering me useless and the goal open to those goal hungry forwards.

3) I can move and jump around without it getting stuck on my shorts, (making it hard to get up fast from a slide), riding up (not covering tender parts) and twisting, which my previous body armour did (not sure about the make and model it was one I lent off my club).

4) It looks good with or without a a smock, also lets me have more choice on the smock front (well we all know how us girls love clothes). No need for super baggy or boring, I can becomne an individual with awesome designs :).

What’s not so great???

I have a real problem with the shoulder pads, they seem to rub and dig into my skin, especially if I’m not wearing a long sleeved top. They seem to over lap the main body of the Arma. I’ve tried to bend and mould them to no joy :(.

I think the main reason for this is that I’m a girl, which means I have those things men don’t have but love lol. This seems to push the Arma up and out causing gapping around the area (see pictures) meaning that the shoulders don’t sit in the right place.

But hay I think I can get over this small niggle.

Maybe Obo could think about making a Bodi Arma just for us girls????

Enjoy 🙂

My Robo Bodi ArmaMy Robo Bodi Arma
Side View of Bodi Arma
Side View of Bodi Arma
View from shoulder
View from shoulder
Gap between chest and Bodi Arma
Gap between chest and Bodi Arma
Better view of the gap
Better view of the gap

Obo Robo Hot-Pants Review

Yes yet another review from me!

This time however I’m going to review my Obo Robo Hotpants!!!

2007_obo_robo_hotpants_2001

Before I got these pants I was using my clubs (So ice hockey brand that I can’t remember)

And will if I may they were RUBISH! (Compared to the hot pants)

They were heavy, loose around the thighs, the system for tightening the waist loosed and even when it was tight enough to stay up, it hurt!

They only offered protection to your thighs leaving your hips and parts of your groin that the cup doesn’t cover open.

This though is a thing of the past with my Hot-Pants!

They first few things I noticed when I took them out of the box was the same nifty buckle on the belt as is on the leg guards and robo kickers meaning no more loosing!!!!And plenty of padding between you and the belt (One problem solved instantly!)

77767064-100x100-0-0_2blackplasticsidereleasebuckles50mmwebbing

I also noticed the Velcro straps for the thighs meaning you could tighten them eliminating the annoyance of them flapping about and getting caught as you run out to cream somebody.(Yet another problem solved)

leg-straps

And the big cup like pads for your hips meaning lots of protection from shots and less pain when sliding and diving.( all four of my major problem with my old pants solved)

pants-hips

On further examining I found that the inner leg which is often hit was also covered!

There is a gap for your cup, making them more comfortable.

cup-hole

They offer Brilliant protection and I must emphasise BRILLIANT!!

And I have proof.

One day in training one of the coaches (David Hobbes 120+ Ireland International. Still playing)

He was warming me up. We had done the pushing, flicking, slapping and were about to move on to hits. I had just kicked the last of the balls over to him and was waiting for it to begin. I had just said Okay Go!

When one of the bungle out field players calls me to pass them a ball,

As is natural I looked over to see who it was and WHACK!!!

I get a full force strike from the man himself straight into the thigh!

As I was off balance I fell back onto the ground much to the amusement of the other goalie and some of the outfielders.

When I had come back to my senses I noticed it DIDN’T hurt one bit!( thinking back to it now I was lucky I didn’t have my old ones as the ball would have probably gone through my leg! haha

And so ends my story.

I’ve been hit in the leg a few times with no pain whatsoever but this one sticks in my head.

All in all Robo hot pants are Amazing and if you’re willing to spend a bit extra.

Do as I have never had a single flaw.

Please leave a comment!

Thanks

James

OGO Kickers Review

OBO OGO Kickers

After writing a review about the leg guards, I thought I should make one about the OGO kickers as well – because (as I said with the leg guards) OGO is sadly misunderstood…

In my other review I covered four major subjects; weight, rebound, protection and drawbacks.  I’ll try to do the same with this review.

OGO Kickers
OGO Kickers

Weight:

Being one of the smallest pieces of your kit, it has always seemed to me like kicker weight makes practically no difference to a keeper’s game. Well, so far I’ve played around 15 games with these kickers and I think now I can safely say I’ve changed my mind.

