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Looking for a new catcher's gear set for the Fastpitch Softball season? Then you've come to the right place.
We looked far and wide to identify the best catcher's gear set for Fastpitch Softball catchers. This post identifies our top picks, with reviews and photos of each pick.
Scroll on to learn more...
The Best Fastpitch Softball Catchers Gear Sets of 2024
As we detailed in our catcher's gear 101 article, catchers have a few pieces of required equipment.
These include:
- Catcher's Helmet
- Chest Protector
- Leg Guards
- Catcher's Mitt
You can pick out each piece of gear separately if you want to (check out our top fastpitch softball picks by category).
However, many people choose to instead buy a complete set of catcher's gear rather than get each piece individually. Doing so takes the stress out of manually finding and tracking down matching equipment, making separate orders with multiple shipments, so on and so forth.
Some people may prefer buying each piece of catcher's gear separately. For example, perhaps there's a certain brand you want for the chest protector and a different one for the leg guards.
Or maybe you only need one or two pieces of gear and not an entire set.
Yet for people just starting out as a catcher or those that simply need newer gear, catcher's sets are a straightforward way to get all the matching equipment you need to play behind the plate in one purchase.
Knowing that many catchers - as well as parents of catchers - prefer this approach, most major brands now sell complete sets, also referred to as catcher's gear kits or boxed sets.
Like anything else though, some sets are better than others.
Due to this, we set out to investigate and to better understand the marketplace for intermediate and adult-sized fastpitch catchers gear sets.
After a good deal of research we've identified our top picks based on a combination of quality, cost, and protection related benefits.
Note on Sizing
Before we go any further, you will need to first understand some basic information related to sizing for catcher's gear.
A brief summary of this information is as follows:
- Catcher's Helmet: Size is determined based on the hat size of the wearer. (You can read our post on the best Fastpitch catcher's helmets.)
- Chest Protector: To determine length, measure from the bottom of the throat to the navel/belly-button. See our related post here.
- Leg Guards: To find the correct leg guard size, measure from the the center of your knee to the bend in your foot. See our related post here.
What are the Best Fastpitch Softball Catchers Gear Sets?
Of the numerous fastpitch catchers gear sets we reviewed, we believe the best is the Easton's Jen Schro "The Very Best" Catching Set. It is high quality and it looks great.
All of our top picks are as follows:
- Jen Schro The Very Best (best overall)
- All-Star AFx (runner-up pick)
- Wilson CK1 (third place pick)
Please note: The picks below are not catcher's gear sets for youth-aged catchers. Always measure before buying, as the correct measurement takes precedence over a product's listed age range.
If you're interested specifically in catcher's gear sets for youth catchers, please read our review on youth sets.
Best Overall: Jen Schro The Very Best, by Easton
Our Top Overall Choice for Fastpitch Softball Catchers
Jen Schro’s The Very Best is Easton's newest line of fastpitch softball catcher's gear, and it is impressive due to its superior quality and distinctive features.
The Very Best set was designed specifically for female catchers and includes a catcher's helmet, chest protector, and leg guards.
The set is available in three sizes: small, medium or large. Small is intended for girls aged 9 – 12, medium for ages 12 – 15, and large for ages 15 and older.
Please note: These are general size ranges, so we encourage you to measure yourself or your athlete prior to purchasing a certain size. See our post on measuring for catchers gear for more detail.
This very unique and very high quality gear stands out for a number of reasons.
First is the chest protector. It has two straps that connect at the front, allowing for much easier and custom adjustment than other chest protectors on the market. It’s a really cool and useful feature.
The chest protector also features motivational phrases from Jen Schro on its inside lining. It’s unique and a nice touch.
The second area that stands out is the leg guards. They were design in such a way as to wrap around a large portion of the legs.
Additionally, the leg guards include more knee padding than any other softball leg guards we’ve seen, which helps the wearer do a better job at blocking and throwing from the knees.
Lastly, the catcher’s helmet stands out for its solid ABS shell, its steel cage, and its moisture wicking and anti-microbial lining. All of the gear in this set meets NOCSAE standards.
This catcher’s gear set lives up to its name. With the possible exception of the All-Star AFx set, you will not find a better catcher's gear set on the market for fastpitch softball catchers than Jen Schro's gear.
