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TW pads or new Wilson memory foam?


mbkcoach
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I got popped! 3 times while wearing TW pads. Never again.

Wilson has got to be better if they are softer.

Although I must admit I have a leather fetish I guess. Nothing feels better against my face (while wearing an umpire mask) to me than some doeskin leather traditional pads.

I wish Wilson would put memory foam inside of doeskin. I'd definitely give that a try.

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I got popped! 3 times while wearing TW pads. Never again.

Wilson has got to be better if they are softer.

Although I must admit I have a leather fetish I guess. Nothing feels better against my face (while wearing an umpire mask) to me than some doeskin leather traditional pads.

I wish Wilson would put memory foam inside of doeskin. I'd definitely give that a try.

This fall I switched back to my doeskin Honigs pads from TW.....if wilson put memory foam in doeskin, I'd be a buyer as well......

.

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I got popped! 3 times while wearing TW pads. Never again.

Wilson has got to be better if they are softer.

Although I must admit I have a leather fetish I guess. Nothing feels better against my face (while wearing an umpire mask) to me than some doeskin leather traditional pads.

I wish Wilson would put memory foam inside of doeskin. I'd definitely give that a try.

I also was hit wearing TW and have to say they just don't work for me. Did not feel good at all.

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I've been popped with the Wilson several times so far. Just fine. Coming from stiff leather wraparound pads these are a definite improvement. The TW pad is as stiff as my Wilson wraparounds, which I did "feel" more so than the memory foam. On a side note, I would like to feel the new Wilson leather pads. If they have the same foam along with leather I may switch to those because I, like @Majordave, like the feel of leather on my face.

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I think part of the function of the fabric pads is to let the air out gradually, as the pads collapse during impact.

 

I prefer the feel of leather, too. Perhaps a perforated leather might work the same.

 

The trouble with comparing pads, is that you're comparing one blow to the noggin to another. But no two are the same.

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Initial read on the Memory Foam. Very soft, and forgiving. Reminds me of the soft mattress covering that you would buy at the store. It bounces right back. Same theory with the memory foam pads. I will be trying them out on Sunday.

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I wore my Memory Foam pads yesterday in a game and of course I didn't get hit except in my UNEQUAL CP. Which didn't hurt at all(Aimless plug of the Unequal Chest Protector) :meditation: . They feel great though. Will report back once I take a shot.

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You can't go wrong with eithr. I think it's all preference on feel. I use both as well as a few other Wilson leather pads I have in rotation. I will say TW pretty much saved me from a decapitation  this summer. Batter breaks a bat, bat boy brings him a new one but grabs the wrong one without any pine tar on it. First pitch with the new bat the batter takes a huge cut at it and loses the bat at the end of the swing which hit me square in the mask. Seriously didn't feel a thing. Obviously I felt it hit me and I was knocked back a tad bit but there was zero pain and I didn't even really feel any pressure of the blow on my head at all. I haven't had that kind of experience with the memory foam pads yet but I've taken a few foul balls and it was a pretty similar experience to the TWs.

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@Platejob29, in the name of science and research, you now have to take a bat to the face with the Wilson MP's on the mask... you know... Just to compare. :BD:

 

@Magic, does that mean if you balance say, a beer, on your head and take a hit to the mask that the beer won't get spilled? You always see the woman bouncing on the mattress with the glass of wine on it... :yippie:

 

I think @kylejt has a winner of an idea with the Perforated Leather. Bravo! :cheers:

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Are the Wilsons worth the 50 dollar upgrade from the TW? I'm all for safety and comfort, and not that tight with a buck, but are they better?

I personally wouldn't wear memory foam pads, thats the material in my pillow so it would just make me sleepy :)
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Are the Wilsons worth the 50 dollar upgrade from the TW? I'm all for safety and comfort, and not that tight with a buck, but are they better?

I personally wouldn't wear memory foam pads, thats the material in my pillow so it would just make me sleepy :)

 

^^^^That's some funny $h*t right there. ^^^^ :Spit_20Laugh:  :rollinglaugh:  :rollinglaugh:

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I've got a TW in all my masks. Replacing with the Wilsons will set me back a couple of bucks. Ump Attire has them for 30, so I stand corrected.

 

There are some reviews that say they don't trust them, with the new aluminum mask, and have swapped them out for TW. Just sayin'. I'd love to hear some more reviews.

 

If they're more protective, or as protective and lighter, I'd be willing to give them a go. But I'll let someone else be the crash test dummy, like I was for the Davishield. That only set me back around 40 bucks (Paid vs sold for difference).

 

I had a memory foam pillow for awhile. It was comfortable, but really hot. Probably not a good comparison for mask pads, though.

 

I do trust the TW technology, as I've heard great things about their helmets over in the Sand Box. There's a lot of science and passion that went into their products. If you've ever opened up a Wilson mask pad, their stuffing isn't so sophisticated. Perhaps the new ones are.

 

Some of you are saying the Wilsons are soft. Hell, the stock pads in my Champros and Diamonds were quite soft and cushy. So much so that they mashed the frame right into my jaw when smashed by a baseball. They need to be that happy medium that takes the blow, and distributes the energy.

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