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When playing behind the plate, protecting the head from injury is incredibly important - especially at younger ages.
This is why strong, high quality catcher's helmets are so vital for youth catchers.
We sorted through all the options to present you with our top picks and reviews for younger catchers, with our first pick being a popular choice at the youth level.
Keep reading to learn more...
Best Youth Catchers Helmets - Our Reviews
Catcher's helmets are such a vital piece of equipment, especially when you consider the key role it plays in protecting young heads and faces behind the plate.
For this review, we are looking at high quality catchers helmets that you can feel confident in when your son or daughter takes the field.
What About Youth Catchers Masks?
Some kids or their parents may initially be interested in purchasing a youth catchers mask and skull cap instead of a catcher's helmet.
You could go that route. Most catcher's masks don't come in a "youth" or "adult" size, but they instead fit based on your hat size.
If your kid's hat size is within the range of a given mask, then you're all set (although you would have to find a correctly sized skull cap to go with it).
However, please keep in mind that we aren't currently aware of any quality brands selling youth specific catcher's masks.
If you truly want to go this route, then we suggest buying a properly sized traditional mask from a quality name brand. See our post on the top catcher's masks for more information.
At the end of the day, we believe that the majority of youth aged catchers should wear a catcher's helmet - not a mask. Also, some leagues may require one over the other, so be sure to check with the league regarding its rules before you make a purchase.
A Note on Catcher's Helmet Sizing
The average 12 year old can usually begin wearing an adult sized catchers helmet, so the helmets on this page are intended – generally speaking – for those 11 years old and younger.
There are many regular, adult catchers helmets on the market that offer two sizes (large and small) and in many cases, a small version of the helmet can fit your son or daughter 11 and younger.
How do you find out what size fits your child?
Simple. Just take a cloth tape measure and wrap it around your child's head, about 1/8 of an inch above the ears.
The resulting measurement will be a hat size (in inches), which you can then use to determine which size helmet fits best.
While you can use adult helmets if your hat size fits the size range, for this review we will be discussing catchers helmets that have been designed specifically for youth players.
Since the design of these helmets was developed with younger ages specifically in mind, we believe there are design related advantages of these helmets that generally make them a more attractive option for youth catchers than their adult counterparts.
So, let’s go ahead and check out the top picks!
Our Top Picks
We believe the best youth catchers helmets currently on the market are as follows:
- Mizuno Samurai (top pick)
- Easton Elite X (second place)
- Under Armour Professional (third place)
- Easton Gametime (honorable mention)
Please note, all helmets we recommend meet NOCSAE standards.
#1. Mizuno G4 Youth Samurai
It was a close call, but the G4 Samurai comes out on top as our #1 pick for best youth Catchers Helmet
This is an excellent youth catcher helmet for the beginner and intermediate youth catcher.
It protects the wearer well, with its internal padding composed of three layers of protective material.
You'll notice that it is comfortable to wear and it provides excellent ventilation using Mizuno's strategic ventilation system.
The helmet has a chrome colored steel cage and a chin pad that is designed to control sweat (or other moisture) pretty well.
It is easy to fling off for foul balls and plays at the plate, yet durable enough to take a beating game after game.
This helmet looks great and comes in a variety of different colors. It's not perfect, but it's fairly close for a youth catcher's helmet.
Pros
Very good quality and durability
The Samurai is lightweight and fits snugly (is that a word?!)
It's fairly easy to clean
Has excellent ventilation
Comes with a jaw pad that's adjustable
Available in multiple color options
Cons
The internal foam padding has come loose after heavy use in a few cases (in that event, a simple re-glue should do the trick)
The Back of the Catcher's Helmet
#2. Easton Elite X
Our second place pick, one of the best youth catcher's helmets out there
Easton makes very good equipment and this helmet is no exception.
The Elite X is one of the newer releases from Easton. Interesting fact - this was the helmet (and the line of all catcher's gear) that catchers in the recent Little League World Series wore behind the plate.
This is a solid choice for catchers looking for a good looking and safe catchers helmet made by a well known brand.
It's also simple to maintain, with the pads over the forehead and chin being able to be removed and washed. Which is helpful, because those pads in particular get pretty nasty over the course of a long season.
In addition to having good quality features like moisture wicking padding and strategically placed vents (for better air flow), we simply like the look of this helmet with its slim profile and matte style paint job.
Pros
It has a sleek and streamlined profile
Provides a snug fit
The rear cap design allows for rapid removal
Has good ventilation
Cons
The steel cage comes only in black
The Back of the Helmet
#3. Under Armour Professional
A great choice to round out our top three
Another great choice for youth catchers in need of a catcher's helmet is the Under Armour Professional.
This is a great looking helmet with multiple color options featuring glossy paint in solid color and a chrome, steel cage.
It has good interior padding with anti-bacterial properties, and a comfortable fabric liner for a chin pad.
It also offers good ventilation for the wearer, with strategic vents placed throughout the helmet to help encourage air flow through the helmet. That's a helpful feature, especially on hot days.
Pros
Anti-bacterial properties are within the inside padding
Its vents allow for good airflow
Attractive looking with a nice stainless steel cage
Provides good protection and is durable
Multiple color options are available
Cons
Supply is limited in some stores and on some sites. Grab it while it's available!
Honorable Mention: Easton Gametime
Our honorable mention pick is the Easton Gametime catcher's helmet. This is a relatively new release by Easton that looks quite similar to the Elite X, our #2 pick.
The Gametime has a solid gloss shell built with strong ABS plastic. Inside the helmet is stacked foam layers with a moisture wicking fabric on the outer layer of the foam.
The cage is made of steel and was re-designed to allow the wearer to have a wider field of view.
In addition to having vents for increased air flow, the rear strap on the back of the helmet (as shown below) is wider than normal. This was done to help in making the helmet more secure and better "locked in" compared to earlier designs.
Easton is without a doubt an excellent brand, and in short, this is a quality helmet and a great value for the price.
Pros
Extra wide rear straps lead to close, secure fit
It's lightweight with good air flow
Competitively priced
Comes available in small (6 1/2 - 7 1/8) and large (7 1/8 - 7 1/2) sizes
Offers good protection and visibility
Cons
Not as wide of a selection of colors as some of the other youth catchers helmet options
The Back of the Catcher's Helmet
Thanks for Reading!
It's our hope that this review was helpful to you. If you have any questions for us - whether it's about a youth catchers helmet or about catching in general - please don't hesitate to reach out by heading over to the Contact Us page. We love to hear from our readers.
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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.