Kicking is arguably the most important part of goalkeeping and I believe that, no matter what level you play, there is always room for improvement in this area.

Because of my OGOs’ light weight, I’ve noticed I’m actually growing substantially more agile on my feet, allowing more controlled foot saves and quicker, easier running.

Rebound:

Well, what can I say? I remember on my very first save with these kickers I was amazed by their great rebound, which sent the ball away from the goal with almost the same speed as it came in with.

Needless to say, good rebound is an extremely helpful aspect of foot, leg and hand saves because it means that clearing a moving ball does not require a whopping great kick/punch.

Protection:

I play under fifteens, and during a club game I have never once been hurt through the kickers. I say club, because to tell the truth I have once or twice experienced a bit of pain from the occasional shot during southern and state training. But hey, that’s part of goalkeeping. Let me know what you think about this…

With my old kickers, I would often find (usually after running) that the strap at the back would slip down underneath my foot, allowing the kicker to slip forward, and expose my ankle. I can remember numerous times when I have been hit in the ankle due to this.

Well, I don’t know why, but this has never happened with the OGOs… Whether this is because of some amazing technology, or simply because they fit me better, I can’t tell you how much more confidence this has given me in the goal.

Drawbacks:

One problem I’ve found with the kickers (which, after reading other reviews, I know other people are familiar with as well), is that after a bit of action the front strap will slip in between the kicker and my shoe, actually raising the kicker high enough to expose my toes.

I asked OBO in NZ if there was anything I could do to stop this from occurring, and they got back to me quickly with three great suggestions, one of which is working beautifully (Figure eights).

figure 8
figure 8

I love this integrated locking system, although one problem I’ve been having is that the tongue tends to digs into my foot, which can be a bit awkward and sometimes slightly painful.

One solution for this is to wear shin pads underneath your leg guards, which I like to do because it makes my leg guards in general more comfortable. Another solution involves over-bending the tongue forward, holding it forward with tape, and blowing hot air on the inside of the tongue.

-Detailed instructions on how to do this on second page of PDF. [Link]

In conclusion, I’d like to say that some people will like these kickers and some people won’t (I think most people will). Personally, because I prefer to play a more agile, attacking game, I like them.

I hope this review has changed your perspective of OGO, like one training session changed mine.

Cheers,

Ozzie

OBO Cloud Leg-guards Review In A Short Story

Hey Everybody,

When I read through the other reviews for the kit competition, which were all very good, I noticed that nobody had really been that creative and that I might be able to fill this gap. Either way, I hope you enjoy:

I waited anxiously on Monday morning, staring out the window till about 2 o’clock, when, suddenly, I saw a flash of light come down the road. As it came nearer and nearer, I got more and more excited, wondering what was going to happen and whether my life would change after this momentous event. Then the man walked towards me, dressed completely in red, and said “Please sign”. I could barely write as my hand was shaking so much due to the exhilaration. I managed to do so after 5 minutes, giving the red man his lovely pen back, soaking in sweat. He passed the package over to me and walked off. I did not know what to do; I was just so thrilled that it was finally here. I stayed, standing, at the front door for another 5 minutes, motionless, not knowing what to do. I then decided to rush into my bedroom alone to open the package. When I arrived in my room, I threw down the package, searching for a pair of scissors of anything sharp. There was nothing anywhere. I ended having to use my bare hands and teeth to get in. But it was worth it. When I opened the package, a huge light stared at me, almost blinding me. What was it? It was my new set of obo cloud leg-guards.

As soon as I saw them, I was in love. I knew these were my dream leg-guards. The colours, weight, durability, protection and rebound were everything I wanted. It was the most amazing thing I had ever seen in my life. I felt like going round my street and kissing anyone I saw, I was that happy. What was there not to like? Nothing. In my eyes, nothing could beat these. The yellow made me look like a bird…

I had my GCSE English Oral in 2 hours, which I had to attend. But I could not leave them. How could I bring them with me when I was going to talk about how John Steinbeck creates a feeling of sympathy for Lennie in “Of Mice and Men”? I just could not put them through it; I didn’t want to see them in pain. So, I took a bold move for the sake of my precious jewels, and chose to do my English Oral on the OBO Cloud Leg-guards. My teacher was amazed, saying she had never seen anybody so enthusiastic about a subject before. I got an A*, for which I took my leg-guards out to the local public house to celebrate.