Pros
Easton is a top brand, especially among fastpitch softball catchers
This set is packed with unique and high quality features
The chest protector comes with two adjustable straps connecting in the front
Additional padding in the leg guard is strategically placed over the knee
The catcher's helmet has anti sweat and anti microbial lining
Cons
As a premium set, it is on the expensive side
Brief Video Overview of Jen Schro The Very Best Set
Runner-up Pick: All-Star AFx
Our Runner-Up Choice for the Best Fastpitch Softball Catcher's Gear Set on the Market
All-Star's AFx women's catching set is our runner-up pick pick for fastpitch softball catchers. All-Star is known for being one of the top catcher's gear brands in the market.
The catcher's helmet in this set has a sleek design and is known for providing excellent protection and a comfortable fit.
It is built with something that All Star calls an I-BAR VISION steel cage, which is a patented design that uses flattened bars to strengthen the cage and increase the catcher's line of sight.
The chest protector has a female-specific fit with tremendously strong plates added for protecting the areas near the throat, sternum and collar bone.
The leg guards are very lightweight and comfortable. They feature comfortable knee pads, which are reinforced cushion-based pads over the knee designed to protect and to absorb shock without causing much discomfort.
The pieces in this set come in multiple sizes, making it a good option for fastpitch catchers across a variety of age levels.
This fastpitch catchers set is about as high-quality as it gets, and it comes with our full recommendation.
Pros
Made by a popular, well respected brand
It has a great design and looks sharp - while also offering solid protection
All gear in this set has a reputation for being durable and providing top tier protection
Lightweight with a noticeably tapered fit
Available in a handful of different colors
Cons
Some colors are running low on stock as of the publication date
Picture of All-Star AFx Catcher's Gear in Action
Third Place Pick: Wilson C1K
Another good catcher's gear set option for Fastpitch Softball catchers
This is the primary catcher's gear set made by Wilson, and is one of their top sellers.
It's currently sold to both fastpitch softball and Baseball catchers, and will fit both (based, of course, on your own unique measurements).
Included in this set is a Wilson catcher's helmet, chest protector and leg guards.
The catcher's helmet is well ventilated, with multi layered padding on the inside and a steel cage to protect the face from injury.
The chest protector scores high marks for comfort. It is noticeably lightweight, and it comes with two removable shoulder caps.
The leg guards are lightweight and made of ABS plastic. It's inner padding is removable and can be washed.
Regarding size ranges, for the adult size, the catcher's helmet can comfortably fit hat sizes of 7 1/8 - 7 1/2; the chest protector is 15 inches; and the leg guards are 15.5 inches.
For the intermediate size, the catcher's helmet can fit hat sizes of 6 3/8 - 7 1/8; the chest protector is 13.5 inches; and the leg guards are 14 inches.
Another feature that we like is the two tone design of this catchers set. In short, it's definitely worth a closer look.
Pros
Wilson's primary catcher's set for fastpitch softball and baseball
Available in both adult and intermediate sizes
All components in this set stand out for being lightweight and well ventilated
Two tone color design pops and looks great on the field
Cons
The gear in this kit tends to run narrow
Not marketed as having a "female specific" fit
Picture of Wilson C1K Fastpitch Catcher's Gear in Action
Let's Talk About Catcher's Mitts
Wait a second... These sets don't come with catcher's mitts?
Yep, that's right.
We have never seen a reputable catcher's gear set for fastpitch softball players that come with a catcher's mitt included in the set.
If you are in need of a new mitt, our top pick for fastpitch softball catchers is the Wilson A2000, which you can find at the below links.
To learn more about our overview of this (and other) great Fastpitch Softball catcher's mitts, check out our article detailing the top fastpitch mitts on the market.
Thank You for Reading!
Thanks for reading this post and our reviews. We hope you enjoyed it.
If you have any questions for us - whether about fastpitch softball catcher's gear or catching in general - then don't hesitate to reach out by heading over to the Contact Us page or by sending an email to scott [at] catchershome [dot] com.
Thanks for stopping by Catchers Home.
Scott Perry
Scott Perry is the owner and lead author at Catchers Home. He's a former baseball player, a current coach, a husband and a Dad. He remains as passionate about baseball today as he was as a kid.
