ShockDoctor compression shorts with bioflex cup

[KeithFarrell]

Review of this item:

One of the best groin guards I have ever tried. Very comfortable, much more so than the type with a Y-like strap system, allowing for much greater ease and comfort of movement. The cup itself provides quite a bit of protection; I tried smacking it with one of my swords while wearing it, and although I felt each strike land there was no pain, so I'm confident that it will give a high level of protection during sparring!

The only downside is that the sizing system is not what one might expect. A medium size is designed for a 30-32 inch waist, so people who normally wear medium sized trousers may have to go for a large size for this. If you bear that in mind when ordering then there should not be a problem.

If anyone is looking for a groin guard for historical fencing then I would recommend one of these rather than a simpler and more basic model. Also, £31 is not too high a price for protecting the family jewels!

[Cutlery Penguin]

I use a Shockdoctor and I can't recommend them highly enough. They are amazingly comfortable and having had mine accidentally tested they offer a good amount of protection too.

[admin]

Does the cup part come in XXXL?

[Paul B]

Does the cup part come in XXXL?

Aww thanks, but my birthday isn't for ages.

[Mark T]

I bought this on Keith's recommendation, but had three reservations: First, the cup pocket closure is by velcro. This is a little hard to get the cup both in and out, and there's nothing worse than having to fish around in your duds before and after class - especially in a public park. Second, the 'flex' version of the cup has had some negative reviews: some users have found that it flexed so much, they still received the impact; the flexing is also helped by some cutaway sections in the cup that have apparently pinched some skin upon impact. Ouch! Finally, who wants to wear white underpants? Apart from the practical factor of keeping them clean, they're a bit of a beacon if you want to change clothes at the end of class - for example, from fencing pants into regular jeans.

All of these issues are solved by another Shock Doctor model, the Core Compression Shorts, model number 221, with their Titan Alloy cup: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Shock-Doctor-Co ... 5894a6aa21 (Apologies for the eBay listing, but this combo doesn't seem to be a standard offering on the Shock Doctor site.)

The 221 pants have a fold-over flap at the top of the cup pocket. While getting the cup in is still a jiggle, it's very easy to take out, yet still remains firmly in place under movement. The stainless steel cup eliminates the flexing and pinching issues - and, against steel in sparring, I'd rather trust my bits to stainless rather than plastic that already has gaps. And the black shorts don't look too different from bike or running compression shorts, so changing in public is far less of an issue.

[KeithFarrell]

Thanks for the follow-up review. I haven't really noticed any problems with my cup, but I have to admit that I don't wear it as often as perhaps I should... It is good to know that there is another good option