The next day, I had my first match with them. I was in heaven. This was my paradise, forget about rehab, treat ecstasy addiction with obo leg-guards. They were so light, weighing nothing like any other pads I had ever worn. When I put them on for the first time, I was amazed by the comfort. I did not expect it from such a hard outer foam. Fortunately, OBO put a different inner foam in, and this made them unbelievably comfortable. I loved the way they hugged my legs, as if they were actually moulded on my legs. When taking shots to them, I felt no pain, even when playing against the ex-international, who had injured his goalie before the game. This was amazing, I was playing the game of my life, I was on cloud nine. When I had a one-on-one just before half time, I slid out, and my leg-guards did not twist slightly. This was due to the right leg-guard being slightly narrower than the left and also the wing hinging system, obo have in place on all leg-guards. Then after the break, I went down to log at a short corner, which the top of my left leg-guard saved, showing how useful the extra width on the left leg-guard is.

After the match, I noticed how for the first time in ages, none of my straps had come undone, unlike the opposing keeper, who was not wearing OBO, who had managed to become undone 5 times and lose one of his straps. I also realised that I had had no fear during the game of getting hit on the ankle or the knee, due to the design of these leg-guards.

A month later, it was time to wash my darlings. I made sure the water was warm for them, the way they like it, before adding a cup of borax. I then decided to do the same with fabric freshener, just to make sure that their skin was not irritated. It also made them smell great, ready to play their part in the club day the next day. Everybody commented on how good they looked, and although they did not say so, they were really chuffed.

A few years later, it was our anniversary and I was offered robo hi-control leg-guard’s. I said “Pah! No, how dare you even insinuate that! I will never leave them”. My pads had held up well over the years and there was no way I was leaving them now. Even though the inners had started to split and the outers and inners had started to come apart, these could easily be fixed with glue. And, either way, I had become attached to them, we had gone through a lot together, and I would only let them go when the time was right.

In the future, I would buy these again, and would be perfectly happy to play senior international matches with them in the future. Everything is great about them, I cannot fault anything. They are even easy to repair, even though they are very durable. I would recommend these to anyone, who wants a good set of leg-guards at a reasonable price. Although they may be more expensive than some other brands, in the end they last longer and are better.

Having told you this story, I would like to say that I would expect this from OBO, after all, “Goalkeepers are Amazing People”. You said be creative, I was creative. I hope that this included everything that is supposed to be in a review. Any questions, please ask? If I could put pictures in, I would, although maybe I should not, after all, the point of stories is to enlighten your imagination…

CLOUD Legguards Review

Well I chose to review my OBO cloud legguards

2007_obo_cloud_legguards1_200

Before I got my Cloud I was using my clubs leg guards. But I found that even on a nice slippery water base pitch you COULDN’T slide!

When I first ordered them I was regretting not getting the ROBO, as I heard rumours that cloud was useless!!

On the day they arrived I was surprised at how light they were!

I noticed that they looked the same as the ROBO hi-control but presuming with slightly softer foam and a few less perks. But still have a lot of good ideas that you won’t find on many other brands

-The left leg is wider than the right for some reason (probably for extra height when logging or something)

-The wings at the side are lower to the ground which really helps to stop balls just sliding past your foot.

-The straps are hiding so there is wear-n-tear when sliding.

-The oddly shaped buckles help to stop the straps loosening during a game or training.

-The great idea of the tongue that helps stop the leg guards from twisting!

(yes I know these are not cloud but it’s the same idea)

kl_oboroboset_big-1111

The only flaw I can see with the leg guards is that the area around the knee (highlighted)is quite more built up more than the rest of the pads so when I log there is naturally a gap between them making a lovely target for a good striker. Maybe that is only me as I have short-ish legs but, I have no idea that could help stop this without reducing protection. (yes lets laugh at the very badly drawn picture)

My funky drawing

To finish it all I would like to say that I would recommend cloud leg guards to any keeper as they have absolutely excellent protection, are light and easy to move in and have never caused me a single problem during a match.

