The Best Lacrosse Goalie Sticks, Equipment, Footwear and Accessories

Having confidence in your equipment is critical for achieving peak performance. Trusting your gear frees your mind from doubt and anxiety, allowing you to fully focus on the present.

This heightened mental state translates to improved execution, faster reaction times and ultimately, better results.

Our team at Goaliesmith has played, trained and coached at the highest levels of the sport and position, allowing us to try a wide variety of gear as well as performance apparel. The compiled collections below are a trusted group of products that we — and the goalies we train — believe in and recommend for all levels.

Disclaimer: This article includes affiliate links. USA Lacrosse earns a small commission on qualifying purchases. Any revenue we generate supports our mission to grow the game. Thank you for your support.

GOALIE STICKS

Heads

Your goalie head is one of those most crucial pieces of your kit, so it’s important to pick the right one. Consider the weight, durability, string-ability and ergonomics. Here are a few major players.

ECD Impact

The Impact took the goalie world by storm and now is in the hands of high-level players. Highlights include its weight (one of the lightest on the market) and the ergonomic throat, making it comfortable in your hands.   
$109.99 (unstrung) at Lacrosse Monkey

STX Eclipse 3

One of the original game-changing goalie heads. We love how stiff it is, especially in the scoop, which is where it matters. Decades of experience have gone into the improvements of this head.   
$119.99 (unstrung) at Lacrosse Monkey

Handles

Choosing a handle (or shaft) typically comes down to durability and weight, but some goalies like to consider the feel of the shaft (smooth or tacky grip). The introduction of carbon fiber handles and improved blended metals/alloys has given players many more options and combinations.

ECD Carbon Pro 3.0

This carbon composite handle is a great choice due to its combination of durability and weight. It is available in multiple options, including a goalie-specific length that features a textured top hand for enhanced grip and control. Pairs well with the Impact.   
$159.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Maverik A1

A scandium alloy offering with thin sidewalls gives you an extremely lightweight shaft with an added gritty texture which will give you great hand feel through all weather conditions.   
$139.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

STX Sc-Ti

The Sci-Ti line offers players the largest variety of shapes to help find your preferred feel. This is a scandium-titanium blended shaft creating a very good strength-to-weight ratio.   
$119.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Mesh

Goalie mesh can be broken into two main categories: feel and diamond size. The feel of the mesh will either be semi-soft or semi-hard. Most goalies choose semi-soft to better capture rebounds, but some prefer semi-hard for the consistency of the pocket and better outlets. Diamond size varies from 10-20 diamond. The clear favorite is 12-diamond for the ease of stringing, grip of the ball and minimal break-in period.

ECD Impact Semi-Soft  
$39.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

StringKing Grizzly 2 Semi-Soft  
$39.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Disciple Rhombus  
$25 on The Mesh Dynasty

When it comes to stringing goalie versus field sticks, the differences can be vast, such as the knots used, the areas of tension and the shooting string setups.

Ultimately, pocket performance comes down to a personal preference. Some goalies value a tighter channel (which helps funnel the ball into and out of the stick) over pocket depth (which helps deter rebounds), and others the opposite. These days, there are so many great professional stringers (Sidewall Jedi, Mr. Wanderful) to use or learn from, and tons of performance mesh offerings, which makes stringing even easier.

Try different combinations and learn what works best for you. After utilizing a professional stringer, try learning to string and maintain your own heads. Gaining this experience will help you pinpoint specific attributes that you like in your personal sticks, and even be able to help teammates in the future.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

Chest Protectors

It’s about comfort and mobility. To perform at your best, you need to have ease of movement and fluidity. Ditch the bulky and heavy chest protectors and move into the new era of minimal designs and maximum protection.

Unequal CC  
One of the hottest chest protectors on the market, this pad is extremely low-profile and built narrow, which allows for full range of motion.  
$159.95 on Amazon

STX Shield 600 Elite  
Floating hard plastic chest plate gives the player great protection without sacrificing flexibility. Adjustable with their unique strap system.  
$179.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Gloves

Protect the thumb! The most common injury among goalies is the dreaded broken thumb. Wear gloves with maximum thumb protection without sacrificing grip and mobility.

