New Diamond's Named Best Low Profile Shin Guards

When I ran into Pete Reiser, author of the Midwest Umpire Blog, in Dallas, Texas at the NCAA Umpire Clinic this month, he told me he was putting together a review of umpire shin guards with the hopes of finding the best available lower profile shin guards. By that I mean, ones that are less bulky and visible under your pants.

I was excited to hear that considering we are carrying the new Diamond Featherweight Umpire Shin Guards this year that were made with those very thoughts in mind. I showed him my sample pair to consider in the mix, so new he had not seen them, and passed them on to him on the spot to use in his review.

Just 3 days ago, he posted his Consumer Reports style review. It was another thorough one, just as he has done in the past with umpire gear such as masks and shirts, where he graded 5 shin guards on comfort, protection, dimensions and weight. Shin guards tested also included the DaviShins and hockey officials' shin guards.

The winner I'm happy to say are the very Diamond shin guards I gave to him in Dallas, which is another positive to add to that trip.

About the new diamond leg guards, the lightest of the bunch he tested, he reveals that "the small size also looks good under the plate pants" and "the knee cap is deep and recessed, so your knee fits comfortably in the space".

You can read his full review on his blog here.

It's nice to see shin guards getting some attention these days through our recent blog post on "How Much Do Umpire Shin Guards Weigh?" and now this review.

It's also nice to see these shin guards, which ultimately replaced the Gerry Davis shin guards in our selection as a strapless single-knee design, to be so well-received. Such accolades validates even more my decision not to add the DaviShins that we do have access to from Wilson, and designed by a competitor, by providing something similar at a much lower price point.