By the way if anybody else has had the problem with the built up knee please leave me a comment! and if you dont, leave a comment anyway!!

Thanks!!

Hillmonger!

Review on OBO Robo Elbow Guards

This is my review on the new OBO Robo Elbow Guards. Hope you enjoy it.

robo-elbow-guard-300x1991

Hey guys, iv been part of the beta testing programme for the new OBO Robo Elbow Guards, a very recent addition to the OBO range so here it goes. So far iv played about 5 games and had roughly 10 trainings with the Elbow guards and I have to say I love them.

They have a number of features that only OBO could think of, for example their amazing adjustability. The Elbow Guard has a flexible top pad to protect the upper part of the arm and inner elbow and bicep area. This pad is also fully removable to either provide greater protection or mobility according to personal tastes. I myself wear the right elbow guard with the top pad and the left without as I prefer greater mobility with my left and more protection on my right (shown below).

dscn0286
Left elbow guard. As you can see I have removed the top plate.
dscn02851
Right elbow guard. The top plate is present.

Another feature of the elbow guard I have recently discovered is that you can adjust the amount of padding that you have on the arm.  It basically allows you to change how thick the padding is so that you can adjust how much protection you have and how heavy the elbow guard is. This is an exceptional new idea and I am very impressed with the concept.

As with all OBO products I have found that the elbow guards do not restrict movement and are extremely comfortable.  They fit easily around your arm and unlike other arm guards do not move during the game.  I have found that I have complete movement in my arm and the normal movement of the elbow joint is not compromised by any of the padding. Needless to say it does its job extremely well and has saved my arm a number of times in the few times I have used it.

In conclusion and from my experiences I believe the OBO Robo Elbow Guard is an awesome product. It provides excellent protection, is very comfortable and unconstricting, is very adjustable and looks pretty good as well. even though I have worn them only a few times I am already in love.

Ben Smith.

Slazenger Phantom Body Armour Review

Due to popular demand (well someone kinda sorta asked me) here’s my review of the Slazenger Phantom Body Armour. Enjoy

As any of you who have read my review on the Robo Bodi Arma will know I have been singing the praises of the Slazenger Phantom body armour. It doesn’t stack up to the Robo equivalent but it does offer decent protection at a fraction of the cost.
After a string of inadequate or ill-fitting sets of chest guards and arm protection my club invested in all-in-one body armour. I can only imagine that they chose the Slazenger phantom body armour because of its price, but who could blame them. At just over half the cost of the Obo Youth Junior Body Armour it provides protection that lies somewhere between that and the Cloud 9 model.

While using this gear I played at a middle level for both my club and school and I found the protection to be more than enough. The chest pad is made of thick spongy foam bound in mesh which, while being far bulkier than that used by obo, does it’s job of protecting you from the force of the ball admirably. One or two shots from some of the older players on my team (who play for the Irish U18 or U21 teams) have left me a little winded but I’ve never had any major injuries.

The arms are made from seven pieces of high density foam. Enclosed in a stretchy Lycra these allow for easy movement whilst still holding the protection in all the right places. This high density foam is far thinner than the chest piece allowing for manipulation of the elbows while not compromising on the protection to those delicate bones and ligaments. The Lycra stands up admirably to the wear and tear of sliding about on a sand filled pitch with only minor fraying in two places after over two seasons. To be honest those were probably caused by my manhandling of the gear after a bad match.

The problem with many of the cheaper sets of gear is that it is virtually impossible to raise your arms above your head. In an attempt to remedy this Slazenger seem to have reduced the amount of foam in the shoulder area. While this has greatly improved the mobility it is the source of one of my few complaints. As a result of their foam shedding there is a small blind spot in the space between the shoulder caps (which are a little lacking too) and the top of the arm pads. I’ve taken a knock or two here when I’ve misjudged a raised shot (which I still maintain swerved around my hand pad) or was caught out by a close range deflection. I’ve been left with a couple of nice bruises and a stiff arm the next day but I feel that for middle level keepers it wouldn’t get any worse than this.

