Diamond Featherweight Shin Guards

Side protection: With the foot attachment, it can poke out the bottom of your pants.

I too waited for a while to get my back-ordered ump lite guards. I wore them for the first time last night and I really like them. My main guards are the the bulky, but super protective wilson black triple knee.

I ordered the ump-lites because I wanted to have an option of wearing a smaller guard from time to time. I really liked the fit and feel of the guards. While they do not provide as much protection as my wilson's do (especially wrap around and ankle protection) I still wore them for a playoff game last night.

I took one foul ball directly off of the shin plate on one of the guards. I felt it a bit (I would not of felt it with my wilson's on) but nothing major. No bruise or anything. I will be wearing them again. They are great as the weather gets warmer because they are no where near as hot as the wilson's.

They will probably regularly live in my small back-up ump bag that I take when I am working the bases. But I am happy with them and they will provide a great alternative to my wilson's.

Since I began umpiring last fall, I have been using some "modified" (hacked up) catcher's shin guards with good success. But I have always thought they were heavy and even with good plate pants they were still pretty bulky. So I took the plunge and purchased a set of Diamond Featherweights from ump-attire.com. After about a month of waiting they came off of backorder and arrived last week. I got the 17" version, there is also a 15" version.

Comfort - The light weight of these really is pretty amazing. That coupled with the two-strap system makes them virtually unnoticable when you wear them. I feel much more mobile and comfortable with them on. Like most of Diamond's gear, the foam is lined with a wicking fabric which is very effective (it was in the high 80's with humidity the other night and I was comfortable). I have worn these for 4 9U plate games so far and the comfort difference is very noticable.

Convenience - Putting on and taking off is easy with the buckles on these. Instead of the j-hook fasteners these use a nylon "snap" buckle. I hardly have to even roll up my pantleg to take them off with the 2-strap system. For my plate game last night I decided to leave the plate pants in the car and wore a pair of combos from the fall which were always very snug with the catcher's guards on - no issues whatsoever. If I had to these may even fit under base pants (not that I will try to do this).

Construction/Fit - These are essentially a one-piece guard with a shin plate and a knee cap attached to the foam. There are no hinges. Also, with the 2-strap system there is no strap behind the knee. I will preface this part of the review by saying that even though these are the largest size, they are just a touch too small for me. If Diamond offered these in an 18" or 19" size they would be perfect for me. In spite of this they fit pretty well and are secure in use. Since they are just a bit on the small side, they "creep" just a bit towards my shoes during the game but they are easy to pull up a bit between innings. There is an instep plate which attaches with velcro - I removed this as I wear plate shoes but I will mention that the plate is very small.

Protection - So far I have been doing little guys games (pitchers that can't find the plate and catchers that couldn't catch a cold) and have taken quite a few hits with no issues. Compared to more substantial guards I feel there is less "hard" protection around the knee area but there is quite a bit of padding. The kneecaps stay in place even though the "hinge" is a thick layer of padding. I'd have no problem doing youth games in these. For older players and pitchers bringing it a bit harder I'll probably wear these for a few games to see if additional protection is needed. Shin protection is fine, it's the softer areas around the knees (the bony parts are well protected) that have me wondering a bit still.

Overall - Overall I give these a thumbs up. Once I got used to the dramatic decrease in weight and increase in comfort I really like them. They will be my go-to guards for youth ball, especially in warmer weather. If Diamond comes out with an even longer version I will buy them.