Douglas Chest protector Vs. All star cobalt

[UmpAK]

I am thinking of switching to a Douglas chest protector, but wanted to hear some opinions and comparisons to the All-Star Cobalt.

1. Is the Douglas padding a lower profile compared to the Cobalt?

2. How bulky are the shoulder pads? I am not that big of a person, and I would say that I am more slim and tall. Are the shoulder pads on the Douglas smaller and have a better curvature to them?

Thank you

 

 

[concertman1971]

Please consider the Davis DX Enduro D30. 

[UmpAK]

I've tried the Davis DX, but the width of the shoulders is too wide for my liking. 

[Baseballer]

The Douglas is very low profile. It will conform to you the more you wear it. For me the Cobalt was similar but didn't need the wear to conform to me. I like Douglas because they refurbished their stuff 

[Velho]

4 hours ago, UmpAK said:

2. How bulky are the shoulder pads? I am not that big of a person, and I would say that I am more slim and tall. Are the shoulder pads on the Douglas smaller and have a better curvature to them?

One thing to keep in mind: these are modifiable, if you're so inclined. I have the Schutt XV (Douglas cousin as I understand it) and I've taken out the shoulder padding, repositioned the shoulders, and removed the pauldrons. There are mod threads that discuss it. 

The shoulders are pretty curved to begin with but you can reshape them.

Here, we'll make @MadMax's day...

[SeeingEyeDog]

I own two Douglas chest protectors. They are not the cheapest chest protectors ever sold...they are simply the best. I recommend upgrading it with gap protection between the shoulder caps and chest plate and while most will say they prefer the T-hooks, I personally prefer the side buckles. What sold it for me is that they offer me the MOST torso protection fully down to my beltline AND...their customer service is the best in the business.

~Dawg

[wolfe_man]

The Douglas is a great CP, but I would not wear it without gap protection as Dawg states above.  Otherwise, it's a much better CP, fit-wise, than the Cobalt. Protection is great, CP is slimming and it stands up to anything. It is nice to have the options of pad colors, trim colors, buckles or T-hooks, etc. also from such a great company in the USA.

I will say without hesitation the new DX models are excellent choices and I would take them over anything else out there.  I never wore the Enduro, but I helped to field test the first model and was very happy with it.  I am 5-11 218 lbs for reference and wear XL shirts (46 chest), but the CP could have been a bit wider for my chest personally, so if my recommendation to widen it impacted you, then my apologies.

[UmpAK]

Why would one recommend having the shoulder gaps? How much does it impact the low profile?

What are the pros and cons of having sidebuckles over the T hooks. All of my past protectors have been side buckles, but why would one use T hooks?  

[wolfe_man]

19 hours ago, UmpAK said:

Why would one recommend having the shoulder gaps? How much does it impact the low profile?

What are the pros and cons of having sidebuckles over the T hooks. All of my past protectors have been side buckles, but why would one use T hooks?  

1. I would not wear one without the shoulder gap protection.  With one caveat, dependent upon the level of ball you call then you may choose to forego the added cost and protection... but if you are doing hardball with teens on up, then I would strongly suggest getting the mod added.  All it takes is one well-placed shot to the top of the shoulder in that gap to make you a believer and advocate of the gap protection.

2. I'll agree with the buckles versus t-hooks - or even better, using @MadMax's newest recommendation for connecting straps to CPs.  The new way is ultimately the best in my opinion, but definitely a buckles over T-hooks guy myself.  T-hooks can damage shirts and leave visible bumps seen through your shirt whereas a buckle under your armpit (on your side) cannot be seen and should be relatively safe from impacts there. I've found my CP gets tight enough with buckles over T-hooks, so there is no greater reason to do them anymore.  The old adage was T-hooks allowed a tighter fit therefore possibly keeping you safer since your CP didn't move down on you during the game.  With the new modern CP harnesses and straps, buckles are just as good, if not better, than T-hooks now.

[boyinr]

On 11/4/2025 at 3:44 PM, UmpAK said:

I am thinking of switching to a Douglas chest protector, but wanted to hear some opinions and comparisons to the All-Star Cobalt.

1. Is the Douglas padding a lower profile compared to the Cobalt?

2. How bulky are the shoulder pads? I am not that big of a person, and I would say that I am more slim and tall. Are the shoulder pads on the Douglas smaller and have a better curvature to them?

Thank you

 

 

I have both and wear them in a rotation. I have 100% confidence in both of them. 
1.  Much lower than than the Cobolt. I will wear a smaller sized shirt with the Douglas than Cobolt.  
2. They are no more bulky than they need to be IMO and have a lower profile than the Cobolt

I think the t hooks are a must as it pulls the lower plate tighten than the side buckles can if you really want it to form to you  

As for gap protection, I never saw the need.  I have worn a Douglas on and off for 15 years without it.  This year I got the “lottery shot”.  If I was to order a new one I would definitely add it.  I’m on the fence about sending mine back.  

As so other things with a Douglas:

I like a better harness, F3 or All Star.

The pad is an insulation blanket of cheap foam and does not breathe at all.  In the summer the Cobolt or Adams is better at heat management. I I would love a pad of 3DO foam like the Adams XV. 

The Douglas has to be formed to you to be really a low profile as you might want.  Out of the box it’s a little flat and with out the hinge plates it won’t curve on its own the way a Cobolt does. The shoulder and the main plate need some work with a heat gun.  
 

Jeff Cook and Douglas are great to deal with from a customer support standpoint.  Umpire CPs is a very small portion of their business.  Every Saturday and Sunday you can see their main focus.  I’m glad they support us and I will always have one in my bag.  

[The Man in Blue]

I work back and forth between a Cobalt and the Schutt/Adams XV.  Over the last few years, heat has become my biggest concern.

The Cobalt feels thick, but has never ceased to amaze me with its handling of the heat and its comfortable fit.  I have never fully modded and dialed in my Schutt, as I should, so it is still stiff.  It handles the heat extremely well and I love the fact that the foam does not keep the moisture (I hate feeling "wet" layers in the heat).

So my odd question is . . . has anybody tried taking the 3DO foam from the Schutt and moving to the shell of the Cobalt?