STX Surgeon RZR2  
Lightweight with a stiff plastic exterior covering the thumb for added reinforcement. Suede palms and tapered fingers for a superior feel.  
$199.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

STX Cell VI  
A great option at a lower price with many of the same features as the RZR2, but a more flexible thumb system.  
$164.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Maverik M6  
Increased pad volume in the fingers and back of hands for additional safety while featuring a two-piece thumb design for flexibility and protection from hyperextension.  
$144.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Cups

For men's lacrosse goalies, are the days of wearing a simple jock strap. With the increased shot speed and pace of the game, wearing a truly protective cup that covers the entire groin area is imperative. You will see goalies on television wearing huge cups to protect the most vulnerable area on their body. Hockey goalie cups work just as well as lacrosse goalie cups. Do not be the tough guy without one.

Bauer Pro Jock  
Professional-style hockey jock with a double layer of cup protection.  
$89.99 at Goalie Monkey

Warrior Ritual X4 Jock  
Lightweight option with soft liner and a lower abdomen support pad.   
$109.99 at Goalie Monkey

FOOTWEAR

Some goalies look for the lightest cleat possible with minimal material, while others want a thicker padded cleat for the added protection. We suggest finding a mid-height offering for added ankle support. Most of these have low, mid and turf options.

New Balance Freeze 5  
Great fit for wider foot. Has a molded outsole for added traction, very helpful for goalies moving laterally. 

Adult cleats: $129.99 at Lacrosse Monkey    
Youth cleats: $79.99 at Lacrosse Monkey    
Adult turfs: $119.99 at New Balance

Nike Huarache 9  
Great fit for narrower foot. Very flexible and built with multidirectional traction. This line of cleats has been around for more than a decade, and some of the best players have worn them. 

Adult cleats: $129.99 at Lacrosse Monkey   
Adult turfs: $99.99 $84.99 at Lacrosse Monkey

Under Armour Spotlight  
Great overall fit for every foot due to “clone upper material” which molds to your foot shape, and a knit collar for a sock-like feel.  
$130 $97.97 at Under Armour

TRAINING PRODUCTS

Soft Lacrosse Balls

We firmly believe in the use of soft lacrosse balls for goalie and shooter training. Safety is the priority and this protects goalies from harm during the infinite shots they will face throughout their seasons. They are a great option for beginner goalies to learn how to get hit with the ball properly and overcome the initial fear and pain. They are also a great option for shooters to work on handling the ball with soft hands.

Franklin Sports Soft Lacrosse Balls  
$14.99 $12.99 on Amazon (set of 6)

STX Soft Practice Lacrosse Balls  
$29.99 at STX (set of 12)

SwaxLax Numbered Balls for Goalie Training  
$33 on Amazon (set of 3)

Jump Ropes

FEECCO ½ lb Jump Rope  
Heavier weight for more of a focused hand and foot speed workout.  
$19.99 on Amazon

Loocio Jump Rope  
Inexpensive with foam handles, tangle free to help with rapid footwork speed.  
$9.99 $8.99 on Amazon

Resistance Bands

LEEKEY Resistance Bands  
Great for practice/pre-game stretching, resistance squats or lunges.  
$19.99 $16.14 on Amazon

PERFORMANCE APPAREL

Made by goalies, for goalies. Shop all Goaliesmith apparel here.

Game Day Sweats 
Built baggy throughout to capture those extra game-changing saves. Goalies can personalize their look with various color and style options. Creates confidence. Look good, feel good, play good.  
Original: $70 at Goaliesmith 
Lightweight: $65 at Goaliesmith

Performance Poly Long Sleeve 
Lightweight, breathable material for maximum performance. Goalies can match their team or express their own style with multiple color and style options. Boosts confidence through enhanced appearance and comfort, leading to improved performance. 
$30-$35 at Goaliesmith