Some of the main points

Some of the main features

The tight Lycra arms combined with the foam back panel keep these pads in place beautifully but they do cause a problem during the summer season. During a high intensity session it can get quite hot in the gear. This causes a problem in this situation but during the winter it can be a welcome layer during a quiet match.

So in short the Slazenger Phantom body armour is the perfect choice for any keeper starting out who wants good protection and mobility at budget prices. With solid chest protection and high density foam arms these pads are a perfect choice for any keeper in the early stages of his/her career who’s looking for a reasonable alternative to the more expensive other brand options.

So again if you have any questions i’ll be happy to help.

Cheers,

Cormac

Review of ROBO Hotpants

Review of ROBO Hotpants

After I had worn the CLOUD hotpants for a while I found I wanted a bit more protection so I upgraded to the ROBO hotpants.

Obo Robo Hotpants
OBO ROBO Hotpants

When I took them out of the bag they immediately felt a lot more solid then the Cloud. Made from all Lycra, good pockets for the padding and good thick padding. Because the padding is thicker and the shorts have small panels in the thigh area just above the main panels movement is not as unhindered as the Cloud. It took about 5 minutes to get used to them, so nothing really worth mentioning.


The fit is even better than the Cloud thanks to the Lycra. It follows your body and stretches with movements so the shorts stay in the right place no matter how weird the moves you make. With the ROBO overpants over them the fit is even better.


The open crotch design makes for a good interaction with the abdo-guard and enough ventilation. Also the lack of padding on the hips makes the pants less hot than some other brands that do have extra padding on the hips. You will get hot and sweaty, but it’s not a real problem.


During the first use, they felt a bit more bulky than the cloud, which is not strange with the thicker padding, but thanks to the Lycra movement is great. There was no breaking in time needed at all.


Just as I did when I got the CLOUD hotpants, I intentionally let a few shots hit the pants to test them and the thick padding did the job excellently. I felt the ball hit the shorts like you feel a ball hit a legguard, no pain or anything.


With the ROBO there isn’t a lot of padding on the side/hip area, just one pad on the hip bone, so when diving the landing can be quite hard. Also during sliding this can be somewhat of a miss. The pads did stay in the right place during the sliding and diving, so that’s a good thing. I currently use a football (soccer) goalie’s padded compression short as a baselayer and this does the job in cushioning the impact of a dive or slide.


I’ve had this one for a couple of years now and there is hardly any wear or tear. I have had to repair the seams around the pockets and the lock-stitching around the edges reasonably often, but as it’s a stretchy fabric there is not much you can do about that.


The outside Lycra around the hip padding shows signs of a hole forming due to sliding. When this wears through it will be a lot harder to repair than the Cloud is, but I doubt you will need to repair it. It will probably not cause a tear because Lycra doesn’t tear easily and by the time it does become a problem all the stretch will be gone from the pants so they will need to be replaced anyway.


I wash the pants every 2 or 3 months which is easy enough to do. Just take out the padding and put the shell in the machine. You can clean the padding with a mild soap and some lukewarm water. (Or just put it in the machine with the pants as I always do, but it’s not the “official” way to do it 😉 ) After everything has dried take your time to put back the padding because it can be a bit of a struggle. Which is a good thing because it means the padding will stay where it’s supposed to.


The above mentioned loss of stretch is the only downside of the use of Lycra. It will loose it’s stretch in time causing a lesser fit. Another point is the hip flexor muscle protection panel. This is a bit thin and has 2 separate hard foam panels on top of it. It makes movement very easy and this way you can take the panel out of the pants, but it also causes fatigue in the softer foam causing it to break. Luckily mine hasn’t broken yet, but I know a couple of other goalies where it has.


Overall I am very happy I bought the ROBO hotpants and when the time comes that it needs to be replaced I will not hesitate and buy another ROBO. I know there are cheaper girdles on the market that offer the same level of protection, but the fit, comfort and ventilation of the ROBO is superior to it’s competitors.